So, you've got your hands on a credit card and want to get a cool truck like the older boys you've seen at the local park?

Well, consider a few things before you embark on what will become an epic adventure, and heavy comittment to your vehicle.

1. What I consider to be the most important point; how much space do you have to run your truck in? If you're lucky and live in a rural area, then you will have acres of open field and parks to play in, but remember these things can really shift so you need to be aware of trees, fences, rocks, benchs, ditches, people and animals. If there are lots of these around then you need to be very careful not run into them or you could get yourself into serious trouble. If you are like me, and live in a town, then you need to think carefully about where you can run your truck; driving up and down the road is a big NO-NO, you could easily cause an accident, or get your truck ran over and then its game over. If you can drive, or have a friend/ relative with a car who can drive you and your truck to somewhere suitable, then you're okay; if not, then you will need to rethink your plans.

2. How much money do you have? Its all  very well getting a credit card, but you still have to pay back the money you use. If you have 'pocket money' to play with, then get a job and start saving like crazy. If you have £££ saved up, then still keep saving; this hobby can end up costing serious sums of money.

3. Nitro or elecrtic? Well, first consider how many model shops you have near by, and what they sell. If you dont have one that sells RC stuff, then its electric for you. If you have one near by, and its a good one too, then consider nitro, but then think about how skilled / knowledgeable you are. Never had an RC model before? Then electric is your only choice. If you know people with a nitro model, then learn all you can first, because tuning, running, and maintaining a nitro engine is hard work, and requires a lot of skill, time and even money. Thats not to say electric modles are easy either, they still require care and attention, but some types are easier than others, unlike nitro. If you cant get fuel locally for your nitro model, then dont buy one, get electric.

4. RTR or kit? If you enjoy building airfix kits and have a mechanical mind ( inclined to dismantle lawn mowers in your bed room ), then you will enjoy building a truck from a kit, and you will better understand how its works and how to fix it when things brake or wear out. If you dont like building things, and want the convenience of a ready to go model, then go for RTR. But remember you will still need to know how to take your truck apart to maintain it.

5. When things go wrong. Had a crash, broken it, worn out something out? Then you will need to know what to know where to look and what to do to fix it. Research is vital; if you take your truck out and brake it 'cos you dont know how to drive it properly, and then you dont know where to look to get parts / advice, then your in trouble. A good place to start is with beatyourtruck dot com . The people on here thrash their trucks for fun and have tons of advice to help beginners. Dont just ask questions blindly though, make sure you look to see what people have done to fix their truck when they had the same problems as you. There are also dozens of links to online retailers who will sell the parts you need to get your truck running again. Not sure which part you should get? Again research to see what other people do and recommend.

6. Upgrades. If you do have deep pockets, then before long you will want to improve you truck. Which parts you get and which route you take depends on how you drive and what your niche is. Basher? Then heavy duty parts which arent exspensive to replace. Spend money on the essentials such as the drive train and suspension components first, then worry about the non-essential 'shiney' bits later. Racer? Then go for the light weight but strong parts which will improve the vehicles handling and speed. If you opt for electric, then research brushless motor systems. They may be more expensive, but the vast gain in performance and near lack of maintainence is a serious factor to consider.

7. Finally, which type of truck? Whats your niche again. If you are after a racer, then a T-maxx / E-maxx is a good place to start. they are cheap, there are millions of manufactures offering parts and upgrades for racing, and most people seem to own one, so you can learn from other peoples experience. More of a basher? Same again, but spend money on the parts which get broken most often, the drive train and suspension. A Revo is a good nitro racer, and has the latest technology and design features. A savage is also a good basher, and has plenty of parts available, though it depends on the style of truck you prefer as to whether you buy a maxx or one of these. If you want a smaller, lighter truck, then buy a Stampede. These are very tough little trucks with fewer parts to brake. If you arent a speed freak, and you like the look of Rock crawling, then buy a TXT-1. These are quite exspensive, but have great potential for upgrading and are a good place to start. Do your research though and think about a Clod buster. In stock form its no good, but get yourself an after market chassis and again, do tons of research, and you will soon know more than enough to get you going. thecrawlerstore dot com is a good place to look, as well as einerbee.cafe24.com/tt/index.php?ct1=-1, AKA inerbeecrew, a korean out fit with plenty of links to other crawlers.

I hope this has been helpful to you, and hopefully now you will have a much better idea of what is envolved in this amazing hobby. Cheers.