An Honest Rlaarlo ROG1 Review & Test

Meet the Rlaarlo ROG1 brushless truggy.
Available here: rlaarlo.com/pa...
It has an impressive spec sheet:
80km/h+ in stock form;
100km/h with included speed pinion;
1/14 scale and their claimed toughest vehicle yet;
3600kv 4-pole Brushless motor & 45A ESC;
4WD with sturdy slipper clutch;
Full metal drivetrain;
2mm alloy baseplate and 3mm alloy shock towers;
DumboRC 4-ch radio system;
Waterproof;
Includes a quality 35C 2200mAh 3S LiPO.
This all sounds pretty good, right? Could it be the best smaller-scale, brushless, off-road RC of 2024? I'd like to know - and if you would too, stick around. We're going to put this thing through its paces.
Let's test!
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(Affiliate link; RC-TNT will earn commission if you buy using this. Thank you.)
Charger shown is G.T. Power X2 Pro 200W Balance Charger:
asiate.es/aff?l...
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Correction: turnbuckles are for camber and toe, not castor (which is the rotational position of the axles and steering plane, relative to horizon, let's say)
Thumbnail purple b/g credit: www.freepik.com/
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Related videos:
Rlaarlo XDKJ-005 Truggy: • Is Rlaarlo's Cheap 1/1...
Rlaarlo XDKJ-006 Buggy: • Water! Jumps! Crashes!...
Rlaarlo AM-X12C(T) Buggy: • Rlaarlo AM-X12T(C): Ne...
Rlaarlo AM-D12 Desert Buggy: • Rlaarlo's 1/12 Mini Me...
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[@RCTNT]

If you're considering buying one, please use my link: rlaarlo.com/pages/rog14?ref=RCTNT There's no extra cost to you and it tells Rlaarlo that people are making a decision after watching this video, which helps our partnership for future videos! I promise you'll continue to get a fair and honest approach to my reviews, here and in future. Thank you for your support!

[@AnyAssumptionBanter]

Didn't know about bottom out before shocks fully decompress. That makes sense. Thank you for that important info.

[@just.jose.youtube]

Love your work here on KZbin and for the RC community Craig! Cheers from Portugal! 🇵🇹💪

[@RCTNT]

Hey my pleasure, thank you

[@Rlaarlo]

Thank you for the honest review of the ROG1! We’re glad to hear your thoughts and hope you’re enjoying your RC experience. If you’ve already purchased the ROG1 and need any assistance or have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact our after-sales support team. We’re here to help and ensure you get the best out of your ROG1! 🚗🔧

[@RCTNT]

Thanks, it's a great car and I'm really glad I got a chance to give it a run. If the OmniTerminator is similarly built, I bet it's brilliant too. On ya, Rlaarlo 👍

[@malsmith2012]

Love your work Craig. Can't wait for you to build that track and hopefully make the jump with a longer take off so the cars leave without the kick up at the rear.. Loving the content mate and hearing your opinion on these RC's.. Cheers

[@RCTNT]

Thanks a lot. I'm going to fix the jump as part of my upcoming rc construction videos. It definitely needs it!

[@magnusstone]

I can’t really express how good of a video this is. There are about a dozen videos on this car (I’ve watched them all) and this video alone gave me double the insight of all of them combined. Keep it up, this is exactly what we want to hear! If it interests you at all, I’m in a bit of a pickle myself. I’m getting the itch for a new mini basher, to be run on 3s. I’m not bothered by how it’s equipped out of the box, I can put my own stuff in straight out of the gate immediately. What I will end up doing with the car is taking it jumping and to the skatepark (no big sends or crashes) and trying to tune it to absorb the landings well. I am thinking about an LC racing truggy/MT tire buggy, this Rlaarlo, or maybe even a grom. I already have a number of Chinese mini bashers similar to HBX and MJX. Any thoughts?

[@RCTNT]

LC Racing vehicles are gorgeous machines. However, plastic is probably your friend at the skate park. I've thought about this question for a bit before answering (oh, thanks for the feedback, too, I'm so glad it was so helpful to you). I had the older style Rlaarlo 006 buggy at the skate park and so far it's bent (but not broken) a rear A-arm, and the shocks have leaked. The 005 truggy has the same running gear and suspension as the 006 buggy and I've blown its diff as stated in this video. Lower mass and flexibility is preferable for concrete bashing. You say no big sends, but that plus skate park aren't really mutually exclusive. You're picturing nice landings, but you're gonna go bigger as you get more confident (I could be wrong, but it's really fun to do that and I bet you will end up doing it!! No-one could blame you, either, it's a hoot). Of the cars I have here and am familiar with (and picturing the MJX M/T as based on the Hyper Go series I have here), my expectation is the ROG1 will be the one to use. The A-arms and rod ends speak to strength. It is a shame the shock towers are alu - even tho they're 3mm, they will bend before too long. Nothing is indestructible but of the smaller rigs I've abused, this one is easily the toughest. I was legit expecting to blow its diff/s apart with the X-Maxx style flipping I was doing. I'm still surprised it took it. I've played with it again since, and my boy has run a pack through it too, with zero care for throttle or landings. He's rough when I tell him to go nuts (great driver when he wants to be, but loves to just pin the trigger). It's taken it all, apart from the body, which really wants some reinforcing. Other than the body falling apart and the shock towers bending (haven't yet, but they will), this thing is simply epic. That's my completely honest opinion. It's tougher than I'd expect for twice what I know the price will be.

[@magnusstone]

@@RCTNT awesome! Thanks for the detailed feedback. I did notice the thin shock towers, I’m hoping maybe rlaarlo will make an upgrade 7075 part or thicker tower. I am probably going to pick one up at presale price when it does come out, other reviewers have “leaked” that it will be $150 presale which is very reasonable!

[@RCTNT]

Rlaarlo have advertised 3mm shock towers as a feature but it's not enough. 4mm be better. I can't confirm or deny that price but rlaarlo asked me not to reveal it. I will say that figure sounds like a very reasonable price for so much car, and IMO it would be a smashing deal in such a case. Cheers

[@magnusstone]

@@RCTNT yeah I agree and the chassis as 2.5mm instead of 2 would maybe have been be better as well. Rlaarlo just released an update for the terminator 1/12 fixing most of the issues, but that came with a price bump and a 6+ month wait from release. I bet buying at presale and then retrospectively purchase fixes like thicker towers rlaarlo might release in the future would probably be a similar cost to waiting for a v2

[@RCTNT]

I'll pass this back to them. I understand they're watching the comments on these videos, too. 👍

[@alantaylor353]

Rlaarlo are really knocking it out of the park.!! 👍 👍 👍

[@RCTNT]

Gotta agree in this case, it's a brilliant machine

[@dub2536]

yup

[@FrankvdBerg]

Finaly someone that tells the truth about youtubers testing new rc cars. Dont like all the tumbeling on these small cars. Seems anoying

[@RCTNT]

The tumbling does get old, yeah. Kinda comes with a short wheelbase on any scale RC car though. If youtubers are disclosing that there's a symbiotic relationship with a manufacturer (which honestly you kinda need if you're doing a lot of videos, as it gets *expensive*), I think that's okay. The issue is if you're not told that it's sponsored, then there's potential for conflict of interest. Most of us doing RC vids just love the hobby and sharing our videos of cars and stuff, honestly. The manufacturer/creator relationship is good for everyone, if we're all on the same page :)

[@FrankvdBerg]

@@RCTNT sure is. I do make video's but if you buy it all yourself, well you allways end up whit older models

[@RCTNT]

Haha yes, my channel being Exhibit A for that!

[@boduke9428]

It's pretty obvious when channels are testing vehicles that aren't for sale yet that it's a freebie from the manufacturer and to take that review with a grain of salt. Same way as if Talbot test a Traxxas then it'll be the best thing ever, even if it's the Maxx Slash. Most of us know who to really listen to and when.

[@RCTNT]

I value my reputation for integrity. Thankfully, you don't actually have to take my word for it. The truth about a new model comes out once a few folks get their hands on it. Then the original reviews are proven or otherwise. It's such a strange future to be living in, though, hey. Growing up in the 80s and 90s, I'd never have thought of such a "home video" marketing environment being remotely viable.

[@ch-vs3fw]

Great video, thank you for your honesty. I really appreciate a very hard bash in a review video, to illustrate durability. Thanks again, your videos are really great!

[@RCTNT]

My pleasure! It really was fun to do 😊

[@WestyCoastHermit]

That is a sweet little truck. It seems robust and dialed in very well out of the box. I like it!

[@RCTNT]

It surprised me greatly, to be honest. I expected to break it with that abuse!

[@alfoard7709]

Great video Craig. Keep up the good work mate

[@RCTNT]

Thanks very much for the support 🙏

[@ARTilldawn]

These little bashers are tough, I did ruin my back differential gear (MJX HyperGo) but that's it and it took a lot of beating. Rlarlo products look really good, love to see some details on a basher and that yellow light bar looks great.

[@steveblackbird]

Very solid and thorough review Craig, so thankyou for that! I did have quite the laugh @9:09 hahahaha. I love the little buggies have 3 WLToys 144001's with a few LC racing add ons and they're tough and handle quite well for what they are. LC racing I think was Genesis for all these smaller RC's... Not a bad standard to set. This actually looks like one very tough little MT. I'm thinking a smooth concrete skatepark would be ideal to show off what it's capable of...Very tough on the car though. Brutally quick on grass...geeez! Love a good brushless system out of the box.

[@RCTNT]

Heh, yes. Wasn't impressed with those shocks from big-T. Really doesn't take a lot to improve them and they just shouldn't ship as they do. But that's a topic for another video. LC Racing is indeed the genesis for this stuff. I even used those words in the raw footage for this video, though I have cut 20+ mins out to get the length to under half an hour! Agreed. Skate park would be perfect for this. Body needs some love but it's a worthy platform indeed. Cheers!

[@johnvaz2048]

That thing looks fantastic. Great video love it.

[@RCTNT]

Thanks! I was ready for it to be quite mediocre but it really impressed me. It made making a detailed video about it very easy indeed. I think it's going to sell well for them.

[@hairypaulmm7wab195]

Still running Rlaarlo AMD12 after many months of pretty rough thrashing on and lots of high speed wipe outs. Amazed I have not bent axles or busted drive shafts after whaping trees, rocks and cartwheeling it at over 45MPH too many times to count. busted rear dif drive pinion in a 40+ MPH slam into a concrete kerb. Replaced lower front suspension arms and axle carriers due to wear and bearings need replacing soon but it has been one of the toughest cars so far. MY race buddy has had similar experience with his AMD12 and only bent an axle after launching it off a speed hump on tarmac road into a steel fence at 50MPH. Rlaarlo seem to design em pretty tough. Also the 878 speed run car has been flipped at over 75MPH and only cracked a wheel. Impressed with their stuff.

[@RCTNT]

That's great! Yeah the AM-D12 has unexpectedly been one of my most used models of the past year. It's just fun, so smooth, and capable beyond what it's scale would suggest. Little ripper!

[@jrfishes]

Agreed, I love my little AMD12. I bought one at launch and it’s still running great.

[@small.and.even.smaller]

Nice fast truggy.

[@michaeldorich4485]

This a great review. The car/truck seems to be a winner. I think for a youngster starting out 2S with a longer run time is a fantastic idea. You were rough on it as you should be and it held up well. Do you think it would hold up at a skatepark? I don't know if you mentioned it. Does it have an adjustable speed control on the transmitter? You know it's a good product when the reviewer is laughing and chuckling throughout the vide.Keep up then good work.

[@RCTNT]

The body needs reinforcing, but it should take skate park abuse, yes. The radio has a dual rate dial for throttle, 0-100, so you can turn it down, yep.

[@littlezeb777]

Rlarrlo......Please make a true 1/10th version. You have plenty of baby rc trucks. You would sell way more true 1/10th scale versions.

[@ChrisCroft77]

The Omni Terminator is listed as mini 1/10 (really 1/12) with a lot of the same DNA as this one.

[@jrfishes]

Absolutely agree!!

[@littlezeb777]

I have owned and ran the Omni Terminator version since day one release. I love the truck however it's a little to small for me. To me it would be better as a true 1/10th scale vehicle. The little ones just are not for me.

[@pocketfuloducks1062]

I’m going to literally have to talk myself out of not buying one of these to go with my OT roller… 😂🍻

[@RCTNT]

If you like trucks and truggies in this scale, it's an easy decision to buy, yes!!

[@RcPlayer-tt2vw]

Yep they did a good job on this guy , I don’t own one yet “ but I’ve seen enough reviews to say only destructive criticism it’s deserved is using 1.5 mm bolts instead of all 2.0 . All in all you could get moneys worth of fun never putting a wrench on it and that’s a home run for riallo

[@RCTNT]

Can't argue with that. I still am surprised I didn't blow a diff, driving like I did

[@NayburhoodSnipa]

I tried to buy through your link, but unfortunately, they're already sold out. Nice review m8

[@RCTNT]

They haven't released yet. 2 more days. Thanks for using my link!

[@NayburhoodSnipa]

@@RCTNT Thanks for the heads up. I thought the promo was for pre-sales. You rock!

[@RCTNT]

No worries! I'm a little confused too, but if you want one, keep an eye on their social media or website. I understand they'll be available sometime on the 8th of this month. Cheers

[@NayburhoodSnipa]

​@RCTNT I just purchased the Red model through your link. I watched Rlaarlo's livestream release event. They told everyone in chat that everyone who was in chat would recieve a coupon code after the stream. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. Still a great price. Thanks again

[@RCTNT]

@NayburhoodSnipa thanks for using my link! Earlier in the stream they said you'd have to be there to be able to win one of 20 coupons, and then to win the ROG1 they were giving away. I left before prizes so as to help everyone else's odds just a little. I think the price is still pretty great for what you get though. Thanks for letting me know, and enjoy your new car!

[@jairferreirarc]

nice

[@Fortes_RC_Adv]

Very nice video💪🤩✅️

[@Moggmodels23]

Hi mate yh fantastic video mine coming today 17th September can't wait is there anything else to worry about this little car. What about the slipper clutch dose that need tight up or leave it has it came from the factory let me know that will great 😊😊😊😅

[@RCTNT]

If it's like mine was, leave it as is. Some slip is good. Bolster that body around the rear plastic mount, as it cracks quickly. Enjoy!

[@DearDiaryMe]

please compared it with mjx 16208

[@RCTNT]

Can do. I'll look into that.

[@Rlaarlo]

Can’t wait to see how it performs in action and if it lives up to the hype as the best smaller-scale brushless off-road RC of 2024. 👍

[@RCTNT]

The action is right here. I think you've hit it out of the park, per my experience with it in this video. Well done.

[@seriaocsis]

EMB-1 in the buggy 🤔

[@RCTNT]

Fair enough! I should have checked before I spoke. Thanks

[@bernardrc1137]

Reminds of a mt10 v2 🤔

[@RCTNT]

It's baby spirit animal perhaps

[@RinkaiKouen]

Why a 2S battery gives you 50% more running time? If you have a 3S and run it at the same power (maybe lowering ch2's DR) it should last 1/3 longer than a 2S, right?

[@RCTNT]

It's common to confuse voltage with capacity in this question. - More cells (higher S count) means more voltage, but not more capacity. - More mAh is more capacity. It isn't related to cell count. Here's a quick example with an imaginary car, where power draw is exactly the same regardless of voltage (this isn't the case in reality; higher voltage usually means higher current draw, but ignore that for now). In our example car: 1S 1000mAh lasts 30 mins 2S 1000mAh lasts 15 mins 3S 1000mAh lasts 10 mins To get 30 mins runtime from a 3S battery in this car, you'd need to increase the 3S battery capacity to 3000mAh. To help explain why/how this happens, a bucket of water with one or more holes drilled in it is a useful analogy: - The size of the bucket is the amp hour rating, or capacity. - Each hole drilled in its base is a battery cell. 1 hole is 1S. 2 holes is 2S, etc. When you go up an S (cell), the capacity (bucket size) doesn't increase, only the number of cells (holes in the bucket) goes up. Voltage is electrical pressure, or how much is available to the load (motor in this case). Higher voltage means more holes in the bucket, making more power available to the load. But more holes in a bucket means it'll empty quicker, right? Capacity (mAh) is how much power there is available, or, the size of the bucket. Going back to the car example here, consider how: - the 3S 3000mAh battery lasts 30 minutes (bigger bucket); - the 3S 1000mAh battery lasts 10 minutes (smaller bucket); and, - the 2S 1000mAh battery lasts 15 minutes (smaller bucket but less holes in it). Hope this helps!

[@RinkaiKouen]

@@RCTNT Man thank you so much for this long explanation. Much apreciated. But maybe I did not express my question properly. Let's say we have one 2S and one 3S battery, both of them 2000mAh. Sounds very Rlaarlo-ish 😄 So the 2S driving normally let's say lasts 20 minutes. Now get the 3S and limit the throttle to 66%, which should give similar performance to he 2S battery. The "limited" 3S battery (which is obviously bigger than the 2S one because of the extra cell) should last longer than the 2S, isn't it? Should give similar endurance as a 3000mAh 2S battery, which would be the same size as the 2000mAh 3S.

[@RCTNT]

No worries! Happy to talk about it :) In your question, you said the 3S battery is obviously bigger than the 2S one because of the extra cell. Yes, it is physically bigger, but its capacity is the same. This is critical. If you set the motor to run at 66.67% maximum, you *may* see similar runtime to the 2S battery of the same capacity, but there are a few issues with this idea: - the motor's power draw may not be linear. As motors run on higher volts, their power draw ramps up pretty steeply. It could be a benefit or a detractor here, it really depends on the motor. - you're hauling around the extra weight of that additional cell in the 3S here, despite the throttle being limited. Can't really get around physics and that extra weight will count on runtime and motor heat. Bottom line, more S doesn't mean more runtime. Fiddle with throttle limits if you like and test for yourself, but if you're going to run on 3S at 2/3 throttle, consider using a 2S at 100% and enjoy the full punch of the motor and the lower weight from the smaller battery!

[@RinkaiKouen]

@@RCTNT Once agan thank you very much! It's a really interesting topic. In my practical experience, but with no proper testing, I allways had the impression that 3S with lower throttle had a similar endurance to 2S of higher capacity.

[@RCTNT]

Having thought on it, this could actually be the case. The bit I think that'll make or break this theory is how linearly (or not) the motor's current draw increases with throttle. If it's precisely linear, then I'd tend to agree that the 3 cells in series might be better than two, with same actual output. Probably also depends on the esc, radio system and even the cells in the batteries. On a related note, talking about batteries in parallel: I've found that 2x 2500mah 2s batteries outlasts 1x 5000mah 2s. I haven't researched why this may be, but it is probably the same phenomenon that drives production of xS2P lipos (x being the number of cells, P denoting how many parallel pairs are in the battery). Most batteries are xS1P, but some are 2P, like the Ovonic I looked at last year. In theory, they have a bigger discharge potential, all else being equal. But in practice, it depends on cell quality, internal wiring resistance, etc etc. Interesting stuff tho. Cheers

[@skyhawk21]

How do we buy this and get it asap?

[@RCTNT]

I believe it releases in about 4 days from now. See video description for link 👍

[@Xxnonymuz]

@@RCTNTout of curiosity do you shop on aliexpress? If so have you seen that there’s a few listings of the new Rlaarlo ROG1 (listings saying 14+ sold no reviews) which led me to believe they may be scams, because Rlaarlo themselves havnt released it. It’s odd but I’m curious if anyone else has seen it and what they thought, because I assumed all the people with one on KZbin got a free one directly from RLAARLO, not AliExpress.

[@RCTNT]

I use AliExpress a lot. I think you'll find those 14+ haven't received their cars yet, though it does happen. We influencers (I dislike the label but I guess that's what I am) did indeed get provided the car for review. I can't guarantee all did this, but it's likely. Like nearly all other RC companies, rlaarlo use a factory to make their car. It's the same base model as a couple of others floating around out there (pt14, zd racing something) but with some rlaarlo design changes, including their choice of electronics and their branding. With Chinese manufacturing and(lack of) governmental control being what it is, many factories seem to rebrand a design they've been contracted to make and sell it at a lower/similar price on places like Ali. The more brazen ones will retain the original labels and sell anyway. They're not copies or even clones, they're often the real deal, though they're being sold outside the intended retail channel. Will those 14+ buyers have their cars yet? Maybe. Maybe not. Will they have any kind of after market support if they need it? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. It can be a bit of a gamble, but that all said, I've had a good run with Ali and I'd expect I've bought more through them than many hobbyists combined. Easily multiple 5 figures' worth - I used to use them for industrial supply for stuff I just couldn't buy in Australia for my lab, too. We have a good relationship with China, it's a lot busier than the USA-China relationship. Bottom line, they'll be legit, most likely. Unknown on stock supply timing. Buy from rlaarlo for best results.

[@Xxnonymuz]

⁠@@RCTNTthanks for the response, not sure if or why KZbin deleted my original comment reply. I’ve ordered from Al a few times as well (usually WLtoys or parts) and yeah I know that their stuff is manufactured in China(lots of clones, lots of different sellers) and ofc rlaarlo also being a Chinese brand, it would make sense that you could possibly buy one from Ali, it just wouldn’t make sense that it’s already for sale on Ali but not specifically Rlaarlo. And taking what you’re saying in account, it could be a factory/manufacture that’s making them and selling it before Rlaarlo themselves, and if it’s a legit preorder ( not indicated anywhere on Ali) that would make sense why the 14+ people it says sold to havnt reviewed it yet because they havnt got it. Main reason I speculated it being a scam and not actually the ROG1 (despite them using photos and promo vid) I know @TomleyRC got scammed 6 months ago trying to get an MJX Hyper Go and he received some little cheap toy car. I figured this could possible be the same deal here where you buy one thing and get another unless someone that actually has one on KZbin/video can say that they ordered theirs from Ali. I sent rlaalro an email with pictures of the listing asking them if it’s legit manufacturer or store with the car to sell it. Interested In their response

[@alans4281]

Wheelie yellow

[@RCTNT]

Tumble... purple?

[@leonwhite413]

How do feel about this truck being a 100% copy of the ZD Racing MT-16?

[@RCTNT]

I didn't know that. I'll look into it, thanks.

[@RinkaiKouen]

It's obviously not a "copy", it probably comes from the same factory, as does a third "version" from a third brand.

[@RCTNT]

I've enquired about it. They've licensed this design but made their own brand-specific changes. The platform may be the same but you won't get this exact truck anywhere else. I specifically covered IP issues with my rlaarlo contact when we were discussing them sending this to me and they assured me there's no IP conflict here. Obviously that doesn't prove anything but you've got to pick where you start to trust. That line won't be the same for everyone.

[@RinkaiKouen]

@@RCTNT well, the D12 is also the same platform as the 1/12 wltoys which in turn is an LC racing. Same with the Rlaarlo 1/14 line. They just have their own deals and strategies as everybody does, including big western brands. No problemo I'd say.

[@RCTNT]

Agreements are fine. IP theft is not. The former helps the industry while the latter hurts in the long run, as it increases the risk and decreases the reward for innovation. I actually had a bit to say on this for the ROG1 video, but I had to cut about 40 minutes of talking to get it down to 20. But I hear you.

[@spenn2007]

Is this rig "cool" heck yeah, but where do people run these tiny RC's? Many people speed-test them on the street because they perform poorly off-road. Rlarrlo needs to have a meeting about developing a TRUE foundation for a 1/8 scale offroad RC MT. They almost had me but personally, I'm not dropping 200.00 of my RC residual income on this.

[@RCTNT]

I mean, it seems like the perfect yard basher, no? Mine hasn't touched the street and it won't. What's the point? Its a monster truck, let's bash!

[@lyricofwise6894]

​@@RCTNT i run them on less bumpy terrain off road, since ofc smaller scale the small rocks are like huge boulders if to think environment proportionate to the rc. Other than that, indoors, or driveway. Some ppl like Do Rc like to run small off road rcs on giant pothole terrain, says it forces him to think more. I can see that.

[@RCTNT]

I think i misunderstood your original comment. All good! (also, I'm not allowed to tell you the price yet but it's cheaper than you may think) Cheers