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Type ❯❯ 2WD desert racing truckPrice ❯❯ $250 (varies with dealer)Top speed ❯❯ 22mphRequires ❯❯ 4 AA batteries ❯❯ 6-cell NiMH or 2-cell LiPo pack ❯❯ ChargerLosi.comQ

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LOSI DESERT TRUCKFull-scale racing looks and functional lightsput a new face on Losi’s RTR truck line

LIGHTS! CHARGER! ACTION! Getting the LDT ready for action is simple:charge a pack, put 4 AAs in the transmitter,put the pack in the truck and then switch on.The 2.4GHz radio is already tuned into theLDT’s receiver, and the speed control is set upfor you. The headlights and taillights turn onwhen the speed control is flipped on, addinginstant wow even before you pull the trigger.Testing began with radar runs in the parkinggarage of RC Car Action’s secret mountain-top publishing fortress. Losi’s 3,200 rpmmotor spools the LDT out to a top speed of

22.1mph, headlights blazing all the way. Thedim light of the garage let the LDT’s beam pattern show on the pavement, and the twoLEDs actually make a realistic pool of light infront of the truck—pretty sweet.

CRUISING CONCRETEI couldn’t resist popping the LDT over thegarage’s speed bumps, which are flat-sidedstrips lag-bolted to the concrete floor ratherthan smoothly contoured humps like you’dfind on a paved lot. With it’s track-inspiredsuspension, the LDT hopped over the speed

bumps and aired out nicely with a cushy land-ing about 5 feet down the line. I was afraid theLDT’s rear-raked stance would make it donkey-kick, but it jumped level. Handling-wise, theLDT liked the concrete. Stay on the gas, andthe AT tires are hooked up and give the trucka little understeer. Chop the throttle to shiftweight up front, and the truck will oversteertractably.

HIT THE DIRTCruising the parking garage was fun, but theLDT belongs in the dirt. Unsurprisingly, it’srealistic tires sacrifice traction compared withracing rubber, but the authentic-looking treadsactually work much better than I expected.

XTREME RC RACEWAY ❯❯ NEW MILFORD, CTTEST SPOT

BEHIND THEWHEEL

DRIVE TIME

1/10 SCALE | ELECTRIC | RTR

EXCLUSIVE!

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Talk about a rebirth. For years, the primary trajectory for Losi’s XT truck plat-form was ever finer racing performance. A noble goal to be sure and one wellmet with the current Triple-XT CR race truck, but the XT’s fun-truck potentialhas gone largely untapped. Until now, that is. The Speed-T (reviewed in theMay issue) transformed the XT into a blacktop burner,and now the Losi Desert Truck (LDT) is ready to put anew face on the “stadium truck” scene with Baja 1000looks that even include functional LED lights! But it’s stillan XT at heart, which means it’s full of racing featuresthat make it a high-value fun machine even if you nevergo near a racetrack. Time to bash, Baja-style.

Maybe the tire’s relatively squared-off shape(as viewed head-on) lets the sidewalls dig in,but whatever the reason, the LDT drifts pre-dictably and is easy to control unless youbrake aggressively or let off the gas abruptlywhile cornering. Hard braking tends to lockthe rear wheels, and letting off mid-cornerunweights the rear tires and gives the truck abunch of oversteer. No problem, though; justcountersteer and get back on the gas.

ROUGH STUFFI sent my LDT out to West Coast editor JasonSams for cover photography in desert-like terrain, but I did my testing on Xtreme RC’sweatherbeaten, not-yet-race-ready layout.

Melting snow and rain had carved ruts in thetrack, which was still blown out from the lastraces of the previous season. Needless tosay, the LDT got a workout. The AT tires arefirmer than the meatballs usually found onLosi trucks, and the laid-down shock positi-tions that come with the Speed-T style shocktowers give the suspension a stiffer ride, butthe LDT still soaks up bumps well. There’sway too much racetruck in the LDT for it notto work great in the rough stuff. Really gnarlyterrain might get you stuck if you high-centerthe chassis, but if you’re driving on any sur-face that looks like a desert racer should beon it, you can count on the LDT to give you agood ride.

DESERT DURABILITYI was afraid the totally tubular front bumperand rear roll cage might be damage prone, but they took a few good shots without part-ing ways from the LDT. Losi was smart inleaving slack in the wires for the front LEDlights; the bumper can flex without strainingthe wires. Body scuffs were common andexpected, as were scratches on the chromewheels. It’s a bummer to see track rash onthe good-looking six-spokers, but that’s off-road RC for you.

WORDS PETER VIEIRA ❯❯ peterv@airage.com | PHOTOS PETE HALL

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RADAR TESTING

Distance (in feet) traveled in:1 sec. ❯❯ 13.42 sec. ❯❯ 10.03 sec. ❯❯ 69.14 sec. ❯❯ 99.95 sec. ❯❯ 133.30-132 ft. time ❯❯ 4.9 sec.Time to top speed ❯❯ 4.5 sec. Speed at 132 ft. ❯❯ 22.1mph

TOPSPEED 22.1mph

TIME, SECONDS

SPEED, M

PH

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The LDT is the first Losi to get the new

LM-32K motor. I’ll go out on a limb andsay it stands for “Losi Motor 32,000,”since Losi claims 32,000rpm from the mill(but does not specify a particular wind).The closed-endbell design looks like abasic 540, but it’s a mild modified andhas a fan mounted on the armature tokeep temps in check. The motor has pret-ty good scoot and cranks the LDT up to22mph. If you want to try a hotter motor,go for it; the LDT’s speed control is ratedfor motors down to 12 turns. I like thestocker; it has good off-road speed andstretches the run time of my stick packs.

The Desert Truck isbased on the track-tested Triple-XT stadiumtruck platform. Thenew low-profile shocktowers that debutedwith the Speed-T letthe Baja-style body-work sit realisticallylow on the chassis.

Ready for the desert.Losi sets the rear rideheight a little low toemulate a full-sizedesert racer’s stance.

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DIMENSIONS Overall length 17.5 in (445mm)Wheelbase 11.8 in. (300mm)Width 12.5 in. (318mm)Weight, as tested 3 lb. 13 oz. (1,729g)

CHASSISMolded plastic semi-tub

SUSPENSIONType Lower H-arm with turnbuckle upper link Inboard camber-link positions F/R 3/8Outboard camber-link positions F/R 3/2Upper shock positions F/R 2/2Lower shock positions F/R 3/3

SHOCKSAluminum body with clamping preload adjuster

STEERINGType Dual bellcrank Servo-saver Externally adjustable with nylonlocknut Tie rods Steel turnbuckleAckerman settings (inboard/outboard) 2/1

DRIVETRAINType Enclosed gearboxTransmission 3-gear Slipper clutch Dual-pad with hard-anodizedpressure plates; externally adjustable Differential Bevel gear with 6 hardened steelgearsSpur gear 88-tooth, molded plastic, 48-pitch Pinion Steel, 17TDriveshafts Steel CV-typeBearings Metal-shielded Gear ratio 2.43:1

BODY, WHEELS & TIRESBody Losi Desert Truck, printed LexanWheels One-piece plastic, chrome-plated 6-spoke bead-lock designTires Losi ATInserts Open-cell foam

ELECTRONICS Transmitter Losi 2.4GHz Spektrum DSMReceiver Losi MRX-3000 2.4GHz Spektrum DSMSpeed control Losi 12RB reversing, 12-turnmotor limitMotor Losi LM-32K 32,000rpm brushed, closedendbellSteering servo Losi MSX Digital

SPECIFICATIONSLOSI DESERT TRUCKLosi.comScale 1/10Price $250 (varies with dealer)

UNDER THE HOOD

REALISTIC ROLL CAGEThe LDT is all about capturing thelook of a desert racer, and a bigpart of that look is an exposedroll cage. Losi makes the struc-ture out of flexible plastic to han-dle crash abuse, and the cutawayrear bed complements the totallytubular style perfectly. The multi-piece design appears to maketransmission access difficult, butpulling the trans only requires theremoval of four additional screws,all accessed from above—no big-gie. Two extra body clips hold thebody’s rear fenders to the cage,but you don’t have to removethem for chassis access; instead,the body pivots on the cagemounts, funny-car style.

Light showThe LDT’s rear roll cage and front brush bumper/skidplatelook rad on their own, but functional LED lights put the LDTover the top. A pair of bright whites in the bumper and redrear LEDs bring the truck to life in the night, and the beampattern is very realistic—you really can drive the LDT at night(in a safe driveway, of course—never in the street or in aparking lot where a full-size driver might not see your truck,or more importantly, see you.). The lights glow as long as thetruck is turned on, and since they’re LEDs, they draw verylittle voltage. If you prefer to leave them off for daytime run-ning, just unplug the LED module’s connector from thereceiver.

Desert diffFor as long as Losi has had 1⁄10-scale electric trucks, they’ve all been equipped with balldifferentials. Great for the track but not as good for play-running where the preciseadjustment and proper maintenance a ball diff requires will probably be overlooked byJoe Basher. And so, the LDT is the first Losi 2WD truck to get a gear differential, and it’sa very nice unit. It’s compact and lightweight and has four spider gears instead of theusual two. Losi greases the gears, but thediff’s construction should permit it to besealed for use with silicone fluid; I won’t besurprised if this diff finds a home in Losi’sTriple-XNT nitro stadium truck. If you’re think-ing about dropping the gear diff into your XT-series truck, you’ll also have to buy an LDTgearbox, which has extra clearance for thegear diff.

DESERT-READY RUBBERThe LDT is the first truck to get Losi’s new “AT” all-terrain tireand 6-spoke “bead-lock” wheel combo. The wheels aren’tfunctional bead-locks, but the molded-in bolt detail reallysells the look. The AT tires have an authentic tread designthat wraps onto the sidewalls, and they really dig in well onpavement. Off-road, the realistic rubber doesn’t offer the gripof a racing tire (no surprise there), but the tires do slide pre-dictably and are a good match for LDT’s scale-like dirt-sling-ing, desert-racing mission. If you just gotta have more off-road grip, there’s a huge variety of 2.2 tires and wheels to fitthe LDT from Losi, GRP, Pro-Line, Panther and others. Aswith all Losi RTRs, the LDT’s tires are supported by foaminserts and well glued to the wheels at the factory.

This looks like the tire dis-play at Sears! Losi really gotthe look right with the DesertTruck’s rollers.

Now that’s cool. The roll cage is flexible so it can takea hit, and it even has LED lights built in.

The bright white LED headlightsthrow a strong beam that lookstotally trick when running at dusk.

The LDT’scompact diffrequires noadjustment or main-tenance, and four steel spider gearsmake it extra tough.

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Speed-T suspensionThe LDT uses clamping preload collars instead of theSpeed-T’s threaded units, but otherwise you get the samesetup. Low-profile shocktowers let the desert bodysit low on the chassis with-out the big clearance humpsrequired by racing XTs, andthe aluminum shocks withbottom-loaded seal car-tridges are as smooth as thebest racing shocks. Neweyelet-style rod ends makemaintenance easier and arevirtually pop-off proof, andturnbuckles set camber and toe without disassembly.The LDT’s main mission isleisure-mode driving, but ithas all the specs you needto hang on the racetrack if you care to add track-specific tires.

Rating the Losi Desert TruckIf you’re jazzed by the LDT’s Baja 1000 look, then youshould definitely get one. Those looks are more thanLexan-deep; there’s the soul of a racing truck under-neath that shell, which makes the LDT a highly com-petent handler even with tires that favor realism oversheer traction. And since everything is fully adjustable,you can make the LDT handle just the way you like.And, yes, you could take it racing with a tire swap,which is a nice plus for any new RC drivers who areattracted to racing after buying this “play” truck. Thereare other play trucks with racing features out there,but the advantage of the Desert Truck (and any XT-series truck) is that parts are easy to get—any shopwith an off-road track should have parts. But mostimportant is how the truck succeeds as a fun-to-drive,easy-to-maintain ride, and that’s where the LosiDesert Truck shines brightest.

DAILY MAINTENANCEUse a toothbrush to cleanthe dirt off the bottoms ofthe shocks where the shaftsexit. This will prolong the lifeof the seals and shafts. Ifyou run your truck in thewoods, take off the wheelsand remove any twigs orgrass that might havewrapped around the axles.

DRIVESHAFT CHECKThe truck’s CV-style drive-shafts are drilled so you canaccess the crosspin

setscrew without disassem-bling anything. Check thescrews after each drivingsession.

WIRING STRESS RELIEFUse a zip-tie to secure thetaillight wire to the roll cage,so you don’t snag it wheninstalling a battery or work-ing on the truck.

BIND PLUG STORAGEThe LDT arrives with itsSpektrum transmitter andreceiver already “bound”

(electronically linked), andchances are you won’t havea reason to re-bind them fora long time—which makes itall the more likely that youwill have lost the bind plugby the time you need it.Store the plug in the trans-mitter’s battery compart-ment, or make a point ofhanging the plug on yourshop wall so you’ll be ableto find it later.

Losi transmitter with Spektrum DSMThe LDT’s radio system is basic as far asadjustments go (trims and steering rate arestandard), but Losi stepped up with Spektrum2.4GHz technology for turn-on-and-drive con-venience with no frequency conflict issues toworry about. Bonus: it only needs four AA bat-teries, not the usual eight. Performance-wise,it’s all any play driver will ever need. Nitro guysmight want throttle endpoint adjustments, butelectric trucks don’t need ’em.

Losi MSX digital steering servoThis servo debuted with the Speed-T and is aperfect fit for the Desert-T with good torqueand digital holding power and precision. Noupgrade needed.

Losi 12RB speed controlThis reversing speed control can spin modmotors down to 12 turns and has no troubledumping high-capacity packs without overheat-ing. The reverse circuit senses motor speedand won’t engage reverse until the motor stops(and vice versa when going forward after back-ing up). This spares the transmission gears andgives you full braking control while also allow-ing stunt-driving moves.

LOSI DESERT TRUCK

I remember the days when “ready to run” meant “ready to run after you fillthe shocks and paint the body,” but today’s RTRs can truly go from thebox to the backyard in minutes. Add a stick pack and 4 AA batteries (yep,the transmitter only needs four cells), and the LDT is ready for action. I

can’t offer any tips for something that simple! But I can give some insight on how to keepyour LDT running at its best.

❯❯ Race-proven chassis and suspension in a play truck

❯❯ Maintenance-free gear differential

❯❯ Working lights and exposed roll cage really sell the desert look

❯❯ Robust speed control is mod-motor ready

❯❯ Wheels scratch easily

+

-Any RC enthusiastBEST

FOR

INCLUDED ELECTRONICS& ACCESSORIES

❯❯ 4600mAh 6-cell NiMH battery pack—LOSB9901

❯❯ CV rebuild kit—LOSA2961❯❯ Titanium nitride shock shafts—LOSA5064❯❯ Steering bellcrank bearing kit—

LOSALOSA6912

FACTORY OPTIONS

YOU’LL NEED | WE USED4 AA batteries Energizer6-cell battery Team Orion 2700mAh

Rocket Pack teamorion.com

Charger Dynamite Prophet Plus dynamiterc.com

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❯

ON THE BENCH

Aluminum shocks, turnbuckles and proven XT parts make theDesert Truck a track-worthy machine.

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