Are Redcat RC Cars Waterproof?

Today, the Redcat RC brand is known as one of the best and most trustworthy RC car brands out there. Redcat has produced some of the best and most dependable RC cars that racers have used over the years.

Just because Redcat has produced great cars does not mean that they are waterproof. That is the question that we will try to answer in this article. 

So, are Redcat RC cars waterproof?

Many Redcat RC cars, just like a lot of other RC cars, are designed with portions of them being waterproof to ensure that they can survive when you’re racing in wet conditions. But the one thing you need to know is that waterproof RC cars are never truly, completely waterproof unless you have waterproofed the entire vehicle after you purchased it. 

The truth is, waterproof labels are, many times, just labels and do not actually mean that the entire RC car will get maximum protection in wet conditions. Even though this normally means that your RC car can withstand certain wet conditions, it does not offer a guarantee of full safety and will normally not apply if you are driving in extremely wet conditions or if your car gets submerged. 

For this reason, it is important that regardless of labels, you protect your Redcat RC car when the conditions are very wet or you might accidentally submerge the vehicle in a pond, puddle, or drainage ditch. 

If you would rather watch a video about waterproofing rather than read about it be sure and check out the video below. 

Why Should You Protect Your RC Car Even if It’s Waterproof? 

We already noted that RC cars are not necessarily entirely waterproof just because they are labeled ‘waterproof.’ Let’s take a more detailed look at why it may be unwise to not protect your ‘waterproof’ RC car in wet conditions.

The Receiver Boxes

RC cars typically come with receiver boxes labeled waterproof. Normally, these boxes do a very good job at keeping away the elements as your RC car runs across wet ground or grass.. But, this is not enough to protect the car when it becomes submerged in water. Even with the box, water can, usually, still get in, mostly because the receiver box is not well assembled. If the O-ring of the box moves from its original place, the box will leak, and this lets water get into the car and even go as far as the wires. 

It only takes a little water getting into the receiver to find its way deep into the car and cause all kinds of issues. So, although these boxes provide some protection, you can’t depend on them when your car gets completely submerged in water. 

The receiver’s waterproofing is generally not very reliable, and you really can’t trust it all of the time to do great work, especially if the water is quite deep. 

Radio Reception

Waterproof technology is not capable of protecting your radio reception from the damaging effects of water when you’re racing in wet conditions. Water can highly influence the reception integrity of your 2.4GHz radio systems, and you are very likely to lose control of your vehicle if a lot of water gets in between the vehicle and the transmitter. Your radio is less likely to work the deeper water that you are in. 

Batteries

NiMH and LiPo batteries come with individually sealed cells. For this reason, they can perform well even when they’re deep in water. But, both the LiPo and the NiMH batteries are designed with exposed tabs and can, therefore, deteriorate easily. When these batteries come into contact with water, especially in large amounts, they can get damaged quickly. So, even though the batteries can actually work just fine when there’s a lot of water, it’s still not the best for them to be inside the water because they can easily get damaged. Plus, it’s a lot of work to dry the batteries out when they get wet.

Tires

Unlike their full-size counterparts, RC car tires normally make use of foam inserts and not compressed air. They also come with vents in their tires or wheels to allow for the release of air. The duty of the foam is mainly to provide support to the weight of the car. If this foam gets soaked in water, it’s very difficult to get it to dry. Also, if your tires are glued and not the kind that you can disassemble for maintenance purposes, you may have to permanently kiss those tires goodbye if the foam inside of them gets wet at all. 

Drivetrain

Generally, RC car drivetrains are not normally waterproof. Even though their bearings may be water-resistant, it is still easy for water to get into parts like the axle and the transmissions. The tight fit of these parts actually helps to ensure that dirt and debris are kept away, but in spite of that, small dirt and dust particles will often still find their way in. Seeing as small dust and dirt can get in, water can also get in in the same way. If water gets into your RC car’s drivetrain, it will corrupt the grease and likely result in a breakdown as well as bringing dirt into the drivetrain.

Motors

Brushed motors are known for their great ability to survive wet conditions and are even often fine when fully submerged in water. But, regardless of this fact, water will still cause the motor to wear out in a much shorter period of time. Additionally, submerging your brushed motor in water will mean that you have to lubricate the bearings afterwards to help keep them in perfect condition. This just goes to say that even brushed motors cannot really survive wet conditions very well. 

There are also some brushless motors that are labeled as waterproof. But, of course, they are not as effective as you may think. There are two kinds of brushless motors; sensored and sensorless motors. The sensorless motors are usually the ones labeled waterproof, but if you dip them into water, prepare to disassemble them and have to run maintenance. They are really not that waterproof, so you will want to consider keeping them completely away from water. 

The motors also make use of safeguarded bearings that are neither watertight nor water-resistant. The stainless steel shields included are designed to keep off the debris but not water, so you can’t count on them to keep the water away. Sensored brushless motors are made with sensors, and this is one thing that makes water their enemy entirely. 

Conclusion

Many Redcat RC cars, just as many other RC cars on the market today, are labeled waterproof, but this is not something to depend on. Even though many of them include waterproof features, these features do not provide impenetrable protection, especially in extremely wet conditions or in the case of the RC car being submerged. 

To keep your RC car in good condition, make sure you carry out maintenance on your RC car after you race through any water at all. Keep in mind that it’s always best to avoid water as much as possible to protect your RC car and ensure a long life.