Depending on where you live, the onset of winter usually represents a significant change in operating your RC vehicle. Maybe you will shift to driving on indoor tracks, or perhaps you’ll just put your rig away until better outdoor weather arrives. Or, if you live somewhere where winter is afraid to go, like Florida, you’ll spend even more time out driving your rig.

In those cases, there’s not really any reason to winterize (although you will want to prep your vehicle for storage if you are not going to be using it for some time). However, for those of us who see snow and mud as optimal off-road driving conditions, winterization is crucial.

Driving Dry

Unlike full-size gasoline powered vehicles, cold weather itself generally presents no problems for most RC vehicles. In fact, it’s actually preferable for keeping electronics from overheating beneath the shielding that’s needed for the real challenge: moisture.

Whether it’s snow, ice, or puddles of rain that winter brings you, the real challenge of winter driving is keeping sensitive parts and electronics free from water.

However, before you attempt to modify the internal parts of your vehicle, understand that doing so will likely void any existing warranty on the vehicle. So, you might want to consider this point when deciding whether you want to drive it in wet conditions.

Weatherproofing Methods

There are a few different approaches that are commonly used in weatherproofing the internal parts of an RC vehicle. 

The first, and simplest method is to wrap the part in some sort of weatherproof material. Many people use balloons for this. It is pretty simple to stretch out a balloon’s opening and drop your receiver in, then close up the opening by wrapping a twist-tie or some electrical tape around the balloon and protruding wires. Plastic wrap or bags can also be used, but not everything can be wrapped this way. For example, your electronic speed control (ESC) board will generate a substantial amount of heat in operation, and enclosing it in plastic or rubber will contain it, potentially ruining it by overheating or melting the enclosing material.

For items such as these, you will want to consider applying a waterproof silicone spray coating. This is a little more expensive and challenging than using balloons or baggies, but it will allow your ESC to operate normally without overheating. You may need to apply more than one coat to build a truly protective barrier, however. You can also use this method for any batteries, being sure to apply only to terminals while they are connected.

For other parts, such as servos, it’s important that your waterproofing does not interfere with the part’s movement. Generally, these parts are already somewhat weather resistant, so you should only need to add fresh lubricating oil to exposed metal and moving parts.

For moving parts such as bearings, you should check to ensure that they are well sealed before driving anywhere, especially in wet conditions. We recommend cleaning and applying fresh bearing lubricant both inside and outside to protect the bearings. You may also consider upgrading to ceramic bearings at this time, because they are non-corroding, and won’t be damaged by water. Lubrication should still be applied, however.

Nitro Engines

While electric-powered vehicles mostly require waterproofing, fuel-based engines (as mentioned above) are more susceptible to the effects of cold weather itself. For these, you may need to adjust your nitro mixture and/or glow plug temperature to achieve a workable solution for cold weather. Alternatively, you may try running the vehicle in a warm location to heat up your engine before trying to run it in cold temperatures.

Be advised that you should also treat any exposed electronics, servos, or bearings the same way as you would for electric vehicles.

Keeping it Clean

Finally, if you are taking your RC vehicle out for cold, wet, outdoor driving, it is important that you thoroughly clean and dry it afterward. This step will help reduce any corrosion, and keep your vehicle operating optimally for the next time you take it out for a drive.