Built Not Bought India Edition: Home-Made RC Articulated Hauler Is the Best Toy Ever

e a natural talent for all things mechanical, and some of them become accomplished engineers, great inventors, magnificent innovators, and viral YouTubers. It’s something to do with genes – some men and women can sing or dance or paint with such grace that it is drop-dead fabulous. Then there are piston addicts who can tell if the timing on a big-block is correct or not half a block away, in the dead of night. And then there are guys like the fellow in the video below who can build a model articulated hauler using a lathe, a welder, some scrap metal, and basic parts.

The gifted fabricator with serious inclinations for mechanical engineering goes under the social media stage name Sukhbir Skill, and his YouTube channel is rich in homemade videos featuring equally homemade mechanical toys – mostly car-centered.

The latest creation of the Bikaner, Rajasthan, India local is an articulated hauler – a scale model (although I am pretty convinced he can build a full-size 100% working piece of heavy equipment). What’s fantastic about his project is that he made the mechanical systems by himself, along with the frame chassis, axles, suspensions, and steering systems.

What he didn’t make with his own hands are the cogs for the differentials, the ball bearings for the various rotating assemblies, the wheels and tires, and the powerplant. I would assume it would have lasted much longer to have all these parts made by hand in his shop, as they require a high degree of accuracy in machining. Still, even the most fanatic of car nuts don’t cast their engine blocks nor forge the crankshafts when they say they entirely rebuilt an engine.

The amazing bit of the articulated truck is the vlogger's fabrication of all the essential systems using nothing but the most basic tools – a wire welder, a power drill, a lathe, and an angled grinder. And, of course, a hammer and a wrench. Nothing fancy, but absolutely compelling, proving to us yet again that it’s not the price or variety of tools one works with that makes a great result but the worker's skill, talent, and ingenuity.

Sukhbir puts all the parts together without too much consideration for the aesthetic side of his work but pays great attention to the effectiveness and efficiency of the assembly. This video could be a tutorial on how mechanical power is transferred from a power source to the ground. It would be the best “Do-It-Yourself Open Differential” crash course. See it in the video at the beginning – it's educative and compelling.

The great part about the project is that – just like an actual prototype would – the articulated truck toy is field-tested. The driving power comes from a 12-volt DC motor at the front, and the steering is actuated via a secondary electric motor fitted to the inside of the frame. Using a simple nut-and-bolt assembly to push and pull the levers mounted to the ‘tractor,’ the truck can turn left or right. You know what? Click the sliding timeline bar at 05:00 and see precisely how it’s done.

In real-sized articulated haulers, the two sections (front and rear) are joined together by hydraulic pistons that push the front end (the tractor) to the left or to the right in relation to the trailer (usually referred to as the ‘hauler’). In the hand-built toy model of the Indian magician, the overly complicated hydraulics are replaced by simple levers welded to a hex nut. As the motor-driven bolt turns, it pushes the nut (and the entire leverage connected to it), thus achieving steering.

The fun bit is that the metal toy is wirelessly controlled, and a progressive (and very precise) range of motion is achieved. (At this point, I wonder why, in the name of internal combustion, I had to take Latin classes in high school instead of something useful like this. After all, even if I buy an Italian car, it’s highly unlikely any cardinal from the Vatican – or the rest of his Latin-speaking peers - will get a phone call with a request for quick-fix tips and tricks or a blessing).

The YouTuber doesn’t say what is the powerplant’s output or the gearing ratio (but it does show a simple gearbox-like torque multiplying assembly encased in the motor housing. And he does specify he also built the entire contraption). Not that it would matter much, but I would have loved to know the torque rating of the tiny motor capable of hauling three bricks on the 4x6 truck.

Yes, only the rear axles are driving; the front is merely for directional control (but it would have been even cooler to see a full 6x6 six-wheeler at work). And at some point, the ‘transfer case’ gives in (see it fail at 19:40). Easy fix - a couple of weld spots and the truck is back to work (if only it were this easy in real life, too).

The ingenious mechanic shot the video by himself, using just his smartphone – didn’t expect anything less (or more, if we’re talking video production gear). Then again, some of the most popular wrenching YouTubers rely on minimal hardware for making videos, putting a lot of talent into their content. Just like the Indian toy trucker did – and hats off to him.

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