Model Team: Mini Truck

[Lasse D]

See the latest update in post 14 below

Back in 2005 I changed the extremely small blue truck into a real truck where the trailer with the mobile gas station would fit onto. It was still a small truck, but now that the mobile service station has grown in both size and weight and introduced a new coupling standard, I had to rebuild all the other trucks that had couplings for trailers.

The little blue truck was first in line.

(See all the pictures in the BrickShelf gallery)

It has received a much more rigid frame with an extra axle in order to cope with the weight of the new trailer:

The doors, exhaust pipes, interior and engine are also all new. A sleeping cabin has been added to the roof. It is only the overall shape and color that has stayed unchanged.

So.

A good and throughout update and everything is OK... or so I thought. I started playing a bit with it and let some of my friends do the same. We quickly found that this truck had some major problems:

- The mirrors didn't stay on

- The engine cover was too hard to open

- The cycle-mirror had to be adjusted for the right door to open

- the coupling released when turning

It was back to the drawing board. The mirrors are now using stronger bricks for joints. The engine cover is no longer locked using bricks. The cycle-mirror has been moved a tile upwards and a whole new release system has been made for the coupling. You now only have to press one of the black buttons between the fuel tanks on the sides instead of turning a knob. The malfunctioning system was troublesome because of the suspension in the rear. This is no longer a problem. An elastic keeps that from happening while a couple of Technic Bionicle teeth make sure the release mechanism works:

Edited August 18, 2007 by Lasse D

[Hinckley]

Silly Browsers! :-D I merged the topics and deleted the double post for you. Thanks for giving me a chance to exercise my "skills". I'm surprised I figured it out! :-P

Great truck Lasse D. I always like your work *sweet* I love the truck cab here but have one small problem with the roof. It seems a little too "blocky" to me if that makes sense. Could you use some of these:

in blue to give it a more solid look?

Anyway, it's great either way. I am always looking for LEGO to produce more realistic vehicle and I think you'd make a great designer for better vehicle sets! *sweet* *y* Thanks for sharing.

[Asuka]

That

[Lasse D]

>Hinckley

Yes. Thank you very much for that. I can see that I can't delete the post that I write, so that wasn't optimal. The whole browser simply died when I pressed "post", so it reloaded using the same post-info making my double post. I will try to change that so it can't happen in the future.

Back on topic.

The roof is the old design I used on the previous version of the rig for the service station. I can't use the big 8x6 tile because I wanted a rounding shape... and because I don't have it in blue :-$ I have actually used such a plate on another one of my trucks: The recovery vehicle.

I can see where you're coming from. I will try to use the tile once I get one in blue - then we can see what looks best. Meanwhile. There are many, many solutions for a cabin in the roof. I will soon finish the photos for the "brother" of this truck where it's done in a completely different way.

(Btw. Notice that I actually wrote your name right. Success!)

>Asuka

Thanks. So you noticed the ferris wheel *wub*

Well. I didn't exactly do my best to hide it :-P

Edited August 9, 2007 by Lasse D

[Siegfried]

Very nice. I really like your work, although I agree with Hinckley about the roof. The middle part doesn't work for me. (I don't agree with his solution though!)

The little blue truck

Little? Where's the big one? X-D

[Hinckley]

...although I agree with Hinckley about the roof. The middle part doesn't work for me. (I don't agree with his solution though!)

...

So uh...let's hear your solution, punk. >:-) Bring it on, walrus. Bring...it...on.

[Siegfried]

So uh...let's hear your solution, punk. >:-) Bring it on, walrus. Bring...it...on.

Don't have one. I just thought your idea suxed. My boy could have thought of a better idea than that and he is still in kindergaten.

[Lasse D]

Critique taken.

I don't have the truck with me, so I can't change it right now, but here is an idea for a different design. It is inspired by the smooth design of the white truck, just as the current is from the previous white truck.

What do you think of this idea? I have to fix the "wings" behind the cabin a little, but they will stay almost the same.

Edited August 18, 2007 by Lasse D

[Siegfried]

What do you think of this idea? I have to fix the "wings" behind the cabin a little, but they will stay almost the same.

Oh my! *wub* That IMHO would work much better...

[Hinckley]

Don't have one. I just thought your idea suxed. My boy could have thought of a better idea than that and he is still in kindergaten.

Oh, I see. Thanks for clarifying.

Lasse D I do like your solution! *wub* However, I think it is a matter of personal taste when it comes to using those roof bricks. They were meant to represent shingles and to quote a dear friend "I am a self servicer for realism." So I guess I just have to get over it! I just wish LEGO made better rounded pieces. I see the effect you are going for and I think a lot of people run into the same conundrum: how to make realistic curves with LEGO not using already molded pieces:

?

No no no, not those curves, these curves:

Again I love the model overall. I just wish the roof could match the realism of the rest of it. Your solution is a great one and as always I really love your building style. I do think it is brilliant. :-$ If I come up with a good solution, I will share it. Unless you are just over it :-P

[Sir Dillon]

This is a very nice truck, Lasse. You've done a good job on the cab, but I agree that the first top isn't smooth enough. You're second version is much better. *wub*

I think there should be a little more room between the back of the cab, and the front of the trailer, so it can turn.

[Lasse D]

It's one of the oldest problems: building rounded shapes. I could so as in Legoland and use tiles instead of slopes. It gives this professional look that gives you the impression of accuracy at its best, but I don't think it wits well with the way the rest of the truck is made. I would have to make the wind screen that way as well. It might be a good idea because a custom windscreen would fit better, but it would make it harder to look inside and make the model less realistic in that respect.

I can think of 3 general ways of doing the slope:

- Do as I using "roof slopes"

- Do it the Legoland way using tiles

- Use big rounded pieces and satisfy with the limited amount of shapes

Since I don't have that many big rounded pieces and have playability as a high priority, I think I will change the roof into the one from the picture. Even if LEGO did release a huge blue piece that fits perfectly making it look like the truck from you picture (the second one :-P ), I'm not sure I would use it. It would just be too easy... like the new planes for the City Airport.

I think there should be a little more room between the back of the cab, and the front of the trailer, so it can turn.

It can turn. It uses the exact same dimensions for the coupling as the white truck:

That is what I love with this kind coupling. It locks automatically and allows an extremely small gap.

Edited August 10, 2007 by Lasse D

[Wout]

I like the blue truck.

But the Ferriswheel is also nice *y*

[Lasse D]

I finally got back to this truck so that it could get the new roof. Unfortunately I don't have my camera with me, so I borrowed one:

The television had to be moved in the sleeping cabin:

Edit: The BrickShelf gallery is public.

Edited August 18, 2007 by Lasse D