Avoid the reissue Revell Ramcharger

[midwestmodeler]

Picked one of these up as soon as I could find it on the HL shelf. I get home excited to check out the kit, pull off the lid only to find an extremely warped body. I figured the body was warped Im sure other things are, all I could find by looking was a rear seat back that was also warped. Figured no big deal I can order replacement parts. So I order the replacement parts and a few days later get an email requesting a receipt because of the nature of the parts. BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH look around cant find the receipt. Next day I find the receipt and figure I might as well just return the model for a replacement instead of order parts from revell. I take the kit back to HL and they give me a refund no problem, I head back and pick up a new kit off the shelf. I get home and wouldn't you know it body just as warped as the first one, bummer. I set the kit aside until I can get time to head back to HL for another return. Couple days later I get some parts from Revell in the mail. Open that package and I was greeted with another warped worthless body. I was really looking forward to building this kit but I am to the point I dont even want to try another kit.

First set of pictures are the first kit

Second Kit

 

Replacement parts

[Ace-Garageguy]

Well, at least the quality is consistent...

[Dann Tier]

Sorry to hear this. my wife had the same problem, but with an AMT 1970 Chevelle. it took us buying 5 kits before getting a decent body. Doesn't anybody look at this BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH before they send it out?! -especially the freakin replacement part?!!

[Xingu]

I just checked the two kits I have and both are fine. I didn't check every part, but the bodies were straight.

[Psychographic]

I'm sure it's possible the shipment that went to HL sat in a hot truck which could explain why theirs were warped, but that doesn't explain your replacement having the same issue.

[unclescott58]

Rather avoiding the reissue, I hope those who buy it don't have the same problems. Wild that you would get three bad ones. I've been lucky and never had that problem in that manner. Too bad. I like the one I built serveral years ago. There are several people who have complained in the past about certain features/details on this kit that they don't like. I didn't mind. Mine looks good sitting on the shelf, with the fishing boat that came with it at the time.

 

[martinfan5]

I cant say I agree with telling people to avoid kit, thats just plain silly ,  all you need to is contact Revell and they will send you a fresh new body.

[Snake45]

I had the same thing happen to me in the early '90s with Revell's '56 Chevy and their Shelby Mustang. Warped/smooshed parts, and the ones they sent me were identically useless.

[Jhedir6]

I had the same issue lately. I bought one of the new Porsche 918's (American packaging) and got a extremely warped chassis. Put in a parts requests to Revell and a few weeks later got an email saying the request was processed and then a couple days later the replacement showed up. They even sent it airmail to Canada at a cost of almost $10 US. And low and behold I got a warped chassis. Now it wasnt as bad as the original I got, but still....the guy had to cut it from the spur...did he not notice it was bent. Its usable but I really wasnt happy about it. I think alot of the warped parts are due to the manufacturer in China just packaging stuff before it has fully cooled once removed from the molds. I forget which kit it was but another I got recently from Michaels in Canada was even worse. Ever single spur was warped and at least one part on each spur was mangled. The body was too. Luckily since I live over 40 mins from either of the Michaels I can go to I always open my kits in the parking lot, just incase, before heading home. Michaels was great, they opened another kit in store and we checked it. I've never had a warped tree/body from Tamiya, Fujimi, or Aoshima but alot over the last couple years Revell. Hopefully someone knows someone that works for Revell and can speak with them directly. I sent an email to Revell, nothing. We'll see what the future brings.

 

David

Edited September 1, 2016 by Jhedir6

[midwestmodeler]

I cant say I agree with telling people to avoid kit, thats just plain silly ,  all you need to is contact Revell and they will send you a fresh new body.

I contacted them, they told me to make a replacement parts request. I did and got an even worse body.

[midwestmodeler]

I just checked the two kits I have and both are fine. I didn't check every part, but the bodies were straight.

What is the date on the back of your box?

[Xingu]

What is the date on the back of your box?

6/23/2016 on both boxes.

[martinfan5]

I contacted them, they told me to make a replacement parts request. I did and got an even worse body.

Wow, thats some great quality control

[charlie8575]

Well, at least the quality is consistent...

Reminds me of a Dilbert cartoon from when I was in college.

Dilbert: "Asok, I need you to start reading these manuals on benchmarking. We're going for ISO-9000 certification."

Asok: "Why? We make junk."

Dilbert: "Yes, but it will be very well-documented junk."

Charlie Larkin

[Snake45]

Reminds me of a Dilbert cartoon from when I was in college.

Dilbert: "Asok, I need you to start reading these manuals on benchmarking. We're going for ISO-9000 certification."

Asok: "Why? We make junk."

Dilbert: "Yes, but it will be very well-documented junk."

Charlie Larkin

That might sound funny, but it's actually literally true. ISO-9000 doesn't set any quality standards whatsoever, just demands that the materials and processes be fully documented and that the product be consistent, accurately represented to the customer, and delivered on-time and at the agreed price. (In a previous life, I was an ISO-9000 Quality Auditor.)

[AC Norton]

.....I avoid anything Revell and always have, but regardless,  sorry to hear your dilemma..........the Ace....

[Ace-Garageguy]

.....I avoid anything Revell and always have...

Then you're missing out on a lot of products that are for the most part very GOOD quality.  

[iamsuperdan]

Hmm...the body on mine is just fine. No warping at all.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Hmm...the body on mine is just fine. No warping at all.

If they get enough returns of the FUBAR ones, some little bell will go ding-ding-ding-ding in the chief bean-counter's office, and the problem will get investigated.

"Dilbert, WHY are we having to give away and ship free bodies for 50% of these kits? It's beginning to seriously impact the bottom line. Look into it."

[highway]

I'm sure it's possible the shipment that went to HL sat in a hot truck which could explain why theirs were warped, but that doesn't explain your replacement having the same issue.

More than possible, an almost certainty. Even with the replacement, which I'm sure Revell probably just takes kits and parts them just as we do as builders for a part here and a part there, almost certainly started in China just like the bad ones from Hobby Lobby and came over the same way on a container ship like almost everything nowadays, and why is probably the same reason there seem to be more of these types of threads with warpage issues. It's quite simple and something that is going to continue happening since I don't see Revell or any other manufacture that sent kit making to China using reefer (temperature controlled) containers to ship the kits across the pond. Containers are steel, and depending the warped issues were probably near the roof, so.....

steel + sun = heat! 

I'm not defending Revell or Hobby Lobby or anywhere else a kit with warpage issues in any way, but I know how the supply chain works to get things to the shelves. Now if the kits are being sent this way, then Revell better QC immediately, including the one that was responsible for sending a warped replacement!

[Ace-Garageguy]

 I don't see Revell or any other manufacture that sent kit making to China using reefer (temperature controlled) containers to ship the kits across the pond. Containers are steel, and depending the warped issues were probably near the roof, so.....

steel + sun = heat! 

I'm not defending Revell or Hobby Lobby or anywhere else a kit with warpage issues in any way, but I know how the supply chain works to get things to the shelves. Now if the kits are being sent this way, then Revell better QC immediately, including the one that was responsible for sending a warped replacement!

There's a slight possible flaw in the heat-during-transport theory. 

"Styrene" has a T_g, or "glass transition temperature" (where it starts to flow and deform permanently) of right around 100 C, which is 212 F. That's boiling water.

It's doubtful temps inside containers ever reach much over 160-170 F, so there's still significant margin for safety...unless something is physically squashing the boxes, and that's not being reported.

It's more likely that the parts are being pulled from the molds before they're adequately cooled, which has also been suggested.

Pulling parts from molds early is either 1) sloppy procedural controls in place or 2) trying to cycle the molds a little faster to squeeze a few more rice-grains of profit out.

[AC Norton]

Then you're missing out on a lot of products that are for the most part very GOOD quality.  

I hear you, Bill, but for various reasons I have never really aspired to their models. I'm set in my ways and too old school probably, however MPC, AMT, and JOHAN  will always be my favorites.... Revell, Monogram, and the rest can adorn every other stack...just not mine.....the Ace.....

Edited September 1, 2016 by AC Norton
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[MrObsessive]

It's more likely that the parts are being pulled from the molds before they're adequately cooled, which has also been suggested.

Pulling parts from molds early is either 1) sloppy procedural controls in place or 2) trying to cycle the molds a little faster to squeeze a few more rice-grains of profit out.

I can almost bet you a week's paycheck that's the underlying problem! Years ago, I believe it was (then) SAE that ran an article about this very problem, and the author of the article mentioned that the line speed was moving too fast, and the bodies weren't given adequate time to cool down before packaging.

This wasn't just on one particular kit either! He pointed out IIRC, four or five different kit bodies (with pics) where you can see the obvious warping of the roof. I sometimes like to wait (sometimes my patience won't let me) for new kits to be on the scene for awhile to buy 'em. In the mad rush to get kits in modelers hands as quickly as possible-----especially long OOP reissues, or newly tooled stuff, this is what you end up with.

Yup! Some MAJOR QC needs to be looked into as there's no excuse for a replacement body to be just as bad or worse!

[midwestmodeler]

I can almost bet you a week's paycheck that's the underlying problem! Years ago, I believe it was (then) SAE that ran an article about this very problem, and the author of the article mentioned that the line speed was moving too fast, and the bodies weren't given adequate time to cool down before packaging.

This wasn't just on one particular kit either! He pointed out IIRC, four or five different kit bodies (with pics) where you can see the obvious warping of the roof. I sometimes like to wait (sometimes my patience won't let me) for new kits to be on the scene for awhile to buy 'em. In the mad rush to get kits in modelers hands as quickly as possible-----especially long OOP reissues, or newly tooled stuff, this is what you end up with.

Yup! Some MAJOR QC needs to be looked into as there's no excuse for a replacement body to be just as bad or worse!

Could be right, I tried to see if I could slightly bend the body back a little straighter on the replacement and it only moved slightly before the polystyrene cracked. It wasnt like the usual break either it was like a saltine. Just sucks because trucks are kind of my thing and the only people putting out trucks right now is revell. First time I have ever had a problem like this

[MrObsessive]

The best you might be able to do Jordan is to contact Revell yet again, and let them know what's up. I'd certainly emphasize the fact that someone needs to PLEASE check the body before sending it out, so you don't end with yet another worthless body.

If they need proof of what the body looked like, I'd certainly have pics on hand to possibly email them and show exactly where the damage is, and how it's similar to what you got the first time out of the box.