Does anyone know which vehicle this is? It kind of looks similar to the RG-31 Mk5. It also has the same turret and CROWS setup as the SOCOM M-ATV. Is there a kit in 1/35 available or a conversion set?
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RG -31 Mk 5.
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Like @18bravo stated. It’s an RG-31 Mk5. Kinetic Models make the olde Mk3 variants in both US and Canadian (shown) setups. I imagine you can upgrade the vehicle to a Mk5 with a little effort.
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There are a lot of great mods you can add to it. Not surprisingly, someone here has done a full blown walk around of it:
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Thanks for the ID.
Kinetic has the Mk5 but is not the same as the special forces one in my original post. There are quite a few changes but the Kinetic kit would be a good start. It has the correct front bumper and grill. It also has the correct hood vents on the sides.
You will need the CROWS and turret from the SOCOM M-ATV, the egg beater and triple and quad mount antennas. New antenna mounts in front of the doors by the sides of the hood. There is a visor/rain guard that wraps around the windshield and new footman’s loops on the front bumper. The top of the hood has an larger bump on top which the Kinetic kit doesn’t have.
The side stowage box layout is different on the Kinetic kit. I only have a photo of the left side of the real one so no idea what the right side looks like. The side stowage boxes will be the biggest hurdle converting the Kinetic kit.
The rear steps are also different and the Kinetic wheels don’t have the cover over them. It also has the Boomerang anti sniper device.
Those are the major additions and changes that I can see so far.
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I found the right side view but on a Police vehicle that was ex military. The left side is the same as the one in my original post. Notice the stowage basket. The Police vehicle is missing the stowage box in front of the basket. The panels between the fenders are not in the Kinetic kit. The Police vehicle has the cover on the hood removed showing that it has a new vented hood which is also not in the Kinetic kit.
The right side retained the spare tire mount but the stowage boxes are again different from the Kinetic kit. The stowage boxes above the rear tire on the right side looks like the ones on the left side from the Kinetic kit but Kinetic molded the boxes to the fenders. Also, the fenders are different on the Kinetic kit.
Photos of the Police vehicle found on Facebook.
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Thanks for the info on the book.
I will more than likely pass on the special forces RG-31 Mk5 as there is way too much to change and add to make the one in my original post. My scratch building skills are not good enough to make those changes and additions. Resin and 3D printed parts would be better for me but with the amount of changes needed, a conversion set would probably be more than I could afford.
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A quite big and substantial difference from the standard Mk5 to the ones serving with the SF is the Oshkosh TAK-4 independent suspension these have been upgraded with. Some MRAP kits around already offer the TAK-4 set, so the project could be done with some cannibalizing, but surely a bit pricey…
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Thanks for the info on the suspension. I already have that Panda MaxxPro Dash DXM kit but as you said, it would be costly to kit bash. Hoping one of the manufacturers releases the special forces RG-31 Mk5. Too bad Kinetic didn’t follow up with their RG-31 series.
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Unfortunately, the Panda MaxxPro Dash DXM kit doesn’t include the stiffeners on the suspension as on the TAK-4 used on the special forces RG-31 Mk5.
The stiffeners are pointed out here.
The Panda kit doesn’t have those parts.
The M-ATV has the specific TAK-4 suspension that is on the special forces RG-31 Mk5.
The I Love Kit SOCOM M-ATV has the specific TAK-4 suspension.
The Panda M-ATV also has the specific TAK-4 suspension.
Either way, kit bashing one of the M-ATV kits to the Kinetic RG-31 Mk5 kit will be expensive just for the suspension parts.
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Just asking for my own knowledge Could this be the RG-33 Short. A couple of the pics look like that.
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No. I have several RG-33 walk arounds as well. Tried to get Kinetic to do it as well. I don’t remember why we didn’t. It wasn’t for lack of references.
I got some nice ones in Iraq as well: (Two of our NAVs in the background)
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That is the RG-33L. I had one on them start on fire at FT Carson while I was driving it, I know them well. The RG-33 line had a short version just like the Cougar had the 4X4 ill look around to see if I can find a picture. The 33 had the more vent cover in the driver’s front fender and I think the official name was the RG33 USSOCOM MRAP.
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You’re right, of course, and that’s how I have both of them listed in my walk around.
This is also from Carson - 10th Group to be exact, and as far as I know, this is what they call the SOCOM variant. I suppose there could be several:
Stickframe built one of these based on my photos. Did a hell of a job too.
I don’t have any four wheeled version. Maybe I need to take another trip. I know they’re out there. I do have this medevac version too. All of these waiting for a kit manufacturer to bring one out.
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He Also did a amazing Maxx Pro Wrecker (MRV) I was hoping he would get them turned into buyable kits. I might have to mission impossible into his model room and steal them, and I believe the MED version is called the HAGGA.
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Glad to help!
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@Brantwoodboy, @18bravo There are multiple versions of the 4x4 that I came across. The RG-33 4x4 is different than the one in my original post. The one in my original post is closer to the RG-31 Mk5. The ones shown below are different. These below look to be the RG-33 4x4 SOCOM version.
There is this one which has additional boxes on the rear and full vented hood on the top. The fenders are different. The name I found for this one is the M1238A1 RG-33A1. It is not the same as the one I originally posted. The wheels on this one and the other ones below are the same as on the one I originally posted but everything else is different.
This one looks to be the same version M1238A1 RG-33A1 as above with the spare tire mounted.
Then there is this one. The fenders are not the same as the original one I posted. The boxes in between the fenders are also different from the original one I posted and the ones above..
I wish one of the manufacturers would make either one as I prefer these over the regular RG-31.
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Thank you and I stand corrected both are a beast of a vehicle and I want all of them in kits. Just not Panda Hobby please.
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I would like either one or both would be nice.
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