The ARRMA Mojave Grom 223S is a compact RC desert truck with a specification that appears to have missed the memo about being compact. It’s small enough to make a quick session sound plausible, which is how “I’ll be ten minutes” becomes a statement of hope rather than a reliable schedule.
SPEED / PACE
50+ mph
ARRMA claim on 3S; not an RCnews measured result.
RC TYPE
RC Desert Truck
Choose the vehicle for the way you drive.
WHY IT STANDS OUT
4500Kv
Brushless power in a compact package
Hero image: Horizon Hobby / ARRMA. Manufacturer product photography; colours and supplied equipment can vary.
That convenience is a proper reason to like a small RC. Less packing, less carrying and more chances to get driving around the rest of life. You don’t need to organise an expedition every time a battery is ready. You do, however, need ground that suits the truck. Small wheels have not negotiated special treatment from large stones.
Read the bundle, not just the price
ARRMA’s current listing describes a 1/16 four-wheel-drive truck with a 4500Kv motor, 25A combined controller and receiver, and Dynamic Stability Control. It supports 2S and 3S LiPo batteries and advertises 50+ mph potential on 3S. The vehicle-only ARA2304 listing requires a battery and charger; other bundle codes can include them. Read the actual box contents, not just the headline.
The box contents matter more than they first appear. A vehicle-only package can be ideal if you already own compatible equipment. If you don’t, compare the complete cost with a battery bundle. The cheaper headline price isn’t necessarily the cheaper first afternoon.
This is also where you check the charger’s power supply requirements rather than confidently gesturing at a drawer of old plugs. A cupboard full of cables is not the same thing as a compatible charging setup. Annoying, considering how carefully some of us have been collecting them since 2009.
What published running adds
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RC terms used in this guide: ready-to-run (RTR) means the model is assembled; check which equipment is supplied. An electronic speed controller (ESC) controls motor power. LiPo means lithium-polymer battery, and the S number describes cells in series. Kv is approximate unloaded motor revolutions per minute per volt, not vehicle speed.
Researched RC buying guide. RCnews has not tested this vehicle hands-on. Manufacturer specifications and published reviews were checked on 6 September 2026.
Hero image: Horizon Hobby / ARRMA . Manufacturer product photography; colours and supplied equipment can vary.
SPEED / PACE
50+ mph
ARRMA claim on 3S; not an RCnews measured result.
RC TYPE
RC Desert Truck
Choose the vehicle for the way you drive.
WHY IT STANDS OUT
4500Kv
Brushless power in a compact package
The ARRMA Mojave Grom 223S is a compact RC desert truck for drivers who want something easier to carry and use than a large basher. Battery bundles vary, so check exactly what the listing includes. Its size is useful for short sessions on suitable ground, but small wheels still have to deal with the same stones and grass as everything else.
Imagine a short session before heading home, a few controlled runs on a suitable gravel area, or a little course that stays interesting without covering an entire field. That is the sort of ownership this truck suggests. Its appeal is the possibility of fitting more RC driving into an ordinary week.
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That gives you two useful questions: which package did the reviewer actually use, and what were they driving on? A glowing account of a neat gravel area doesn’t tell you that the truck will enjoy your ankle-deep grass. The model has no way of knowing that the lawn was supposed to be mown last weekend.
Get down to its level
Look at a potential route from near the ground. The little ripple you barely noticed can become a feature; the stone you stepped over can become a serious interruption. This is part of the fun of a small truck. Ordinary ground gets a new set of interesting details.
Find a suitable clear area, use soft markers and leave room to stop. A figure of eight is a good start because the transition gives your steering hand something useful to do. Smooth out the changes of direction before trying to make the route faster.
Then reverse it. Suddenly the corner you were beginning to feel rather smug about arrives the other way round and your technique files a complaint. It’s a cheap way to keep a modest space interesting, and much easier than building increasingly ridiculous ramps.
Keep clear of roads, busy paths and places where the truck disappears from sight. If the area is shared, use it considerately. Other people aren’t unpaid marshals, and a dog walk doesn’t become an RC event because you arrived with a transmitter.
3S is an option, not a dare
A faster battery arrangement can be something to explore within the manufacturer’s requirements. It doesn’t have to be the starting point. If you’re continually surprised by where the truck has got to, there’s a good chance you’ve bought more pace than your current course needs.
A manageable setup lets you spend time choosing lines instead of apologising to objects. It also makes it easier to distinguish a driving mistake from a setup issue. If everything happens in a blur, the technical feedback tends to be limited to “ooh” and “where’s it gone?”
Learn the braking distance and response on your surface. Then decide what extra performance would add. Sometimes the answer is plenty; sometimes it’s that the existing setup is already a laugh and you’d rather keep driving it. Both are perfectly respectable results.
Let someone else have a go
Small RCs can be an inviting way to share the hobby, but start with a clear space and the stopping lesson. Use an appropriate reduced throttle setting, follow age guidance and keep the first challenge manageable.
There’s no entertainment value in making a new driver feel daft. The good bit is seeing someone begin to steer deliberately and then immediately ask for another go. A clean corner is a much better introduction than a full-speed demonstration of why the furniture is expensive.
Take turns with a simple challenge: several clean laps or stopping at a chosen marker. It gives each person a target without requiring a spreadsheet, timing gantry or an argument about whether someone clipped the imaginary apex. Save that level of administrative enthusiasm until everybody actually wants it.
Tiny hardware, full-sized disappearing act
Work over a tray or pale mat when removing wheels or inspecting the truck. Photograph unfamiliar assemblies and keep their parts together. A tiny screw can be lost across a surprisingly large area; it’s one of the few performance figures nobody needs to exaggerate.
After running, check for debris around the drivetrain and make sure the moving parts remain free. Listen to new noises rather than simply drowning them out with more throttle. Cleaning doesn’t have to mean polishing the shell for a photo shoot. It means keeping the next outing from being cancelled by a problem you could already hear.
For extra packs, confirm size and the IC2 connection as well as the cell count. Follow the current battery and charger instructions. A same-voltage pack from another model is not automatically a helpful contribution to this one.
The reason to choose a Grom
The appeal is fitting more RC into an ordinary week. If you have suitable firm ground and want a truck you can take out without a logistical briefing, that’s a strong starting point. If the only nearby surface is long grass, investigate a model that suits it better before buying on the looks.
The Mojave Grom doesn’t need to pretend it’s a huge desert truck to justify itself. A small course, a charged pack and twenty minutes spent grinning at something slightly ridiculous is a perfectly good afternoon. You can call it practice if anyone asks. We’ll know what you mean.
RC terms used in this guide: ready-to-run (RTR) means the model is assembled; check which equipment is supplied. An electronic speed controller (ESC) controls motor power. LiPo means lithium-polymer battery, and the S number describes cells in series. Kv is approximate unloaded motor revolutions per minute per volt, not vehicle speed.
Guide basis: manufacturer specifications and attributed published reviews, checked on 6 September 2026. This is not a comparative hands-on RCnews test.
RC technical specifications
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Model | Mojave Grom 223S BLX / ARA2304 |
| Scale / drive | 1/16 / four-wheel drive |
| Motor | Spektrum 2838, 4500Kv brushless |
| ESC / receiver | Spektrum SLT 25A 2-in-1 with DSC |
| Radio | Spektrum SLT2 |
| Servo | SX110 metal-geared |
| Battery | 2S or 3S LiPo; IC2 connector |
| Box distinction | ARA2304 vehicle-only; battery bundles vary |
Source: official product specification. Check the exact model code, UK availability and retailer package before ordering. Prices are not fixed in this guide.
Fancy a closer look at the RC kit?
RC Driver: Mojave Grom BLX coverage (December 2024) ↗
Owner discussion: small-truck terrain and practicality ↗
Different RC jobs call for different cars. This selection includes established models available for 2026; it is not a ranking or a claim that they all launched this year. Older reviews are labelled by generation.
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