Equipment
“Trap him already!”
In Ghostbusters: Afterlife, fans were introduced to a host of new gadgets and gizmos, including the ingenious Remote Trap Vehicle (RTV). Here’s what the RTV is, how it operates, and how it works with the iconic Ecto-1.
The R.T.V.
The RTV is a relatively new ghostbusting tool, invented by Egon Spengler. It’s a modified remote control car, specially designed to carry a ghost trap, giving the Ghostbusters a remote-controlled way to capture spectral entities safely.
Operation
The RTV can be deployed while the Ecto-1 is in motion, thanks to a trap door and ramp in the rear of the car. Once the ramp is lowered, the RTV drives out, remotely controlled by an operator inside the Ecto-1.
Integration with the Ecto-1
With a dedicated docking station and a specially designed ramp, the Ecto-1 serves as both a transportation hub and a support platform for the RTV, so the team can deploy it fast.
Spectral capture in motion
While one member drives the Ecto-1, another controls the RTV. As the Ecto-1 gives chase, the operator in the gunner seat uses the seat’s proton pack to restrain the entity, and the RTV maneuvers into position to deploy the trap. Then the RTV returns to the Ecto-1, all while the car is moving.
Our RTV
Built from the ground up
Like the movie prop, ours starts with a Traxxas Stampede 4X4 remote control truck. It’s built using a stripped Stampede drive train and a 3D-printed body and chassis from TacoBelli.
After lots of research and help from everyone in the Facebook RTV builders group, the actual prop maker from Ghostbusters: Afterlife was found, along with a wealth of additional information on the RTV.
The build
After stripping down the Traxxas Stampede, I printed a new shortened chassis pan, the body, sides, top and trap doors, along with a few other parts, including an off-the-shelf flashlight.
