ROBOTROID SPACE CAMPER
ROBOT 101 is one of only two medium ROBOTROID sets ever produced (the other being ROBOT 102/Galactic Trailer). ROBOT 101's earthly vehicular mode is named 'Space Camper', and its outer space mode is named 'Shuttle Craft'. Space Camper and Shuttle Craft are the only two modes covered in the instructions. No instructions are given on how to build the set into the robot pictured on the package. Two other unnamed spacecraft built from the set are pictured on the package, but instructions on how to build those are also not given. Space Camper comes with two 'family' stickers and two with a red bird head. I think the red bird is kinda cool, so I named him TeeKeR and I feature him in various places throughout this site. Knowing TAKARA, he's probably a take off on some corporate mascot from somewhere.
Space Camper comes in a trapezoid shaped box that measures eight inches wide by five inches tall. There's a flap at the top that adds another two inches, bringing the overall height to seven inches. The box is two inches deep. Space Camper's Robotroid mode is pictured quite prominently on the front, which is misleading because the instruction sheet does not show how to build that mode. The entire set comes sealed in three bags and housed in a plastic tray. One sticker sheet and one instruction booklet/catalog is tucked under all the bags. I'm a bit pissed because according to the parts inventory and instructions, my set is missing two pieces. This makes building the vehicles and robots exactly like the illustrations impossible. I don't know if all Space Campers are missing these two parts or if I just got a dud set.
See that white pinstripe just under the 'Family' sticker? That's supposed to extend the whole length of the trailer, but my set came missing two white pieces so it doesn't. I had to instead subsitiute two blue pieces in their place. The small front car can be detached. Since this set has two TKR-02s, both the trailer and the little car are motorized. The doors open and there is room in the camper, but no figures came with the ROBOTROID sets and Diakron Dianauts are too big to fit inside. Space Camper is six inches long. In this mode the only leftover pieces are the four missiles and one flat blue brick, but it is possible to attach them and make a homicidal road warrior battle camper, as I have done in the picture on the right.
The instruction sheet only shows the steps needed to construct the Space Camper and this mode, called 'Shuttle Craft'. Shuttle Craft is pretty cool because it has rotating wings that can swing out. The instructions indicate that the stickers are to be used only on Space Camper mode and not on the Shuttle Craft. There's really no surface big and flat enough to apply the 'Family' stickers in this mode anyways. I applied the red bird stickers because I thought they looked cool, but that's the only deviation I made from the instructions. If aliens had RVs, 'Shuttle Craft' is what they'd drive.
Robot mode for set 101 only appeared on the package for the ROBOTROID version! The BLOCCAR Camping Car set did not feature this mode at all! Unfortunately, since ROBOTROID and BLOCCAR share the same instruction sheets, it's tricky to figure out robot mode because the instructions don't show how to build it. But the pictures on the box provide a good enough reference that it can be built without too much trouble. The set consists of 94 pieces and all of them can be incorporated into robot mode. Once built, the robot can be removed from the motorized base. I have it hanging out with Bumblebee as a size reference. Robot 101 isn't very big. It's about three and a half inches tall, and putting it on the motorized stand only adds another half inch.
I totally love Space Camper and consider him the greatest ROBOTROID set ever. His US exclusive robot mode is enough incentive to find one and build it. It's a lot of fun and I love the quirky stickers and vehicle mode. Space Camper just rules.
