Toy Review: Transformers Voyager Class Long Haul

Well, that Leader Class Jetfire Transformers toy I want to review is still on backorder, so while waiting for that I decided to review another Transformers toy that recently hit retail shelves. In the 2009 film Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Long Haul is seen as both an evil Decepticon foot soldier and as one of the Constructicons that merge into the giant gestalt robot Devestator. The Voyager Class Long Haul toy is a depiction of the Decepticon foot soldier.

Robot Mode

Contrary to most Voyager Class toys, Long Haul comes packaged in its Robot Mode. Just like his original 1984 toy, Long Haul is green with black tires, black pistons, touches of blue-gray paneling, and red eyes. Panels add to his mechanical build. Pistons on his arms pump when posed. Attached to each arm is a sheath housing a spring-loaded translucent blade that unveils at the push of a button. He is built to look tough and formidable. The grill of his Alternate Mode wrap around his legs while portions of his truck bed and wheels stand over his head. Turning his head spins an internal gear on his abdomen.

Long Haul looks good as a robot but has a few flaws. His knees are double jointed and his hands are permanently fixed into one position and does not allow him to hold anything. The irremovable sheaths on his arms limit his posing potential. His waist does not stay in place and occasionally comes loose and looks like he is chopped in half. The truck bed and rear wheels over his head and on his back is really distracting and does not integrate into his Robot Mode as well as his grill. His truck bed is not secured and tends to pop loose during play. But despite the faults he is still an imposing robot figure that almost resembles his movie counterpart.

Conversion

Conversion from Robot Mode to its Alternate Mode is a delicate process. The instructions are accurate and makes the process easy. The rear half containing the truck bed is simple while the cab takes practice and occasionally some luck to lock the legs into position. Take extra care when dealing with the grill portion around his legs since the railings can easily bend or brake during conversion.

Alternate Mode: Dump Truck

Long Haul is a dump truck for an Alternate Mode. Like its Robot Mode, the dump truck is green with black wheels, black railings, black wheels, red details, and transparent windows. It sports a pair of wheels in the front and a set of double wide wheels in the back. The truck bed has a slightly darker green compared to the rest of the body's green. It is a squat dump truck that is too wide for the usual Voyager Class packaging, which is why Long Haul is packaged in Robot Mode. Unlike its original 1984 toy, Long Haul's dump truck features a functional bed that can lift and dump its contents with pistons that pump during that feature.

The dump truck is highly detailed with paneling and pistons while most of the Robot Mode appendages are hidden. It is a solid vehicle mode that can take rough play. The only complaint is that the rear wheels disconnect from its original position after the truck bed lifts. While it is easy to reattach, it is still a flaw in its design.

Overall, Long Haul is wonderful as a dump truck and passable as a robot. Retailing at $22.99 at most stores, he is a nice collection to the Transformers toy line and compliments his fellow construction vehicle figures of Rampage the bulldozer, Mixmaster the cement truck, and Demolishor the excavator. It is a pity that none of these merge into Devestator, but Hasbro has plans for that show stopping giant robot.