So you want to get a drop-in VESC kit from Floatwheel but are afraid to do it because it's a nebulous process, and you don't want to destroy your board. This guide will walk you through my experience as a non-technical person and hopefully help you get through the process without breaking your board—or your brain.
Why You Might Want to Use a Drop-In VESC Kit on Your Onewheel
- You want to get up steeper hills and handle more difficult terrain.
- You want better acceleration.
- You want to reduce the risk of nosedives and getting thrown off your board. VESC setups can help reduce some nosedive risk—but not all.
- Your board is out of warranty, something’s broken, and you don’t want to pay $600 just to get it returned still broken.
- You’re tired of sending your board to Future Motion for warranty repairs that just swap in the same parts that keep breaking every month or two.
And the biggest reason you’re considering a drop-in kit:
**You are not a dyed-in-the-wires VESC nerd.** You’re not building your own BMS and battery out of parts from a junkyard and a stack of 1990s flip phones. You're pretty sure MOSFET is a reference to a character in the bar scene with Jaba the Hutt. You don’t own a soldering gun, and the last time you stripped a wire, your mom docked your allowance and grounded you for a week.
You just want to improve your board with as little headache as humanly possible.
I’m like you. That’s how I ended up getting a V kit from Floatwheel for my Pint X/S. In this guide, I’ll share the small but important lessons I learned—as someone who is absolutely not technical.
Know This In Advance
Even though it’s called a “drop-in” kit—and even though the website might say it’s easy enough for your mother to install—just know: challenges await.
If your mother can do this, you have a very handy mother. You better get her something really nice for Mother's Day since she's probably been working hard restoring that '57 Chevy engine for you.
That said, this project is doable with tools and patience. We’ll go over a few prep steps that can reduce potential frustration and panic, and I'll consolidate all kinds of information here so you don't have to run to discord servers and Facebook groups and pray for timely answers.
How to Buy a V Kit
Purchasing a V kit requires cryptocurrency. Specifically, you’ll need to turn your money into USDC (USD Coin).
If sending crypto to some random guy in China sounds sketchy, it should. But Tony at Floatwheel has a solid reputation for delivering quality kits and making things right when something goes wrong. In short, it’s surprisingly safe. There are no reports yet of Tony taking USDC and NOT delivering a product.
You have three main options to get this done:
- DIY with Coinbase
- Create a Coinbase account
- Fund it with your bank or card
- Buy enough USDC to cover your purchase
- Go to the Floatwheel site and add your kit to the cart
- The site walks you through a Coinbase crypto checkout
- Use a Helper
- Justin Velasquez (a trusted name in the Onewheel community) offers to handle the whole order process for a $50 fee
- Or ask a crypto-savvy friend, child, niece, or nephew to help you set up Coinbase and complete the transaction
- Buy from a US-Based Retailer (if you can find one)
- No crypto required, and shipping is faster
- But you'll pay a much higher markup—and not many retailers stock V kits regularly
Once you’ve placed your order with Floatwheel, be prepared to wait several weeks (at least 3). You’ll get tracking and confirmation via email—check your spam folder. I didn’t. I found my tracking info two days before the box landed on my doorstep.
Preparation for Surgery
The kit technically comes with all the tools you need. Technically. But in practice, the included hand tools might not be up to the task—especially if Future Motion has changed anything inside your board since the install video was made.
Helpful Tools to Have on Hand
- Socket wrench with TP30 or T30 bit for PintV
- Screwdrivers with various Phillips heads (or a multi-bit driver)
- Small plastic trim removal tool (auto parts stores have cheap kits)
- A work table with 6–8 feet of clear space
Optional but nice to have:
- Power drill with 2" long T20 and T30 bits
- Impact driver with a T30 impact-rated bit (only for the axle bolts)
- Heat gun (again for axle bolts)
Surgery on Your Board
First of all, despite what the Floatwheel website says, this will not take you 20 minutes. I suggest you block out at least a few hours to give yourself ample time to calmly work through the process. When you one day become a true VESC expert and have a custom-painted soldering gun with matching voltmeter, 20 minutes will be doable. But that's not you, and today is definitely not that day.
To get through all of this efficiently, set up a laptop or tablet with the correct install video and follow it exactly. Pause and rewind as needed.
*PintV video: https://youtu.be/f1nC6JayXS8?si=KukGbDbRDnMk4izY
*XRV video: https://youtu.be/jeVTHSqb008?si=2_W4sBYLXAen2t28
*GTV video: ???
Axle Bolt Warning
The included tool may be too short and wimpy to loosen these bolts. A socket wrench or impact driver will make the job easier. Some folks use a pipe over the tool for leverage, or heat the bolts with a heat gun or soldering iron to soften the Loctite. I found a socket wrench was enough.
Once the bolts are off, just keep following the video step-by-step.
Things to Note Once You're Inside
- My light bar screws were Philips head, not Torx like in the video. The kit screwdriver was too flimsy—I used a firmer one.
- Some connectors had black retaining clips not shown in the video. I used a small plastic trim tool to remove them.
- PAY CLOSE ATTENTION to the BMS connector sequence. Do it wrong, and you could fry the BMS. Then you’ll be crying. Those tears will rust the board.
- When cutting the plastic ESC box (under the front footpad), watch the video closely. Even after cutting properly, you may need to finesse the wire positioning to get the lid to sit flush.
Reassembly is easier and less scary than disassembly. 😀
Software Setup
Now your board needs a little digital TLC.
You have two options:
1. Float Hub (Highly Recommended – $40)
Made by Nico Aleman. It’s simple, reliable, and does most of the work for you.
- 95% chance of success
- 3% chance something weird happens
- 2% chance your board becomes self-aware
Totally worth the $40.
2. VESC Tool (Do This Only If You Love Pain)
If you're the kind of person who:
- Uses Linux
- Built your own home solar array with a 40kWh battery backup
- Designed own keyboard layout because COLEMAK is too conventional
…then you’ll be fine.
If not? You’re in for some frustration. But if you really want to save $40…
Start here:
👉https://pev.dev/t/gtv-xrv-pintv-power-kit-start-guide/1616Important Tips:
- Step 1: Back up your config. Only one backup is stored. Pressing the backup button again will overwrite the previous backup.
- Step 2: Can’t find the MOTOR CFG tab? Click and drag the top gray bar (where it says "START RT DATA PROFILES") to the left. DO NOT click ❌ "SETUP MOTORS" ❌ — that leads to bad things. ☠️
Follow all the rest of the instructions TO THE LETTER.
**Once complete, do the CRITICAL FIXES:**
👉https://pev.dev/t/critical-setting-fixes-for-pintv-xrv-riders/1924At that point, you’ll be riding your board to test it! 🎉
ISSUES?
Your board makes a UFO whining noise that drives you or your neighbors nuts?
Fix it here: https://pev.dev/t/getting-rid-of-the-high-pitched-squeal/659
If your board freaks out, the backup doesn’t work, and it SCREECHES AND SQUEALS at you? Fix it here: https://pev.dev/t/gtv-xrv-pintv-power-kit-accidentally-reset-configs-motor-squeal-on-engagement-how-to-fix/1709
Board Tuning and Ride Tracking
Congrats, your board should now be working. Hopefully you never have to touch VESC Tool or Float Hub again... unless that’s your jam. Now you need an app to tune your board and track your rides since you won't be using the Onewheel app anymore.
