Dead Rabbit V3, two Hellvape atomisers under one name
It turns up in almost every conversation about rebuildables, yet two people recommending it are rarely talking about the same thing. Hellvape sells several products under the Dead Rabbit V3 name, each with its own editions, and shop listings blur their specifications together. A diameter given as 24, 25 or 28 mm, a tank of 2, 3.5 or 5.5 ml, which is enough to make anyone hesitate before the first coil goes in. With the manufacturer’s sheets to hand, we untangle the models.
Dead Rabbit V3, a 25 mm RTA and a 24 mm RDA
Also sold as the Dead Rabbit 3, the Dead Rabbit V3 covers two rebuildable atomisers designed by Hellvape. The RTA, the tank version, measures 25 mm across and 50.5 mm tall, and holds 3.5 or 5.5 ml depending on the glass, or 2.0 ml in its TPD edition.
As for the RDA, a dripper with no tank, it measures 24 mm across and 37.35 mm tall. Each takes two coils, on a postless deck for the RTA and between round posts for the RDA.
Both accept an 810 drip tip, and that is roughly where the resemblance ends. The real difference lies in how the cotton is fed. The RTA draws on its reservoir above the deck, while the RDA is dripped by hand or fed from below through a bottom feeder pin. Our guide to RDA, RTA and RDTA sets out what each family means in practice.
The postless deck and its two coils
On the RTA, Hellvape chose a deck without posts, which its sheet presents as designed to make dual coil building easier. The coil legs no longer wrap around a post. They drop into a terminal where a screw clamps them, so you set the height of each coil before tightening.
According to several retailers, the box contains two 0.37 ohm Ni80 Clapton coils, two cotton laces and a bubble glass. Fitted together on this deck, two identical coils work in parallel, which halves the resistance to roughly 0.19 ohm (0.37 divided by two gives 0.185). A reading that low is confirmed with a meter, never taken on trust.
Airflow and glass on the Dead Rabbit V3 RTA
According to the manufacturer, air enters at the top and leaves beneath and beside the coils, through an internal honeycomb structure backed by slots. That route keeps the air inlets away from the liquid, and Hellvape presents it as its answer to leaking. Retailers add that the draw is adjusted by turning the ring at the top.
Fully open, the ring gives the open, airy draw this Dead Rabbit V3 is built for. Closing it tightens the draw and concentrates the flavour, but this 25 mm dual coil tank remains designed for direct lung vaping.
On the standard version, the straight glass holds 3.5 ml and the bubble glass 5.5 ml. UK rules cap refillable tanks at 2 ml, and the edition that matches that limit is the TPD version, which Hellvape rates at 2.0 ml. Nicotine e-liquid is capped in the same way, at 20 mg/ml and in bottles of no more than 10 ml.
Fitting a first build and checking the ohms
A postless deck forgives a lot, but it does not replace method. Three stages separate the coils in the box from a tank ready to fill, and the last one is never skipped.
Positioning and clamping both coils
Each leg slides into its terminal, the coil is lined up with the airflow below it, and the screw is tightened without forcing. Both coils should sit at the same height and the same distance from the walls, otherwise one will heat before the other. The legs are then trimmed flush with the terminals, so no stray wire can touch the bell once the tank is back together.
Wicking without blocking the juice channels
The cotton should pass through each coil with slight resistance, neither packed nor loose, and its tails are trimmed and tucked into the channels of the deck without spilling over the airflow. A wick that is too tight ends in a burnt taste, while a wick that is too loose lets liquid spit back.
Measuring before the first puff
Before any liquid goes in, the atomiser sits on an ohm reader or on the measuring function of the mod. The reading should be stable and close to the expected 0.19 ohm, and a value that jumps around points to a leg touching the deck or a loose screw.
A resistance that low belongs on a regulated mod that reads it and cuts out when something is wrong. Our piece on Ohm’s law and battery safety explains why it is never improvised on a mechanical mod, and the basic steps are covered in our guide to building a coil.
The J, 6th Anniversary and 2024 editions, performance or finish
Hellvape’s catalogue lists four RTA pages under the same name, the original, the J Edition, the 6th Anniversary edition and the 2024 edition. The retailer sheets we read for the 2024 and 6th Anniversary editions nonetheless repeat the same 25 mm diameter, the same postless dual coil deck and the same 0.37 ohm coils.
What changes is mostly the finish and the accessories, such as the 810 Delrin drip tip added to the box of the 2024 edition. Some listings for that edition highlight a honeycomb airflow, a structure that the Hellvape sheet for the original model already describes. Our advice is to pick an edition for its looks, not for a gain in flavour.
On the dripper side, Hellvape lists two airflow types and two weights by edition, 42 g for the ST and 40 g for the ID.
Which mods suit a 24 or 25 mm atomiser
The RTA measures 25.0 mm on Hellvape’s sheet. One shop listing gives 28 mm in its technical table while mentioning 25 and 27 mm mods in its description, but the manufacturer’s figure is the one to trust.
Any mod with a top cap of 25 mm or more takes the RTA without overhang, and the 24 mm RDA sits on the same mods with a slight step. The RTA screws onto a 510 connection, and its stated 59 g is more noticeable on a compact mod than on a dual battery one.
Leaks and spitting on the Dead Rabbit V3
On an RTA whose air comes in from the top, a leak rarely starts at the airflow. The usual suspects are a seal that has shifted, a glass refitted out of line or cotton that does not fill the channels.
Spitting points the other way, to too much liquid at the coil, often on a wick that is too loose. Add a little more cotton, check that both coils sit at the same height, then prime at low power. Our diagnosis of a spitting coil works through these symptoms one at a time.
FAQ
Once the model is identified, five questions tend to come up as soon as the atomiser reaches the bench, from filling to cleaning.
How do you fill the Dead Rabbit V3 RTA?
The top cap opens with a quarter turn, according to Hellvape, and filling is done from the top without taking the atomiser apart. On a fresh build, wet the cotton by hand first, fill, close, then give the liquid a moment to reach the wicks before the first puff.
Does the RDA work with a squonk mod?
Yes. Its sheet describes side feeding of the cotton through a bottom feeder pin, the hollow part that lets liquid rise from the mod. You then need a squonk mod, whose connector is hollow as well. Without one, the dripper is used the usual way, with liquid dripped straight onto the cotton.
Can you change the drip tip on the Dead Rabbit V3?
Yes, both versions use the 810 format, and Hellvape states that the tip of the RDA is changeable. Any 810 drip tip fits, which lets you choose a material that stays cooler on the lips or a narrower bore. A tighter tip does not change the airflow setting, it mostly changes how the draw feels.
Is the Dead Rabbit V3 a good first rebuildable?
The RTA is the easier of the two to get along with. Its postless deck makes fitting simple, but it asks you to build two matching coils and measure them, which takes a little practice. The RDA teaches faster, since every wicking mistake shows up straight away, though it means dripping liquid by hand at regular intervals.
How do you clean the Dead Rabbit V3?
Empty the tank, remove the cotton, then take the parts down one by one. A rinse in lukewarm water is enough for the body, the top cap and the glass, as long as everything is fully dry before reassembly. If you are only changing the cotton, the coils can stay in place and be cleared of residue with a few short pulses at low power.
Dead Rabbit V3, picking the right model before the first build
Behind one name, Hellvape offers a 25 mm RTA with a postless deck and a 24 mm RDA with round posts, in editions that change the finish more than the behaviour. The manufacturer’s figures settle contradictory listings, and the ohm reader settles the build.
The rest is rebuildables as we see them, an atomiser chosen for the way it is fed and coils fitted with method. That framework, more than the edition printed on the box, is what makes a Dead Rabbit V3 worth the bench time.
Editorial content for adult readers only. Vaping products can contain nicotine, a substance that causes addiction. Nicotine vaping products are not for sale to anyone under 18 in the UK. This article is not a buying recommendation.
