Should you buy a crawler?
KB113
Updated 2023-04-24 by Frank
Ever looked at a crawler or scale trail truck and wanted to know what they are all about? Well let me shed some light on one of the most popular types of RC cars available at the moment.
Rock crawlers or trail trucks do differ slightly, however overall the general term or phrase for both is rock crawler. This describes a 4x4 truck that is often on a ladder chassis with link suspension designed for going on rough and steep rocky terrain.
They are generally not very fast with most offering a top speed of around 14mph. But speed isn’t the key with crawlers, it's more about grip, weight distribution and style.
With so many different crawlers and scale trucks on the market it can be a bit of a mind field to pick the right one but that's OK, as most brands have a huge amount of upgrade parts to improve you rig, from beadlock wheels to overdrive gearing to DIG system’s so even a basic rig can be adapted into a beast of a crawler.
So why would I want a crawler?
Well they are great if you live somewhere that has rough terrain and forests nearby, as an example, we are right next to Cannock Chase so crawlers are a must for us. They require a very different driving style to most RC cars as it's more about picking the correct line through a wooded area and ensuring you find the grippy parts of the trail. It takes a bit more thought process than simply seeing how high you can jump a 6s Kraton for example.
Crawlers also offer a huge range of scale accessories to upgrade and improve the overall scale look of your rig meaning you can let your creativity run wild when it comes to personalising your model.