RC Crawlers: Rock-Climbing RC Trucks

RC crawlers are a relatively recent part of the RC car hobby, but that hasn’t stopped them from drawing plenty of enthusiasts, and they’ve even led to dedicated competitions just for these rock-crawling RC vehicles.

Below we walk you through what sets them apart, the main classes and what to look for when buying one.

What makes an RC crawler different

An RC crawler, or rock crawler, brings a whole new set of challenges and skills to RC fans as they learn to drive over tough rocky terrain, dry riverbeds, steep trails or hills, and indoor or outdoor obstacle courses.

That’s something a regular RC car just couldn’t do. Many enthusiasts and RC clubs build their own indoor or outdoor obstacle courses using household objects and materials.

An RC crawler isn’t about speed. These RC trucks are about problem-solving and using power, torque and maneuverability to get through difficult terrain and obstacles.

This is where rock crawlers show off their defining features.

With four-wheel drive, high torque and ground clearance, a very flexible suspension and grippy tires, RC fans try to conquer different levels of difficult terrain in the shortest time possible.

Types of RC crawlers

Within the main RC crawler category, there are several subcategories that split these vehicles up by size, realism or power. Here’s a rundown of those classes so you can tell them apart clearly.

Scale RC crawlers

These crawlers are all about mimicking the full-size vehicle as faithfully as possible. They’re usually 1/8 or 1/10 scale replicas of the original. They also aim to replicate the mechanics as closely as possible, using a central transmission with driveshafts to the axles, so they don’t have rear steering.

Their tires are nearly identical to those on the real vehicles, and so is their suspension, which can use oil shocks or leaf springs. Some even have up to a 3-speed manual transmission to look even more like the full-size models.

Super class RC crawlers

These are the biggest crawlers, designed specifically to maximize performance. This class can include any RC with 6.3 in (16 cm) diameter wheels, 80° of articulation and a wheelbase of at least 15 in (38 cm). They can also be fitted with rear steering and usually have a motor on each axle (with some exceptions, such as the TXT). As the most powerful members of the family, they can climb almost anything.

2.2 class RC crawlers

This number is the wheel diameter in inches, which is the defining feature of this class. They sit just below the super class, with 60° of articulation and a 12.6 in (32 cm) wheelbase, which makes them a bit more realistic than their bigger siblings. Traditionally they were driven by a central motor with a transmission to the axles. They take more driving skill because their reduced articulation makes them a little more realistic. A standard chassis can carry 1/8 scale bodies.

1.9 class RC crawlers

These are the smallest members of the RC crawler family. These mini crawlers also get their class name from their wheel diameter. This type of crawler is for somewhat more experienced drivers with well-honed driving skills, because of the vehicles’ small size and because they don’t have rear steering.

Generally, the chassis used are 1/18 scale.

Main features of RC crawlers

In this list you’ll find the main features that define RC crawlers and set them apart from regular RC cars.

RC crawler torque

An RC crawler needs a lot of torque to drive over rough, uneven surfaces. That’s why they have one or two electric motors and low gearing that delivers steady power at low speeds.

High ground clearance

RC crawlers need much more clearance between the ground and the chassis so they can get over obstacles without getting stuck or damaged. This comes from big tires and special high-clearance suspension systems.

At the same time, the center of gravity has to be as low as possible so the RC doesn’t tip over easily.

RC crawler suspension

These RC rock crawlers need very flexible articulated suspension systems with fairly quick-responding shocks.

That maximizes the chance of keeping all the wheels on the ground and driving the truck forward while it climbs obstacles.

RC crawler steering

Since this hobby involves a lot of tricky steering around obstacles, an RC crawler needs high-torque steering servos (with metal gears) to turn its big tires in tight spaces.

For the best performance, it should also have four-wheel steering. This gives you a range of modes for steering the front and rear wheels, so you can pull off more challenging maneuvers around obstacles.

Locking differentials

This type of RC rock crawler needs four-wheel drive and locking differentials to keep power from going to the wheels that are off the ground. That gives much better traction when crawling over obstacles.

RC crawler tires

These RC crawlers come with big, soft tires whose tread extends down the sidewalls to maximize traction as the crawler climbs over and around obstacles.

Available RC crawler scales

As with other RC vehicles, RC crawlers come in several scales. The most popular are 1/10 and 1/8, although they’re also available in 1/16 and 1/5 scale.

1/16 scale is quite small and is best suited to indoor obstacle courses, since these trucks don’t have enough ground clearance to get over typical outdoor obstacles.

Four-wheel steering

As mentioned above, some of these RC trucks are available with four-wheel steering. Four-wheel steering gives the crawler driver a range of new tactics and methods for getting past especially challenging obstacles.

Four-wheel-steer models come with a high-torque steering servo for the front and rear wheels and a special 3-channel radio system.

The radio has an LCD screen that lets you select and switch between 4 different steering modes. These modes are:

1. only the front wheels steer
2. the front and rear wheels steer in the same direction, so the truck can crab-walk across an obstacle
3. the front and rear wheels steer in opposite directions. This is useful for a very tight turning radius in confined spaces
4. only the rear wheels steer

An RC crawler also has a mechanical advantage. Since crawlers move slowly, they take less crash damage than regular RC cars do.

So there’s a much lower chance you’ll need to make repairs on these vehicles.

Buying a cheap RC crawler

You can find plenty of rock crawlers at more than reasonable prices.

Of course, these cheap RC crawlers won’t have all the features that more expensive models can offer. Even so, they won’t disappoint you, and you can enjoy many hours of use and fun.

Some of these budget vehicles also include the transmitter, while others don’t, and you’ll need to use one you already have or buy one.

Buying a used RC crawler

As with other RC markets, the used RC crawler market works much the same way. You can find plenty of these vehicles in very good condition and at a reasonable price.

We always recommend checking every part and accessory of the vehicle in detail before you buy. On nitro trucks, check the engine especially carefully, because if it doesn’t run right it will give you plenty of headaches.

Also remember to ask the seller of the used RC crawler whether any accessories come with it, such as glow plugs, nitro fuel, extra batteries or even the transmitter. That will save you a bit more money, which you might put toward another accessory you need.

Thanks for reading this post on RC crawlers; we hope all this information has been useful.