Remote-controlled crawlers from 30 euros: now it’s off-road With good climbing properties, crawlers are among the kings of off-roaders. We show what the RC cars can do and what to look out for when buying one. 8:00 p.m. tech stage

Anyone who would like to drive an RC car over difficult terrain with stones, rocks or branches will find it difficult to avoid the crawler. This type is characterized by pronounced climbing properties. Extremely long suspension travel, gigantic tires and high torque make this possible. High speeds are irrelevant here. In this guide we explain which types there are. The focus is on RTR vehicles (“ready to run”), i.e. remote-controlled finished models and not kits.

We also show more off-road vehicles in the guide to off-road RC cars: remote-controlled jeeps, monster trucks and buggies from 20 euros in the RC toys theme world .

The crawler is a generic term. At first glance, many RC cars of this type look like conventional off-road vehicles. There are also representatives with a minimalist look, long axles and huge wheels that are otherwise more like a buggy. What all RC crawlers have in common are distinctive off-road characteristics, allowing the vehicles to “climb” over obstacles and difficult terrain. It is not for nothing that the name comes from the English word “to crawl” – which means “to crawl”.

The classic is the rock crawler. As the name suggests, they are designed to get over rocks and stones. This makes this species the “mountain goat” among remote-controlled off-road vehicles. The climbing properties are in the foreground, the whole design is geared towards that. The suspension is heavily damped and offers a very large spring travel, the tires are also soft and oversized. The rock crawler itself is kept minimalist.

A special variety is the rock racer. This shape is more reminiscent of an RC buggy and is designed for higher speeds, but still able to master difficult terrain. The suspension travel is not quite as dramatic here, but the suspension is pronounced and the wheels are large. The rock racer cannot keep up with the climbing properties of a crawler, but it is faster on the move.

A popular game type is the scale crawler. This is an RC scaler with crawler capabilities. A true-to-scale replica of an original off-road vehicle – hence the name – the look differs significantly from the rock crawler. Small details such as an LED light or accessories play a major role here. Not every scaler is a crawler and vice versa. If the remote-controlled all-terrain vehicle offers a true-to-scale and detailed replica of an original vehicle and still has strong climbing properties, it is usually a scale crawler. Real off-road vehicles such as the Landrover Defender, the Mercedes-Benz G-Class, the Hummer as well as pick-ups and trucks from Ford or Chevrolet serve as role models.

All-wheel drive is standard. A high spring deflection with high ground clearance and soft shock absorbers are essential here. The suspension must be very soft. Portal axes are often used here. Together with the differential, these are significantly higher than normal axles and thus offer the important ground clearance. There are also RC models that can adjust the height of the axles.

Rigid axles are very common in contrast to independent wheel suspension. Both wheels are firmly connected to each other by an axle beam. This enables constant ground clearance with maximum axle articulation, which is useful for off-road use. This variant is also more robust, and the wheels are always guided in parallel. However, the rigid axle has to absorb more mass. At high speeds, this increases the risk of tipping over, which is why they are not designed for higher speeds.

In addition, differential locks are conceivable for more expensive RC cars. This prevents a wheel from spinning and either partially or completely blocks the force acting on the wheel. In all-wheel drive vehicles, the differential is used to compensate for the speed differences between the front and rear axles. The wheels are generously dimensioned and should ideally be very soft in order to give well on stones or rocks.

An electric motor in a crawler has to meet different requirements than in a fast vehicle. Pure peak performance is not so important here. While high-priced RC cars often rely on powerful brushless motors, off-roaders mainly have brushed motors. These are heavier and thus ensure a more favorable center of gravity. The torque also develops more evenly. Although brushed motors suffer more wear and tear than brushless representatives, they are cheaper.

RC crawlers are already available for just under 30 euros. These are particularly suitable for beginners and in many cases for children aged 8 and over. The inexpensive RTR models are mainly just toys.

In the price range up to 100 euros, there are mostly simple rock crawlers and only a few scale crawlers. Some are only intended for young people from the age of 13 or 14. According to our price comparison, the most popular manufacturers include Revell, Amewi, Carson and Jamara. The Revell Army Truck with three axles is rather atypical. The scale ranges from small models in 1:24 to some larger representatives in 1:10. Digital remote controls that already transmit at 2.4 GHz and brushed motors are common here.

One should not expect too much of the climbing properties from the inexpensive crawlers, most remote-controlled cars are more to be understood as toys suitable for off-road use. There is often a lack of precision in control and acceleration. Especially smaller variants quickly reach their limits with obstacles due to their size. The cheap crawlers offer less protection against moisture and are not very durable when used off-road. However, they represent a good opportunity to get a taste of the subject and are sometimes suitable as a gift for children or young people.

We took a closer look at the Crawler Rock Monster from Revell Control for just under 70 euros. Visually, it looks like a mixture of monster truck and buggy. The axles are also height-adjustable and offer a particularly large amount of ground clearance. The vehicle can be raised or lowered at the touch of a button. A lithium-ion battery with a USB charger with a capacity of 1200 mAh is included.

This allows the car to get over small stones or branches, as long as they do not protrude vertically and too high from the ground. However, the steering and the gas turn out to be imprecise. Here you can see that it is a cheaper product. The underbody with the control electronics and the motor is closed, the battery is in its own compartment. However, the case isn’t truly waterproof, so we advise against riding it in the rain or through puddles. We were still able to take gradients of up to almost 30 percent.

In the price range from 100 euros to 400 euros, sizes from 1:8 to 1:18 are common. The larger the vehicle, the better it can cope with uneven ground. Here mainly scale crawlers from manufacturers like Carson, Reely, Amewi or Axial are represented. There are also RC rock crawlers in the price range up to 200 euros. This includes the Carson X-Crawlee Pro 2.0.

An apt example of a scale crawler is the Reely Free Men 2.0 (review) that we tested. The Reely Free Men 2.0 was made available to us by Conrad and costs just under 215 euros. This RC off-roader is based on a Mercedes-Benz G-Class. The popular predecessor Free Men 1.0 was still a replica of the Jeep Cherokee. Thanks to the pronounced suspension and the large wheels, the remote-controlled off-road vehicle copes well with branches and stones. In terms of construction, it is comparable to the DF models DF-4S, Amewi Dirt Climbing SUV Crawler and Amewi AMXRock. 

The control is significantly more precise than the cheaper Revell vehicle. Compared to a purist crawler, however, the body turns out to be a small weak point. The wheels occasionally bump into the wheel arches on particularly uneven ground or branches get caught in the body. But that hardly detracts from the driving pleasure.