On my last post, I've completed the build of my RC crawler, a miniature Land Rover Defender. What's left is of course to bring it out and test it out on some uneven surfaces!

While I should probably try it out before adding more mods... I still ended up purchasing the entire catalogue of available upgrades to throw at my crawler

But I ended up modding more stuff before I even took it outdoors. The upgraded suspension that I first used weren't smooth enough for my liking, hence I got another set that also made a taller ride height possible. Along with that, I also got a different set of rims and tyres that would likely result in more grip in the dirt (at this point it was all guesswork as I hadn't actually tried it outside of my home). I also swapped out for a bigger motor with a lower gear ratio that promises maximum torque to conquer whatever I throw at the crawler!

Here's a photo of my highly-modified Defender crawler beside a completely original one

Now that it's all modded, I'm ready to bring it out for a crawling session with friends!

On the first outing, I am pretty impressed with the amount of articulation that the suspension allows. That said, the small scale of the crawler meant many obstacles are too huge for it to scale...

Little crevices becomes massive cracks on the surface that could almost swallow the entire crawler, making it pretty challenging to navigate.

A little over zealous attempt to scale an unsurmountable obstacle resulted in this...

The best part about RC crawling though - there's no real risk of injuries. Flipped your car? just grab it and flip it back around!

That said, the real fun happens when you are trying to navigate through precarious terrains as though you were driving an actual off-roader. If the slope is too steep or the surface is too broken to traverse, it is time to work your brains and skills to find an alternative route. Sometimes, a burst of throttle could free you from a sticky situation, and yet on other times, it will just cause the tyres to break traction and your crawler might end up in a worse position than before...

While it seems like just driving around with a toy car, there's actually quite a fair bit to RC crawling than you would think!

Hmm, who knows, maybe I'll end up modding the crawler more? Or maybe I should check out a different spot to crawl... Stay tuned for the next instalment of my RC crawling journey!