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While the urge to further upgrade this tiny crawler is always there, this time's update isn't about that. It's about putting the crawler to good use! With the miniature Defender tested on rough terrain, this time round we decided to head to Rifle Range Trail with some friends for a nice, extended trail crawling session. Just imagine hiking, but with our RC cars in tow as well! While the previous crawling spot was just a plot of land with the various obstacles carved out by other RC crawling enthusiasts (thanks to them we get to enjoy our RC crawlers!), heading to a hiking trail like Rifle Range Trail meant that we weren't restricted to a small area. Instead, we could drive our crawlers as we proceeded along the hiking route, conquering obstacles along the way, and adding to the realism and fun! Due to the thick foliage, and the fact that it had been raining a fair bit recently, the trail was muddier than expected. While this added plenty to the fun and realism, it proved to be a bit of a hassle later on... you'll see. Watching the suspension system on the little crawler getting pushed to its limits with plenty of articulation sure was a fun experience! The fact that it was fully built and modified by me, further adds to the sense of accomplishment when it manages to conquer obstacles that seemed too tough for it at first! After a full day of fun crawling at Rifle Range Road, the batteries were almost empty and we sure were tired. It was a hiking trip of sorts after all! But the day hasn't ended yet, for the crawlers are now too dirty to be kept at home... Just look at how dirty and muddy it is! Oh, and I almost forgot.. the front prop shaft gave way at the trail and was nowhere to be found... guess it's time to order some parts to repair it :') - Zhi Xuan

Have you ever found yourself mesmerised by overlanding and off-roading videos, just watching those lifted off-roaders conquering obstacle after obstacle, kicking up mud, driving through puddles, inching down steep slopes and climbing up steep gradients that seem impossible to scale? I sure did, but without the time, money and commitment to actually do it, I could only remain as a spectator behind my computer screen... This scale crawler had a ladder-frame chassis along with live-axles just like a true off-roader That was until I found something that's about as close as I can get to the action, but at a fraction of the cost - RC Crawlers! At 1/16th to 1/10th of the scale of an actual off-road vehicle, an RC Crawler still manages to offer plenty of fun! I'm someone that can never be content with something that's stock and unmodified - from cars to watches to toy cars to keyboards to computers... needless to say, the RC Crawler got plenty of upgrades before I've even ran it the first time I started my RC Crawler journey with the purchase of an affordable 1/12th scale (though strictly speaking, it's closer to typical 1/16th scale RC cars) Defender from Taobao - the MN D90. This Chinese-made radio-control crawler kit isn't an officially licensed product, but the details are pretty amazing. Especially when you consider the fact that it could be bought for less than $100. I've made sure to paint the body in stages of light coats to ensure durability, the painted body was then clear-coated for maximum protection, and a gloss finish While it is available as a ready-to-run kit, I opted for the unassembled one, as I love putting stuff together. In fact, I've also bought a variety of upgrades so I don't have to live with a fully-stock car. Modifications, customisations and upgrades are what keep me blood pumping - the same applies to my own car... but that's a story for another day. Having prior experience with building 1/10th scale RC drift cars, this build didn't take much effort to complete, I even painted the shell to a 'Battleship Grey' colour that I thought would be perfect for the rugged nature of an off-roader. Now, even though I've already had a bunch of upgrades, I am already eyeing more - I would love to increase the articulation of the suspension, maybe raise the height of the crawler for even more clearance, weighted wheels for more stability, a larger motor for more torque... You get the idea, this is just the start of a fun, and potentially expensive journey. But first, let's bring it out into the elements, and get it dirty! -Zhi Xuan

Amazing fleet of more than 100 Tamiya vehicles and growing. If your wallet is weak, don't watch too long.. LOL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vtE3CUqtRw&t=42s

In 2002, Taroda Racing was founded by Dexter Low with a vision to make the Radio Control Racing Scene a hobby that many people could enjoy. We carry brands like Tamiya, Kyosho and HPI. These brands are reliable and with high accuracy of control. We believe in carrying full range of spare parts for the type of radio control (RC) cars that we have. Our customers can modified their RC cars to better performance and speed of up 100 km/hour. Throughout the years, we have held many racing events. These races include buffets for our members, lucky draws and trophies to winners. Taroda also organized both touring and drifting races at Taroda Track, East Coast Park. These events brought a lot of very young members, adults and father and sons to play together. Taroda is proud to announce that our sponsored drivers have done very well in the Tamiya Asia Cups. Our drivers holds the Championship for Super Stock touring for two subsequent years 2009 and 2010. These members have taken radio control hobby to a new height. In the coming years, Taroda will endeavours to make RC a hobby that many could have funs and create bonding among friends and family members. Taroda Racing Engineering 1 Pasir Ris Close #03-107 E!Hub@Downtown East Singapore 519599