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As the name suggests, remote control rock crawlers are remote control vehicles that crawl over just about anything from rocks to seriously vertical formations.

One of the most popular and fastest growing segments of the remote control vehicle hobby is the rock crawlers. A rock crawler is a monster truck designed to run in rough terrain including climbing up and over rock formations. There are quite a few remote control clubs devoted specifically to running and displaying rock crawlers. Rock crawler competitions are held world wide and have become extremely competitive. Like many of the remote control vehicles, rock crawlers come in a wide variety of scale sizes.

There are several subcategories within the rock crawler classification. Some models are designed for full blown competition and function is more important than form. In other words, the appearance is of little or no importance as long as the machine climbs rocks. Another classification is the semi-scale type that is an equal blend of function and form. Although they are competitive, they also pay a certain amount of attention to appearance.

The scale vehicles are fully functional but the main thrust is replicating even the smallest detail of a real monster truck. The paint job and decals would be even more important than its ability to perform. There are even toy grade crawlers that are sold in mass market outlets such as Wal-Mart. Many people build their own rock crawlers from scratch or using certain ready made parts and building the chassis themselves.

One of the big names in remote control rock crawlers is Traxxas. Traxxas has been making a RTR, or ready-to-run, fully assembled rock crawler for quite some time. Most RTR vehicles need only a small amount of assembly. Often they need batteries. The tires might need to be glued to the rims, but beyond this they are truly ready to run right out of the box.

The building and racing of remote control rock crawlers can be a very adsorbing hobby. The construction methods and types of components used are built to very exacting standards to produce a competitive edge. The rock crawler might easily be one of the best built of all remote control vehicles because they are not designed for speed at all, but rather they are built to be tough and to be flexible enough to climb over the kind of terrain that would stop a normal remote control car or truck.