1 18 Mini-Rock Crawler RTR

Reader Reviews
I was just having a blast with my AX-10 when Losi pulls this out of their hat!! What a cool little crawler! It comes in four color choices, and has a motor/ESC combo that has more than enough ooomph to crawl over some serious ascents. Obviously, the MRC cannot tackle climbs it's larger brethren can, but it CAN climb some amazing things! I just let mine loose in the back yard, and climb anything and everything this little crawler can handle! The Losi Mini Rock Crawler is a true RTR. You require nothing more than what's in the box to go crawling! Stuff some batteries in the transmitter (included), charge the included NiMh battery (charger also included), plug it in and GO! The battery is good for about 17-20 minutes of climbing. Plug in a similar sized LiPo battery and go LONGER! Now THIS is the best beginner crawler I can recommend to anyone who wants to go crawling on a budget. Crawling for the masses! What a concept!! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx This addendum is placed as of 3/29/09: I found a wonderful scale conversion that is not expensive, but allows for the mounting of a really detailed Jeep body on the chassis of the little MRC (Mini Rock Crawler). First thing is the body. I found mine at my local Wally-World. It's made by New Bright Toys and is marketed as the "Jeep Wrangler Unlimited". It costs approx. $60.00, and while that may SOUND expensive, I know folk who have spent 20 times that amount to do what I'm doing here. You may have color choices, but I was "stuck" with red. It's O.K. though, because my wheels are red, so it's all good. You will need to remove four screws that hold the body on the chassis, then lift the body off, and toss the chassis, unless you have a specific use for it. Next, and this is complicated, so follow closely: Place the ESC UNDER the top plate of the MRC, behind the motor (placing it effectively upside-down). Move the receiver to the top of the steering servo with servo tape or other fastener. Next, cut off the two ribs on the top plate, and place velcro on the top plate. Test-fit the body on the chassis, taking note of WHERE the chassis sits in relation to the body- wheel wells, wheel height, etc. Then place the other velcro strip to the underside of the body, and "mate" the two halves (you will notice at this juncture that there is an AWFUL LOT of room underneath the body, especially in the hood area, to mount a battery or other accessories, pretty cool!). The MRC sits a bit too high with it's stock suspension, so I lowered mine by mounting Duratrax "Cliff Climber" crawler shocks. It lowers the ride height by three-eighths of an inch, which is perfect for my conversion. Also, place lead weights on the insides of each wheel. I have approx. three ounces in each of my wheels, and it helps keep the wheels planted on the rocks. With this mod, the Jeep looks like a stocker on which someone mounted oversized wheels and tires to it! Lights are going on, as well as a working winch! I'm using a scale beer cooler in the bed to hide all the wiring, and it's already wearing 3 batteries! Heavy? Not as much as I thought, but it helps keep the crawler planted on the rocks much better! Another great benefit of all that weight is that the suspension system actually works like the real thing now. Crawlers as a rule emphasize articulation over travel, but now I have both! I might just try making it a bit faster, as a Trail/Scale truck. My little "Jeep MRC" is SERIOUS cool! It crawls better than a stock MRC, but looks gangbusters now with it's new scale Jeep Wrangler body, and it all costs less than $100.00!! New Bright makes all sorts of really detailed scale bodies that can be used for scale builds, such as this one, to make your MRC look and perform better than a stocker, and make it unique in your neighborhood, as well!! All the parts used here can be found here, on Amazon!!