Hit the rocks and crush the competition any time with Team Losi’s Night Crawler. With a superior chassis and steering system, Team Losi has made rock crawling a walk in the park. Maybe you’ve been tearing up the track with RC’s for years, well, here’s your chance to test your skills on different grounds. The Night Crawler boasts features that’ll make any RC user drool at the mouth. From the amazing suspension performance, multi-platform battery tray to the LEDS that allow you to crawl at night. Team Losi has created a monster, and we’ve got all the details for you right here in this Team Losi Night Crawler Review.
But first, check out this video to see the night crawler in action.
Losi Night Crawler Review
Rock crawling is a driving style that helps RC users expand their horizons. Delve deeper into the hobby with a range of vehicles (stock or modified), and tackle the toughest terrains. Proverbially, rock crawling involves four wheel drive vehicles — from jeeps, trucks to buggies.
If you’re going to hit the rocks, you’ll want to do it with a vehicle built for the long haul. When you’re tearing up the track, it’s all about speed. When you’re hitting the rocks, it’s all about durability, patience, and perseverance. Team Losi has got just the thing. A product that packs the power, durability and all the rock crawling efficiency you’re looking for in an RC.
The name Team Losi is more than enough to get any RC user excited. They’re not only known for making quality cars to tear up the track, but you can also hit the rocks with the RTR Night Crawler. The Night Crawler has more to it than a fancy name; this monster comes fully equipped to traverse a wide range of rocky terrains.
Want to know more? Don’t worry; this review will spare no details. We’re going to discuss the Night Crawlers pros and cons, and all the particulars that make this one impressive RC.
Specs and Features
Team Losi’s Night Crawler features solid axle with worm-gear drive. The ESC (electronic speed controller) comes compatible with LiPo batteries and programming specific to the Night Crawler. Get the most out of this unit with an impressive Crawler-specific 540 motor, and enjoy optimal control thanks to the molded 4-link suspension.
When power isn’t being supplied to your RC crawler, that’s where the worm gear plays the role of a brake. In situations where power is supplied you don’t have to worry about the vehicle being thrown off balance thanks to the axle torque.
About the Batteries
Worried about having to upgrade electronics to handle LiPo batteries?
Don’t.
The ESC is compatible with both NiMH and LiPo batteries. What’s more, this product has a voltage cut-off feature to prevent overcharging.
The Night Crawler offers great suspension articulation due to the three-piece shock body design and durable shocks. You can adjust and rebuild these shocks to maintain impressive suspension performance.
Mounted to the chassis is an adjustable, pre-wired light set. The rock crawling action doesn’t have to end when the sun goes down; the LED lights allow you to hit the rocks at night.
There is virtually no terrain or scenario that this beast can’t handle. The LEDs and 35T motor have equipped it to conquer any location in any weather and at any time of day.
If you’re familiar with rock crawlers, then you’ll know most of these RCs use plastic joints. That isn’t the case with the Night Crawler. This bad boy boasts metal CV joints. Meaning you can skip out on expensive upgrades.
The twin vertical plate chassis place this crawler in a league of its own. Sure, it looks cool, but there’s more to it than that. The motor and electronics are fixed as low as humanly possible. This is done to achieve a low center of gravity.
Team Losi has built you an RC guaranteed to dominate rock crawling. With 45 degrees of steering throw, you can’t go wrong on any terrain — I don’t care where you try to drive this thing.
Another thing I should probably mention is the multi-position battery tray, enabling you to make use of some battery types. You secure the battery packs with hook and loop straps.
A lot of other companies have decided to go the route of the scale crawler. Team Losi must’ve seen that coming. While most crawlers are a dime a dozen, the Night Crawler’s features and capabilities are likely to crush ANY competition.
Conserve on energy
Seriously, this crawler is a winner. If like some users, you find that lights are burning a bit too much energy, good news is you can always disconnect them. It won’t take you a whole week either. The crawler is tough enough for the rocks, and operating it is easy in the brain.Upgrade till your heart’s content
There are upgrades you could make to make your rock crawling experience that much better as well. Taller tires (about 5.5″) would be a good start. You’ll also want better stage foam. Factory tires are okay. They’re going to make you feel like throwing your RC into an incinerator. But they’re small, and the foam is far from the best.
Keep in mind that this bad boy is pre-assembled and ready to hit those rocks as is. EXCEPT, you’ll need to grab yourself some batteries and a charger. Yup, that stuff’s sold separately.
Let’s have a look at the specs, so you can have a clearer idea of what you’re working with here:
Night Crawler’s Specifications
- Length – 17.48in
- Width – 9.84in
- Wheelbase – 12.28in
- Weight – 4.19lbs
And here are some of its standout features:
Night Crawler’s Best Features
- New convenient battery tray
- Impressive Molded 4-link suspension (more precise handling)
- Twin aluminum plate chassis that prevents wear and tear
- Electronics are all waterproof
- LED lights come installed from factory
- Direct drive transmission is great for rock crawling, and the metal outputs help in the durability department
- Zero Ackerman Steering (45 degrees of steering throw)
Negatives
If you’re going to have one problem with this bad boy, it’s probably the fact that there isn’t a lot of aftermarket support for the Night Crawler. Namely the aluminum parts. That aside, Team Losi has given us one hell of an RC.
Conclusion
No product’s perfect, but you can’t ask for a better rock crawler, especially not at this price. Super strong and durable, the Night Crawler will overcome any obstacle you put in its way. What’s more, you can upgrade this bad boy to better suit your needs. It comes out the box ready to crawl and exceptionally efficient. You can also step your game up and upgrade this machine to better suit your needs!
