Crawler

Crawlers are large, slow moving land vehicles in use on the surface of Mars, Luna and other locations beyond Earth. Unlike the nimble Rover, the Crawler class of vehicle is characterized by large chassis, slower speeds, and heavy payload capacities. Crawlers can range in size from 20 ton cargo transports to massive 400 ton haulers. Though comparable to cargo trucks on Earth, most crawlers do not have articulated trailers to avoid complications with terrain. The majority of crawlers are designed with an array of massive wheels to distribute weight, but some are built with caterpillar tracks for better performance on difficult terrain.
Crawlers have a wide variety of applications. Some are used for mass transit, filling the role of buses and trains on earth. Other crawlers are used to haul cargo between industrial/mining sites, transportation hubs, and colonies. Crawlers can sometimes act as platforms for specialized equipment such as lithmoving equipment, communications arrays, and mobile fabrication/repair stations. Some crawlers serve as a mobile home for nomads and other transient individuals.
Military applications for crawlers tend to mirror the civilian ones, often filling a logistical or armored troop transport role. Crawlers also often fill the role of mobile command centers or aid stations for expeditionary forces.
On Mars, privately owned crawlers tend to be intricately painted and outfitted with noisemakers, lasers and bright lights to increase visibility during sand and dust storms. These vehicles are colloquially known as Dazzle Crawlers and have become an easily recognizable facet of Martian culture.

Used by

• Dazzle Crawler

Weight

20-400 tons (unladen)

Speed

max 5-30 km/h

Complement / Crew

1-4 (for driving in shifts)

Cargo & Passenger Capacity

various