Traction Board Review

[OuterLimits]

Does anyone here have any experience with using Fiberglass Grating? I've been really tempted to swap my MAXSA's for some due to the linear rigidity of them that makes them very capable for bridging. Also, I like the idea of using them as a base pad for my shower.

I assume you are talking about fiberglass "waffle boards"



I looked into these a couple of years ago, due to the potential for effective bridging. I've seen lots of these bolted to Rovers from the other side of the pond. Less common here in the states.

My rig lacks a 2 speed transfer case and has limited ground clearance. A nice sturdy bridge would be very helpful for getting up small steps or across deep ruts.

There are some youtube vids showing these in use (I believe the folks at Overland Journal did a review of the waffle boards). They seem to work pretty well for bridging, but they make lots of cracking sounds under load. I don't know how long they would last before failing due to material fatigue.



The downsides (via feeble memory)-

They are fairly heavy (20 lbs/board). As they age, you can get glass splinters in your skin if you don't wear gloves. Some come with a heavy texture on one side, which should be good for tire traction, but a bit harsh on bare foot showering.

There are lots of holes (providing no flotation), so they can sink, depending on consistency of ground material. I don't recall if sinking in sand was an issue. Wet mud could be a problem for sinking. Sticky, firmer mud can fill all the holes and make removing the boards difficult. The mud makes the boards heavy, and clearing the mud out is difficult.

The boards do not have a ramp on the ends, so they have a tendency to flip up and smack the door sills when the tire grabs traction.

They are not inexpensive, at $268 shipped on ebay.

For me they are not the best solution for traction boards. They are long for storage. They will be difficult to get under my rig. There is the potential for sill damage if the board pops up.

For my small rig, the Traction Jack seems like a superior solution. Smaller size folded, no worries of sill damage, and far easier to get under my rig.

If the waffle boards were $99 for a set, I might pick some up, solely for bridging on specific trips. As it is, they are not the right solution for me.

Good luck

 

[Username Not Found]

I assume you are talking about fiberglass "waffle boards"

View attachment 26018

I looked into these a couple of years ago, due to the potential for effective bridging. I've seen lots of these bolted to Rovers from the other side of the pond. Less common here in the states.

My rig lacks a 2 speed transfer case and has limited ground clearance. A nice sturdy bridge would be very helpful for getting up small steps or across deep ruts.

There are some youtube vids showing these in use (I believe the folks at Overland Journal did a review of the waffle boards). They seem to work pretty well for bridging, but they make lots of cracking sounds under load. I don't know how long they would last before failing due to material fatigue.

View attachment 26019

The downsides (via feeble memory)-

They are fairly heavy. As they age, you can get glass splinters in your skin if you don't wear gloves. Some come with a heavy texture on one side, which should be good for tire traction, but a bit harsh on bare foot showering.

There are lots of holes, so they can sink, depending on consistency of ground material. I don't recall if sinking in sand was an issue. Wet mud could be a problem for sinking. Sticky, firmer mud can fill all the holes and make removing the boards difficult. The mud makes the boards heavy, and clearing the mud out is difficult.

The boards do not have a ramp on the ends, so they have a tendency to flip up and smack the door sills when the tire grabs traction.

They are not inexpensive, at $268 shipped on ebay.

For me they are not the best solution for traction boards. They are long for storage. They will be difficult to get under my rig. There is the potential for sill damage if the board pops up.

For my small rig, the Traction Jack seems like a superior solution. Smaller size folded, no worries of sill damage, and far easier to get under my rig.

If the waffle boards were $99 for a set, I might pick some up, solely for bridging on specific trips. As it is, they are not the right solution for me.

Good luck, TR

Thanks, this is what I was looking for. I agree that if I could find them for cheap, it would be a no brainer. But when they cost the same as Maxtrax, its hard to take the leap of faith. My rig is a bit top heavy and I want to reduce the articulation as much as possible, so the bridging factor is a big plus with these. However, with the reviews that I've seen with using Maxtrax for bridging, I'm still on the fence. I might just stick with the Maxsa's for now...

 

[NLrunner]

Great review! I am going to get myself stuck now.

 

[Overlandllama]

Any thoughts on combining types of boards for a more comprehensive recovery arsenal? We'll have Traction Jacks for Newfoundland trip but looking at adding another board type like Max-something... who knows but point is, it might be cool to have a few different pairs for different scenarios.

 

[OuterLimits]

Being a belt and suspenders guy, I pack the Traction Jacks as well as Go Treads.



They have been around for years and have a reputation for being effective in snow.



They are light weight (5.8 lbs), they are affordable ($55 each), and fold up to a compact size.

There is no excuse for not having a traction aid in the snow. Toss a set in every vehicle! Heck, toss in two sets if you run AWD/4WD!

GoTreads - Foldable tire traction mats to get out of mud, snow, or sand.

They make claims for use in snow, mud, and sand.



Having two traction aids (Traction Jacks/GoTreads) allows me to get help at all 4 wheels if needed.

I would still like to pick up a something just for bridging on selected outings.

Good luck

 

[Username Not Found]

In case anybody's still on the fence, Amazon has Maxsa's @ $117 for the pair.

 

[OuterLimits]

Here is a source for waffle boards:
OKoffroad.com Recovery Gear - Waffle Boards
They seem to have the greatest potential for bridging.

Here is a vid touting the many functions of waffle boards:
I just wish they were a little more affordable.

********************************************

I just found this bridging board/sand ladder on ebay.







I have never seen these before and not aware of any reviews.

They are offered in several lengths (20"/$32), (32"/$40), (39.5"/$54) each/shipped.

I was unable to locate any weight or width specifications. They look a bit narrow to me.

This might be a viable/budget option for smaller/lightweight vehicles.

Cheers

************************************ (EDIT)

Found them on Amazon under the name CESS.

The 32" version has a shipping weight of 3 lbs, so I would assume they are constructed of aluminum. The shipping box lists as 32 x 10 x 6. I will then assume the width is about 10".

It says it can accommodate vehicles up to"3.5 tonnes". The spelling infers Metric Ton (2204 lbs) for a total vehicle weight of 8816 lbs. Not considering weight distribution of a vehicle, that comes to 2204/wheel. If US Ton: That is 7000 lbs. or 1750/wheel. It does not explicitly say if that is the limit for flat use, or bridging (unsupported).

There are 2 reviews listed. One was positive for snow, but has not tested bridging/mud/sand. The other review was not relevant to the function of the boards.

 

[Tricklet03]

We did a review on some of the popular traction boards out there.

Sent from my iPhone using OB Talk

 

[Anchor Mtn]

Anchor Mountain is stepping into the recovery/traction board market with our new Anchor Mats. We looked at the wide array of recovery tracks on the market and decided a better option was needed. We developed the Anchor Mats to be the best recovery track available today. The Anchor Mats are Stack-able, Durable, Bridge-able and American Made.This is Expedition Grade equipment.... they dont come in colors, they arent there for show.
MADE IN THE USA
All Aluminum, CNC bent, TIG Welded (No recycled milk jugs here)
Stackable.... Anchor Mats easily nest inside each other for easy transport and bridging.
Durable.... Spinning the tires will not destroy the traction on the mats.
Bridging Capable.... Double stacking the Anchor Mats makes them capable of bridging gaps and ledges in vehicles up to 5500lbs.
No obscure Mounting system. These will fit on a Rotopax dual mounting system. You can fit a Rotopax 4gal fuel tank and a pair of Anchor Mats OR 4 Anchor Mats on a single mount!!
SPECS:
47.5" x 17" (14" wide tread area)
14.5lbs each

https://anchormtnoverland.com/collec...mo-anchor-mats

 

[TnWalrus]

Searching on Amazon, I found X-Bull recovery boards for $89. They actually look pretty good, and for the price, may be worth checking out.

 

[000]

Searching on Amazon, I found X-Bull recovery boards for $89. They actually look pretty good, and for the price, may be worth checking out.

Anyone find any info on the x bulls for bridging? I haven’t seen anything about this. If they stack well enough to bridge I am interested in them, but they don’t look like they stack tight like some of the others.


Sent from my iPhone using OB Talk

 

[The other Sean]

Anchor Mountain is stepping into the recovery/traction board market with our new Anchor Mats. We looked at the wide array of recovery tracks on the market and decided a better option was needed. We developed the Anchor Mats to be the best recovery track available today. The Anchor Mats are Stack-able, Durable, Bridge-able and American Made.This is Expedition Grade equipment.... they dont come in colors, they arent there for show.
MADE IN THE USA
All Aluminum, CNC bent, TIG Welded (No recycled milk jugs here)
Stackable.... Anchor Mats easily nest inside each other for easy transport and bridging.
Durable.... Spinning the tires will not destroy the traction on the mats.
Bridging Capable.... Double stacking the Anchor Mats makes them capable of bridging gaps and ledges in vehicles up to 5500lbs.
No obscure Mounting system. These will fit on a Rotopax dual mounting system. You can fit a Rotopax 4gal fuel tank and a pair of Anchor Mats OR 4 Anchor Mats on a single mount!!
SPECS:
47.5" x 17" (14" wide tread area)
14.5lbs each

https://anchormtnoverland.com/collec...mo-anchor-mats
View attachment 39854
View attachment 39856
View attachment 39855

Have these been tested in the snow?

 

[Anchor Mtn]

Have these been tested in the snow?

It just started snowing here in colorado and they will be tested in the snow in the next few weeks hopefully.

 

[bmwguru]

Anchor Mountain is stepping into the recovery/traction board market with our new Anchor Mats. We looked at the wide array of recovery tracks on the market and decided a better option was needed. We developed the Anchor Mats to be the best recovery track available today. The Anchor Mats are Stack-able, Durable, Bridge-able and American Made.This is Expedition Grade equipment.... they dont come in colors, they arent there for show.
MADE IN THE USA
All Aluminum, CNC bent, TIG Welded (No recycled milk jugs here)
Stackable.... Anchor Mats easily nest inside each other for easy transport and bridging.
Durable.... Spinning the tires will not destroy the traction on the mats.
Bridging Capable.... Double stacking the Anchor Mats makes them capable of bridging gaps and ledges in vehicles up to 5500lbs.
No obscure Mounting system. These will fit on a Rotopax dual mounting system. You can fit a Rotopax 4gal fuel tank and a pair of Anchor Mats OR 4 Anchor Mats on a single mount!!
SPECS:
47.5" x 17" (14" wide tread area)
14.5lbs each

https://anchormtnoverland.com/collec...mo-anchor-mats
View attachment 39854
View attachment 39856
View attachment 39855

These are the ones I really like. It looks like there is a newer updated version with teeth on the dimpled holes. The website says out of stock. Any idea if and when they will be back in stock?

 

[SVgarage]

I've been looking into traction boards. Your review is fantastic and very informative! Thank you for putting that together!

 

[Virginia Overlander]

I went with X bull.... why? 1. Video reviews show they will take punishment and flexing. 2. Cost, there less than $100. 3. Again cost because i will likely never use them. 4. They are repairable with the same kit as maxtrax should you spin the studs off

 

[JCWages]

I went with Maxsa for my truck and our work truck. I got the old work truck (2004 F250) sruck enough times with important people on board that I didn't want to risk using unknown traction boards. Maxtrax are too expensive and I found plenty of good reviews for Maxsa. I ended up buying 2 sets of Maxsa for the price of 1 set of Maxtrax. The only thing I don't like about the Maxsa is their stacking profile but it's not a deal breaker for me.

The other consideration was theft. I recently got around to mounting my boards on my bedrack and locked them to the rack with a decent cable lock but a set of bolt cutters will make short work of that cable. I'd rather not have to worry about $300 boards getting stolen. Now that I know the X-Bull boards work well they would be my next choice if something happens to my Maxsas.

 

[BritKLR]

MaxTrax......not for your 4wd anymore. Cleaning our drainage ditches when I got too far into the ditch and nearly tipped the 4000 lb 4wd B26 over. Just stacked the MT's, hit the left brake and she popped out.

 

[madcratebuilder]

I have hade a set of X-bulls for about a year, only used 1 time and that was as a test. In 2 wheel drive I got stuck in deep sand, dug out in front of tire, laid the xbulls in and drove out in 2 wheel drive.

With fr and rr lockers I never have been stuck.

 

[OuterLimits]

OK Offroad also sells more traditional sand ladders. They have that great Camel Rover look, but no mention of bridging capability. They sell different sizes as well as mounting hardware.

http://www.okoffroad.com/stuff-sandladders-aluminum.htm