I assume you are talking about fiberglass "waffle boards"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 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
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