ArkansasDon
Adventurist
how long do they last? what I mean is, does the suns UV's break them down & become brittle? I notice many of them are mounted on the outside of rigs.
question on recovery boards
- Thread starter ArkansasDon
- Start date
I don’t know about all the brands on the market today, but Maxtrax seem to suffer little in the sun. I have nothing more than anecdotal evidence but I don’t know of any issues.
ArkansasDon
Adventurist
I've been pondering about getting a set of them whether Maxtrac's or Tred's.
I've never used them, I suppose there is a time or two that I could have used them if I had them.
Desert racers are starting to carry them these days, even Trophy Trucks. Not sure if they are sponsored items or purchased but the MaxxTrax seem to be the preferred version for the race on Sunday sell on Monday crowd.
Desert racers are starting to carry them these days, even Trophy Trucks. Not sure if they are sponsored items or purchased but the MaxxTrax seem to be the preferred version for the race on Sunday sell on Monday crowd.
WashingtonTaco
Adventurist
I bought TREDs and have cracked and or broken 3 pairs! They are always replaced free of charge but its a PITA to go to the shop I bought them from. Purchase the Maxtrax buy once cry once!
BoldAdventure
Adventurist
I'm not one to believe in the magical plastic theory, that being said, most plastics are owned by one of three major chemical companies and then other companies use these plastics to make stuff. Big long list of plastic types and properties, and yadda yadda. So it's kind of like Mil-Spec, saying it's special doesn't mean anything if you don't understand the properties or what the specs actually mean/say.
That being said, Maxtrax makes a point of stating their plastic is UV stabilized. I can't find any such verbiage on TRED's website. That would seem to indicate the plastic may not enjoy the weather. You want it to say that if it's going to be on the vehicle.
This is just how my mind works, but I find it very interesting that most of Maxtrax's competitors have been in the CHEAP arena going for low cost. And TRED seems to be the first real competitor in the "premium" pricing spectrum, which I think plays a part in people taking them seriously.
I mean $149 Amazon boards are cheap knock off's right? So I wouldn't expect the same quality for $329... thus you would think they must be more legitimate. But what if you sold cheapos at premium prices to look as good as the competition? Or slightly better, but not as good.
Not saying that's whats going on. I'm just in a field where we are always trying various pricing strategies to get people to buy stuff. I think about the psychology of it.
I'm rambling now.
Ignore that. Hearsay and speculation.
That being said, Maxtrax makes a point of stating their plastic is UV stabilized. I can't find any such verbiage on TRED's website. That would seem to indicate the plastic may not enjoy the weather. You want it to say that if it's going to be on the vehicle.
This is just how my mind works, but I find it very interesting that most of Maxtrax's competitors have been in the CHEAP arena going for low cost. And TRED seems to be the first real competitor in the "premium" pricing spectrum, which I think plays a part in people taking them seriously.
I mean $149 Amazon boards are cheap knock off's right? So I wouldn't expect the same quality for $329... thus you would think they must be more legitimate. But what if you sold cheapos at premium prices to look as good as the competition? Or slightly better, but not as good.
Not saying that's whats going on. I'm just in a field where we are always trying various pricing strategies to get people to buy stuff. I think about the psychology of it.
I'm rambling now.
Ignore that. Hearsay and speculation.
WashingtonTaco
Adventurist
WashingtonTaco
Adventurist
I'd post a video of the last 4 I broke if I didnt have to first put it on YouTube. My TREDs are stored in my garage 90% of the time. I dont drive around with Overland bling on the truck. First set broke strapped to my roof rack, second set in the sand dunes of Christmas Valley OR, last set was a year ago Christmas tree hunting in 3 feet of heavy wet Cascade snow. I feel it is the Plastic and TREDs meeting a price point. Just because of the experience I've had with TREDs I would NEVER recomend the standard ones I have or the TREDs PROs. Junk plain and simple I'll keep breaking them and they'll keep replacing them! From the two pics I posted you can see no nubs burned off or evidence of tire spin.
Optimistic Paranoid
Adventurist
As an alternative to the plastic stuff, it is still possible to buy (or make, if you are skilled enough) metal bridging ladders, I first heard about these when Jonathon Hanson blogged about them:
https://www.cruxoffroad.com/
https://www.cruxoffroad.com/
ArkansasDon
Adventurist
it will be just the wife & I, loner wonders. Local travels we will spend time in the Ozarks Mountains Barkshed\ Sylamore \Leatherwood District which is good bear hunting country good for some serious dispersed camping too. When the road gets washed out at places it gets old & time consuming to fill stacking rock & wood so you can continue. I thought these would be idea for the use in deep country travel using as bridging purposes. I would mount them under the tent on the rack.
Optimistic Paranoid
Adventurist
I do wonder how these plastic ones would stand up if used for bridging as opposed to merely as a traction aid. How much weight could they handle? (Asks the man with an F250 who wants to get an Alaskan Camper.)
I've wondered if it would be possible to mod a pair by bolting, or otherwise attaching, a couple of steel square or rectangular tubes to them as reinforcements.
I've wondered if it would be possible to mod a pair by bolting, or otherwise attaching, a couple of steel square or rectangular tubes to them as reinforcements.
ArkansasDon
Adventurist
check this out
Great article on the subject by @Jonathan Hanson HERE
ArkansasDon
Adventurist
I like the article, the price doesn't bother me, it's how the wife re-acts to the price & the product in her thought process of made from "plastic". I have no doubt I can explain the reason behind having these (the brand) & convincing her you get what you pay...do to my business & other hobbies I have.
I had no problem with the Propex H2000 heater selling her on it because of the features & safety behind the product. It's the fact these traction boards are made from plastic & the price they are asking in her eyes.
It's my choice of the RTT, I planned on CVT tent but I have a friend who works for Smittybilt (no price deal) I told him long as it wasn't the 1st Gen tent I buy my tent from them. Inspecting & actually in use are two different things IMO. We'll see how this tent will hold up. I'm a new-bee to this overlanding thing, but no stranger to camping or 4x4's
I had no problem with the Propex H2000 heater selling her on it because of the features & safety behind the product. It's the fact these traction boards are made from plastic & the price they are asking in her eyes.
It's my choice of the RTT, I planned on CVT tent but I have a friend who works for Smittybilt (no price deal) I told him long as it wasn't the 1st Gen tent I buy my tent from them. Inspecting & actually in use are two different things IMO. We'll see how this tent will hold up. I'm a new-bee to this overlanding thing, but no stranger to camping or 4x4's
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Herbie
Adventurist
What's odd to me is that nobody seems to be making a fiber-reinforced traction mat yet. I've got a pair of Rhino ramps in my garage that are rated to 16000lbs for the pair. Aside from having a lot more "ramp", there's little there that'd very different from a traction mat - at least in terms of general shape.
It appears that part of why they work is that they deform/conform to the ground. When I was a kid and my dad got our 72 Ford Torino stuck in the snow, he'd use the floor mats in the same way. I think you want them to flex.
Robert
Adventurist
There was a good thread on various traction aids on ExPo a while back. The takeaway was that the cheapies were just that and while they may work for a while and be suitable for many users who don't venture far or without a group, if you're going to actually need them, the name brands were the way to go i.e Maxtrax. In that regard I look at them like I do discount winches; yeah the Badlands winch will probably work, but I travel alone most of the time and I need my equipment to work when I need it. That whole buy once, cry once theory.
Remember too that there is a difference between bridging ladders and sand ladders- there is crossover, but as noted, one generally works better with some flex while the other typically works better being rigid. When I was in the Philippines it was common for at least one rig to carry aluminum bridging ladders while most of them would carry Maxtrax. According to my friends, the Maxtrax held up better in the hot environment even when the cheapies where covered in transport bags.
Remember too that there is a difference between bridging ladders and sand ladders- there is crossover, but as noted, one generally works better with some flex while the other typically works better being rigid. When I was in the Philippines it was common for at least one rig to carry aluminum bridging ladders while most of them would carry Maxtrax. According to my friends, the Maxtrax held up better in the hot environment even when the cheapies where covered in transport bags.
Optimistic Paranoid
Adventurist
You may well be right. But I'm thinking that traction and bridging are two different things. In the X-Bull video that Don posted - Thank You, Don! - I noticed that while the plastic bent without cracking, he didn't actually drive the truck up onto the ramp. What would have happened if he had tried? Would it have gotten up, or not? If you modded a set with steel bolt-on reinforcements, you could only bolt the steel on when bridging, and use the plastic mats solo when you only needed traction on flattish ground.
Of course, this is all speculation on my part. Just me thinking out loud, as it were.
Edited to add: Robert, thank you for your comment. I didn't see it before I replied to Al. You basically confirmed my thinking.