Recovery mats for 4 wheel drives.

[finga]

Hello all.
I'm looking into getting something to shove in Mrs Palmer to get me out of a bog if the wench won't extend herself far enough to grab onto something.
Everyone seems to prefer the Maxtrax. Why??
To me they're very cumbersome, they're a fixed length .......and extremely overpriced for a chunk of plastic. At $325 for a 1.2m section seems ridiculous to this tight @rse.
Is the $325 for a set of two or 4??
To me it seems it's the price for just 2 of the suckers
http://www.all4x4.com.au/d238-101/vehicle-recovery/accessories/maxtrax/
I had a bit of a gander (courtesy of Google) and found there are roll up types of recovery mats like these suckers
http://www.idexuae.ae/ExhibitorLibrary/1239/VRM_Technical_Information_2.pdf
http://www.masterfibre.com.au/recovery_mats.htm

They would have to be more convenient wouldn't they as they can be rolled up and shoved in the back??
The Maxtrax dort of solid do-dads you'd have to tie on your roof rack wouldn't you??
I seem to remember the approaches on a lot of beaches I've driven on use timber slats running across the width of the vehicle and they seemed to work okky dokky.
I'm also thinking the roll up floppy ones would work better then the solid ones as they would follow the lie of the land a whole better.
At over $300 the Maxtrax are expensive (for 2 or 4??).
What sort of money would you expect to pay for something like the roll up thingo's?
I thought something that unrolled to about 2-3m, was about 4-500mm wide and was rigid across the width would be ideal....but what would I know. I drive a Pajero ;D
What's your opinion, thoughts and theories??
Thinking about it a bit more if they were 3m long you could leap frog your way for a theoretically infinite distance as front and back wheels could fit on the one length of mat.

I reckon some strips on good old conveyor belt would do a better job then the Maxtrax sort of things

Do the Maxtrax style of thing do damage to the side of your car?
There's a picture on the Maxtrax website where the thingo is hitting the rear door
http://www.maxtrax.com.au/

Cheers Scott
PS: we don't need them in the Landrover. It never gets bogged. That's what happens when your in a real 4 wheel drive ::)

[lucee81]

Just bung a set of these on and you should be right.... http://www.mattracks.com/
I think you will find that $325 is for 2.
these will set you back about $199 a set http://www.bushranger.com.au/x_trax.php

[timddo]

I've seen the rollup ones for $44 each at Active Fabrication. Just make some out of timber Or steel finga - i'm sure you can think of something

[Greg P]

Scott - I did my apprenticeship on Ford and Fiat tractors and when they used to be shipped in with no tyres they had a band of timber planks around the rims so you could drive them off the trucks. Might be worth a trip to a local tractor dealer to see if they have any. Pretty simple set up - 2 HD rubber strips stappled to the timber cuts. Worked a treat.

Cheers

Greg

[Jarrah Jack]

I'll make you a set out of pier timbers Scott, just send me the specs. I've got an old section of pier hanging around that would do the job for you as well mate.

[marto78]

Just bung a set of these on and you should be right.... http://www.mattracks.com/
I think you will find that $325 is for 2.
these will set you back about $199 a set http://www.bushranger.com.au/x_trax.php

I reckon a few treads off some old 4x4 tyres wired together would work just as well that bushranger setup a bit cheaper too.

[Lucky_Phill]

I have a set of the recycled rubber ones in the paint shed..........

they're yours. pick 'em next time you pass.


I did the R & D on these a few years ago, but never made the retail market.

pics...

http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm246/Lucky_Phill/Track-Matt-4.jpg

http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm246/Lucky_Phill/Track-Matt-3.jpg

http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm246/Lucky_Phill/Track-Matt-2.jpg

http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm246/Lucky_Phill/Track-Matt-1.jpg



cheers LP

[Tangles]

i remember that day at Bribie Phill, Finga Phill deliberately got himself bogged, well too bogged as it turned out:D or was it the angry dog

[Lucky_Phill]

The angry dog got bogged... thedeckie. His new Nissan made aweful noises as it didn't want to get out of 4L while bogged in sand.

I also have a slightly different model of recycled tracks in the shed.... the ones in the pic, didn't work as well as the updated models.

LP

[ozscott]

Finga mate - its a Land Rover, so you are worrying without good reason...but setting that aside, my mate has the bushranger rolls of tank track and he has never used them (LR too same model as mine) but I had a good look and they look sweet. He had them for Fraser, but the Disco 2 just laughed at the very powdery Indian, so it was all good. I reckon they are easier to stow than Maxtacks and as you say the Maxtracks need to go on the roof usually - they are long. The only trouble with the tank tracks is they can get sucked in whereas the Max did themselves into the sand if set up right and dont get spat out - this is all on what i have heard and seen because I havent used either. I got close to getting stuck at Straddie one year. Disco 2 V8 Manual with 1.5 tonn on the back. I was being a bit of a smart alec and had low road pressure in all tyres including trailer and that would have probably been fine to get off the beach and up the cutting at Amity, but someone came down the ramp as I was going into the soft stuff - had to stop. It was all cut up from Easter and dry. No go. Aired down to 15pound in the vehicle tyres and left the trailer as it was and it just drove out. I reckon if you are going solo a lot though the tank tracks or similar are a good investment even if just piece of mind.

Cheers

[GBC]

A piece of shadecloth works just as well as anything for making tracks. It's cheaper and easier to store. There's a good reason why we put geofab down on sand before constructing roads and buildings - it forms a raft so rocks and things don't sink into the sand.

[Triple]

A cut truck retread strip would do the job and roll up small enough.. Cheap enough if you find a half decent one or two on the side of the hwy.
79122
79121

[SCOTTYGC]

A mate had the maxtrax at Fraser last year and he had to use them a couple of times for his terracan
They worked a treat , he used them as a shovel to dig away the sand then popped them under and drove out

He just used a occy stap to hold them on his roof rack

It was pretty simple ,quick and looked easy to use

That price would be for 2 and I'm sure you can get them for around $275 now

They have been around for a while now and I think you get what you pay for

If I had any other car other than my Landy on Fraser I'd have a set

[Tangles]

After almost donating my car to Neptune the other week, Maxtracks are going in the back, time doesnt slow down i found,, also 99% of other drivers dont and thanks to one who did help, anything that help you become more self sufficient is a good thing

[Heath]

Last year on Fraser one of my mates got pulled through Indian by a 100 series that needed to use Maxtrax. He had 4. When he hit the gas the wheels shot 2 of them deep into the sand and it took 15 minutes to find them!!

[finga]

Thanks so much for all the replies guys.
I should have also mentioned this will be mainly for mud as the Landy does the sand work.

Timddddo...maaaaate. I just went past Active and forgot to call in.
But a few doors down I came across this recycle guy who has some linkage type plastic conveyor belting that's 3.6m wide. It can roll up on itself and can be lengthened or shortened by pulling a pin and adding or taking some belt out..
Apparently it came from the brewery.
Anyways I told him to cut off 3m and I'll slit it into 4-500 wide strips. Or what width do you reckon??
It looks like this stuff
http://www.bombayharbor.com/productImage/0684190001289889574/900_Plastic_Conveyor_Belt.jpg
It seems to be light and reasonably strong.
Who wants to test it??

Oi Phil. Why are you pointing at the tide mark on your house?
And did you get stung by a bee?? Your finger seems fat.