Traction Board Recommendations

[04Ram2500Hemi]

I currently own a 2021 Ram TRX, and in Western Montana we don’t do a lot of desert running. I watched a video on the Raptor R (see below), and it pretty much got sunk in the mud. What I run into is very similar to this along with snow. It dawned on me that I have never invested in traction boards, and now is the time to do so. I’m looking at the following kit but would take any suggestions others may have.

Traction Boards:

GoTreads TRK - Technical Recovery Kit

The ultimate vehicle traction tool bundle for serious off-roaders, offroad clubs, firefighters, search and rescue, and outdoor professionals.

gotreads.com

Stuck Raptor:

 

[Ozarker]

First thing with a pickup in snow and mud is put some weight in the back end! If that F150 had some weight at the tailgate he probably wouldn't have gotten stuck. Next thing is a proper set of tires for the occasion. Not sure what tire was on that F150 but they didn't seem too aggressive.

I have a couple of old carpet strips I toss in the back for winter slush/mud, about a foot wide and almost 6 feet long, rolled up. You can probably go to any carpet shop and take all you want out of their dumpster. Get it with a jute back, not rubber backing and thick tight nap.

As for boards, never used them, I'm sure there is marketing hype about which one is the best, owners may claim there's is the best, but then, they probably never used a strip of carpet.

 

[Kevin108]

I love the GoTreads. They have been especially great in snow - not for me, but for other motorists unprepared for travel in such conditions. Our last good snow, I rode around with a shovel and the GoTreads rescuing random strangers...and testing out the product in the process. They also work great in camp for a windbreak around your stove, or as adjustable leveling blocks if you sleep in or on your rig.

 

[craig333]

Flexible items have a tendency to get wrapped up around the axle.

 

[Pacific Northwest yetti]

I had some Amazon specials that broke when I used them the second time. I now have some ActionTrax boards that are great.

 

[Ozarker]

Flexible items have a tendency to get wrapped up around the axle.

Never had that happen with carpet strips, have had them shoot out the back, but then if you double it up and go slower it works pretty well.

I use to use chains, harder to put them on when you're stuck, having to feed them under a tire, but not good on the tires when you hit dry pavement, plus in some places you'll get a ticket for that on the street.

But, I must admit, strapping carpet strips on the side of your overlanding rig won't look too cool.

 

[broncobowsher]

We have a few trucks at work that have to get into some bad spots. Got some traction boards, and some more, and some different ones.

So far the only ones that have not self destructed are the MaxTrax. Every time they try to save a few bucks and get a cheaper version, they end up as landfill material. The cheap ones work fine if things are not too bad. But when things get bad, the MaxTrax are the only ones that survive. I would love to find some that are actually as good as the MaxTrax but don't cost as much, so far that hasn't happened.

 

[Howard70]

I'm with @broncobower. Very satisfied with our MaxTrax - even with a 13,000 lb EarthCruiser. Don't need them often, but when we do they're perfect. Recently recovered a large Ford Transit that was stuck in snow on Mount Taylor, NM. Due to a complete lack of recovery points on the front (what was Ford thinking?) I was initially reluctant to pull it out, so tried the MaxTrax. I was surprised that the van couldn't climb onto them due to completely smooth highway tires and the ice. That was the only time I've not found them effective - although had they been our only option I suspect some addition work with our shovel would have done the trick. As it was we went ahead and pulled them back into the snow ruts on the the track & they got out fine.
Howard

 

[Peter_n_Margaret]

The best recovery tool is a compressor. Let the air out. Lots of it.
I don't carry "traction boards", but if I did it would be fibreglass walkway. Any size you want and they bridge well unlike most. Just heavier than most.

Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome

 

[alia176]

Traction boards are the rage these days. One of these days I might jump on that bandwagon, but for now, it's four aggressive snow chains when I go snow wheeling. I just avoid mud altogether, if at all possible . But if clay mud is a possibility where I'm going to wheel, I'll throw the buckets of snow chains in the back for a good measure.

What amuses me is that we all know that U.V. destroys anything composite but the traction boards mounted to the roof rack or to the back swing out aren't usually covered for U.V. protection. Yeah, I know, I know, they have "U.V. repelling paint" on them.

 

[dstefan]

The best recovery tool is a compressor. Let the air out. Lots of it.
I don't carry "traction boards", but if I did it would be fibreglass walkway. Any size you want and they bridge well unlike most. Just heavier than most.
View attachment 772787
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome

+ 1 on both the MaxTrax and the on board air. I carried a CO2 tank in my old rig, but went with an under hood compressor for the current rig and it’s been great.

Here’s a plug also for the grating. I carried a set of two for years (at 18 lbs each!) on my Tacoma. They got me and several others out of some tough spots, including on glare ice where I know Maxtrax would’ve slipped (one side of the grating had embedded grit for traction). They’re a good option if you don’t mind the weight. At the time, 2 1’x4’ boards was around $125 shipped from American Grating in NV, but that was 2009.

Switched to Maxtrax for the weight and they are better for sand for sure. Having forgone a winch on the current rig (so far) and given the heavier weight I added a pair of the Mini Max Trax. Saves some payload, gives me 4 wheel traction, and they have worked well in one case as a solid step up for a big ledge. YMMV!

 

[04Ram2500Hemi]

Thank you again for all the suggestions.

Putco Molle Panel installed along with their clamps for my Maxtrax Recovery Boards. I didn’t want to use bungee cords, but I couldn’t get the lower clamp to hook onto the boards. After a few cuss words I compromised and got bungee cords.

Molle Panels: https://www.putco.com/product-categ...-R2VuoAkW2mDrItlw3ixxuX5UgppqgVRoCQt0QAvD_BwE

Maxtrax: https://maxtraxus.com/collections/maxtrax-mkii-recovery-boards

 

[jim65wagon]

Here's my vote for the Maxsa Escaper Buddies. We bought a pair off Amazon about 6 or 7 years ago. They're similar enough to the Max Trax that we just call them Faux Trax

Maxsa 20333 Heavy-Duty Escaper Buddy Traction Mats for Off-Road Mud, Sand, & Snow Vehicle Extraction and Recovery, Bendable, Unbreakable, Orange, 2 Pack https://a.co/d/0uoIUUV

They lived in the back of the truck and we used them a time or two before we went full-time in 2020. Then we moved them to the roof rack so we would have that storage space in the bed. They've been on the roof ever since. We've used them quite a bit out west mostly in the desert sands.
They've faded a lot of course and we were getting concerned about them becoming brittle and had thoughts that they'd just shatter on our next use.
Well the next use turned out to be an Amazon transit van loaded with packages. He decided turning around in the mud on our current gate guard job site.
Turns out the Maxsas are still just fine. Got the van out, cleaned them up and back on the roof they went.

I will add that they do not nest as well as the Max Trax. 2 Maxsas are almost the same height as 4 Max Trax.


Sent from my SM-G960U1 using Tapatalk

 

[rnArmy]

Max Trax are the gold standard for traction boards. But they're not cheap - I think they're up to $325/pair now (and I would want four of them, so $650 for two pair). If I was going to be out for months and months, they'd be my go-to.

However, I'm not. I'm maybe a couple weeks in the summer, and weekend trips. And I have to ration my overlanding budget wisely. My traction boards are X-Bulls. Usually around $75/pair (I haven't priced them recently). You can get four of them (two pair) for about half the price of one pair of the Max Trax.

X-Bull Traction Boards: Budget-Friendly Recovery Board Review

X-Bull Traction Recovery Boards Review: Must-Have Budget-Friendly Essential For Off-Road Enthusiasts: Deep zip-zag groove pattern traps mud, sand or snow.

trail4runner.com

I think I used mine once to help someone who was stuck in some loose sand. Otherwise they stay on the roof of my Jeep or on the lid of my trailer.

If you decide to buy some X-Bulls, be aware they do sell some shorter ones so they'll fit inside a car better. You want the full-length version.




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[86scotty]

No matter which ones you go with, make sure you get the brightest color available. I mean neon pink or lime green, orange or yellow. Especially if your rig is a very dull color. You want these to stand out! That is how you attract overland buddies to share the hoppiest of exotic IPA's around a propane campfire in a KOA at the end of 100 miles of brutal asphalt.

Also, mount them up high! You want these babies to be seen. I've been working on a prototype carbon fiber set that can hang from my radio antenna and double as a wind sock. Don't let them get wrapped up in your limb riser cables though. That's #overland 101.

The last bit of advice I can offer is to leave them mounted 24/7, especially on every urban workday commute along with your blocky Smittybilt tent. You've got a reputation to keep up. You don't have time to remove this stuff after every weekend anyway. You've got to jump on some forums as soon as possible to complain about your lousy fuel mileage and how a more expensive vehicle will certainly solve it.

Godspeed. It's tough out there.