Recovery boards for hella heavy truck?

[dentedvw]

I have a RAM 5500 based camper, and it's HEAVY. I haven't weighed it yet, but how can it not be, with a box from a junkyard box truck, a massive steel subframe, basically no consideration given to the weight of materials used to build it, etc. It's a budget build.
I have some cheapo orange traction boards that have performed surprisingly well over the years in our 4x4 van, then a Tiger Motorhome. But I suspect they are outclassed by this machine.
Is there a set of boards I can rely on for a vehicle that can't fit under short bridges, barely fits between the lines in parking lots and looks like an HOV lane violator based on weight alone?

 

[jmmaxus]

ARB Tred HD is rated for 9900 lb.


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[wanderer-rrorc]

I got some HD aluminum sand ladders from Artemis offroad..$500 60x16 in and double as a table

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[NatersXJ6]

I got some HD aluminum sand ladders from Artemis offroad..$500 60x16 in and double as a table

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It is nice to see a truly useful application of the sand ladder / traction matt bolted to the outside of a rig! Nicely done.

 

[glennm01]

GoTreads XL. Rated for up to 50k pounds, easy to store, and double as leveling blocks.

 

[Regcabguy]

I got some HD aluminum sand ladders from Artemis offroad..$500 60x16 in and double as a table

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Very practical application and they hug the body well.

 

[jmmaxus]

GoTreads XL. Rated for up to 50k pounds, easy to store, and double as leveling blocks.

50k pounds, had to see this product. I can see now why the rating is so high is that when unfolded they are not rigid and when folded into a block it is a lot of material stacked together. Very cool design. I think the only downside compared to the traditional rigid kind is you can’t use them as a makeshift shovel, can’t use them as small crossings/bridge, when dirty you can’t mount them outside of vehicle, can’t connect them, more prone to wrapping around tire in use.


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[Peter_n_Margaret]

Fibreglass walkway. Cut it to any size you want.

Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome

 

[llamalander]

x2 for the fiberglass- heavy and the grit will cut through any strap, but peerless for traction and even some bridging.

 

[The Impossipede]

Very cool design. I think the only downside compared to the traditional rigid kind is you can’t use them as a makeshift shovel, can’t use them as small crossings/bridge, when dirty you can’t mount them outside of vehicle, can’t connect them, more prone to wrapping around tire in use.

It's hard to tell from the way this is phrased whether you actually like them or not. I've been thinking a bit about getting a set, so I'd be interested to hear more about your thoughts about the drawbacks. I feel like I don't need the makeshift shovel because if I'm going where I think I might need these, I'll have a shovel (or two, even) with me. I'm also not sure about the problem with dirtiness because you can fold them up and stuff them in a garbage bag if you need to. With a 58" or 70" length option, linking them may not be as critical.

The lack of bridging is something I've thought about, and tire wrap too. The wrapping is the one I worry most about, but it's hard to find first-hand stories from users because the traditional boards seem so dominant.

 

[jmmaxus]

It's hard to tell from the way this is phrased whether you actually like them or not.

If you don’t need the other functions I think these would work. I saw someone on another forum a while back mention the wrapping so I’m not sure how prevalent that is or if it’s much of a concern, looking at the design I guess it could happen and the rigid ones it can’t. The advantage of these more space saving, can use as leveling blocks, and weight capacity isn’t much of a concern. These would actually work for me as I have a fold out shovel and space was a concern when I bought the short version of some cheap xbull rigid kind. I might have considered these had I known about them; however the way my short traction boards sit behind the backseat sideways and are shorter than my vehicle is wide fit well and don’t take up much space probably less than these would in a cube like box.


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[The Impossipede]

If you don’t need the other functions I think these would work.

I appreciate your more detailed thoughts--they echo a lot of the conclusions I've come to. I have to say that I also like that they're willing to publish a cold-weather number, which a lot of boards aren't. If I pull the trigger, I'll be sure to leave a report somewhere. Thanks again.

 

[Trail Talk]

We’re using Gotreads currently for levelling, haven’t had the opportunity yet to try them as traction mats. Nice and compact to store, don’t shift about when driving up onto them folded/stacked.