Traction Board Recommendations

[TacoTuesday1]

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

So your rig is a motorhome
OP drives a TRX
and you're saying to air down (people already do)
or use a walkway

Very nice

I have been stuck. Air did nothing. Traction boards did.

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 for the same price or less than two (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.

View attachment 793456

View attachment 793457
.

so is there a point to this comment
because OP drives a TRX
Clearly, "not cheap" is irrelevant

and no, they are not $325.
They can be found all day for $200-250 in any color you wish, sometimes less.
If you do not feel like typing a word into FB marketplace, feel free to venmo me and I can do it for you.
There are also large retailers that often have them for that price, including right now.

X-bulls have questionable material, flimsy, and stack horribly. I had a set. And sold them.

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

so, get something almost the same price as Maxtrax
but uglier and does not stack well. Checks out

 

[DirtWhiskey]

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

Have two of these. The bridging ability has saved my rather long break over angle in southern Utah ledge/shelf country like nothing else. Well worth the weight. I always carry them now. Mine are 2" thick because my rig is big but not huge.

 

[rnArmy]

So your rig is a motorhome
OP drives a TRX
and you're saying to air down (people already do)
or use a walkway

Very nice

I have been stuck. Air did nothing. Traction boards did.



so is there a point to this comment
because OP drives a TRX
Clearly, "not cheap" is irrelevant

and no, they are not $325.
They can be found all day for $200-250 in any color you wish, sometimes less.
If you do not feel like typing a word into FB marketplace, feel free to venmo me and I can do it for you.
There are also large retailers that often have them for that price, including right now.

X-bulls have questionable material, flimsy, and stack horribly. I had a set. And sold them.



so, get something almost the same price as Maxtrax
but uglier and does not stack well. Checks out

I made my point initially. Please review my original post linked below.

Traction Board Recommendations

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...

forum.expeditionportal.com

What part of it did you not understand? Maxtrax are considered the gold standard, but not everyone can afford or needs the very best. Dan Grec just had a posting talking about if good-enough is good-enough.

Just because the OP drives a TRX doesn't mean he's made of money and can or wants to spend a lot of money on traction boards. I just bought a new 2023 JLU Willys XR - doesn't mean "not cheap" is irrelevant. If anything, I need to carefully pick-and-choose what I buy for the JLU and with an eye towards cost and return on investment. What will I be using daily vs. what will be there for maybe/someday? Is good enough good enough? I think my X-Bulls are more than "good enough".

I've yet to see new Maxtrax sold for less than $325 a pair. I am politely and respectfully calling BS that you can find them for $200 - $250/pair - prove me wrong - please send us a link! X-Bulls are around $75/pair.

Lots of wannabees out there. But only one true Maxtrax.

 

[TacoTuesday1]

I made my point initially. Please review my original post linked below.

Traction Board Recommendations

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...

forum.expeditionportal.com

What part of it did you not understand? Maxtrax are considered the gold standard, but not everyone can afford or needs the very best. Dan Grec just had a posting talking about if good-enough is good-enough.

Just because the OP drives a TRX doesn't mean he's made of money and can or wants to spend a lot of money on traction boards. I just bought a new 2023 JLU Willys XR - doesn't mean "not cheap" is irrelevant. If anything, I need to carefully pick-and-choose what I buy for the JLU and with an eye towards cost and return on investment. What will I be using daily vs. what will be there for maybe/someday? Is good enough good enough? I think my X-Bulls are more than "good enough".

I've yet to see new Maxtrax sold for less than $325 a pair. I am politely and respectfully calling BS that you can find them for $200 - $250/pair - prove me wrong - please send us a link! X-Bulls are around $75/pair.

Lots of wannabees out there. But only one true Maxtrax.

Gronk. Maxtrax New $200-250.
TRX Mean Rich.
If You Not Understand, It OK.

 

[rnArmy]

Gronk. Maxtrax New $200-250.
TRX Mean Rich.
If You Not Understand, It OK.

Still waiting for a link for those new $200-250 Maxtrax.

Just one link will do please. You seem certain they're out there. I disagree. Please prove me wrong.

If You Not Understand, It OK. We Wait. But It Be Long Wait. Because There Be None.

You New Here. You Lot To Learn.

 

[Peter_n_Margaret]

ill waiting for a link for those new $200-250 Maxtrax.

Maxtrax Recovery Tracks - Maxtrax Recovery Boards | Supercheap Auto

Get out of tough situations with Maxtrax recovery tracks and boards. Click here to buy online, shop in store, or click & collect in 1hr.

www.supercheapauto.com.au

That is AUD$250 = US$160.
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome

 

[rnArmy]

Maxtrax Recovery Tracks - Maxtrax Recovery Boards | Supercheap Auto

Get out of tough situations with Maxtrax recovery tracks and boards. Click here to buy online, shop in store, or click & collect in 1hr.

www.supercheapauto.com.au

That is AUD$250 = US$160.
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome

You got me there - maybe I should have been more specific:

TacoTuesday1 - show us a link for Maxtrax for sale in the United States for $200 - 250.

TacoTuesday1 (profile says he's from AZ - I'm assuming AZ in the USA?) says (quote) "There are also large retailers that often have them for that price, including right now". So still waiting for him to send us a link from one of these large retailers that have them right now for $200 - $250 in the USA.

The link you (P&M) provided was for a place that sells them in Australia. They're made in Australia - no across the ocean shipping. I don't know what shipping would cost from Australia to the USA. Probably not cheap. If I were the industrious type, maybe I could buy a shipping container full of them and sell them cheaper here in the states and still turn a profit.

If I'm ever in Australia I'll see if I can buy two pair and bring them home with me.

I will admit that sometimes I forget this forum is international (and that is so cool it is international). Thanks for the reminder .

 

[04Ram2500Hemi]

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.

LOL!

I did go with orange, but did this hoping they’d be easier to find in mud after being used. However mine are on the inside of my truck bed under the tonnau cover. I guess I mounted them wrong.

 

[86scotty]

Glad you found my post funny, which was my intent. I have traction boards too. I know it is easiest for most to mount them outside of the vehicle but they are just one of those things like Rotopax and roof top tents that tag you as an overlander. I have exposed Rotopax as well, Lol.

 

[luckyjoe]

Still waiting for a link for those new $200-250 Maxtrax.

Just one link will do please. You seem certain they're out there. I disagree. Please prove me wrong.

If You Not Understand, It OK. We Wait. But It Be Long Wait. Because There Be None.

You New Here. You Lot To Learn.

I can’t provide a link, but my local 4wd shop sold them for sub-$300. This casual conversation developed while they tried to find a slow leak (tire) I was also unable to locate. He mentioned the sale price and I said two sets please (no black available so I got one set steel gray and one set tan).

 

[TacoTuesday1]

Still waiting for a link for those new $200-250 Maxtrax.

Just one link will do please. You seem certain they're out there. I disagree. Please prove me wrong.

If You Not Understand, It OK. We Wait. But It Be Long Wait. Because There Be None.

You New Here. You Lot To Learn.

You have the same Google that I do.
I got two sets at that price. Within the last weeks.

You got a lot of firm words grabbed onto. I'll let you keep those.

 

[rnArmy]

You have the same Google that I do.
I got two sets at that price. Within the last weeks.

You got a lot of firm words grabbed onto. I'll let you keep those.

Google still shows them at $329.00. For some reason you're not wanting to share this website with the rest of us. I'm still respectfully calling BS. Post the link to these heavily discounted Maxtrax in the USA ($200 - 250) and I will post an apology for doubting you (with emojis).

 

[jchasse]

Google still shows them at $329.00. For some reason you're not wanting to share this website with the rest of us. I'm still respectfully calling BS. Post the link to these heavily discounted Maxtrax in the USA ($200 - 250) and I will post an apology for doubting you (with emojis).

the taco seems to be a master of jumping to conclusions if not flat out making crap up

 

[rnArmy]

Gronk.
Look Like TacoTuesday1 Left Building.
He Not Come Back With Link.
No $200 - $250 Maxtrax.
Sad.

 

[Winterhawk]

I haven't heard anyone mention Aluminum ones. I personally have never owned any boards, but could have used them a couple times. Thinking seriously of going Al.