Waffle boards- Different types

[Mossberg]

I am considering buying a pair of waffle boards. I don't compete or do serious off-roading but in the near future I am likely to need to cross a section of moorland a couple of times per week. This will likely be a round trip of 500m. I don't want to be in a situation of getting stuck so thought a set of waffle boards would be a relatively cheap addition. I have seen a set on ebay for £39 delivered.  These are 38mm thick and 1220x310mm. Before I buy, are there any points of note I need to look for or are they all pretty much the same?

 

[David Sparkes]

The main point I note is how heavy they can get when all those holes are full of mud, as well as having to overcome the suction of the mud when trying the lift them.

Once they are full of mud, where are you going to 'store' them in your vehicle?

Are you sure there isn't an alternative route that avoids all or most of the soft ground?
Will one pair be enough?

Regards.

[L19MUD]

15 minutes ago, David Sparkes said:

The main point I note is how heavy they can get when all those holes are full of mud, as well as having to overcome the suction of the mud when trying the lift them.

Once they are full of mud, where are you going to 'store' them in your vehicle?

Are you sure there isn't an alternative route that avoids all or most of the soft ground?
Will one pair be enough?

 

Tie some rope to them so you can pull them out with the car if needed. Banging them on the ground normally gets the worst off them

Also I think I have seen a for sale post on here for a few sets?

[David Sparkes]

1 hour ago, L19MUD said:

Tie some rope to them so you can pull them out with the car if needed. Banging them on the ground normally gets the worst off them

Also I think I have seen a for sale post on here for a few sets?

The rope idea is good, but this rather assumes that the car can gain enough traction, once off the waffles, to move both itself and the stuck boards.
All we know is that there is ~250 metres of suspect ground, and we 'could' deduce that if the moorland is soft enough to 'need' waffles then there is little firm ground to knock against.

I also noted the sets available in the forum for sale section, partly why I suggested more than one set  might be a viable option.

I do appreciate that we do not have a precise idea of the circumstances of use.

Regards.

[L19MUD]

27 minutes ago, David Sparkes said:

The rope idea is good, but this rather assumes that the car can gain enough traction, once off the waffles, to move both itself and the stuck boards.
All we know is that there is ~250 metres of suspect ground, and we 'could' deduce that if the moorland is soft enough to 'need' waffles then there is little firm ground to knock against.

I also noted the sets available in the forum for sale section, partly why I suggested more than one set  might be a viable option.

I do appreciate that we do not have a precise idea of the circumstances of use.

Regards.

That is a fair point. In competitions we used to have a short rope handle on them which would normally be enough to pull them out by hand. If not used one of the winches which may not be available here.

Banging one on top of the other normally works 🙃

[miketomcat]

You definitely need rope on them, I have buried them so deep the was no sign of them bar the rope poking up out of the ground. When full of mud I struggle to lift it, though dropping it several times usually clears it. I've had to winch them out of the ground.

Max tracks are another option I never used them though.

Reading the ground is your best friend along with walking the route.

Mike

[David Sparkes]

Thank you Mike & L19, I think the OP has been given enough information to make an informed decision, I know I have!!

I also agree that reading the ground is the essential first step, but it can take experience and practice (and mistakes) to become proficient 🙂

Regards.

[Mossberg]

Folks, thanks for your responses, I appreciate your time and sharing your knowledge. I did try to respond earlier but my phone has a habit of creating huge gaps between lines of text and then it just froze on my as I was about to press the reply button!

To answer some of your comments;

I will certainly walk the route first. As this is a route I will be using more than once I intend to position some subtle markers so that I can stick to and alter if I feel the ground is getting damaged. I don't want to p**s the farmer off by creating damage to the ground so will avoid any areas that are soft. However, I did end up getting my Range Rover stuck along this route a couple of times before (and I haven't used the route that many times!), once in a soft part of the moor (during heavy horizontal rain) and once when I managed to find a hole in the moor - you couldn't see this due to it being dug probably 100 years ago so covered in the wild grass. This ended up with me being cross axled  but thankfully had someone with me so by standing on the front bumper (and me being heavy) we managed to get enough traction to get moving.

I am not too worried about the weight. These will only get used if I get into soft ground, but I will aim to avoid any areas that are soft as I dont want to create damage.

Not too worried about storing them in the back of the truck. I will either take a tarp to put them on or just wash it out when I get home.

I certainly agree with the fitting of a rope to get them out if they get used.

I have seen the boards for sale by Jon W and to be honest it is that add that got me looking. I would happily take a set off Jon but he is 75 miles away so unfortunately the £35 for a set added to a 150 mile round trip to get them is trumped by the ebay £39 delivered.

I have seen the Maxtrax boards but I like the possible use of the waffle boards as a bridging ladder - also I don't have deep enough pockets for those!!!

Another thing I need to do is learn how to drive my defender off road! I have relatively little experience and learning some basics can only improve my capabilities in the vehicle.

Here is an image of the ground to be covered. It has a good covering of coarse grass and I do hope that I can drive sympathetically enough so I don't damage it. If I do feel I am creating wear then I could deviate the route slightly. And I have just done a google earth measurement and it looks more in the region of 500m each way.

I am currently running General Grabber AT3s but have some Insa special tracks, but I thought the special tracks may be more likely to cause damage.

Thanks again for your help.

Mick

 

 

[Bowie69]

Suspect you'll be fine as long as you trundle over it.

[miketomcat]

Fat tyres and low speed will be your friend there.

Mike

[Jon W]

Here I am with a blatant plug. I have several sets of waffles for sale of the size you mentioned, I'm sure I could do a deal for a couple of sets. I am in North Wales is the only thing but the forum relay can normally get things most places unless time is off the essence. Or I could look at delivery cost 

If you do use waffles make sure you wear gloves as the splinters can be nasty

Maxx tracks are another option but  I havent used them, but I have a feeling they are a lot shorter, so good for getting out of a hole but maybe not spreading the weight over such an area?

Thanks 

 

Jon 

[Nonimouse]

On 3/18/2023 at 6:15 PM, Mossberg said:

Folks, thanks for your responses, I appreciate your time and sharing your knowledge. I did try to respond earlier but my phone has a habit of creating huge gaps between lines of text and then it just froze on my as I was about to press the reply button!

To answer some of your comments;

I will certainly walk the route first. As this is a route I will be using more than once I intend to position some subtle markers so that I can stick to and alter if I feel the ground is getting damaged. I don't want to p**s the farmer off by creating damage to the ground so will avoid any areas that are soft. However, I did end up getting my Range Rover stuck along this route a couple of times before (and I haven't used the route that many times!), once in a soft part of the moor (during heavy horizontal rain) and once when I managed to find a hole in the moor - you couldn't see this due to it being dug probably 100 years ago so covered in the wild grass. This ended up with me being cross axled  but thankfully had someone with me so by standing on the front bumper (and me being heavy) we managed to get enough traction to get moving.

I am not too worried about the weight. These will only get used if I get into soft ground, but I will aim to avoid any areas that are soft as I dont want to create damage.

Not too worried about storing them in the back of the truck. I will either take a tarp to put them on or just wash it out when I get home.

I certainly agree with the fitting of a rope to get them out if they get used.

I have seen the boards for sale by Jon W and to be honest it is that add that got me looking. I would happily take a set off Jon but he is 75 miles away so unfortunately the £35 for a set added to a 150 mile round trip to get them is trumped by the ebay £39 delivered.

I have seen the Maxtrax boards but I like the possible use of the waffle boards as a bridging ladder - also I don't have deep enough pockets for those!!!

Another thing I need to do is learn how to drive my defender off road! I have relatively little experience and learning some basics can only improve my capabilities in the vehicle.

Here is an image of the ground to be covered. It has a good covering of coarse grass and I do hope that I can drive sympathetically enough so I don't damage it. If I do feel I am creating wear then I could deviate the route slightly. And I have just done a google earth measurement and it looks more in the region of 500m each way.

I am currently running General Grabber AT3s but have some Insa special tracks, but I thought the special tracks may be more likely to cause damage.

Thanks again for your help.

Mick

 

 

Avoid aggressive tyres - they break through the surface 'crust' then dig