Alternative to waffle boards

[M&S]

I'm not sure if there is a decent alternative to waffle boards out there so thought I'd ask. If not, what would you liek to see improved with teh current products?

I find then heavy-ish to lug around or leave in teh landy all of the time, and horribly heavy when clogged with mud. Also find when clogged with mud they are a pain to store.

I'm not talking about challenge trucks here, I'm talking about the family Disco, green laning, muddy fields etc.

I've used mine loads and wouldn't be without them, but am considering making my own alternative design. Only ever used them for bridging a few times, they mostly get used when I'm stuck in the mud and nearly always need a helpful tug onto them.

[zardos]

I have seen people use steel ladders for bridging, not very good for traction on mud and the were a bit bent.

Looked like a steel step ladder split in half.

[mmgemini]

If you're not bridging, then yes. Margaret made a set of sand mats from shade netting. These can be filled with sand if necessary.

Do they work.

Well we never get stuck enough to try them out. I just reduced tyre pressures to 0.9 bar when I struggled.

[DrRob]

Scaffold board cut to length ?

[BogMonster]

I use corrugated alloy plates that were liberated from some ex-military function, think it was probably temporary slipway or something.

[disco2hse]

If most of your usage is limited to getting unstuck, then Maxtrax are worth looking at. They work very well.

[missingsid]

If most of your usage is limited to getting unstuck, then Maxtrax are worth looking at. They work very well.

Scaffoldboard will be very slippery when muddy, These look great but a bit spendy? £42 just for four mounting pins and you don't even get the nuts and washers to go with them!

Marc.

[simonr]

I saw someone use a length of sturdy Aluminium D Rung ladder with a sheet of Aluminium attached to one side of the rungs with hose clips. I saw it used for bridging a short gap as well as sitting on mud with the aluminium side down and the rungs up - and it just floated on the surface as it was driven over. most of the mud detached when it was picked up. It looked a reasonable solution and were lighter than a waffle.

Si

[M&S]

Thanks all. The Maxtrax look very good, the sort of thing I was thinking (except for the price!).

Something along those lines with a ladder of sorts to attach them to for bridging would be great. For traction use the maxtrax, for bridging slide them or sit them on a frame or something.

I had thought of a ladder made from 1" angle, but wasn't sure what sort of traction I'd get from it in mud or if it would just sink in, and again, the weight would be high.

Mike, think netting in mud would be no good. Never tried it though so maybe it would?

Seems there isn't a solution out there already so I'll look at making my own I think.

[nicks90]

if its just for getting stuck in the slippery stuff - why not just use a couple of lengths of spiky rubber matting? unroll it, put it down and drive over it, pick it up and roll it back up again?