Drill a hole at the end of each board so yo can attach a loose rope from the board to the bumper. Then after you get unstuck you can pull the boards behind you until you are on better ground and not have to walk back to get them.
Nice! Had this idea in my mind for a while, great to see it in action. I will probably go with 2x12s and maybe some mending plates to help keep the board from splitting.
That works great for that type of situation. Maxtrax are also used in much more extreme circumstances and will not destroy your vehicle’s bodywork if wedged under the vehicle while in use. I agree that they are FAR more expensive than they should be, but they do have their place.
You are absolutely right to only put the bolts at the end. I did the same thing with 3/4'' plywood and much smaller bolts, but I put bolts through the entire length of the board. It was unnecessary and VERY time consuming. There is just NO WAY I'm paying $600 for a set of four plastic boards. Not this cowboy.
May I suggest two layers of 3/4” plywood, structurally stronger, and you can make wider if you prefer . Like this diy solution, very nice. Back in the UK , we used aluminum “sand ladders” also
We are forgetting the MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION though!!! Will these get me look cool and hard core to the overland crowd when I mount them conspicuously where everyone can see? Kidding, that is practical and smart, I'm gonna have to build some. I get sick when I look at the price of maxtrax.
Just a suggestion: I'd use the side with the heads of the bolts up first and only use the longer side in an emergency and with great care to not spin the tires across those sharp thread edges. Especially if the tire tread is on the thin side.
If you want cheap bolts, Tractor Supply sells those bolts by the pound instead of by size and number for WAY cheaper than anywhere else that I have found. You could get all those for less than $5 I'm guessing.
If you are using the board to bridge a large gap, you might find that the lumber solution will crack in certain situations whereas the Maxtrax just seems to deform into the bottom of the gap and pops back out after the load is off of it... But you can replace a LOT of pieces of lumber for the cost of a Maxtrax... In sand like that though, the board is going to be fully supported, so it won't be an issue... Awhile back, I was attempting to break the bead on a 275-65-20 LT tire by using a 4 ft piece of 2x8 as a ramp to drive my Wrangler up it with the end of the 2x8 pressing down on the sidewall of the tire. I had to drive nearly all the way to the rim in order to get enough weight to break the bead, to the end of the 2x8 that was on the ground actually started to lift off. The ends of the 2x8 ended up cracking. I suspect there would have been more damage if I had used a 2x6 instead. The Maxtrax have around 90 teeth on it. Buying 3/8" bolts in quantity, you can get them for around $0.50 each, so you would be looking at around $50 for each wooden recovery board... That's better than the $300 that Maxtrax is currently charging for a pair of the boards. Maybe even bolting some angle iron pieces across the bottom to keep the board from sliding in sand?
@@KayakhacksFishing -- The design of an optimal recovery board would depend upon how it was going to be used. If you know that you will always be stuck in sand (vs mud) and never have to bridge a gap, one design might be mroe optimal than another design. I suspect that MaxTrax is trying to provide a generic solution that works for a lot of different environments instead of just one particular environment. Since they are in Australia, it's possible that their design was colored by their particular environment. By designing your own, you can optimize it for the situations that you think that you are more likely to encounter. For example, if you live somewhere where it never snows, you probably don't care about whether the material is brittle in cold weather. If you are always going to be in sand, then you might be more concerned with something that had a large foodprint to spread the weight of your vehicle to as large of an area as possible. As with everything else in life, there is no one solution that works best for everything. We just need to be able to adapt to the situation at hand given the resources that we have available to us. Having used boards that had smooth sides on the bottom and having had them get launched rearward out from under the tires without the vehicle moving in the least, I suspect that adding a bit more grip to the bottom of the board would be worthwhile given that it is not going to significantly increase the cost of the design. I've also seen a driver of a large truck use a piece of expanded metal to give him a bit of extra grip on ice when he either did not have chains or was not willing to take the time to put the chains on the wheels.
I had a 2x4 and air down to 18 psi .. I never got stuck in Matagorda beach Tx ..I saw few 4x4 stuck ..I told them to air down .. and they came out from the hole
So I have a question about my AWD vehicle. It's got 245/60/18s, 8.6" ground clearance, and the ability to send power constantly to the back and front. After airing down to 15-20~ psi, would I be able to drive on Fort Fisher? I've driven on the beach with different vehicles, but I wanted to see if it had a chance. I have a tow strap, but plan on getting four recovery boards just in case.
I recommend you review some videos by experts comparing 4WD to AWD. I do not recommend going in the sand. I was up at Freeman Park a few years ago and an AWD vehicle tried to go on the sand. It went OK for a while and then he got stuck. But the worst thing was he asked a truck to pull him out. He hooked up the tow strap to his rear axle and the truck promptly pulled the axle off. Ouch. He did not have any reinforced points for recovery.
@@KayakhacksFishing I see, I've been to Fort Fish, Freeman park and I see a lot of stock Rav4s, newer and older ones. Is there a reason why their so capable? I only ask, because my vehicle has taller tires and more ground clearance.
@@KayakhacksFishing lol I know they're solid in the sand and mud too. Not trying to be that guy but it's funny you say that. Yesterday morning as we were digging my truck out of the sand there were 4 other trucks within my sight that were also stuck and one was a Tacoma with oversized tires so it had great clearance. Matagorda Texas is brutal this time of year!
OMG... I've got tears in my eyes from laughing at this comment! But... wait a minute... When I was in high school my friends Dad was a surgeon and let the my buddy and I observe an appendectomy in the operating room. I'm trying to remember what he used.... hmmmm....
I think so depending on the depth. If using in mud, I would attach a 5 foot rope to the board so you could find it if the board is pushed deep into the mud.
Thanks some much for this traction board hack! Could you please help me with the Sizes of the Nuts, Bolts and Washers that were used? Also, important what were the length of the bolts? Thanks again for this helpful tool. Tall Paul.
Anyway, do you go around Cape Fear to get to the river? Wouldn’t that be dangerous in a kayak? I try to get to BHI at least once a year and am heading there in September.
The Cape Fear is not bad as long as you are aware of the container ship traffic and stay on the east side of the barrier islands (launch from the River Road access point). In terms of this video, I go to Crossover 2 at Fort Fisher to get access to the bays on the east side of the Rocks - a post civil war construction project that created a barrier (www.wect.com/story/888287/the-rocks-at-fort-fisher/). You can also access this area from the Fort Fisher boat launch... it's just a longer paddle to get to the lower bays. I use the "Marine Traffic" app to see where the ships are in real time.
@@KayakhacksFishing Would you happen to know the weight of the truck? I have a 9000 lb van/RV 2WD and have gotten stuck twice in sand (it’s lifted- dug itself a hole once I stopped or tried to reverse). My cheap “tow truck in a box” just shot under the rear wheels.
I've been stuck in beach sand once, in Florida yrs ago. Not fun. I solved that problem by not driving in the sand again ;) . Your buddy's diy solution is certainly sturdy, and much cheaper than what you paid. You did say $150 for each one!? Ouch. I wonder if a length of heavy-duty "skateboard" non-skid mat'l would be beneficial if applied on the flat section of board in the area past the bolts, just to keep some traction applied once your tires pass the bolts?
Yep... I bought them after we moved to the coast. I knew if I got stuck with my wife, I would get the "look" and she would be worried every time we drove on the beach. So, I bought peace! I wish I had known about the board trick first. I'll pass on your recommendation to Dick and tease him a bit that a retired Sergeant Major should have already though of that!
@@KayakhacksFishing We've all had the "look", and try to avoid it at all costs, lol. The non-slip grip tape is just a thought. Or, maybe some of that heavy-duty non-slip paint available from Lowe's, etc.
Don't drive in a straight line when you begin to drive into a sandy section. down shift and keep a constant speed. A speed faster than just trying to crawl. Drive in sand as you would on a rutted snow covered road.
Question like you live here too just across snows cut. We only drive on the south end. On the demo only his rear tires were buried, now if it was all four tires would you put then under the front tires? Your right some people don't make wise decisions when driving on the south end. The other day a dually was buried high tide coming in on him no eta on the tow service everyone said I couldn't get him out but I did. Attaching that video link of what happened in this case should I use 4 of these under all four tires. Hope to see you out there. ruclips.net/video/rui2Y5r55f8/видео.html The commit at the end was only because of that guy in the jeep telling everyone that a xterra couldn't pull the dually out. No one else offered to help the family but me, ill always try to help if I can.
I carry 4 MaxTrax (amzn.to/3hqG1qT) to avoid that decision. However, if you only have two, put one under each of the wheels that are spinning since those are the ones getting the power. Unless you have locking differentials, there is nothing to force power to the non-spinning wheel. By default, I would put one under the right front and left rear. Interesting video - the stuck truck violated the cardinal rule of driving on sand - if you stop moving forward, stop! Once forward movement stops, you only spin tires and dig in. As soon as the vehicle stops moving under gentle power, stop and back up and try a different path. When I drive on sand, I watch my tach. I keep it at 1700 - 1900 rpm and no more to ensure I am not putting too much power to the wheels that would cause them to spin.
@@KayakhacksFishing Thanks for the information I've never used them before but do try to help people that are stuck. I know I wouldn't drive a truck like he had out there but glad I was able to help him. I'll order the 4 on Amazon thanks again and stay safe.
It has. It is packed on weekends. The only reason I bought my pass last December for the North End was to get to the inlet for bait. Now that it is blocked, I never go there and will not buy another pass.
Not going to help when you're buried to the diffs in soft sand! Those already slick surfaces after the bolts will get covered in sand and if you're not careful they'll definitely eat your tyres...(A word of advice from an Aussie...)
If you’re buried to the diff or frame you’re better off staying on pavement. When tire spin starts and forward (or backwards) progress stops, that’s when you start the recovery process, not when you’ve spun the tires aimlessly and sunk it to the diff/frame. 👍🏼
NO. Not necessary! Don't get stuck in the first place! It's always smart to be prepared with recovery gear BUT; airing down doesn't mean letting some air out. It means letting a lot of air out. Like down to 8-10psi if needed. People are too lazy to do it, or uneducated to know how much this helps in loose sand. They also think they can "power" through bc they have the best truck around and can't get stuck anywhere. I regularly go through the loosest sand with ease usually airing down to 15-20psi. If you don't air down, you WILL just dig yourself in, no matter how bad-ass your truck is. Also, wheels larger than 16-17 inches and tires with no sidewalls are for looks only and suck for off road traction. ..and if you ask me, they look stupid AF anyway. When you choose vanity over performance, you just look stupid. -well I guess you look cool to the young people at the mall who don't know any better..
Drill a hole at the end of each board so yo can attach a loose rope from the board to the bumper. Then after you get unstuck you can pull the boards behind you until you are on better ground and not have to walk back to get them.
Great tip! I'll pass it along to Dick.
That's a really good idea.
InstaBlaster...
Nice! Had this idea in my mind for a while, great to see it in action. I will probably go with 2x12s and maybe some mending plates to help keep the board from splitting.
Have fun!
Put some skateboard tape on the slick surface.
Great idea!
Hardware stores sell grip tape for metal steps or whatever by the foot. 👍
That works great for that type of situation. Maxtrax are also used in much more extreme circumstances and will not destroy your vehicle’s bodywork if wedged under the vehicle while in use. I agree that they are FAR more expensive than they should be, but they do have their place.
You are absolutely right to only put the bolts at the end. I did the same thing with 3/4'' plywood and much smaller bolts, but I put bolts through the entire length of the board. It was unnecessary and VERY time consuming. There is just NO WAY I'm paying $600 for a set of four plastic boards. Not this cowboy.
May I suggest two layers of 3/4” plywood, structurally stronger, and you can make wider if you prefer . Like this diy solution, very nice.
Back in the UK , we used aluminum “sand ladders” also
Great idea! Thanks
Smart idea! I could have used those! Thanks for the demonstration. I probly would have floored it.
We are forgetting the MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION though!!! Will these get me look cool and hard core to the overland crowd when I mount them conspicuously where everyone can see? Kidding, that is practical and smart, I'm gonna have to build some. I get sick when I look at the price of maxtrax.
I have no idea why the maxtrax cost so much. Buying them back in 2013 was really painful - and before I knew about this hack.
Just a suggestion: I'd use the side with the heads of the bolts up first and only use the longer side in an emergency and with great care to not spin the tires across those sharp thread edges. Especially if the tire tread is on the thin side.
Great point!
If you want cheap bolts, Tractor Supply sells those bolts by the pound instead of by size and number for WAY cheaper than anywhere else that I have found. You could get all those for less than $5 I'm guessing.
I did not know that! Thanks
If you are using the board to bridge a large gap, you might find that the lumber solution will crack in certain situations whereas the Maxtrax just seems to deform into the bottom of the gap and pops back out after the load is off of it... But you can replace a LOT of pieces of lumber for the cost of a Maxtrax... In sand like that though, the board is going to be fully supported, so it won't be an issue...
Awhile back, I was attempting to break the bead on a 275-65-20 LT tire by using a 4 ft piece of 2x8 as a ramp to drive my Wrangler up it with the end of the 2x8 pressing down on the sidewall of the tire. I had to drive nearly all the way to the rim in order to get enough weight to break the bead, to the end of the 2x8 that was on the ground actually started to lift off. The ends of the 2x8 ended up cracking. I suspect there would have been more damage if I had used a 2x6 instead.
The Maxtrax have around 90 teeth on it. Buying 3/8" bolts in quantity, you can get them for around $0.50 each, so you would be looking at around $50 for each wooden recovery board... That's better than the $300 that Maxtrax is currently charging for a pair of the boards. Maybe even bolting some angle iron pieces across the bottom to keep the board from sliding in sand?
You make some great points! this was my buddy's truck and board, I will pass your suggestion on to him. Thanks!
@@KayakhacksFishing -- The design of an optimal recovery board would depend upon how it was going to be used. If you know that you will always be stuck in sand (vs mud) and never have to bridge a gap, one design might be mroe optimal than another design. I suspect that MaxTrax is trying to provide a generic solution that works for a lot of different environments instead of just one particular environment. Since they are in Australia, it's possible that their design was colored by their particular environment.
By designing your own, you can optimize it for the situations that you think that you are more likely to encounter. For example, if you live somewhere where it never snows, you probably don't care about whether the material is brittle in cold weather. If you are always going to be in sand, then you might be more concerned with something that had a large foodprint to spread the weight of your vehicle to as large of an area as possible.
As with everything else in life, there is no one solution that works best for everything. We just need to be able to adapt to the situation at hand given the resources that we have available to us.
Having used boards that had smooth sides on the bottom and having had them get launched rearward out from under the tires without the vehicle moving in the least, I suspect that adding a bit more grip to the bottom of the board would be worthwhile given that it is not going to significantly increase the cost of the design. I've also seen a driver of a large truck use a piece of expanded metal to give him a bit of extra grip on ice when he either did not have chains or was not willing to take the time to put the chains on the wheels.
@@CurmudgeonExtraordinaire I really appreciate the time you took to provide these tips. I learned and I hope others can take advantage of it as well.
@@KayakhacksFishing -- Well, it *started out* at least as just a quick reply, but kind of ballooned from there... :)
I had a 2x4 and air down to 18 psi .. I never got stuck in Matagorda beach Tx ..I saw few 4x4 stuck ..I told them to air down .. and they came out from the hole
Air down works!
So I have a question about my AWD vehicle. It's got 245/60/18s, 8.6" ground clearance, and the ability to send power constantly to the back and front. After airing down to 15-20~ psi, would I be able to drive on Fort Fisher? I've driven on the beach with different vehicles, but I wanted to see if it had a chance. I have a tow strap, but plan on getting four recovery boards just in case.
I recommend you review some videos by experts comparing 4WD to AWD. I do not recommend going in the sand. I was up at Freeman Park a few years ago and an AWD vehicle tried to go on the sand. It went OK for a while and then he got stuck. But the worst thing was he asked a truck to pull him out. He hooked up the tow strap to his rear axle and the truck promptly pulled the axle off. Ouch. He did not have any reinforced points for recovery.
@@KayakhacksFishing I see, I've been to Fort Fish, Freeman park and I see a lot of stock Rav4s, newer and older ones. Is there a reason why their so capable? I only ask, because my vehicle has taller tires and more ground clearance.
@@Valkyriesix6 Maybe it is the way their AWD is tuned.
@Valkyriesix6
Possibly it is that rav4s are light. If they are, that would be at least part of the explanation.
Seen something similar and it does work. For this demonstration it would've been better if the truck was actually stuck. The Tacoma wasn't stuck.
Lol. The Tacoma never gets stuck
@@KayakhacksFishing lol I know they're solid in the sand and mud too. Not trying to be that guy but it's funny you say that. Yesterday morning as we were digging my truck out of the sand there were 4 other trucks within my sight that were also stuck and one was a Tacoma with oversized tires so it had great clearance. Matagorda Texas is brutal this time of year!
Ouch! I have lost my faith in my friend's Tacoma!
Great Hack thanks for sharing!
I recently performed an appendectomy with instruments purchased at the Dollar Store. Links in the description.
OMG... I've got tears in my eyes from laughing at this comment! But... wait a minute... When I was in high school my friends Dad was a surgeon and let the my buddy and I observe an appendectomy in the operating room. I'm trying to remember what he used.... hmmmm....
Box cutter...sewing needle...turkey baster...duct tape...I think you get the idea.
For us southern folks, would this work for getting out of the mud?
I think so depending on the depth. If using in mud, I would attach a 5 foot rope to the board so you could find it if the board is pushed deep into the mud.
I have used branches, boards, and rocks to get out of the mud. Just throw them in front of your tires and away ya go.
@@burresscounty I didn't have luck with branches last time in the mud and rocks was nowhere in sight. LOL
Very cool, Thanks for that
Thank you excellent video
Thanks some much for this traction board hack! Could you please help me with the Sizes of the Nuts, Bolts and Washers that were used? Also, important what were the length of the bolts? Thanks again for this helpful tool. Tall Paul.
The bolts were 3/8 with the appropriate hardware. I recommend at least 2.5 inches
1st Mosquito net & now an e-tool 😂👍🏻. Nice Hack Colonel 🎣
hmm I wonder if 5/4 X 6 Trex would work as well. seems less chance of splitting?
Good point. It is worth a try.
Very nice !
I am sure those boards are heavier than the maxtrax. Great DIY solution
Yes, they are a bit bulkier as well
DYI?
Nice idea but my maxtrax are lighter, flex, can dig, and can still be used as a bridge gap.
lol! That's why I will stick with mine as well. But... for those who cannot afford them, this is an alternative
Anyway, do you go around Cape Fear to get to the river? Wouldn’t that be dangerous in a kayak? I try to get to BHI at least once a year and am heading there in September.
The Cape Fear is not bad as long as you are aware of the container ship traffic and stay on the east side of the barrier islands (launch from the River Road access point). In terms of this video, I go to Crossover 2 at Fort Fisher to get access to the bays on the east side of the Rocks - a post civil war construction project that created a barrier (www.wect.com/story/888287/the-rocks-at-fort-fisher/). You can also access this area from the Fort Fisher boat launch... it's just a longer paddle to get to the lower bays. I use the "Marine Traffic" app to see where the ships are in real time.
Good stuff. Thank you.
Was the demonstration truck using 4 wheel drive for this test?
the truck had 4 wheel, but we only had it in 2 wheel to show the boards. This truck never gets stuck.
@@KayakhacksFishing Would you happen to know the weight of the truck? I have a 9000 lb van/RV 2WD and have gotten stuck twice in sand (it’s lifted- dug itself a hole once I stopped or tried to reverse). My cheap “tow truck in a box” just shot under the rear wheels.
@@averagealice8877 I just looked it up and it weighs around 4,500 lbs
Very good!
I wonder if you could use lawn mower loading ramps
I think you would have to dig those in quite a bit to make the exit smooth.
thank you
Looks like I'm going to the hardware store....
I've been stuck in beach sand once, in Florida yrs ago. Not fun. I solved that problem by not driving in the sand again ;) .
Your buddy's diy solution is certainly sturdy, and much cheaper than what you paid. You did say $150 for each one!? Ouch.
I wonder if a length of heavy-duty "skateboard" non-skid mat'l would be beneficial if applied on the flat section of board in the area past the bolts, just to keep some traction applied once your tires pass the bolts?
Yep... I bought them after we moved to the coast. I knew if I got stuck with my wife, I would get the "look" and she would be worried every time we drove on the beach. So, I bought peace! I wish I had known about the board trick first. I'll pass on your recommendation to Dick and tease him a bit that a retired Sergeant Major should have already though of that!
@@KayakhacksFishing We've all had the "look", and try to avoid it at all costs, lol. The non-slip grip tape is just a thought. Or, maybe some of that heavy-duty non-slip paint available from Lowe's, etc.
@@retnav92 Greg, he paid for those 4 boards with 4 RUclips videos.
@@myadventureoutdoors Hadn't thought about that. 👍
Great, i think it is small, cheap, have same recovery function
Maybe screw an old tire or mudflap to board for traction.
Great idea! Thanks!
Don't drive in a straight line when you begin to drive into a sandy section. down shift and keep a constant speed. A speed faster than just trying to crawl. Drive in sand as you would on a rutted snow covered road.
Thanks for that advice!
Question like you live here too just across snows cut. We only drive on the south end. On the demo only his rear tires were buried, now if it was all four tires would you put then under the front tires? Your right some people don't make wise decisions when driving on the south end. The other day a dually was buried high tide coming in on him no eta on the tow service everyone said I couldn't get him out but I did. Attaching that video link of what happened in this case should I use 4 of these under all four tires. Hope to see you out there.
ruclips.net/video/rui2Y5r55f8/видео.html
The commit at the end was only because of that guy in the jeep telling everyone that a xterra couldn't pull the dually out. No one else offered to help the family but me, ill always try to help if I can.
I carry 4 MaxTrax (amzn.to/3hqG1qT) to avoid that decision. However, if you only have two, put one under each of the wheels that are spinning since those are the ones getting the power. Unless you have locking differentials, there is nothing to force power to the non-spinning wheel. By default, I would put one under the right front and left rear. Interesting video - the stuck truck violated the cardinal rule of driving on sand - if you stop moving forward, stop! Once forward movement stops, you only spin tires and dig in. As soon as the vehicle stops moving under gentle power, stop and back up and try a different path. When I drive on sand, I watch my tach. I keep it at 1700 - 1900 rpm and no more to ensure I am not putting too much power to the wheels that would cause them to spin.
@@KayakhacksFishing Thanks for the information I've never used them before but do try to help people that are stuck. I know I wouldn't drive a truck like he had out there but glad I was able to help him. I'll order the 4 on Amazon thanks again and stay safe.
Have you noticed if the south end has gotten more crowded with all the issues the north end is having
It has. It is packed on weekends. The only reason I bought my pass last December for the North End was to get to the inlet for bait. Now that it is blocked, I never go there and will not buy another pass.
Dick is pretty much a genius.
The fish whisperer...
Tacoma Master race.
That Tacoma never gets stuck. We had to put it in 2 wheel drive to get it stuck for the video.
There are less expensive recovery boards at about $25 apiece on Amazon. Much better than a 2x6.
Yes, people need to look at all options
Put lock nut on the tip just letting you grip alittle
Great idea! Thanks
Not going to help when you're buried to the diffs in soft sand! Those already slick surfaces after the bolts will get covered in sand and if you're not careful they'll definitely eat your tyres...(A word of advice from an Aussie...)
Yep. That's why on my truck I have 4 MaxTrax!
If you’re buried to the diff or frame you’re better off staying on pavement. When tire spin starts and forward (or backwards) progress stops, that’s when you start the recovery process, not when you’ve spun the tires aimlessly and sunk it to the diff/frame. 👍🏼
$150 for those is cheap. Should see what we pay for them in Australia.....!
Ouch! And Australia is where they were invented!
NO. Not necessary! Don't get stuck in the first place! It's always smart to be prepared with recovery gear BUT; airing down doesn't mean letting some air out. It means letting a lot of air out. Like down to 8-10psi if needed. People are too lazy to do it, or uneducated to know how much this helps in loose sand. They also think they can "power" through bc they have the best truck around and can't get stuck anywhere. I regularly go through the loosest sand with ease usually airing down to 15-20psi. If you don't air down, you WILL just dig yourself in, no matter how bad-ass your truck is. Also, wheels larger than 16-17 inches and tires with no sidewalls are for looks only and suck for off road traction. ..and if you ask me, they look stupid AF anyway. When you choose vanity over performance, you just look stupid. -well I guess you look cool to the young people at the mall who don't know any better..
I agree on the air. And... it's nice to have these boards to help out folks that ignore advice like yours.