Home-made MAXTRACKS ?

Submitted: Friday, Mar 13, 2009 at 18:07

ThreadID: 66804 Views:9221 Replies:8 FollowUps:15

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Member - Fizz (NSW)

I'm wondering whether I should make a pair of maxtrax-style boards from (say) 8"x1" hardwood, using the router to cut grooves both across and along the boards.

I know they would be pretty heavy, but weight isn't too much of a problem. Cost is!

Has anyone already made something like this? Any ideas on whether they would work? Maybe need more than 1" thick. (I'd be using them with a fairly heavily laden Troopy).

Would appreciate any comments or suggestions.

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Reply By: Member - Fred B (NT) - Friday, Mar 13, 2009 at 18:23

Friday, Mar 13, 2009 at 18:23

WWII alloy airfield matting would be the go.... Unfortunately I haven't seen any for many many years, which is a shame.

Doug T (NT), you haven't come across some in your travels, have you? Surely there is some lying around Darwin, Batchelor, Adelaide River somewhere?? cheaper than maxtracks!

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AnswerID: 353837

Follow Up By: Member - Doug T (NT) - Friday, Mar 13, 2009 at 22:32

Friday, Mar 13, 2009 at 22:32

Fred
No mesh here, Strips Fenton, Long, McDonald , Coomalie, Strauss, were all sealed, Gorrie, Gould, Adelaide River, were hard dirt, not sure about Hughes , Pell , Sattler, and Livingstone, but I do know they used stell mesh on Truscott , on touch down it scared the hell out of anyone who didn't know about ,

.

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FollowupID: 622021

Follow Up By: Shaker - Friday, Mar 13, 2009 at 22:50

Friday, Mar 13, 2009 at 22:50

I saw Malcolm Douglas get a length of it stuck under his Troopy, took him hours to get it out.

FollowupID: 622030

Reply By: Axel [ the real one ] - Friday, Mar 13, 2009 at 18:37

Friday, Mar 13, 2009 at 18:37

An old ally security screen door cut into 10" wide strips = cheap + light + works great in soft sand.

AnswerID: 353841

Follow Up By: kcandco - Friday, Mar 13, 2009 at 20:43

Friday, Mar 13, 2009 at 20:43

Hi Axel

do you have trouble with the strips bending out of shape? and do you use 2 or 4 strips..... and how long do you make the strips? ie 800 long or 1800 long?

regards Kc

FollowupID: 621990

Follow Up By: Axel [ the real one ] - Saturday, Mar 14, 2009 at 09:04

Saturday, Mar 14, 2009 at 09:04

Kcandco , had 1 old door , ended up with 4 strips = 2x 800 + 2x 950 , filed all edges , bend ? Turn over and drive over = no bend,

FollowupID: 622080

Follow Up By: kcandco - Saturday, Mar 14, 2009 at 23:03

Saturday, Mar 14, 2009 at 23:03

Thanks Axel I like the idea. is there ever a problem with the mesh getting caught up under the 4wd?

regards Kc

FollowupID: 622200

Follow Up By: Axel [ the real one ] - Sunday, Mar 15, 2009 at 08:44

Sunday, Mar 15, 2009 at 08:44

No problem,

FollowupID: 622223

Reply By: Willem - Friday, Mar 13, 2009 at 18:39

Friday, Mar 13, 2009 at 18:39

Fizz

You can buy real heavy duty car floor mats that do the trick. I have two and they have been used when bogged and work quite well.

If you cut sections out of hardwood or marine ply etc you will weaken the structure and one use and they will be dead.

Cheers

AnswerID: 353843

Follow Up By: Member - DAZA (QLD) - Friday, Mar 13, 2009 at 20:13

Friday, Mar 13, 2009 at 20:13

I take a roll of Council Barrier Mesh that orange plastic, when we tow the van up the beach, I can double it or what ever you require, I have several small pieces in the roll, works all the time.

FollowupID: 621988

Follow Up By: Member - Brenton H (SA) - Saturday, Mar 14, 2009 at 08:29

Saturday, Mar 14, 2009 at 08:29

Daza, where did you get the mesh from and was it expensive?

FollowupID: 622070

Follow Up By: Sir Kev & Darkie - Saturday, Mar 14, 2009 at 08:32

Saturday, Mar 14, 2009 at 08:32

Brenton,

Any Hardware store should have it as well as Most Safety shops.

Rolls are usually 50 - 100m in length and from memory cost less than $100

Cheers Kev

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Follow Up By: Member - DAZA (QLD) - Saturday, Mar 14, 2009 at 08:35

Saturday, Mar 14, 2009 at 08:35

Hi Brenton

Ditto what Kev said, we buy it from Bunnings, for our Plumbing Business.

Cheers
Daza

FollowupID: 622073

Reply By: Member - shane (SA) - Friday, Mar 13, 2009 at 20:35

Friday, Mar 13, 2009 at 20:35

when i go away i take 400mm x 1200mm strips of carpet, you get it for nothing and lays flat in the forby or on the pack rack. If i have to use it i tie some rope through a hole in the carpet and after i get going it drags behind me till i get to hard ground. I don't like to walk much.
cheers shane.

AnswerID: 353873

Reply By: Member - shane (SA) - Friday, Mar 13, 2009 at 20:39

Friday, Mar 13, 2009 at 20:39

AnswerID: 353874

Follow Up By: kcandco - Friday, Mar 13, 2009 at 20:48

Friday, Mar 13, 2009 at 20:48

Hi Shane

what preparation do you make to the hole before using the carpet?

regards Kc

FollowupID: 621991

Follow Up By: Member - shane (SA) - Friday, Mar 13, 2009 at 21:02

Friday, Mar 13, 2009 at 21:02

Don,t quite get what you mean, if its the carpet your talking about i just put a hole in the middle and put the rope through. then tie the other end to the tow bar.
cheers.

FollowupID: 621993

Follow Up By: kcandco - Saturday, Mar 14, 2009 at 23:00

Saturday, Mar 14, 2009 at 23:00

Sorry Shane....the hole I meant was the one in the sand. Do you just fill the hole back in and then place carpet in ..or put carpet straight in or otherwise.

thanks Kc

FollowupID: 622199

Follow Up By: Member - shane (SA) - Sunday, Mar 15, 2009 at 11:16

Sunday, Mar 15, 2009 at 11:16

sorry mate, I just fill the hole in and drive out. never had any problems with this set up. I find taking bits of carpet with you camping has so many uses. and the best part its free.
cheers shane.

FollowupID: 622248

Reply By: P7OFFROAD Accredited Driver Training - Saturday, Mar 14, 2009 at 09:04

Saturday, Mar 14, 2009 at 09:04

There is more to the way that MAXTRAX work than just being rigid boards to drive on.

Brad spent a lot of time and money in getting the right rigidity of material so that they could support the weight of a car, but still be flexible.

The other thing that only MAXTRAX do is to pull themselves down under the wheels until the resistance sees the car drive out.

I know that they are expensive (relative) but if you get the opportunity to see them at work you'll see that they are not just orange bits of plastic, there is much more to their design and function than just being a couple of bits of board or carpet.

Too each their own, but personally I rate them as the most verstile bit of recovery equipment available, and well worth the money.

cheers, Dave

AnswerID: 353922