Sand Plates

[EDELWEISS]

I think thats what theyre called (the metal plates used for traction). Are they worth adding for off road travel in other terrain besides sand (mud, snow, etc)?

Ive seen them on WW2 vehicles in N Afrika; but nothing in pics from either of the Gulf Wars. Have they been replaced by better devices?

Any sources?

[McTavish]

I saw some that were plastic not long ago. I know an older guy that keeps a ~ 3' section of metal on his Jeep.

[McTavish]

Here ya go
http://www.4wd.com/productdetails.aspx?partID=62134

I have yet to see these but hope to see one next weekend.

[skip44]

Check out the July 2011 edition of "Four Wheeler" magazine, pg 42. They tested several versions of these.

[RDog]

tracmat is another.

[EDELWEISS]

Check out the July 2011 edition of "Four Wheeler" magazine, pg 42. They tested several versions of these.

I bought the mag specifically for that article. When I saw the sand plates from Rovers North, I knew exactly what I wanted. The article said they were $300. I figured that was expensive but worth the cool factor; then I called Rovers North and found out they were $379+75 shipping. That takes it out of the cool to have and probably never need range.

[StationMan]

Try Calumet Industries (Google) for their PSP matting. Much more affordable.

[Juju]

These are not true sand ladders, but they will work for light use and they have a dual purpose:

http://www.winchline.com/wheelchocks.html

I would only invest in true sand ladders for expedition use where seas of sand are the norm (Sahara, Gobi, Australia, etc.) or where stretches of extreme soft sand is encountered and normal offroad tires are too aggressive and don't provide enough floation when deflated. I don't think that North America has enough places to justify it's use unless you purposely decide to ride it out in the Imperial Sand Dunes or the such. At that point, recreational use should have you setup accordingly of not needing sand ladders.

Much depends on using them for mud--consistancy of and length of. It's not wet enough here for me to know better, but I tend to think that if it is shallow then you can work your way through it and if it is deep then you stand a good chance of sinking (slowly) anyways. The other problems I can foresee with their use in deep mud is that IF you are able to get on top of them that you will start to tilt downwards when you get to the edge and not have enough traction (angle & slippery) to get on the next one. Since mud literally SUCKS, it might be impossible to recover your gear without great effort. Snow is another animal all together that may share some problems that are similar to mud depending on the snow itself.

[Netpackrat]

It might also be possible to get a couple of pieces of Marston Matting from a surplus dealer. This is the stuff that was used to construct runways in a hurry during WWII. Not as common as it used to be, but they made a LOT of it, so it should still be possible to find some. Also known as Pierced Steel Planking.

[EDELWEISS]

I found them! Thanks to all of you guys. I searched a bunch of your recommendations so at least I had a better idea what I wanted. I ended up getting aluminum ones 4ft x 12in. They arent quite Marston Mats but theyll do and "only" $175 for the pair.


http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41stqXhRqTL._SS400_.jpg

[Netpackrat]

How thick are they and do you know the alloy? Reason I ask, is that those might be meant for ATV type vehicles. You have a Jeep, right? It would take a very substantial piece of aluminum not to get turned into a pretzel under the weight of a Jeep.

[EDELWEISS]

How thick are they and do you know the alloy? Reason I ask, is that those might be meant for ATV type vehicles. You have a Jeep, right? It would take a very substantial piece of aluminum not to get turned into a pretzel under the weight of a Jeep.

Yep Ive got a 2006 Wrangler. They claim they are for vehicles; but they did make a point that they ARE NOT for "bridge-ing". I'll know more when they arrive.

[EDELWEISS]

The came today! I didnt measure them; but Im pretty sure theyll work fine for getting un-stuck. I would have prefered the wider (18") version but they only come in 5ft lengths and that seemed too long for "routine" use.

[Juju]

The came today! I didnt measure them; but Im pretty sure theyll work fine for getting un-stuck. I would have prefered the wider (18") version but they only come in 5ft lengths and that seemed too long for "routine" use.

Please keep in mind that using sand ladders in mud or snow might give to the potential of launching them. Sand has enough friction to hold them in place. Good Luck!!

[Czechsix]

First, learn two words: "air down".

Those two little words will get you out of 95% of the sand stucks you'll find yourself in. At least with normal vehicles.

Now, it gets fun with abnormal vehicles - those trucks out there that are running 16.5's with no beadlocks, and can't really air down. Those guys that are running 12K GVW vehicles with so-so weight ratings and plys on their tires...and they can't air down that much either. Those that just plain don't wanna air down. ( I fit all three of these, hehe)

IAC, lots of different things work. I use aluminum personnel walkway sections, cut into 4' pieces. They have another great feature, and that's the ability to help you get over wet rails in the middle of nowhere. Rigid enough to hold their shape, but compliant enough that they can be forced into others if need be. Note that they're not bridging stuff. Won't hold up to that. I'm actually thinking about selling a few sets as a low cost solution, then again I've got twenty three point four thousand other projects too...sigh.

PSP/Marsden Mat works, but it's very hard to find the aluminum stuff now, most of it has been recycled. The steel is ridiculously heavy. If you can find the AL, find a seat before you ask the price. It's usually stupid high.

Best option I've found, if you want something that works well, is inexpensive and durable is get a sheet of poly about 3/4" thick and 14" - 16" wide, drill holes in it for 1/2" bolts, and install said bolts/lockwashers/nuts through holes. Shove mat under tire, tire grabs nuts/bolts, and mat supports weight on soft sand or mud. If you're smart you will have a few lengths of paracord or something else breakable, tied to your bumper so that when you get going out of the hole, you can just keep going without having to stop soon to grab the mats. Most stucks occur when you're starting or have lost momentum, so keep the momentum up...drag the mats behind the vehicle for a few klicks if you need to to get to more solid ground, or a decent downhill, or anything that's not blow sand. Not to mention there's no issue with launching them....

And if you have to winch a buddy out when you're in sand or mud, research "scotch blocks", that idea works really well.

Oh, forgot to add: they're usually called "sand ladders".

[SnowStorm]

We never had to deal with much sand when I was younger and we would head out into the woods in Northern Michigan - just lots of muddy trails. The high-lift jack and winch were essential. There was almost always a tree nearby that we could hook up to and pull the vehicle. Now there were a few times when we had to lift up the vehicle with the high-lift and jammed in a bunch of small trees. I guess these would have saved a bunch of time in having to chop down the trees. Also they seem like they would grip better. I like Czechsix's idea of having a little rope to tie onto the matt, so you don't have to stop and pick it up.

(Not mine, but very similar...)
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