Which recovery mats

[Jofang]

Having a 5 ton tag axle van with front wheel drive I'm always wary of wet grass and what's beneath it. I've see others bogged down and the trouble involved in getting them free. We have hydraulic levellers so we can always lift the front end out of the muck, but which recovery mats to then put under the front wheels?

 

[Jabstatt]

Google waffle boards!

I’ve four square ones for jacking and two long ones for the Defender.

Not cheap or light but fantastic.

Tony

 

[Figaro]

The trouble with mats is they only get you a metre or so forward. That may be enough, but frequently not.
In a Fiat tag axle, I think I'd avoid all grass except in summer drout conditions.

 

[Dart]

Whichever mats you decide to buy, the trick is to park on them if you suspect you may be going to have trouble leaving. They'll spread the weight and give you a good start so then if you move off steadily and don't go back to retrieve the mats until your van front wheels are on terra firma you'll give yourself the best chance. Oh, and don't buy the floppy rubber ones as they're not much cop. You need the more rigid ones for weight spreading purposes.

 

[Two on Tour]

Having a 5 ton tag axle van with front wheel drive I'm always wary of wet grass and what's beneath it. I've see others bogged down and the trouble involved in getting them free. We have hydraulic levellers so we can always lift the front end out of the muck, but which recovery mats to then put under the front wheels?

These are the only thing worth getting, I carry 4 of these sand ladders that have the top surface impregnated with grit for grip.

2 x GRP 38mm Standard Duty Bridging Ladder

Our GRP Bridging Ladders are a compact and lightweight solution to vehicle rescue in sand, slippery mud, snow, ice and more. With a 38mm thickness, these would be perfect as a standard duty waffle board, we also supply heavy duty 50mm versions.The composite...

www.bmsteel.co.uk

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[tonka]

I have these available. £20
25mm thick x 200 wide x 800 long..

BUT I think you may be to far away from Staffordshire..


(Yes, a subtle advert )

 

[Figaro]

These are the only thing worth getting, I carry 4 of these sand ladders that have the top surface impregnated with grit for grip.

2 x GRP 38mm Standard Duty Bridging Ladder

Our GRP Bridging Ladders are a compact and lightweight solution to vehicle rescue in sand, slippery mud, snow, ice and more. With a 38mm thickness, these would be perfect as a standard duty waffle board, we also supply heavy duty 50mm versions.The composite...

www.bmsteel.co.uk

View attachment 968917

View attachment 968918

Where would you put those when they're full of mud ?

 

[Two on Tour]

Where would you put those when they're full of mud ?

The mud has knocked out of them okay when used by me and others, including Drax and this year's soggy Swaffham meet, and here's where I store mine.

 

[Jofang]

I have these available. £20
25mm thick x 200 wide x 800 long..

BUT I think you may be to far away from Staffordshire..


(Yes, a subtle advert )



View attachment 968954

Hi Tonka
we are in Stoke on Trent for Xmas, as my stepson lives there. Which part of Staffordshire are you?

 

[tonka]

Hi Tonka
we are in Stoke on Trent for Xmas, as my stepson lives there. Which part of Staffordshire are you?

Cannock . Right on the A5 just off junction 12 of M6. Xmas is a long way off so they may be gone by then as I have them on eBay and Facebook.

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[Ejaydee]

Where would you put those when they're full of mud ?

Mine go onto the Fiamma bike rack, they fit nicely into the tyre grooves and then are tied down.

 

[Jofang]

No problem Tonka, I'll buy new if they're gone.

 

[Landy Andy]

25mm waffles if you can afford the weight of them will be great. And having hydraulic legs you can drive 1200mm each time till you are out if required.

 

[peterc10]

The mud has knocked out of them okay when used by me and others, including Drax and this year's soggy Swaffham meet, and here's where I store mine.

View attachment 968966

View attachment 968971

How much do they weigh Paul.

Just looked at their website and they apparently want £76 for delivery!

 

[Two on Tour]

How much do they weigh Paul.

Just looked at their website and they apparently want £76 for delivery!

Hi Peter, I have the 25mm thick ones that I bought from eBay a few years back now. The link I posted was just the first that came to hand when I Googled it to give an idea of what they were.

Just had a search and this is the company and boards that I bought, their blurb says that they weigh 4kg, but I would imagine that is for the shorter ones, so I would say nearer 6kg each. They have a few options of length and thickness in the listings.

Pardon our interruption...

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[ericonabike]

May not help, but - my first van, soon after having hydraulic levellers fitted, was in storage on grass. Winter time, went to drive off, Wheels span like crazy. Hadn't noticed there was a very slight rise in front of them. Made quite a rut! So raised the front on the Jack's, borrowed some pallet planks from the site owner, and put them across the ruts. Lowered Jack's and drove off. Felt good to be self-sufficient!

 

[Orion]

I have a pair of recovery boards from earlier 4x4 off-road activities that are secured to the roof of the Moho garage with studs and wing nuts. Not needed to use them in anger as yet, but peace of mind if ever faced with soft ground.

Similar to these but many types available if you search ‘4x4 Recovery Boards’:

 

[1090alex]

The trouble with mats is they only get you a metre or so forward. That may be enough, but frequently not.
In a Fiat tag axle, I think I'd avoid all grass except in summer drout conditions.

I never stop on grass unless it's bone dry or downhill.

 

[Two on Tour]

I have a pair of recovery boards from earlier 4x4 off-road activities that are secured to the roof of the Moho garage with studs and wing nuts. Not needed to use them in anger as yet, but peace of mind if ever faced with soft ground.

Similar to these but many types available if you search ‘4x4 Recovery Boards’:

View attachment 969251

I watch a video some time back of some proper Ozzy off-roaders testing some of these cheaper plastic traction boards, and it was hilarious.

 

[Two on Tour]

I never stop on grass unless it's bone dry or downhill.

Tell that to a CAMC warden when you park up to the peg.

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[Orion]

I watch a video some time back of some proper Ozzy off-roaders testing some of these cheaper plastic traction boards, and it was hilarious.

Yes, I know they’re not ‘4x4 hard-core, you know the score’ like the more expensive brands, but for typical moho on the grass recovery they’re probably more than sufficient - especially considering that the OP has levelling jacks and can do the lift ‘n’ shuffle back to terra firma.

 

[PAGR]

I carry two 4' x 18" strips of this https://grassmats.co.uk/product/grass-reinforcement-mesh-medium-13mm-1m-x-10m/, lighter and roll up into a large rubble sack in the boot. They've got us out of trouble a couple of times including on Chester racecourse. We've got jacks on a 5.5t tag.

 

[Brains]

I carry 6 mats.

2 are the cheap yellow flat mats that as far as I'm concerned are disposable and available in most camp shops and not really much use.
Somebody in trouble will get them as a donation at some point.

The other 4 are Milenco Lattice mats, the idea being you park the drive wheels on one pair and line up the second pair in front, and then remove the rear pair and put in front, so that you can slowly work your way across a grassy wet field

They normally live on the bike rack at the back.
They are held on with gardners velcro stips that are used to hold large plants and trees to stakes

 

[Two on Tour]

Yes, I know they’re not ‘4x4 hard-core, you know the score’ like the more expensive brands, but for typical moho on the grass recovery they’re probably more than sufficient - especially considering that the OP has levelling jacks and can do the lift ‘n’ shuffle back to terra firma.

Speaking from experience myself and seeing others do the same, most people that get stuck, spin the drive wheels and dig themselves into a nice deep hole from which you need to get out of or over, and wow I'm I glad we have levelling jacks and the fibreglass traction boards that we now have, as I can and have along with others that borrower our boards, lift up and span the rut and lower down onto the boards to get some traction and a little speed to get out of the mire.
My reason for getting traction boards up to the job, was our episode of getting stuck in some very soft ground when trying to park up at the Thetford Bash some years ago. Having levelling jacks but no traction boards to speak of, we were grateful of other Funsters bread racks, blocks of wood and other bits and bobs, but when trying to span the deep ruts made by the drive wheels, they just disappeared into the ruts when I lowered the wheel. Eventually with half a dozen or so beefy bodied pushing from the back, we got out, but what if we were on our own with nobody to help ?
I don't like spending more money than I have too, but I hate, even more, paying for things that are not fit for purpose.

 

[1090alex]

CAMC

I haven't noticed,do they offer grass pitches for motorhomes in the main club campsites?. I've alway been sent to a hardstanding one.

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[Two on Tour]

I haven't noticed,do they offer grass pitches for motorhomes in the main club campsites?. I've alway been sent to a hardstanding one.

When we were CAMC members some years ago, most of the CAMC club sites we stayed on were grass pitches, but that may well have changed now ?

 

[Blaydon]

Once you have them, you need to buy some string. Good quality shock cord would do. Tie a length to each waffle board and the other end to your tow hitch. That way, once you have got going, you don’t have to walk back through the mud to collect the boards, now pushed down in the clarts. Take care to run the string under the vehicle to prevent catching.

 

[WESTY66]

Hi Peter, I have the 25mm thick ones that I bought from eBay a few years back now. The link I posted was just the first that came to hand when I Googled it to give an idea of what they were.

Just had a search and this is the company and boards that I bought, their blurb says that they weigh 4kg, but I would imagine that is for the shorter ones, so I would say nearer 6kg each. They have a few options of length and thickness in the listings.

Pardon our interruption...

Being 5 tons I thought I’d need the 50mm ones

 

[optimus-prime]

I have a 5.5t tag with front wheel drive and hidraulic levelers. Last week I got myself out of wet grass and mud with these:
https://www.amazon.de/-/en/your-ord...es=&returnUnitMappingId=&shipmentId=DjJ975Xxr
I had to use them twice, because as someone was saying above, they only get you 1m further, but after the 2nd meter I managed do drive out . I also have snow chains with me, as I am touring Norway, but I chose not to get them dirty this time.

My front axle is about 2.2t and the boards seem to be just fine, as opposed to some comments from Amazon. I believe that lifting the wheels and putting the boards beneath, without digging a whole, helps