Proper way to pull someone out?

On my Christmas list as well.

 

What got you excited about them? Price, the videos, or other recommendations?

 

That style is probably best on ice, or some surface where flotation isn't needed, just traction. I've watched a lot of those review/tests where they used everything from lengths of carpet to MaxTrax and those older style solid metal bridging ones.

Without a solid/stiff design, they don't work well in sand or deep snow. Now this wasn't for this exact item, just similar ones that could roll up and/or fold.

 

Thanks! I'll search out some of those comparisons.

 

Someone I follow on YouTube found them at one of the Expo Shows. From what I remember, I like the compact folding, they are strong and you can use them to level your truck say for a roof top tent, and I think it was a good warranty or lifetime warranty. And MaxTraxx burn up.

 

Thanks! That is what I saw also that got me interested. @YF_Ryan had some good counterpoints though.

The times that I have seen traction boards in action did not need flotation, but we do have a good bit of sand and snow around here to worry about.

 

Yeah, I bet that compact form factor would be the biggest draw for that style. I gotta say I was surprised at the 59.99 on the link above was for only ONE. You'd need to spend 120 for them to be effective (two of them). I'd think paying a bit more (180ish) for Tred's would be a better option (barring the form factor).

And as for MaxTrax burning up, what do you mean? If you are talking about the teeth getting chewed off/melted that's from not using them properly. I've used mine a LOT in the sand, multiple times in one day towing a car trailer across the dunes in Oregon, and mine look brand new. Just gotta make sure you don't have any wheel spin on them. 4L helps a lot if you got it.

 

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLR6JepWZ7T694ouPamU5kk99Kry2WotwB

 

Yes that's what I'm talking about. I get what you mean, but mud can be slippery and it's not always someone who knows how not to do a burnout who is driving on them unless you always get them out yourself. A novice could do a muddy burnout on them is all I'm saying. Not really trying to make this a competition.

 

Good info!

With the 3rd accessory rail from the 2nd Gens, storage with typical boards isn't too big of a deal for me. I did latch on to the military sales of the GoTreads though.

I thought that two for $120 was pretty good. Anything sub-$200 seems reasonable? For models over the TRED 800s, they seem to be in the same ballpark as MaxTrax. I have seen MaxTrax in action and I believe a set of BOARs:

OFF ROAD BOAR Traction Boards, 2 Pcs Recovery Boards with Jack Lift Base, 4WD Recovery Traction Tracks with Bag for Snow, Sand, Mud (Black)

https://www.amazon.com/OFFROAD-BOAR-Recovey-Traction-2Pack，BLACK/dp/B073W99MXR

The BOARs allowed four of us to bounce over them through a tall root on a narrow trail. They seemed less stiff than MaxTrax but did the job well.

I feel one thing to look for in typical board is a continuous rail. Something NOT like this:

$108 Maxsa 20333 Heavy-Duty Escaper Buddy Traction Mats for Off-Road Mud, Sand, & Snow Vehicle Extraction and Recovery, Bendable, Unbreakable, Orange, 2 Pack

https://www.amazon.com/Escaper-Traction-Off-Road-Extraction-20333/dp/B00AV2HONS

I feel that the cutouts and hand holds in those critical areas are not good for stiffness.

 

No worries man, me neither. The form factor looks nice, and they would definitely help!

 

20 000 lbs SWL? 15 000 lbs SWL? What are you planing to pull, semi's? 10 000 lbs would be more than enough.

I got a 20 ft Kevlar mooring line taken from the ship I work on, it is already overkill but I use 5 tons shackles with it, that way the shackle should let go way before the rope will.

As I am constantly working with ropes and such, I can tell you that anything that stretch might be easier but is also way more dangerous to use, if it snaps and someone is close, you'll have injuries. You will also loose momentum when trying a running start.

Material that strech like nylon will snap back if it breaks, material like Kevlar or steel wire will fall flat. There is a reason why tow trucks use wires or chains.

 

Steel wire doesnt fall flat, it holds the energy and when it breaks snaps back and is extremely dangerous which is why people use a drop cloth or weight to pull the wire down. Most synthetic lines are made from Dyneema or UHMWPE which is found in vehicle armors and body armor. It's also replacing hawsers, back-stays (as a sailor you know this) and cables on ships and is replacing, parachute cord, climbing ropes. When Dyneema breaks it falls flat.

Because you're a sailor.

https://www.dsm.com/products/dyneem...ropes-lines-and-slings/mooring-tow-ropes.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDJ3QjvRZT0

Rope stretching is important and les slikely to cause failure or injury. Climbers use dynamic ropes because of this as well as recovery lines. They are specifically designed for running starts so that all of the energy is applied at the end. You have greater chance of breakage and injury from a static line.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQLd7fFUDtU

 

Second gear 4lo and proper kinetic strap and rated recovery points.

 

Winch is usually safer
Snatch is faster

It depends on where they are what they use .

 

The Proper Way I as I would do it..... Step 1 - Grab a good cold Beer, Step 2 - Walk around the Stuck rig and talk about how you would have gone thru the mud hole and not got stuck in the first place.. Step 3 - Stand Back and Let someone else do all the work (just give em advice as required) Step 4 - Don't Laugh too loud when the recovery point from the stuck guys truck breaks loose and takes out the window of the guy who trying to pull him out truck. Step 5 get another Cold beer and shut up.

 

Yet there are countless videos of how steel cable will snap back...

Tow trucks use steel because it's harder wearing. Doesn't mean it's safer.

 

I will correct myself a bit from earlier, my shackles are 10,000lb / 5ton rating, but my 3"x30 foot recovery strap is slighly elastic, about 7%, and rated at 35,000lbs. Its super stout and probably overkill for these trucks, but I'd rather be safe than sorry (or stranded, or going to the hospital)

 

https://youtu.be/LG1your1AxI

 

Thank you for the good answer, I see I was wrong on some points. Although I can't watch any videos on shitty ship's wifi, I can guess what you mean about steel wires snapping back, but I still need to disagree on this one.

Prepare yourself for a wall of text now lol Sorry if the english is not perfect, I usually tend to make short answer to make it easier to understand.

Steel wires for automative purpose are too small to have a synthetic core and thus will not hold any energy, even the 1.5" wires we had before, which had synthetic cores, would hardly snap. Basically, the energy stored by a cable is directly related to its elasticity.

Climbers use ropes with high elasticity mainly because it absorbs the the momentum if they fall, much like today's car absorb the impact compared to the '70s death box. We kind use of the same principle on our lifelines (correct term would be Fall Arrester) when we are working aloft, they are static strap with a shock absorber.

Recovery straps have elasticity to make them easier to use, but they should only be used on simple recovery that won't put much strain on them. Bungee straps for snowmobile are the same, it turns a two man job of unstucking a sled into a one man job because it will hold then release the energy you put in them in the direction you want it to go.

Dyneema Amsteel Blue (SK-78) is exactly what we have onboard and what is in my truck, I just generally say kevlar as it is close enough to what Dyneema is for people to understand what I'm talking about. SK-78 is mind blowing, it has a 30 000 lbs tensile strength for a 1/2" rope and we use 1.5" onboard but they are not perfect, they don't have high resistance to shaffing so we go through quite a bit of rope every year which is why I have some home.

I have to disagree on Amsteel being the most widely use synthetic rope, I would say the title goes to nylon and polypropylene. SK-78 is a lot more expensive and will cost you around 1.50-2.00$/foot for a 1/2" rope while nylon will be around 0.50$/foot.