# Traction boards, waffle boards, stop me getting stuck.......



## daveandcarol (May 21, 2005)

Hi all, I'm concerned about getting stuck on wet grass, has anyone tried the Fiamma Traction Boards? Are they any good?

I've also seen Waffle Boards for sale on Ebay, but they're a bit pricey.

Can anyone come up with a good alternative?

Regards, Dave.


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## Scotjimland (May 23, 2005)

Hi Dave.. the yellow fiamma mats are next to useless, have a look at these:
http://www.ruftraks.co.uk/tracmats.htm
A bit pricy though... I use bakers bread trays with the sides cut off ..


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## nukeadmin (Oct 10, 2003)

I've always been ok with a cheap plastic pair of Fiamma grip track things, can't remember the exact name, they are the very light, yellow plastic runners


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

ScotJimland said:


> Hi Dave.. the yellow fiamma mats are next to useless, have a look at these:
> http://www.ruftraks.co.uk/tracmats.htm
> quote]
> 
> ...


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## nukeadmin (Oct 10, 2003)

well i have used them countless times and used correctly they are okay, our van weighs >5000Kg fully laden so should be ok for most people unless they are in RVs etc


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## Bagshanty (Jul 24, 2005)

I've found the yellow Fiamma mats (or rather, the red, cheap no name equivalents) quite effective if not used in extreme mud. Wet grass is fine, especially if you use 4 - 1 under each wheel, as you drive on. This reduces the dip that forms under each wheel. When driving off, get the engine good and warm first. When you're off, keep going to firm ground before returning to rescue the mats. We also have Sno-grips, but they don't fit our new van, and a claw winch.

Our new Rapido has the ABS adaptation (forgotten its name) that is effectively an electronic limited slip differential. I've not used it, so I've no idea how well it works.


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## des (Aug 13, 2005)

The black rubber mats about 1" thick with a small open circular construction (available from Morrisons, and lots of other places) work extremely well. Were recommended to me by the warden at C & C club site at Norwich, which is all grass, on a slope, and suffers a lot from this problem. Can be cut in half lengthwise if only for single driving wheels. When not in use for this, make an excellent doormat, for which of course they were designed!


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## Scotjimland (May 23, 2005)

des said:


> The black rubber mats about 1" thick with a small open circular construction (available from Morrisons, and lots of other places) work extremely well.


Yes they do and two or three can be tied together with cable ties to make a longer mat which can be easily rolled up.


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## Guest (Mar 19, 2006)

*Traction boards*

Suggest using long string (binder twine etc) tied to vehicle so waffle boards follow you as you drive away and dont stop til clear.

Worked in the desert anyway
Skywriter


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## daveandcarol (May 21, 2005)

Like the sound of the thick rubber mats...will have a look thanks, Dave.


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## daveandcarol (May 21, 2005)

Bought my mats from Morrisons today, £1.99 each, look perfect for the job.

.....girl on the checkout commented on how she loved the smell of the rubber..... :roll: read into that what you want!

Regards, Dave.


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## 95818 (Jul 22, 2005)

Purchased my Go Claw's at the show now i have practiced you can put them on in about 10 min tops  Will let you know what they perform like next time i get stuck.


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## gromett (May 9, 2005)

After getting stuck twice this year already I am doing the following

Land Anchor similar to this https://www.expeditionexchange.com/pullpal/
An engineer friend of mine is making it for me.

And a small winch (not hard fitted) or similar to this.
http://www.winchsolutions.co.uk/winches_winch_1.html
Although only rated as 2000lb it will do 6000lb rolling stock, 
I will be fitting it to a 5mm steel plate with a loop attached. This can be hooked into the front towing brack or rear one. The other end of the winch is spooled out and attached to the land anchor 8)

As I drive solo I can't always rely on a friendly push or tow. This keeps me independant I think.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be welcome

Cheers
Karl


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## daveandcarol (May 21, 2005)

Looks like a great set up, pretty heavy duty, though it must eat into your payload somewhat? 8O 

Regards, Dave.


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## 88726 (May 9, 2005)

hi guys

karl : that pull pal groung anchor is the muts nuts ,i used to use one for the competitions , however making one yourself is so very very dificult , you wouldnt believe how easy it is to make a plough !!! try andy at ruftracks and see if he has any left . i think the 3 tonner would be best .

those black box winches are pretty gutless unless puling a boat on to a trailer . they struggle with a small jeep in the mud nevermind a 3500kg motorhome . try and find something around 8000lbs on ebay . surprisingly cheap nowadays .

those waffleboards are expensive but surprisingly very very strong and great for bridging narrow gulleys offroad . good for mud but maybe overkill for a motorhome .

i did have some better pics on my website once , maybe have a look at my www link below this post for winch pics.

hope it helps some.


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## gromett (May 9, 2005)

The one my friend is making is a bit different tbh.
He is an extremely good engineer. It will have more "teeth" and half way up the pointy bit will be a big flat bit (like a small spade) He thought of the ploughing issue and is designing it to work in everything from slushy mud through to compacted dirt. (think middle of winter, frozen soil and slippy ice)

The designs I have seen so far look like a knife at the bottom then get progressively wider the further up it gets until it is almost a flat face. It is also curved like a scimitar sword. Very hard to explain. There are three of these blades attached to a plate in a triangle shape with the middle one leading. The blades are also hinged at the front and will lay almost flat when not in use. When the rope pulls on the plate is forces the blades downwards using what looks like a cam. Grrr I give up. Its weird and it changes each time I go round as he refines his plans.

When we get it done, I will get some piccies and post them here.

BTW, it is being made with a combination of Steel and Ali I think to balance weight/strength. When it comes to payloads I balance out payload/benefit and getting out when stuck is a high priority with me being a solo pilot 
:? 

On the winch front, I have not decided yet and will need to do more research. Jim my mate is encouraging me to get stuck so he can measure the energy required to get me out. Although he is not promising to actually succeed lol

Karl


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## 88726 (May 9, 2005)

hi karl

please post pics when it's made as many have tried and failed ,i would be very interested in how it reacts . we finally gave in and imported from the states . even the so called profesionally built uk stuff ploughed . the angles are critical and some lengths . incidentally the material the pull pal is made from is immensely strong . it melted brand new drill bits when i was fitting a recovery lead to it to get it back up to the surface after use .

best of luck !!


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## gromett (May 9, 2005)

theflyingscot said:


> please post pics when it's made as many have tried and failed ,i would be very interested in how it reacts . we finally gave in and imported from the states . even the so called profesionally built uk stuff ploughed . the angles are critical and some lengths . incidentally the material the pull pal is made from is immensely strong . it melted brand new drill bits when i was fitting a recovery lead to it to get it back up to the surface after use .


Thanks for that, I hadn't thought of the problem of getting it back out after 

Fortunately Jim has his own workshop and we can experiment a bit.
Are you telling me there is no manufacturers of Land Anchors in the UK that are any good and the US does?

Cheers
Karl


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## 92859 (May 1, 2005)

*level ramps*

Greetings,

One method of getting out of a tight situation, use your level ramps and reverse up them, once at the top, put it into gear and steadily drive down and maintain speed and traction, this usually works to get you going, but don't stop to pick up the ramps until you are clear!

Obviously steer to avoid driving over the ramps with your rear wheels.

You could get someone else to pick them up once you are clear.

You can use this method even before you get bogged down to save the hassle!


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## beagle (Sep 25, 2005)

Hi Peter

this is for FWD motorhomes yes? behind the front wheels? sounds like a good idea - maybe i could tie a rope on each and get one of the children on the other ends so they could pull them clear before the back wheels arrive!


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## Sagedog (Jun 28, 2005)

*rubber mats*



> she loved the smell of the rubber


Dave, Just got my wet suit out, which Morissons store did you say she was working in??#  :lol: :wink: 
#

Bread crates(do not borrow without asking) or yellow Fiamma strip things, park on them first even if dry you never know it may rain or be slightly soft. Used the bread crates at peterboro and all was fine would have needed the tractor if had not used them.


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## Sagedog (Jun 28, 2005)

*Land anchors*

Have got a great land anchor sadly it is supplied by the RNLI and you will have no problem with weight ratio the use it to drag our combined weight of 14+ tons!!









http://www.motorhomefacts.com/modul...oto_Gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php
http://www.motorhomefacts.com/modul...oto_Gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php


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