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Equipping the Overland Vehicle Vehicle accessories - Making your home away from home comfortable, safe and reliable.
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  #1  
Old 29 Mar 2004
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sand ladders
hi

what is the best length for sand ladders? (not sand ladders but aluminum PSP).... to use in a LR 88?

and one question: are they reality necessary and justify the weight? Around 12 kgs plus the mounts....

going to mauritania...


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  #2  
Old 29 Mar 2004
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Probably not really worth it although they look good for posing. Traveled with a Dutch landrover that had roll out plastic / rubber style ones - lot easier to use and store and seems as effective. The alluminum ones are good, mine are about 1.2 metres long, but they cumbersome to detach and attach on the side of the roof rack. Its probably useful having something if you are going in to the desert but think on a 4x4, the roll out ones are probably as effective.
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  #3  
Old 29 Mar 2004
NCR NCR is offline
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"and one question: are they reality necessary and justify the weight? Around 12 kgs plus the mounts...."

Last year, in Mauritânia, we found that a pull from another vehicle was much easier and faster...I end up abondoning my home made ladders before the trip ended.
They do look good in the pictures though ;-)

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  #4  
Old 30 Mar 2004
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hi

they look nice.... but ading a few kgs just for the look is not my style!! (around 10 kgs if the plates are 1.1 m)

I'm asking this because a have a pair a Al plates... and if they are not used in desert what are their propose?

last year in Mauri I didn't take them and they were never missed.... the LW with the michelin XS never got stuck... but the sand was a bit wet


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bernardo feio lightweight
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  #5  
Old 30 Mar 2004
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I've just bought a set (1,25m alluminium), I hope never to have to use them in anger, but their main purpose until I do is to cover my long glass windows in the rear of my truck. They are perfect for that and they also make a usefull emergency table/bench wether or not they turn out to be essentilial is yet to be seen.

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  #6  
Old 31 Mar 2004
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If you are going into areas of soft sand they are extremely useful. If not, their use is debateable, though they are also good for mud. You can also use them resting on jerry cans for cooking surfaces or tables!

I have two sets - four 1 metre-long aluminium alloy ladders; quite short but nice and light, and a pair of military PSP 'pierced steel planks', which, from memory, are about a metre and a half (mine are in the UK, Im in Cairo at the mo). They are stronger than the ally ones but not strong enough to bridge with. They are also a lot heavier, but fine as far as sand ladders.

If money's no object, get some glassfibre or composite ones. A metre length is a bit too short, and four or six (6 can be overkill) is the ideal number;

1. You need them long enough to be under the wheel and at the same time also provide space for the car to move along them (hence longer than a metre)

2. Ideally in really bad conditions (eg saltmarsh) you need them under the wheel and also laid down on your intended path (hence more than 4 - this number can be split between two cars, obviously)

Your best idea is to avoid soft sand and bad going. But in some circumstances you may not be able to.

Hope that helps
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  #7  
Old 1 Apr 2004
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hi

Since I’m going to pass mauri in august is better to take the plates... last year we didn’t catch much soft sand but we did catch lots of rain and lakes full of water...

I will put them in the top of the LW in front of the roof-tent. I will put them with a small angle and they will act has a wind deflector... If I don’t have to use them maybe, at least, I will save a few liters of diesel! :-)

The LW has 88’’ between axels so I will cut my 1.5 m plates in 1.1m or 1.2 m and will save a few kgs.

Thanks to all
and obrigado Nuno


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  #8  
Old 7 Apr 2004
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Hi Bernardo

We used our alu. sand ladders a lot in Mauri. but the pajero was 2.5 tons with a full load of fuel and water, so a light weight may be OK. They spent most of the trip under the roof rack, but I welded a couple of hooks on the bull bar, and hung them on there held down with a bungee, so to lay them when we got stuck was easy, and hang them back on for the next time!

Happy Trails

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  #9  
Old 16 Apr 2004
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I think sand ladders are a must have safety item. Hopefully you’ll never use them but sometimes there are no alternatives. I‘ve personally been in a couple of situations where a vehicles got stuck in a large patch of soft sand and fesh-fesh and any whenever I came close enough to pull it out I got stuck too.

Even though I never used them since I installed a winch I still carry them as backup in case the winch, battery or alternator goes bad.

But get the alu or composite ones. Steel ones are too heavy.

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  #10  
Old 16 Apr 2004
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I must say the one time I ever got out my sand plates in four years of carrying them around - only a winch could pull me out from a 'vortex' deep inside an erg.
On any other occasion I find, reversing, pushing or (lately) snatch ropes much more effective.
For a solo vehicle which can't make use of the above they can be useful, but then who would venture into 'sand plate' terrain alone? In my experience people worry about getting stuck but very quickly get a 'feel' for their vehicles and within a day or two never get stuck - apart from surprise soft patches.
I am always looking to do it with the least amount of gear

Ch
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  #11  
Old 17 Apr 2004
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Here in the UAE we are in heavy dunes all of the time.Snatch towing is the easiest recovery but there are frequent times when SLs are used.However,if you are travelling with a group only one/two sets between you would be enough.If in doubt take them!
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  #12  
Old 21 Apr 2004
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To add another positive voice. When driving in dunes, sand ladders are indispensable as back-up. Especially as it is often difficult or undesirable to get another vehicle into the situation you find yourself in.

Just back from the Ubari Sand Sea where they had one or two important outings!!
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  #13  
Old 15 May 2004
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They are those items you if you dont have you will probably need - I would definitely take some and just make sure they are stowed out of the way, (but still accesable) so they dont interfere with your daily set up and take down. I used glass fibre 270mm x1200mm sand mats from uk company Bridging Ladders for off roading and 4x4 ing an excellent 4x4 accessory - used for a landrovers - 4 x 4 for sale (£67 a pair) they are very light (6kg a pair) and they supported a friends 3 ton landcruiser (he has a 400 litre diesel tank) on some very soft fech fech no problem, I thought they would snap for sure but I winched him onto them and they were fine, cheap, compact and easy to store. If you dont have a winch then KERR's are great bits of kit too, but with a Lightwieght on 7.50 XS - you shouldn't get stuck too much. The most important thing is too keep the weight to a minimum.
Cheers, Gipper.
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  #14  
Old 27 May 2004
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Where's he going with a 400L fuel tank??!!

By my estimates that gives him over 2000kms range?

Sam.
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  #15  
Old 27 May 2004
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Sorry, getting back to the point about sand ladders.

Never had them, so never used them.

Have spent well over a year of my life in the soft stuff.

Sam.
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