Sand ladders for a 6+ tonne vehicle
 

I've plenty of experience using sand ladders and their derivatives here in Dubai but only on regular & race 4x4s, with a max weight of around 2.2-2.4 tonnes.

My Oberaigner chassis is 6x6, and will weigh, I estimate, fully loaded, around 6.2 tonnes at most (no doubt I'll be proved wrong!). So I was wondering which style of ladder - solid plastic (maxtrax type) / conventional 'step-ladder' style, PSP (airfield strip aluminium) or other ladder type recovery aid people are using successfully. Or otherwise!


Heavy truck users I would welcome your feedback on this, Thanks.

I bought some 50mm waffle boards. They are heavy and even heavier caked with mud. They could act as short bridge as well as giving traction. But I'm only at 5t.

Id definitely avoid any of the aluminium or steel PSP, they bend fairly easily with 6+ tons on them on uneven ground and then they are then a PITA to try and straighten or to stow when shaped like a banana.

Ive used the thinner waffle boards with lightweight 4X4's (LR and TLC) and they work quite well, haven't broken them yet, they flex and return to shape. The only other option would be a 'Trac Mat' style of device, heavy rubber sections linked with rope, I have not had the chance to use these.

Thanks Guys. Yes I'm not a fan of PSP and use waffle boards myself but there's no question they are heavy and awkward. I need to do some research as to what size I might need for a 6T truck and if indeed it's available.

Looking at various Trac Mats they don't seem to have much of a grip on the surface - OK for preventing damage to lawns but all the photos and demos seem to show level ground and 'pre-prepared' mats which were laid down before the vehicle got there - very different to a 'stuck in a hole' type situation. Still it wasn't an option I'd looked at before so Thanks. I'll keep looking at different suppliers and see what I find.

These looked quite good:
Sandblech aus GFK preiswert kaufen und mieten im Online-Shop von sandbleche.de
Sand ladders definitely not bridges