IF YOU ever go off-road driving by yourself, you’d be mad not to carry at least one pair of recovery boards with you; they are, without a doubt, one of the most effective vehicle recovery tools you can carry in your 4x4. And not only are they effective, they are also affordable and easy to use.
WHAT IS A RECOVERY BOARD?
RECOVERY boards are nothing new and have, in fact, been around for as long as the wheel itself. In its most basic form, a recovery board is simply a flat object such as a piece of wood that can be wedged underneath the wheel of a stuck vehicle – whether that be a wheelbarrow, a horse-drawn cart, a car, a truck or, more relevant to us, a four-wheel drive – to get it out of its stuck situation.
Recovery boards have developed over the years from lumps of wood to lengths of steel or aluminium, and interwoven bits of rubber or rubber mats. Prior to the development of modern recovery boards, the most common type used for vehicle recovery since WWII were manufactured from aluminium, due to their combination of strength and light weight, and these were commonly referred to as sand ladders.
But sand ladders have their drawbacks; they are bulky and inflexible, and as they have a smooth surface, they don’t allow tyres to gain easy purchase.
Four-wheel drive guidebook author, Brad McCarthy, developed the first ‘modern’ recovery board manufactured from engineering grade reinforced nylon. Called MaxTrax, he launched the product in 2005 after four years of development. His inspiration? Researching for a book, Brad found himself bogged on a remote beach in Queensland; he spent six hours recovering his vehicle with a hand winch, and afterwards he thought to himself, “There’s got to be an easier way.”
Bu hikaye 4x4 Magazine Australia dergisinin January 2022 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye 4x4 Magazine Australia dergisinin January 2022 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
OUTBACK WATERING HOLES
SINCE OFF TRACK WINES WAS LAUNCHED, OWNERS ANNA AND BRETT FISHER HAVE DRIVEN MORE THAN 20,000KM UP, DOWN AND ACROSS AUSTRALIA SPRUIKING THEIR WINES-IN-A-CAN MADE FOR CAMPING. THEY DROPPED INTO PLENTY OF OUTBACK PUBS ALONG THE WAY AND THESE ARE THEIR SOUTH AUSTRALIAN FAVOURITES
BIG COUNTRY
THE PILBARA IS THE VERY DEFINITION OF BIG COUNTRY, AND THERE IS PLENTY TO SEE, DO AND ENJOY IN THIS ANCIENT LANDSCAPE IN WA'S RUGGED NORTHWEST
ISLAND PARADISE
NEAR THE TOP OF THE BUCKET LIST FOR EVERY AUSSIE FOUR-WHEEL DRIVER, K'GARI IS PACKED WITH STUNNING HIGHLIGHTS AND BOASTS SOME OF THE BEST BEACH DRIVING IN THE COUNTRY
WEIGHTLIFTING
INCREASING THE GVM OF YOUR 4X4 SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN LIGHTLY, BUT BY THE SAME TOKEN SHOULD NOT BE AVOIDED IF YOU NEED IT. WE GO THROUGH THE PROCESS ON OUR FORD RANGER TO EXPLAIN HOW TO GET IT RIGHT
NOW HEAR THIS
THE CEL-FI GO MOBILE BOOSTER WILL KEEP EMAILS, MESSAGES AND CALLS COMING THROUGH TO YOUR DEVICES WHEN EVERYBODY ELSE IS HEARING CRICKETS
LOOKING BACK
A PAIR OF MSA 4X4 TOWING MIRRORS ENSURE WE ALWAYS KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON BEHIND US WHEN WE HAVE A TRAILER HITCHED TO OUR MITSUBISHI TRITON
TRUCKIN' LIFE
CAN FORD AUSTRALIA'S NEW F-150 BE AN ACCOMPLISHED OFF-ROAD TOURING 4X4?
WHAT LURKS BENEATH
IT MAY LOOK LIKE A FAIRLY STANDARD (IF CLEAN) 80 SERIES, BUT DIVE A LITTLE DEEPER AND YOU'LL FIND A MONSTER BELOW THE SURFACE
EYE OF THE HURRICANE
RAM HAS DUMPED ITS HEMI V8FOR A SIX-CYLINDER, AND IT'S COMING TO AUSTRALIA
GETTING TANKED
GWM EXPANDS IT TANK 4X4 RANGE WITH THE LUXURIOUS TANK 500 WAGON