GRIP TRACK

[DEEANDEM]

Hi

Has any campers tried out Grip track for getting out of wet ground

Or is there a better product on the market.

 

Derrick

[twooks]

Not tried any, try to avoid the problem in the first place , but lots of people recommend bread trays

[Guest starspirit]

The yellow plastic things are a waste of space unless the ground is hard and it is just slippery grass going up a gradient.

 

Some folks use the bottom section of plastic bread trays but these are a bit big and a bit messy to handle when muddy.

 

I have some steel Canadian snow grips that look like a type of folding bear trap when you unfold them and they have worked a time or two but even they failed once when the ground was so soft that all four wheels had sunk and I had to jack the van up to insert some bricks and stones under the front wheels to get out - followed by a shower and fresh clothes!

 

I now use 4 bits of 12" square pieces of half inch thick marine ply on which I always park all four wheels on grass and have not got stuck since. The wood, being flat, spreads the load away from the circular centre of the tyre and also gives the tyre something to grip on that vital first few inches of movement when spin usually occurs.

 

Most mornings you can just drive a foot or so off the wood and collect them up before leaving as they will not have sunk whereas tyres alone would have dropped an inch or two into a cosy little pit without the wood to spread the load.

 

Each square has a string loop in one corner to pick them up with after you have driven to a hard spot and they all fit into a Tesco carrier bag which can be changed at no cost when it gets grotty.

 

I have seen the same idea but attaching them to the van with a lanyard and the only problem with that is they can tumble about and jam whilst driving off causing some body damage - so I just keep it simple and cheap - bit like me really I suppose.

[david mcmillan]

I bought a set of 'Grip Tracks' 2 years ago at the York Motorhome Show (not snow mats) which are like rope ladders and I have used them on 2 occasions. The first use was a dismal failure as they failed to extricate the VW T4 from winter deep mud as the wheels simply spun on the step-up of the first rung despite me having used the mallet, supplied with the kit, to drive the rung well into the ground in front of the wheel. The substantial spikes on the rung simply carved treads in the watery mud on the tyre! I had put the 'Grip Tracks' in place before the wheels started to sink into the ground. I had to borrow a spade with which I dug ramped channels for the wheels before I succeeded in getting the 'van back to solid ground!

The second time I used them was on less slippery but still deep mud and I fared better, but it took a lot of effort and time, was only partly successful, and only worked in conjunction with 'Grip Mats'. In the process the 'super strong' cords on both ladders were broken (I don't know how stress was put on them).

The plastic mats are only good for parking on and despite them bending into the ground under the weight of the vehicle I have always managed to make an effective start from them. But try to get the wheels onto them once your 'van is stuck and you will find that the wheels simply spin on the edge of the mat ( I have known the tyres to melt the edges of the mats without getting onto them!).

[Mel E]

There have been long previous discussions on this topic - I suggest a search of the archive could prove useful.