Latest News from TrailMax

What Are Recovery Boards?

Recovery Boards, also known as traction boards or sand ladders, are essential tools for off-road enthusiasts. They are flat, durable boards designed to provide a solid grip for vehicle tires when stuck in challenging terrain such as mud, sand, or snow. By placing the boards under the tires, they create a stable surface that helps the vehicle regain traction and drive out of tricky spots.

How Are Recovery Boards Useful?

• Recovery boards are incredibly versatile and beneficial for several reasons:
• Self-Recovery: They enable drivers to recover their vehicles without external help, making them invaluable for solo travelers.
• Ease of Use: Simply place the boards under the tires and drive out – no mechanical skills required.
• Versatility: Suitable for various terrains, including mud, sand, and snow.
• Lightweight and Portable: Most recovery boards are made from lightweight materials, making them easy to carry and store.

Benefits of Carrying Recovery Boards on 4×4 Trips

1. Independence: Having recovery boards means you don’t have to rely on tow services or fellow off-roaders for assistance.
2. Safety: They provide a safer recovery option compared to traditional methods like towing, which can be dangerous if not done correctly.
3. Convenience: Recovery boards are quick and easy to use, saving time and effort in recovery situations.
4. Multi-Use: They can also serve as shovels, leveling blocks, or even makeshift bridges over small obstacles.

Cons of Recovery Boards

Despite their many benefits, recovery boards do have some downsides:

• Space Consumption: They can take up valuable storage space in your vehicle.
• Weight: While generally lightweight, carrying multiple boards can add noticeable weight.
• Maintenance: Boards can get damaged or worn out over time, especially with frequent use on rough terrains.

Mounting Options for Recovery Boards

Effective mounting solutions are essential to address the space and convenience issues associated with recovery boards. Here’s where our new recovery board bracket comes into play.

Features to Look for in a Recovery Board Mounting Kit

When choosing a mounting kit for your recovery boards, consider the following features to ensure it meets your needs:

1. Lightweight Construction: Ensure the brackets use high quality materials like Alloy and 316 Stainless Steel to reduce significant weight and ensure its robust.
2. Versatile Mounting Options: Enssure they are compatible with various rack brands and can mount both in the flat and angled position.
3. Capacity: Ensure they are able to hold up to four recovery boards, maximizing storage efficiency.
4. Foldable Locating Pins: Pins that can be folded down when not in use reduce overall vehicle height and allowing your vehicle to fit into low-clearance spaces like garages and multi-level car parks.
5. Robust Retaining System: Look for a lightweight, easy to use retaining system like cam straps to secure the boards firmly, preventing any movement during transit.
6. Anti-Theft Features: Ability to fasten a padlock, providing an extra layer of security against theft.
7. Compatibility: Designed to work with all major recovery board brands on the market, providing flexibility and convenience.

and the best bit?

Our newly released recovery board bracket is designed with the modern off-roader in mind. We started from scratch to ensure it not only looks amazing but is also lightweight, strong, and easy to use. Our bracket meets all the essential features outlined above, making it the perfect solution for securely mounting your recovery boards.

By investing in our recovery board bracket, you ensure your recovery boards are always accessible, securely stored, and ready for use whenever you need them.

By investing in our recovery board bracket, you ensure your recovery boards are always accessible, securely stored, and ready for use whenever you need them.

 

Gone are the days of tapping into wires at the rear of the headlight assembly to access the high-beam output. The high-beam output is used when wiring light bars and driving lights. 

New generation vehicles, such as the Toyota Landcruiser 300 Series and the Ford Next-Gen Ranger/Raptor, lack a high-beam signal wire at the rear of the headlight assembly. In essence, this means that forward-facing lights cannot be legally wired, as the law requires such lights to be wired to a high-beam circuit.

The simple solution is to install a CAN Bus module, which provides the high-beam output, to use as a trigger for the light circuit.

Be mindful when selecting a particular CAN Bus to purchase, as some can be rather complex to install. To keep installation simple, select a brand that is fitted using just a power connection and CAN Hi/Lo wires.

Our TrailMax brand of CAN Bus has been pre-programmed for the vehicle’s CAN data and developed for easy installation. Featuring a compact housing, and three outputs for low-beam, high-beam and park lights. This means you can wire your accessory lights how you want them

 

Making a decision on what roof rack you need seems complex but it’s actually not.

Selecting a 4×4 roof rack can be a little daunting. There are many different brands and types available and it also depends much on what you already have on your vehicle. Some vehicles have factory roof rails and some do not. But it all comes down to what you actually require the rack for.

If you require mounting a ladder or a kayak then a couple of roof bars is probably all you need. But if you want more flexibility in what you want on your roof then you will probably need a platform of some sort. A platform rack means you can mount pretty much anything but you will also need to look at what maximum weight the rack is rated to.

Whether it’s a solar panel that feeds your second battery, or a few swags, the purpose of roof racks is to gain additional storage to free your cab and tray. Mountain bikes, Jerry cans, spare wheels, surfboards, kayaks, rooftop tents and  boats are just some items commonly transported on the roof of a 4WD.

Reducing wind loading and lowering centre of gravity is vital in selecting your rack.

Roof Rack Wind Loading

You will see many 4×4 roof racks that are mounted quite high and also have large bulky sides. This can cause unnecessary wind loading which will reduce your fuel economy, increase vehicle instability at higher speeds and during high winds, and also have potential for increased wind noise. It’s important when selecting a roof rack to take this all on board. Look for a rack that is low profile and streamline in shape and design.

Roof Rack Height

The total height apart from the obvious decreased parking options also has an impact on the vehicle center of gravity. The higher you mount weight on your roof your center of gravity will increase in height. This increased center of gravity height will increase vehicle instability and increase possibility of roll over. This is then exaggerated with increased weight. Look for a rack that is low but also has height adjustment. This will allow you to lower the rack if your 4×4 has no sunroof.

Roof Rack Weight

The weight of the load itself is important but also the racks weight needs to be taken into account. The combined weight of rack and load is important as most vehicles will provide a maximum the roof will be able to take. Please always check this and make sure you do not exceed this as it can void vehicle insurance in some cases. Most 4×4’s will take a maximum of 100 kg so that means if your rack weighs 30kg you can only add an additional 70kg of load. So the more your rack weighs the less you can carry. This is a fine line of strength vs carrying capacity. Look for a high rated rack that is also light.

All important looks

Then after all of this has been investigated and you have a few options that fit your requirements it can come down to looks of your 4×4 roof rack. Choose a rack that matches the look you are going for with your vehicle. I know this point is not important however we all love our 4×4’s and if functionality is met then why not also have it look great. You can go for several looks. For example basic occasional road user, function only  tradie rack or then heavy duty off road military style. The choice is yours which is what makes accessorizing your 4×4 so fun.

Your roof rack selection checklist

Creating your checklist is important

• streamline design for reduced wind loading and noise
• low profile for centre of gravity
• can it carry what you need it to?
• is it rated to carry your load in kg’s?
• is it light enough to enable full use of roof capacity
• and do you love the look because its your car

It’s actually extremely simple… Check your rack capacity. Then check your vehicle’s capacity.

There has been much hype and hysteria about 4×4 roof rack load limits over the past few months. Some people love creating drama in order to boost views and followers however it really does not help anyone. It’s all about a bit of common sense and looking at some basic data. 

So here it is from an Engineers point of view…

When you design any aftermarket product there are a few main factors that come into it.

• Design a great looking product that does what you need it to do
• Have it interface as easily and robustly to the OEM product you are designing it for
• Carry out rigorous durability and load testing to ensure longevity
• Carry out any certification testing required to meet Australian Standards
• Based on the above, provide ratings and user limitations for the product.

Now this is a very simplified list and there are many other factors that also come into it.

And this is where we lead into vehicle interfacing…

No designer of aftermarket products have any control over the specifications and load limits vehicle manufacturers apply to their vehicles. This also means they have no notification of any changes made to these manufacturer specifications throughout the vehicles life. And trust me, vehicle manufacturers make changes extremely often.

The main thing this can have an effect on is fitment. Quite often the first we know of a change in vehicle design is when our product no longer fits. This however is easy to see and resolve. On the flip side a change in a specification or rating is not so easy for us to know of. 

So with this in mind there are two things that need to be adhered to.

As with any aftermarket product it is the responsibility of the user to ensure both the product’s limits and the vehicle limits are both adhered to. So in this case with roof rack loading, you always need to make sure you first don’t exceed the racks’ capacity. Then you have to make sure the rack and its load does not exceed your vehicle’s roof load limits, which is provided in your vehicle owners user manual.

And this is where it’s all been overhyped. It’s actually extremely simple…

1. Check your rack capacity
2. Check your vehicle’s capacity
3. Ensure you always comply with both.

If you are within both then you will never have an issue.

Each roof rack manufacturer will have different ratings for their own product. When making a purchase ensure these work for your situation and requirements. Some have more limitations than others in regards to on and off road capacity and it all comes down to what they designed it to be used for.

TrailMax racks have all been designed for off road use so its dynamic rating will always be its off road rating also.