MaxTrax Recovery Boards Rescue Your Camper From Sticky Situations (REVIEW 2023)

31 August, 2020 by Sebastian Santabarbara

When it comes to stocking up with the best gear for an adventure, you should never leave home without a set of MaxTrax recovery boards.

If you’re the kind of person that likes to adventure off the beaten track, then the chances are you’re going to find yourself in a sticky situation sooner rather than later. Sand, mud, and snow can be the gateways to adventure, but they can also be a vanlifers downfall too.

It is impossible to predict what terrain might be up ahead, but MaxTrax recovery boards take the stress out of overcoming annoying obstacles and keep you on the road where you belong.

Feature Image Credit: @greathim

MaxTrax Recovery Tracks – Take Matters Into Your Own Hands!

What are MaxTrax?

MaxTrax recovery tracks are essentially super-strong plastic ramps that you can use to get your campervan or RV out of any trouble you might find yourself in. While they might not be good in a hostage situation, they’re handy for just about everything else.

You’ve probably seen these bright-orange boards on campers up and down the country and might not have known what they were for. They’re the lightest vehicle extraction devices on the market and can be carried in or on any campervan.

How Big Are They?

Measuring just 1150mm long and 330mm wide, these MaxTrax MKII are hardly what you would call obtrusive items. Each track is 85mm tall and both stack together at a combined height of 3.5inches.

That makes them small enough to slot inside a cupboard, mount on a door, or even chuck behind your drivers seat.

Don’t be fooled by their thin size, however. These things are used by professional Overlanders in every terrain from sand dunes to snow drifts.

How Do MaxTrax Work?

With a set of MaxTrax on board, you won’t get panicky about getting stuck. Each board has a set of rugged teeth that interlock with the tread on your tyres, giving you a firm surface to grip onto no matter where you are.

The edge of each end of the recovery tracks is shaped like a shovel. With the addition of easy-to-hold handles, you can dig a path for your vehicle and then give it a stable surface to drive on, all with the same piece of equipment.

Now that’s what I call clever thinking!

Each recovery track that MaxTrax make comes with accessory points that enable you to secure your rescue tracks to the outside of your vehicle. We’ve had them on most of the Four Wheel Campers that we’ve driven around the states, and boy have they come in handy!

What Are These Recovery Tracks Made Of?

The last thing that you want is to stick a set of recovery tracks underneath your wheels and find out that they have the structural integrity of a wafer-thin biscuit. That’s one problem you won’t have with MaxTrax.

Each recovery extraction board uses super tough, engineering-grade, reinforced nylon. I think my auntie bought me a jumper that was made of the same material once; I could hardly move in it!

The super-space-age nylon has UV stabilised qualities. But the most impressive part about these tracks is that they are totally flexible. That means that they will work with the terrain underneath your tyre and not shatter when you’re trying to escape from uneven ground.

Impressively, Queensland University managed to wrap one around a 33-inch-tyre without it breaking. I don’t think that’s something that you’ll ever need to do while living the van life, but I guess I could be wrong!

Choosing The Right MaxTrax

There are three sets of MaxTrax products available; the MKII described above, the XTREME series, and the Mini & Jaxbase range.

XTREME

MaxTrax XTREME in the snow

If you thought that the MKII boards were impressive, then the XTREME range will blow you away. Each XTREME recovery track comes with 88 anodised-steel teeth that can be replaced if they become damaged. They come in a variety of colours including black for stealth camper vans.

These recovery tracks are for people who drive aggressively as an occupation. We’re talking covert military units and off-road rally champions. They’re used regularly by 4WD off-road driver trainers and off grid adventure leaders too. Basically, anyone who treats the world as one big playground.

If you’re the kind of person that likes to turn first and consult the sat nav later, then you need a pair of these onboard.

Mini & Jaxbase

MaxTrax Mini under a Dune Buggy

The Mini MaxTrax series is perfect for smaller vehicles. They’re great for the kind of ATV you might drive up into the back of your Project M camper. They’re perfect for trailers too and can be used by smaller campers and cars.

Buy a set of recovery tracks with a Jaxbase, and they can be used to provide a solid surface for jacking up your trailer to replace a tyre, even on sand.

With a size of 640mm X 330mm and weighing in at just under 2kg per board, you could probably carry these things under your arm!

Why Choose MaxTrax?

The signature safety-orange colour is instantly recognisable, and we see it everywhere we go. The brand is a favourite of RV, 4WD, and camper van enthusiasts the world over.

If that’s not a reason to buy a pair, then I don’t know what is!

These recovery tracks are made with adventure in mind. Each one is made and designed in Australia and tested in the toughest, harshest terrains on the planet. And I’m not just talking about being messed about with in a university lab!

If you’re looking for a lightweight recovery solution that won’t let you down in stressful situations, then look no further. If we had our way, every van would come with a pair of these. Especially ones that I end up driving!

Do you own a set of MaxTrax recovery boards? If so, then what’s the stickiest situation that you’ve had to dig yourself out of?

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