Bridging ladders?

[gmookher]

I mean I can see how they may be a traction aid, its a cool product

kudos

but its like X Jack. Cost too much. ... the knock off product cost a bunch less and is

likely pretty near as useful, I may consider buying that...its like $99 and called Titan or something...northern tool crap
having a viair-almost makes sense right?
.. no.
I dont have any plans on owning one of those titan-pillowjacks either.

I aint getting under there with no inflatable jack titan or exhjack..so I need to carry jack stands.
a hi lift is a great tool to carry if youre off roadin, so i nix'd xjack

the pillows are neat if they can help with traction, say on ICE trying to climb a ledge in a real off road truck, not some Kia crap. 33's, lots of articulation. will it grip on ice with not alot of weight on it when I am fully flexed trying to climb something?

I'd pick up a set of pillowtraks for $99- do you have any ones that are demo'd or used? if if so PM me please.

 

[jwest]

I don't think the bouncy scooting nature would be so good on snow/ice.

 

[gmookher]

I see this same group of people getting hurt trying to use them...just as they do trying to use high-lifts, straps with hooks, ropes, chains, lumber, floor jacks...etc etc.

ya forgot bungees...

 

[MUSKYMAN]

the pillows are neat if they can help with traction, say on ICE trying to climb a ledge in a real off road truck, not some Kia crap. 33's, lots of articulation. will it grip on ice with not alot of weight on it when I am fully flexed trying to climb something?

I'd pick up a set of pillowtraks for $99- do you have any ones that are demo'd or used? if if so PM me please.

Gem

guessing you didnt do much sledding as a kid?

using the poser pillows in the snow or ice makes me picture run away trucks as the tires come up onto them. there really isnt anything stopping them from turning sideways and sliding down a snow covered trail with your truck on top.

envision clark griswold in christmas vacation.

the more I look at them and think about them the less value I can see in them.

 

[peter sherman]

all this pillow talk makes me wish the ol lady was around.
oh ya how about have to find them as they squirt from under your tire & end up 100 yards away. not to mention what happens if they land in you buddies windsheild.
pillows no thanks

 

[antichrist]

I'm thinking Walmart would be a likely place to sell Pillowtracks.

 

[garrett]

You just had to bring up Walmart. Great........there goes my blood pressure.

 

[Pillowtrack]

Really, these silly things are going to get me up a 36" step?

Yes

Just stop the banter. go redesign them.

We do that continuously based on users feedback.

 

[Pillowtrack]

I aint getting under there with no inflatable jack titan or exhjack..

Smart decision,
and please never get under a Pillowtrack lifted vehicle either !!!

We are strictly against using Pillowtracks as a car-jack replacement, even though some people think differently.

(Photo was sent to us from the 2008 Jordan Rally)

 

[antichrist]

You just had to bring up Walmart. Great........there goes my blood pressure.

:rofl: Sorry, couldn't help it, that's what Pillowtrack makes me think of. That, or an "As Seen on TV!" store.

 

[Pillowtrack]

Best wishes to all for a great 2009.

 

[ArmyRover]

why would you bring this thread back.

 

[antichrist]

I was wondering the same thing. Thought maybe there was finally an unstaged video showing how "Pillowtracks has proven to do anything a bridging ladder would do and MUCH more." :rofl:

 

[ArmyRover]

I thought maybe an announcement that they were holding a going out of business sale.

 

[MikenBama]

Hey,

I gotta chime in on the Pillowtrack love-fest. Back in 2004 I was working for a fab company and got asked to fish around online and see if there was any interest in a bridging ladder design that they had come up with. Not being too savvy in the bulletin board department I jumped into a ham-fisted sales pitch, which I have excerpted here:

"These things are ridiculously over-engineered and support about twice the load of other similarly sized metal ladders on the market. Unlike composite grating, they don't deform or clog with mud and get slippery. They also have 45 degree shoulders and an 11" center track, so they are safer. I tried using these solo with no spotter and found it tough to accidentally begin driving off the side once I got started. They utilize machine-folded 12 gauge galvanized steel over a welded steel frame. The frame is made of U-channel on 9" centers. The body has been machine punched with oblong holes that help with traction and drainage. There is a little bit of serration on the ends, so they have decent bite. It is also easy to stake them with metal nail-type tent stakes and fender washers. The holes allow you to get a hand hold on these when tweaking the set-up. The smaller round holes on the Mantec ones don't really let you do that. You can also attach a leash using a 'bineer or winch them out if you commit a major boo-boo. They can be stored longways or sideways in the cargo area and stack tightly face to face with a little offset. The ladders are 48" long by just under 19" wide and just under 6" tall. They are in the 45-55 pound range per section, but they can be used by one person without undue effort."

Although, in retrospect, I am somewhat ashamed to have been a pitch man on here, those damn things worked great. I got a bunch of PMs and email, but kept plugging away on the boards trying to get some positive feedback. It never happened. We did, however, sell a few of those ladders and get to experiment with what was a fundamentally sound design. I eventually made two determinations:

1. if your going to pitch products on a bulletin board you need to come out and say that is exactly what you are doing--and take the heat that goes with it.

2. selling stuff to Rover nuts is a risky undertaking.

Thankfully I didn't have to make a career of it. But I did learn a bunch about ladders. After dabbling with the arched ladders I cannot recommend them at all. The Mantek was solid but expensive. There are some obscure U.K.-built ladders that are also well made but pricey. I was never a fan of light weight planking or any of the waffle board variants. I like using big strips of that ugly green indoor-outdoor carpeting for many applications where the waffles would get used. The thing I liked about those old bridges built by NorAM was the fact that they would hold the load without any drama. No weird flexing, no concern that one weld failure was going trash my truck, no "am I sliding off?" sensation, etc. I kept a pair of those heavy-ass things for three years and then sold them to some guy I met at a gas station near a trail in NC. He is probably still using them.

Hey man, good luck with the "fun bags."

Mike

 

[Pillowtrack]

Hey Mike,

Thanks for the post.

We sure agree with both your determinations:
Bulletin Board pitching comes with lots of heat ? yet it refines ones presentation skills?

And, yes, LR owners are far from being early adapters of anything ))
(This might explain the claim that 75% of LR ever build are still on the road!)

The design of any recovery device, and bridging ladders in particular, is a challenging task, specially when you aim at combining high functionality with low weight, manufacturability and price. Even though we hold a substantial engineering background, the Pillowtrck is a tough challenge.

Using loads of steal in a recovery device is a design option well explored. Using high end fabric technology proved powerful in many other applications (bullet proof vests, jacking, leveling etc.)

Luckily, 4WD owners (other the LR?) are more open for innovation, so we could gain valuable feedback from around the world. This information was already implemented in the new Pillowtrack models. We suspect that the one of extreme Pillowtrack versions will satisfy the needs of even the toughest LR owner J

 

[gmookher]

I went with the waffle boards

unsubscribed..