bridging bars with PAPs

[mowerman]

I have been reading the thread about the Smittybilt sand ladders like the Maxtrax, and also seen Scotts test of various types of sand ladder, and wondered if anyone had used bridging bars with aluminium sand ladders (PAPs)?
The sinlgle PAP is too lightweight to use as a bridging ladder on its own, but I have just bought a pair and bolted some steel box to the back to see if they would work as bridging ladders





The above is a single 4mm aluminium PAP made by Safari Equip, with 2 x 4 foot lengths of Unistrut 41mm x 41mm bolted to the back.
As you can see there is no flex at all, and the Unistrut can be unbolted and stowed away easily and quickly.
I think Unistrut may be called Superstrut in the US, but it seems to work well and means the PAP can be used as a pair if bridging ladders aswell.
I hope you find this interesting

 

[LR Max]

You can't do that. It makes too much sense.

 

[Scott Brady]

Great idea. I wonder how two sections of aluminum angle welded to the bottom would do?

 

[97discosd]

Wow! Very cool idea

 

[mowerman]

it does seem to work well, and the PAP with 2 lengths of Unistrut bolted to it weighs about the same as the 'waffle board' fibre glass boards that are very popular here in the UK, so there is no real weight gain but I think overall this set up is more versatile.
I am thinking of that I can do with the Unistrut to maximise its usage - like supports for a table or something.

 

[mowerman]

Great idea. I wonder how two sections of aluminum angle welded to the bottom would do?

give it a try!
The weight gain would be low, so you may make a useful (sometimes) product that much more worthwhile

 

[sixbennetts]

More pics please of how you did this? Cost? Suppliers?

Very interested.

 

[mowerman]

I shall sort some more pics out tomorrow, but I'm not sure about suppliers in US.
Here in the uk 3 metres of Unistrut (Superstrut) galvanised in 41mm x 41mm square is about $20.
I will use 2 x 4 foot peices for each sand ladder, dont think it needs 3 per ladder

 

[mowerman]

few more pics...

bars look like this:-







PAP is a bit bent, but it was like that when I got them second hand:-



I used M10 bolts and large flat washers:-



SO I could reduce the height (so they sit lower on the rack) I turned the bars round and bolted them through from the inside. The bolts don't really do anything to be honest, they just hold the PAP onto the bars, there is no real stress on the bolts.
My plan is to keep one PAP fitted up as shown, and the other bridging bars will sit on the rack on my hi lift mount, to be used when needed. I can fit the bars on in a few minutes and the bolts only need to be hand tight.

 

[cruiserpilot]

So the PAP is aluminum, so no weight penalties. I will look into this here, the strut looks to be 4.75 mm.
I'm impressed. I need to say to LR Max - Quote of the Year! "You can't do that. It makes too much sense. " ********!

 

[frgtwn]

What a good idea.

http://www.unistruthawaii.com/content/p1000t-1-58-x-1-58-12-gage-slotted-0

Yes, unistrut is available all over the US. A way to make this much stronger is to mount the unistrut 180 degrees from what is shown in the photograph. Also, by using the proprietary channel nuts, taking them off and on would be easy.

1 5/8" unistrut is about 2 lbs per foot.

And, as many know, there's only one's imagination limiting what can be accomplished with unistrut.

Dale

 

[mowerman]

Channel nuts would be good

 

[jscherb]

Thanks for the idea! I picked up some Superstrut at my local Lowes and some channel nuts at my local Fastenal and implemented your idea. It worked out very well: http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...u-outfit-this-custom-LJ?p=2008600#post2008600

 

[mowerman]

Thanks for the idea! I picked up some Superstrut at my local Lowes and some channel nuts at my local Fastenal and implemented your idea. It worked out very well: http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...u-outfit-this-custom-LJ?p=2008600#post2008600

That's really good, I just chucked the bars on but you have given it a lot of thought and really improved the idea.
I like the channel nuts and the tapered ends. I actually keep one with the bars on and one without, as often I need either one set up or the other but rarely both at once.

 

[jscherb]

That's really good, I just chucked the bars on but you have given it a lot of thought and really improved the idea.
I like the channel nuts and the tapered ends. I actually keep one with the bars on and one without, as often I need either one set up or the other but rarely both at once.

Thanks. I agree that they might be needed with or without the bars, that's why I used 1/2" bolts - the head is the same size as the Wrangler's lug wrench, so it's easy to remove or add the bars when on the trail, no extra tools required because the lug wrench will always be in the Jeep .

Thanks again for the idea!