Traction Jack & Yeti cooler mod
Recovery gear re-purposed….
When buying new products I always try and imagine if they could be used for other applications aside from their original intended use. Overlanding and vehicle based travel offers you limited cargo space and it’s very important to get as much use out of all the gear that you carry. If a product can fill more than one purpose, it enhances your overall traveling efficiency and could possibly lead to less items needed for your trip.
Traction Jacks are off-road folding recovery boards that have the sole purpose of getting drivers unstuck without the need for a winch or a tow truck. They are perfect for the sandy, muddy trails here in Florida and the snowy areas in the rest of the country. The concept is pretty simple: unfold each board, place them in front of each stuck tire and slowly drive over the boards allowing your tires to get traction and drive over the sand, mud or snow. Traction Jacks are the only folding boards on the market (that I’m aware of) designed to fit in the back of your rig or even in the trunk of a car. They are also the longest board giving you additional space to get your wheels moving. At first glance of the Traction Jack recovery treds, I knew exactly what the other purpose was for them…a platform for the Yeti!
Items needed:
- 2 – 36″ steel rods from Ace Hardware 1/4″ in diameter
- a tape measure
- something to bend them with
- a little creativity
The stock rod is on top. I calculated the distance for the width of the platform and made the first bends
With the first bend made, I needed to make 2 additional bends as “J” hooks to grab the factory mounting holes of the Traction Jacks
I repeated the process for the other rod and test fit the new platform
With the cooler in place, the top of the Yeti’s lid matches the height of my tailgate
Another angle
The Rods bend a little but can easily support the weight of the Yeti filled with ice and beverages
