New self recovery tool
- Thread starter Pillowtrack
- Start date
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.
NLXTACY
Wits' End
Got to be honest, this video played as a comedy. First situation non of us would have attempted straight on. Second situation is not knowing how to drive in sand (for example the tires look fully inflated). Third situation, and on, look like issues that shouldn't have warranted using this thing. Lockers would have solved pretty much everything there. Mud would render the pillows useless. They look ridiculous. You have to air them up or keep them aired up in which case they take up too much space. For my money, IF I was going to rock anything it would just be sand ladders. My 2¢
Last edited:
I agree with NLXTACY. Also in the sand scene, it looks like a different spot after being stuck(not like 5 seconds before in the video). If you are trying to sell these, at least make a tailpipe fitting for inflation. I wouldn't buy these either. My buddies would think I was wearing pink panties. Sorry.
Interesting idea but I don't think it is going to sell well, too many other more practical products already on the market.
what country are these guys in? Israel?
bags look reasonably sturdy. Not so much the inflation tube (and valve?) and the foam on top of the bag.
The idea of blowing one up with your mouth is a bit much...
punctures on rocks?
I can see that working in some cases. If inexpensive enough, might be OK for sand in particular.
bags look reasonably sturdy. Not so much the inflation tube (and valve?) and the foam on top of the bag.
The idea of blowing one up with your mouth is a bit much...
punctures on rocks?
I can see that working in some cases. If inexpensive enough, might be OK for sand in particular.
Looks like a good idea. Not sure how it would work in mud, but it looks very usable in any dry situations. The bag looks robust enough to take a fair bit of abuse. I like how it can put under an airborn tire and then be inflated.
How much?
How much?
WOW. Have you looked at what these cost. Just looked it up. $295 US! The part I found dumb was blowing up with your mouth. Give me a break. Nothing A couple of 2X6 or 4X4 boards wouldn't solve. But hey I guess someone out there has to sell useless stuff for a lot of money!
But hey it's just my $2 (inflation these days! LOL)
But hey it's just my $2 (inflation these days! LOL)
WOW. Have you looked at what these cost. Just looked it up. $295 US! The part I found dumb was blowing up with your mouth. Give me a break. Nothing A couple of 2X6 or 4X4 boards wouldn't solve. But hey I guess someone out there has to sell useless stuff for a lot of money!
But hey it's just my $2 (inflation these days! LOL)
But hey it's just my $2 (inflation these days! LOL)
Josie'sLandCruiser
Stop calling it a "FJ."
Hi All:
Seems like an O.K. product for the mild-wheeler/clue-less greenhorn.
Like has been mentioned, better equipment (locking diffs, or more aggressive tires) or better technique (crossing the ditch at a 45 degree angle, or lowering tire pressure by half) would handle most, if not all the situations pictured.
But, there are many folks out there with stock 4wd vehicles who are not 4x4 nuts, or particularly experienced in off-road driving.
$295 each is mighty pricey, however!
Regards,
Alan
Seems like an O.K. product for the mild-wheeler/clue-less greenhorn.
Like has been mentioned, better equipment (locking diffs, or more aggressive tires) or better technique (crossing the ditch at a 45 degree angle, or lowering tire pressure by half) would handle most, if not all the situations pictured.
But, there are many folks out there with stock 4wd vehicles who are not 4x4 nuts, or particularly experienced in off-road driving.
$295 each is mighty pricey, however!
Regards,
Alan
NLXTACY
Wits' End
The price and the fact that its not a passive system is a lose-lose in my book.
Mark W
Yep, I really don't really care that much I guess.
You have to be kidding..... really... I did not see the need for those even in their own video.... those same rigs could have driven through those spots without them.
Might sell well in a Cabela's catalog or a similar market for the clueless guys who love to buy "cool stuff" that way but don't have any real world time off road.
Mark...
Might sell well in a Cabela's catalog or a similar market for the clueless guys who love to buy "cool stuff" that way but don't have any real world time off road.
Mark...
Wile E Coyote
Out in the streets, they call it murder!
The $295 is for a kit which is 2 pillow tracks, 2 air bladders, and a carrying case. Not $295 each.
The best use of those would be by a rookie wheeler in high-centered situation, on a stock or mildly-built rig (read: no place for a hi-lift, no winch, no rack for sand ladders, etc). Lighter, quicker, and safer than a Hi-lift, but def. more limited in it's uses.
Whether we may or may not find ourselves approaching similar obstacles exactly as they did is irrelevant to the performance of the product. Anyone with a bit of imagination could figure out if these things would be useful to them.
The best use of those would be by a rookie wheeler in high-centered situation, on a stock or mildly-built rig (read: no place for a hi-lift, no winch, no rack for sand ladders, etc). Lighter, quicker, and safer than a Hi-lift, but def. more limited in it's uses.
Whether we may or may not find ourselves approaching similar obstacles exactly as they did is irrelevant to the performance of the product. Anyone with a bit of imagination could figure out if these things would be useful to them.
- Thread starter
- #14
Thank you for the constructive feedback and comments.
The Pillowtracks are designed to be a compact, mobile, self recovery tool for vehicles up to 7000Lb (3.5 tons).
Nevertheless, ther are it has additional uses … 
Last edited:
Cruiserdrew
On the way there
For some reason they remind me of the blow up things kids wear on their arms when they can't swim.
I could see situations where they might prove useful if there is nothing else that one could readily get a hold of to place under a tire for added traction or to fill in a depression. I am curious as to how long it takes to inflate one. Last weekend at a club seminar on recovery techniques we tried an airbag to lift a Jeep YJ. At first they tried a small 12V plastic type compressor without any success. It couldn't even inflate the hose to the airbag! Finally we ended up using someone's OBA engine driven compressor which still took several minutes to inflate. The airbag we used probably had the same volume as 2-3 of the Pillowtrack products but not sure of the air pressure, but it was low. For CAN$430 (US$380) I can get an EP9.0 Superwinch, which is my next purchase!
- Thread starter
- #18
It would take about 2-4 minutes to inflate depending on recovery situation and compressor type.
Using a simple 1L hand pump you could actually list a CJ – see attached.
(As for floating: never tested it, but I reckon 8 Pillowtracks would float a Suzuki Samurai J )
I think it's a clever idea for the general market but not suitable for the off-roading crowd. I would much rather carry my fiberglass bridging ladders which would have worked for all of those situations (not that I would have gotten stuck in those places) and they don't depend on an inflation method, can't be punctured, and can be used as actual bridges over much deeper ruts than what's shown in the video.
I commend the concept though and I think it could be a very useful tool for the casual dirt road explorer who may come across a washout or some unexpected deep sand. I think there is a market for those through Cabella's (as mentioned) or other such camping/hunting type outlets.
As one word of advise, the video should show the tool being used in the same position as the vehicle was stuck it - it takes away from some of the legitamacy when it's so obvious that they are not rescuing themselves from the previously shown "stuck" position.
I commend the concept though and I think it could be a very useful tool for the casual dirt road explorer who may come across a washout or some unexpected deep sand. I think there is a market for those through Cabella's (as mentioned) or other such camping/hunting type outlets.
As one word of advise, the video should show the tool being used in the same position as the vehicle was stuck it - it takes away from some of the legitamacy when it's so obvious that they are not rescuing themselves from the previously shown "stuck" position.
I can't see spending $300 on anything of this caliber. I can find much better uses for the money that would be more useful. You might be able to snag yuppies that are off roading novices and more money than brains. Sorry, my .02!