How has nobody thought of this yet?
Ford has filed a patent for various dual-function sand ladders or traction boards (the terms are interchangeable) scattered around the exterior of an SUV or truck like the Ford F-150 Raptor. CarBuzz discovered the patent filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
In simple terms, Ford has realized that several exterior components can serve a primary and secondary function. It then had a long hard look at its vehicles and saw that components like running boards, hood vents, and door beams could all double as traction boards. The same is true for the grille, bumper, and tailgate inserts.
It doesn't take a genius to figure this one out. If you dig your Raptor in too deep, you simply remove the side steps, place them in front of the tires for a quick recovery, and pop them back on once a heroic self-recovery has been completed.
As you can see from the patent images, side steps with a grippy surface can easily work as makeshift traction boards, which would be the secondary function. These steps could be wider than the current side steps on a Raptor, but the length is perfect for building up just enough momentum to get free. The two steps are mounted to the body via a quick-release mounting system strong enough to support passengers, which is the primary function.
Ford could have stopped there, but the engineers looked at other parts that could serve a secondary function as a self-recovery device. It found multiple exterior adornments, including the grille, bumper, and tailgate inserts. For it to work, Ford will have to construct said parts out of more robust materials and make it easy to uninstall and replace those parts from the body, but that's it.
You could use the grille and tailgate-mounted ladders if the truck is buried too deep to access the side-step ladders, and all of these add-ons can be designed to be interlocking, creating an even larger traction board.
The patent images also show door beams doubling as sand ladders. This feature is perfect for a vehicle with removable doorslike the Bronco Riptide.
Does this invention have any chance of making it into production? We think so. These dual-purpose sand ladders are perfect for off-roaders and overlanders who want to maintain an OEM look and feel, and we wouldn't be surprised to see these items appear at SEMA 2023.
You might be wondering why this was necessary, considering that a set of sand ladders is one of the cheapest off-road accessories you can buy. But if you've been on an overland trip, you'll know that sand ladders are bulky and annoying. They use too much space, so most owners opt for some roof or tailgate racks to mount the sand ladders. And few things ruin fuel consumption quite as much as a rack.
Using this method, an owner will always have their sand ladders on hand without impacting the car's aerodynamic efficiency. The vehicle will always be ready for an impromptu off-road expedition because the recovery equipment is permanently attached, ideal if the zombie apocalypse ever happens and you need to head to a bunker in the desert. Let's just hope Ford doesn't charge a fortune for the option.
Keyword: Ford Designs Exterior Body Parts That Double As Traction Boards