How to Mount Recovery Boards on a Truck or SUV: Roof Rack, Bed Rack, Tailgate and Spare-Tire Options
Recovery boards have a storage problem.
They are four feet long, they are filthy after one use, and the back seat is exactly the wrong place for them, both because of the mud and because a loose board in the cab becomes a projectile in a hard stop. Every overland build eventually asks the same question: where do these things live on the outside of the truck?
There is no single right answer, but there is a right answer for your truck and your habits. This guide compares every mounting location, sorts out the board-brand fit question that derails half the forum threads, and finishes with the install details that keep boards from rattling themselves loose. Building out the cab side too? Start at our truck phone mount guide.
Where Should Recovery Boards Go? The Trade-Offs Compared
| Location | Access speed | Noise / aero | Security | What it demands |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roof rack / basket | Slow (climbing) | Highest penalty | Low unless locked | Crossbars or platform |
| Bed rack / bulkhead rail | Fast | Minimal | Good, lockable | A rack system in the bed |
| MOLLE panel | Fast | Minimal | Good | Bedside or swing-out panel |
| Tailgate | Fastest | None | Moderate | Flat mounting surface |
| Spare-tire carrier | Fast | Low | Moderate | Swing-out or tire-mount hardware |
Mount boards where reaching them is easy and you will use them earlier, which is the whole trick to not digging.
Roof Rack and Cargo Basket Mounting
The classic look, and the right call when the bed is full of drawers or a tent. Boards mount to crossbars or a platform through their handle and pin holes, ideally angled or laid flat with the teeth facing away from paint.
Boards flat on a platform catch less wind than boards standing vertical in a basket, and the difference is audible at 70 mph.
The mount points need to land on structure, not span between it.
Boards are light, but they add frontal area, and every pound and inch up top works against a rack's dynamic rating on washboard.
Bed Rack, Bulkhead Rail and MOLLE Mounting for Pickups
Boards ride at chest height, out of the cab, off the roof, and two knobs away from deployment.
The Mountech x BuiltRight Universal Traction Board Mounts were designed around exactly this use. The patent-pending design pairs glass-fiber-reinforced composite bases with adjustable pins that clamp boards flat against a rack, rail or panel you can bolt to.
They are a natural fit on BuiltRight's own Bedside Rack MOLLE System and Bulkhead Accessory Rail, whose panels give you a grid of ready-made hardware points. If you are running the same BuiltRight ecosystem inside the cab, like our F-150 dash mount system, the bed side speaks the same language.
Where we guarantee fit. These mounts are universal by design, so attaching them compatibly with your specific rack is on you. We guarantee compatibility with BuiltRight's Bulkhead Accessory Rail, Bedside Rack MOLLE System and Universal Panels. Everything else is a sound bet, not a promise.
Tailgate and Spare-Tire Mounting for Broncos, Jeeps and SUVs
No bed, no problem. SUV builds put boards on the two flat surfaces they do have.
Tailgate or hatch
Boards mount flat against the gate on standoff hardware. Watch two clearances: the wiper arc on hatch glass, and the added swing weight on a side-hinged gate.
Spare-tire carrier
On Broncos, Wranglers and 4Runners with swing-outs, boards stack against the spare on carrier brackets or a universal mount bolted to the carrier's accessory points. Keep the license plate and third brake light visible; that is a fix-it ticket in most states.
Either way, boards on the back of the vehicle stay reachable in about ten seconds, which is the fastest deployment of any option here.
MAXTRAX, TRED, Action Trax, Rhino, X-BULL
Here is the argument that fills every forum thread: brand-specific mounting pins are machined for one board's hole pattern, so a MAXTRAX pin set will not grab your buddy's TRED boards, and the moment you replace or add boards you are buying mounts again.
An adjustable universal mount sidesteps the debate. The Mountech x BuiltRight mounts adjust across a 5" to 11" pin range, which covers the major boards on the market.
| Board brand | Fits the 5"–11" adjustable range |
|---|---|
| MAXTRAX (MKII, Xtreme) | Yes |
| ARB TRED (Pro, HD) | Yes |
| Action Trax | Yes |
| Rhino USA | Yes |
| X-BULL | Yes |
Mixed stacks work too: the pins clamp whatever combination sits between them, so a pair of MAXTRAX and a pair of budget boards ride on the same hardware.
DIY brackets? Respect to the fabricators, and a shop-built bracket is genuinely fine for one board brand on one truck. What you give up is adjustability, corrosion-resistant hardware, and the clamping preload that stops rattle, which brings us to the install.
Stopping the Rattle, and Locking Your Boards
Rattling boards are the number one complaint with every mounting system, and the fix is preload. Boards should be clamped under tension, not hung on pins with slop.
- Set the pin spacing so the boards seat fully against the bases
- Tighten the knobs until the stack is compressed and cannot chatter
- Land the mounting bolts on structure, with washers backing them
- Recheck after your first dusty drive. Boards settle
If your hardware passes through a MOLLE panel or rack slat, snug is correct; gorilla-tight on composite is not. For security, boards in exposed locations walk away at trailheads. Locking knob and cable options exist across the industry; at minimum, a cable lock through the board handles and around the rack costs almost nothing.
Recovery Board Mounting FAQs
Will boards fit with a topper or camper shell?
Yes, on the topper's roof rails or a rear ladder rack, using the same clamp-style mounting. Confirm your topper's roof load rating first.
Can I stack multiple boards on one mount?
That is the standard setup. A pair per mount set is typical, and the preload clamping is what keeps a stack quiet.
How do I actually use traction boards once they are mounted?
Deploy early, before you are axle-deep. Clear loose material from in front of the tires, wedge the boards teeth-up under the leading edge of the tire, and drive out under low, steady throttle. No wheelspin: spinning tires melt the teeth on composite boards.
Do the mounts fit round-bar roof racks?
The bases are designed for flat mounting surfaces such as racks, rails, panels and gates. Round crossbars need a flat adapter plate between bar and base.
One mount, every board brand
A 5" to 11" adjustable pin range, composite bases, and a lifetime warranty against defects.
