TESTED: TRUFIT MAXTRAC 3D FLOOR MATS

SET-AND-FORGET CARPET PROTECTION, WITH A SET OF TRUFIT 3D MATS.

OF THE 15,000km we’ve covered in our Ford Ranger in the first six months we had it, a large percentage of it was off-road. Trips to the Red Centre, Simpson Desert, Flinders Ranges and the Vic High Country saw us in dust, sand, rocks and mud, so keeping all that dirt out of the floor carpets was a good idea. I’ve used plenty of different protective floor mats over the years, from heavy rubber ones to carpet and plastic ones, but they all have their pros and cons. One of the biggest cons is illfitting mats that slip and move around in the footwell until you end up chucking them out.

For the Ranger, we tried out the 3D Maxtrac moulded mats from Trufit. Trufit has been making moulded replacement carpets for cars for decades, so it knows the importance of a product that fits the contours of the vehicle’s floor, and they’ve applied this knowledge and experience to the 3D mats.

The first thing you notice about the mats when you fit them is that they are a perfect fit for the footwell. We’ve fitted them in both the front and back of the Ranger and they fit like a glove.

And once they’re in, the mats don’t move around at all thanks to the patented ‘Maxpider’ backing that grips into the carpet, kind of like Velcro.

The mats are a three-layer construction: the Maxpider backing; an inner layer that is waterproof, shockproof and offers some sound insulation; and the top layer which can be either a rubber compound or polyester carpet. We’ve gone with the rubber 3D mats to make them easy to keep clean. Simply remove them from the car and shake them off – brush them if required, or hose them off if they’re muddy. Simple and effective protection for carpet and easy to keep clean ... what more could you ask for?

The best part about the 3D mats is that you don’t even know they’re there. They don’t move underfoot, so they never gather or get stuck beneath your boots – they are very much fit and forget. Just pull them out and clean them when needed.

The 3D mats are vehicle specific as they are moulded to each model, and Trufit has a huge range that covers all the popular 4x4 models.