Grouptyre Provides 4×4 Response Wales with Maxxis Tyre Trial

A newly-launched volunteer organisation that works alongside Emergency Planning officers and provides logistical support to the emergency services, local authorities and GPs in the event of severe weather conditions and emergency situations, is considering switching its vehicle fleet to Maxxis 4×4 tyres. 4×4 Response Wales is currently trialling the Maxxis Bravo all-terrain tyre after Grouptyre, the country’s leading independent tyre wholesaler and exclusive distributor of Maxxis 4×4 tyres in the UK, agreed to supply a test set of tyres for evaluation purposes.

“Our members are currently using a variety of tyres…but we have heard good things about Maxxis and, pending a positive evaluation, we are seriously contemplating switching,” says 4×4 Response Wales co-ordinator Mark Margetts. “Since our team of volunteers use and maintain their own vehicles, they are very interested in a brand of tyre which is robust, absolutely reliable and affordable, and we are most grateful to Grouptyre for giving us this opportunity to see just what Maxxis can do.”

4×4 Response Wales is part of a national 4×4 response network. There are 15 groups throughout the UK, which can be called upon at short notice to provide appropriate logistical support. These groups work with existing search and rescue organisations when they require extra 4×4 vehicles to transport equipment or personnel, and get involved in cleaning up programmes and humanitarian work. Several members assisted with Operation Aquarius, delivering bottled water to residents in Gloucestershire following the 2007 floods.

When a team established in Powys in 2006 grew to 120 members, it was the catalyst for the formation of 4×4 Response Wales. The new group has applied to the Welsh Assembly Government for a grant to train volunteers and provide essential equipment, such as recovery ropes and shackles, blankets and fire extinguishers, and is aiming to swell its membership base to around 250 by the end of this year.

Members include HGV drivers, IT consultants, farmers and sales representatives and require no previous off-road experience because all volunteers undergo training and assessment in the Radnor Forest to bring them up to responder status. They also learn first aid, the safe use of recovery equipment and basic survival skills.

4×4 Response Wales is currently talking to the police and fire services about the kind of support it can offer them and is conducting training for the Red Cross, which recently took delivery of 110 Land Rovers.

Maxxis says that it offers one of the largest ranges of off-road, on/off-road and road-going tyres in the UK, including the biggest complete range to fit Land Rover 16” rims and other extreme patterns like the Buckshot Mudder (MT-754), Creepy Crawler (M-8090) and Trepador Radial (M-8060).