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snorkels, wading depth and iceland.
- Thread starter chapel gate
- Start date
Just in case you haven't noticed, the OEM auto and transfer breather pipes that terminate at the auto dipstick tube are open, they don't go into the dip stick tube and they don't have any kind of valve on them to stop water getting in.
IMO a snorkel gets you some peace of mind even on crossings that shouldn't really need a snorkel. The depth only has to be momentarily too deep to end up killing your engine and even crossings you or someone you know have done before can change quite dramatically. Depending what you are doing the bow wave from another vehicle can cause you grief with little control over it.
Naturally I agree, but the point I was making is that not having a snorkel makes you less brave (foolhardy) and stops you from trying daft stuff you later regret. Hence I don't have a snorkel on the grey one.
Yet.
Yet.
Gary820
Well-Known Member
Mine are on the bulkhead now tbh Jon out of the way. Coil etc would get wet before water gets near the breathers.
Had snorkels in the past and drove stuff that probably shouldn't have and had a couple of moments! When your bonnet is chest high and disappears under water you know it's deep lol
Had snorkels in the past and drove stuff that probably shouldn't have and had a couple of moments! When your bonnet is chest high and disappears under water you know it's deep lol
I have separated the TB/GB breather from the CDL motor and then run them both up to the bulkhead higher than the OE position at the top of the bell housing, need to get some small filters to cap them off. FWIW on the Discovery ALL breathers were taken to the top of the snorkel, the car would effectively drive under water, deepest I ever got was a flooded rambla and that was waist high, was not sure we were going to get out
, we eventually did but, not so sure I want that to happen again, I must be getting safety conscious as I get older. 
regards
Dave
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moggy1968
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there was a test done on this, can't find the details but it was pretty horrific. basically, most of the 'expert emergency ideas' are bollocks, they just don't work. electric windows will fail. even once the car is completely full of water, you cannot open the doors because of the pressure behind them. Even manual windows can't be opened because of the pressure.Chris you are so right here, on occasions I had to wait for the water to filter in and weigh the car down so I could get traction, DID NOT TAKE LONG that's why no carpets
On the windows though I do not necessarily agree Chris, the positive pressure would undoubtedly help but, not wanting to bring on the doom and gloom but just being sensible. Just in case bad luck strikes and you fall though ice or whatever the electric windows are unlikely to work, if you are going to sink it makes great reading about 'sitting there waiting for the car to fill up and simply open the doors and swim to safety', in reality I am not so sure I (and many others I have spoken too)would have that steady frame of mind, so either roof open (no good with rack) or the windows open, car falls through or gets stuck easier to escape.
regards
Dave
The only solution is to smash the windows, but even then, actually getting out is extremely difficult. Consider the temperature of the water (sometimes below freezing) and it's unlikely you would make it out. If your on your own in iceland and this happens, even if you manage to get out of the vehicle, your going to die. As Ran fiennes said on the top gear polar challenge, if this happens, he would rather die in the vehicle.. If you go through the ice, your going to die.
Don't forget, if you are on your side or inverted, you'll struggle to get your belts off so have them off before you go in
If you are going to attempt any kind of deep fording or fording of fast flowing rivers you need a proper window breaking tool that's easily accessible. You need a well thought out evac plan that everyone knows and understands and you need at least one, preferably more, extra vehicles with room for you all.
have a look at this, bear in mind these guys are professional divers on a well rehearsed routine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOvhYuurX5I&list=PLyU89l33fInSxKUiDdd7WOD8SZonJbPSb&index=2
Less than 20 seconds before the car was full.
notice the drill, front seat people first, rear seats last. everyone has to know what they are doing to avoid a big scramble and log jam. In helicopter drills, it's really horrible if your the 4th man, because you have to sit and wait for everyone in front of you to get out, which means your sitting under water waiting!
If you have ever tried to break a car window you will know how much force is needed, and if your underwater you won't manage it without a proper tool.
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It's an argument i didn't have with skippers who wanted watertight doors shut when things got rough , the answer was no full stop . I dived into Aberdeen harbour once pissed up about 2am and being a dickhead , we had lost a mate there on an earlier trip . When i came back up the ladder police gave me the choice to get in the car to go to hospital wearing handcuffs or without . The hospital was astonished my vital functions had not been effected by the cold temperature of the North sea . If i was going to Iceland i would have a hammer at the ready and if my tour operator advised a snorkel i would fit one whether i liked it or not . It seems to me on a landscape made entirely of frozen water how deep you want to go is irrelevant . I couldn't predict quicksand in a desert and i couldn't predict the density of ice under snow .
Fully agree Shayne.
As for the hammer, I would advise anyone who hasn't tried it before to see just how much force is required to break any car window with a normal hammer and to watch where your face is when you try it because that hammer will bounce like you hit it against a trampoline if you don't break the glass.
What device would be best for breaking the glass from inside if the car is full of water? considering that the water would reduce the force you could wield a hammer at, would a sprung loaded centre punch be better?
stumog
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you want something with a small head point such as this.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/EMERGENCY...cleParts_SM&hash=item51bcf8d08f#ht_2390wt_925
a auto punch work well. i always carry a couple of these hammers in my cruiser.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/EMERGENCY...cleParts_SM&hash=item51bcf8d08f#ht_2390wt_925
a auto punch work well. i always carry a couple of these hammers in my cruiser.
Gary820
Well-Known Member
Use the roof like a stepping stone
That's not nice Gary and anyway, that would be plain stupid! There is no way a Discovery roof would take the weight of an 80, and it would scratch the paint!
regards
Dave
whereisgibson
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I was up in Iceland for three weeks in the summer (link in sig) and my comment would be that water tends to be flowing as opposed to standing, and therefore would the increased wading depth put you at risk of being swept away. The big trucks have quite a lift on them which I suspect helps let water flow underneath them when cruising.
There was only one road I couldn't cross on a motorbike, and that's less able than a stock LC. Judge for yourself if you could have crossed that one as there's a video of it.
There was only one road I couldn't cross on a motorbike, and that's less able than a stock LC. Judge for yourself if you could have crossed that one as there's a video of it.
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reirracpoort
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You're not serious about water crossings if you (do all your snorkel sealing and extended diff breathers) have bilge pumps. What you need are one, or two self priming 12v pumps at the lowest points of the floor pan. If you are stuck/standing in water, it will come in it to the outside water level. Now you'll have to still remove your carpets to dry it out, but at least the seats and higher stuff will be dry.
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thanks for all the replys. some very usefull opinions.
better not show this thread to the gf!
i will be going in summer so there wont be any ice crossings. still doing research and looking at as many you tube videos of iceland river crossings as i can!
cheers
better not show this thread to the gf!
i will be going in summer so there wont be any ice crossings. still doing research and looking at as many you tube videos of iceland river crossings as i can!
cheers
