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Some things to be aware of while water fording (summarized):
Depth - I think this has been discussed already. Basically - know the maximum depth your vehicle handle (i.e. intake height, cooling fan height, drivetrain breather tube heights, etc) Also, the depth to which your passengers can handle. Personally, I don't like getting my arse wet. My wife, on the other hand, prefers keeping her shoes dry.
Water flow - Usually, only associated to river crossings. High flow crossings, in my opinion, are cause of more concern than deeper low flow crossings. Higher flows where the water ca hit the side of your vehicle may require you to start further up stream. Here in the Sierras I can think of 2-3 crossings where you can end up 20-50' further downstream from where you started. Typically, it's not wise to do these crossings alone. We've crossed during the higher flow season (snow melt) that we felt safest daisy chaining winch lines across on each vehicle.
Something else to be aware of on high flow crossings, I've had water push past both my inner front axle seals, filling up my diff, and wheel bearing seals. Naturally, I found out all my junk was rusty during winter maintenance, and realized I had a much larger job on my hands! FWIW - the axle was a king-pin D60, so no sealed unit bearings, as is the case with newer axles.
Whoever questioned crossing water in the first place, is probably wise. But, what they fail to realize, is that sometimes the trail can't go around, and where it crosses is usually the safest place!
Depth - I think this has been discussed already. Basically - know the maximum depth your vehicle handle (i.e. intake height, cooling fan height, drivetrain breather tube heights, etc) Also, the depth to which your passengers can handle. Personally, I don't like getting my arse wet. My wife, on the other hand, prefers keeping her shoes dry.
Water flow - Usually, only associated to river crossings. High flow crossings, in my opinion, are cause of more concern than deeper low flow crossings. Higher flows where the water ca hit the side of your vehicle may require you to start further up stream. Here in the Sierras I can think of 2-3 crossings where you can end up 20-50' further downstream from where you started. Typically, it's not wise to do these crossings alone. We've crossed during the higher flow season (snow melt) that we felt safest daisy chaining winch lines across on each vehicle.
Something else to be aware of on high flow crossings, I've had water push past both my inner front axle seals, filling up my diff, and wheel bearing seals. Naturally, I found out all my junk was rusty during winter maintenance, and realized I had a much larger job on my hands! FWIW - the axle was a king-pin D60, so no sealed unit bearings, as is the case with newer axles.
Whoever questioned crossing water in the first place, is probably wise. But, what they fail to realize, is that sometimes the trail can't go around, and where it crosses is usually the safest place!
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Dryfly24
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Thatās actually a very sound tactic.I have a rule where I watch someone else do it first before I try.
Check this out:
Dryfly24
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As a fly fisherman, Iāve spent a lifetime wading rivers. Iāve developed a lot of respect for the power of water after countless lessons.
When I was a young army Private, I was ordered to drive my tank across a river at an unmarked crossing. Long story short, we drove right into a tank ditch dug by the engineers when the river was dry. Had to bail out in a hurry under dark water. Yeah, it was a scary situation. Took us three days to recover the tank and it eventually had to be cannibalized for parts cause it would never run quite right again.
I love water, but I have a deep respect for it. The real problem I have with river crossings is that more often than not, youāre not really sure what youāre driving on or into. Is there a rock in your path pushed there by the currents that wasnāt previously there? Is there a hole there now scoured by currents? A submerged log? How swift is the current? Often times you canāt tell by looking at the surface. It can look relatively slow on top and be ripping below.
I get the appeal of the adventure factor, but Iāll look for my adventure elsewhere. I donāt dick around in water with my truck if I can help it.
When I was a young army Private, I was ordered to drive my tank across a river at an unmarked crossing. Long story short, we drove right into a tank ditch dug by the engineers when the river was dry. Had to bail out in a hurry under dark water. Yeah, it was a scary situation. Took us three days to recover the tank and it eventually had to be cannibalized for parts cause it would never run quite right again.
I love water, but I have a deep respect for it. The real problem I have with river crossings is that more often than not, youāre not really sure what youāre driving on or into. Is there a rock in your path pushed there by the currents that wasnāt previously there? Is there a hole there now scoured by currents? A submerged log? How swift is the current? Often times you canāt tell by looking at the surface. It can look relatively slow on top and be ripping below.
I get the appeal of the adventure factor, but Iāll look for my adventure elsewhere. I donāt dick around in water with my truck if I can help it.
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Higher_Ground
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I think it was a smart move to back-off. By doing so you have the opportunity to return and try again one day when the water is lower.
I have also spent a lot of time wading around rivers, though more pulling my kayak upstream through rapids than fishing. I was also a lifeguard for many years and I'm fairly confident in my abilities (to say that I know my limits). I generally find that once the water gets up to about my waist it's iffy and usually moving too fast to get very far.
There's a low head damn near me with a concrete lock on one side to allow passage downstream. Given the current through the channel and my limited arm strength, I can't really paddle upstream through the lock. I don't know exactly how deep it gets, but I have to respect the feeling I get in the pit of my stomach the few times I tried to walk my way through. The lock is about 50' wide, 15' tall vertical walls, and 300' long. I imagine it's like being in a canyon out west, and the sound is intimidating on it's own.
Don't take a risk with unknown depth, especially if you are alone! Water that dark could be hiding a lot of stuff too, and I would not want to figure out how to get off a rock in the middle of all that.
I have also spent a lot of time wading around rivers, though more pulling my kayak upstream through rapids than fishing. I was also a lifeguard for many years and I'm fairly confident in my abilities (to say that I know my limits). I generally find that once the water gets up to about my waist it's iffy and usually moving too fast to get very far.
There's a low head damn near me with a concrete lock on one side to allow passage downstream. Given the current through the channel and my limited arm strength, I can't really paddle upstream through the lock. I don't know exactly how deep it gets, but I have to respect the feeling I get in the pit of my stomach the few times I tried to walk my way through. The lock is about 50' wide, 15' tall vertical walls, and 300' long. I imagine it's like being in a canyon out west, and the sound is intimidating on it's own.
Don't take a risk with unknown depth, especially if you are alone! Water that dark could be hiding a lot of stuff too, and I would not want to figure out how to get off a rock in the middle of all that.
DailyMoparGuy
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For me living in Houston where it floods when someone spits on the ground, water crossing ability is the difference between me getting home in 15 minutes versus 2 of hours driving around looking for a detour.
Thatās how I justified buying a Gladiator
I could see the fun in a river/stream crossing. Idk if the risk-reward is there for me though at certain depths.
ACAD_Cowboy
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So funny this should come up, I have a video of all that can go wrong.
When I went through I stayed well left and kept a wake moving.
Imagine your hood line at the fender and that represents the safe fording line. With some lift and some 35s or 37s and that point can move up quite a bit but with deeper water comes more mass of water AND with bigger tires comes more floation. Add in speed of flow is cubic feet per second and you can very quickly calculate that deep water moving slow is just as potentially scary as shallow water moving fast.
For my tastes you can typically endure a huge amount of water provided it's below the frame rail, once you mix in the frontal area of the rail and body, you will never weigh enough in some situations.
The vents will typically have one way breather caps which will help stop back flow through quick immersion but the real killer is hydrostatic pressure from deep water blowing past axle seals etc. So of you keep moving thats good but any prolonged stops can start the ingestion process.
When I went through I stayed well left and kept a wake moving.
Imagine your hood line at the fender and that represents the safe fording line. With some lift and some 35s or 37s and that point can move up quite a bit but with deeper water comes more mass of water AND with bigger tires comes more floation. Add in speed of flow is cubic feet per second and you can very quickly calculate that deep water moving slow is just as potentially scary as shallow water moving fast.
For my tastes you can typically endure a huge amount of water provided it's below the frame rail, once you mix in the frontal area of the rail and body, you will never weigh enough in some situations.
The vents will typically have one way breather caps which will help stop back flow through quick immersion but the real killer is hydrostatic pressure from deep water blowing past axle seals etc. So of you keep moving thats good but any prolonged stops can start the ingestion process.
syreeves
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I assume that water comes up through the floor drains? I have the factory slush mats and factory carpet, and I keep the plugs in the slush mats but I have to assume water gets in through those drain holes?
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