Natural Disaster escape pod (1 Viewer)

[saucebox]

I hope you guys ain't running E rated tired at 40+psi.. I'd pull my hair out.

Hah. E-rated KO2s at 45psi. Aired down for off road of course, but I wouldn't have it any other way. C is too soft for the rocks—I shredded 2 tires in a single outing once—not a fun day. It's never happened again after moving up to Es.

And yeah, I feel the bumps. All of 'em.

 

[95Fantasma80]

Hah. E-rated KO2s at 45psi. Aired down for off road of course, but I wouldn't have it any other way. C is too soft for the rocks—I shredded 2 tires in a single outing once—not a fun day. It's never happened again after moving up to Es.

And yeah, I feel the bumps. All of 'em.

Have you tried D? Might be a good middle ground.

 

[saucebox]

Have you tried D? Might be a good middle ground.

Not yet. Did a set of Es on my 4Runner, then sold that for the LX I have now. PO had brand new E-rated KO2s on it already.

 

[TEXAS 57]

I had two 100 series in the driveway during "Harvey", and I was looking at government auctions, for a deal on a Stewart Stevenson M1078.

@Thingfisher , @jLB , @SF1911A1 - Where abouts are ya'll located?

I live in Maplewood South (near Meyerland) and have dealt with these 3 floods (Tax Day, Memorial Day, Harvey) three years in a row. Luckily, we did not flood during any event but we came close during Harvey. During Harvey, I drove home on Saturday night around 1:00am from a bar after watching the Conor McGregor vs Mayweather fight. I was 15 min from home but it took me an hour and a half to get back. I took my 3rd Gen 4Runner (purposely built for high water) that night and had moments in low gear that i thought it would stall but never did. I had waves crashing against the windshield for brief moments on Hillcroft (about 3/4 of the way up the door) headed home. I passed a jacked up early 2000's Jeep Cherokee and a overland looking 1990s Land Rover that were stalled out and vacated. I decided not to cross over Braes Bayou bridges and took Beechnut (about mid door) out to I-610 to South Post Oak. I barely had wet carpet near the door sills when I got home.

Subject Vehicle is a 1997 4Runner SR5 4wd with a 3" Toytec Lift, Snorkel, Extended diff and tranny breathers.

After a lot of electrical work on 100's, I feel there are too many electrical connections and junction blocks in the lower kick panels to put a 100 past the rockers in water. I wish they would have mounted that stuff higher up. I have seen some impressive water fording from 100's on YouTube though.

 

[Alibaster]

Yeah I think I would agree. For high water application, in my personal and limited opinion, older would be better. Fewer electrical components to worry about. In my neck of the wood my main nemesis would be snow, mud slides and fallen timbers. Oh and the bodies of all the people who didn't buy a LC.

 

[jLB]

@Thingfisher , @jLB , @SF1911A1 - Where abouts are ya'll located?

I used to work in the Meyerland/Bellaire area, but Harvey was the last straw, and we moved the office downtown.

Home is in West Houston.

 

[scottm]

Our usual winter storms would probably qualify as natural disasters in most parts of the world. I get around the bottom of Lake Michigan from O'Hare into Michigan through them pretty well, on stock everything and Nokian street tires. Closed highways, pile-ups, near-zero visibility, snow drifts, the 80 and 100 have proven an advantage over most non-commercial vehicles.

 

[SF1911A1]

@Thingfisher , @jLB , @SF1911A1 - Where abouts are ya'll located?

I live out in Richmond. I was also at a buddy’s house watching the fight. When we left I went through some highish water but nothing too bad. I brought my truck that night just in case we had to go through higher water. I got lucky, the 59 feeder road right where I went through that night got washed out like a sinkhole at some point during the storm. Could have been right after I went through or 24 hours later, but it’s not something I really considered. I usually would gauge a road by where I know the pavement to be and never considered the washout possibility. Turn around don’t drown always sounded kind of gay to me, but when I saw the sinkhole it drove home just how bad that could have been.

 

[Ambledog]

I did get the LC partially for that reason. Two of my vehicle criteria was 4wd and big enough for gear and kids/dogs. If there is ever a tsunami, or big earthquake (or both) in my area, we are for sure going to get cut off for probably weeks, is what the disaster people tell us all the time and I believe it. I'd like to have a chance to get around to find aid, or get out if possible. It isn't easy getting in and out of here. A little test came up a few weeks ago.

Headed home from Portland on a Sunday, usually a 4-5 hour drive. but it started snowing really heavily. At that point traffic was down to about 30 on the main hwy. Cars and trucks all over the highway, skidded out, putting on chains. Started to head over the coast range, road was a mess, not plowed, trees, branches, and small slides on the road all over so slowly navigated around them. . . but eventually got stopped at a tunnel for an hour then found out it was trees pulling down electric wires and had to turn back, but a few minutes later was blocked by a fallen tree. Stuck in place! It got cleared, a very long slow drive back to the hwy but it was also closed due to wrecks and on top of it all, power was out everywhere. Pulled into a truckstop, took a snooze for about an hour and then headed back down the road once it reopened.

It was like a movie. Vehicles everywhere stopped right on the highway, trucks this way and that, just had to weave around them. I was lucky to get up to 25mph. Wreckers and police trying to clear things up. But kept on, all the exits were dark, no gas or plowed roads at all, and the snow was getting pretty deep. I finally found a small part of a town that did have power, found a gas station and filled up for the next leg and did not want to be short of gas in case I got stuck. Headed over on another road to get over the coast range, and this road was worse than the other one, but at least fewer cars. The ones I saw were mainly in the ditch or stuck on the road unable to continue. Traction control kicked in several times as I slipped and got sideways a bit, first time I've ever had that happen, it was really bad at least I kept it on the road. Around more trees and boulders, small rivers were flowing over the road, and there was a big debris slide blocking both lanes of the road, with just enough room on the shoulder to get around it.

Then once I got back on the coast the road was getting flooded and I drove through some pretty deep water. But it was now about 3am and I'd been on the road for 10 hours in this mess. I had water, warm clothes, food, and a deep faith that if I did my part the ol' LC would do it's part and we'd make it home together. Without the LC I honestly don't think I'd have been able to make it home, never been happier to have 4wd. It really gave me a huge amount of satisfaction that it performed flawlessly, and did exactly what I'd hoped for when I bought it.

 

[Y2KLX470]

I don’t mind crossing some water but I wouldn’t be doing it in the middle of the night!

 

[ranma21]

My tires are definitely E-rated and I run 36 PSI and I can count every little crack in the road

I run 42psi KO2 E rated tires on my 570. It pulling my hair out yet but ride good.

 

[ranma21]

After Hurricane Harvey flooded my neighborhood and I couldn’t drive out I re-evaluated my vehicle choices. I had a sedan and a diesel dually. I now have a 100 series and a 200 series. I haven’t put a snorkel on my 100 yet but I will before the next hurricane comes. The biggest threat here in Houston is flooding so once I am fully prepared for that I will continue customizing the vehicles for the next likely scenario and so on. Both are definitely escape pods for me and my family. My parents and brother don’t have the same mindset, all have sedans. I ended up with land cruisers (both actually LX’s) so I would have room for them if necessary.

If there is not a thread already out there dedicated to this topic it would be cool to start one.

Actually used my stock 570 on high mod to help evacuate my friend’s mom and grandma during Harvey. Initially trying to use my 80 but misfired after a mile, turnout bad plugs wires after 21 years.

 

[Kabanstva]

Actually used my stock 570 on high mod to help evacuate my friend’s mom and grandma during Harvey. Initially trying to use my 80 but misfired after a mile, turnout bad plugs wires after 21 years.

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How deep was the water there? Based on those militayr vehicles, it would be above your bumpers I am guessing? And no snorkel or engine damage from driving in water that high? That's incredible! Thanks for sharing. A 200 Series is definitely on the wish list in the next several years when they come down in price...unless by then all cars are electric and people start getting taxed for driving "gas guzzlers" haha.

 

[ranma21]

How deep was the water there? Based on those militayr vehicles, it would be above your bumpers I am guessing? And no snorkel or engine damage from driving in water that high? That's incredible! Thanks for sharing. A 200 Series is definitely on the wish list in the next several years when they come down in price...unless by then all cars are electric and people start getting taxed for driving "gas guzzlers" haha.

I think it is a little above bumper, no snorkel. You can go deeper actually even right up the top of your tires in high mode. 80 or 100 can easily do that as well. My friends front and rear diff has water in his 4 inches lifted F150 but not my 200.

 

[Zero Emissions]

wading depth 3 feet

https://products.rivian.com/suv/

 

[ClassyJalopy]

I think it is a little above bumper, no snorkel. You can go deeper actually even right up the top of your tires in high mode. 80 or 100 can easily do that as well. My friends front and rear diff has water in his 4 inches lifted F150 but not my 200.

Can confirm, drove my LX in high setting through 3 feet deep flood water. At one point the water splashed over ther hood and hit the windshield. Absolutely no after effects (well my fogs were full of water )

An unmodified Gen 2 Sequoia tried to follow me, lost nerve and backed out!

 

[EZDog]

I think the real world mod we will all need is extra gas plain and simple.
We can only get so far away with the mileage we endure.

 

[SF1911A1]

I think the real world mod we will all need is extra gas plain and simple.
We can only get so far away with the mileage we endure.

That’s true. Ive been looking at the long range fuel tanks for my 200. One thing I loved about my F350 was the 119 gallon tank in the bed. I could drive to Florida without having to stop for fuel.

 

[SF1911A1]

wading depth 3 feet

https://products.rivian.com/suv/

When those come down in price to $25k or so I might have to actually do some research on them. No way I’m dropping $72k on a power wheel haha.

 

[SmoothLC]

So, after 139 recent earthquakes near here, ya it's on the mind.

Thinking through all the options though with knowledgeable friends and professionals, probably have to hunker down and help ourselves and neighbors.

Still prepared though, got most of stuff that would go in a bug out bag in my off-road Plano storage container in the rear cargo area.

But then again - one can only hope to attain to the gold standard - @RobRed's BoB.