Yes, this was me.

[joseywales]

You got a nice new avatar out of it! Look at the bright side!

And, you probably learned not to call momma when the $#!T hits the fan... Surely one of your buddies coulda brought up a canoe and made this into a REALLY interesting news story!

 

[jonheld]

This looks all too familiar. Having "BTDT" in my 91, there are several things that you want to do ASAP before the minerals in the water start to eat away at stuff. Keep in mind there is a HUGE difference between going through a water crossing and sitting in water for an extended period of time. Every one of the below items failed and needed to be replaced on mine MONTHS after the event. It was a never ending plague of issues.

Center diff lock actuator: remove and dry out the motor housing. Clean and lube everything.

Neutral start switch: remove, dissasemble, dry, grease, re-install.

Remove the center console. Under it you will find the shift lock CPU and the reverse switch. The shift lock CPU is a circuit board in a plastic housing. Remove and dry.

Both kick panels: just order up a bunch of new relays as opposed to waiting for them to fail one at a time and then troubleshooting.

O2 sensor connectors (this goes for every connector you encounter): blow out with compressed air, spray some WD40, follow with compressed air again, finish with a spray grease.

Door lock CPU: drivers door low and to the left. Lather, rinse, repeat.

 

[spdwaver]

I honestly think if I would have aired down, I COULD HAVE gotten through the sand at the bottom...however, I was already late to work at this point, and was not thinking clearly. Someone who had more experience doing river crossings probably would have made it.

You're right on this point; more experience would have gotten you across. That, and more lift and bigger tires, blah, blah, blah.








Oh - and a snorkel, for good measure.

 

[lt1fire]

You're right on this point; more experience would have gotten you across. That, and more lift and bigger tires, blah, blah, blah.








Oh - and a snorkel, for good measure.

Sean that your new 1FZ???? I dig the rear bumper

 

[spdwaver]

Sean that your new 1FZ???? I dig the rear bumper

Not quite. That's what I want it to look like. I really want my snorkel back, but it left with the '91 ([STRIKE]good riddance, 3F-E[/STRIKE] I sure miss it).

 

[AJLFJ80]

This looks all too familiar. Having "BTDT" in my 91, there are several things that you want to do ASAP before the minerals in the water start to eat away at stuff. Keep in mind there is a HUGE difference between going through a water crossing and sitting in water for an extended period of time. Every one of the below items failed and needed to be replaced on mine MONTHS after the event. It was a never ending plague of issues.

Center diff lock actuator: remove and dry out the motor housing. Clean and lube everything.

Neutral start switch: remove, dissasemble, dry, grease, re-install.

Remove the center console. Under it you will find the shift lock CPU and the reverse switch. The shift lock CPU is a circuit board in a plastic housing. Remove and dry.

Both kick panels: just order up a bunch of new relays as opposed to waiting for them to fail one at a time and then troubleshooting.

O2 sensor connectors (this goes for every connector you encounter): blow out with compressed air, spray some WD40, follow with compressed air again, finish with a spray grease.

Door lock CPU: drivers door low and to the left. Lather, rinse, repeat.

A lot of stuff I wouldn't have otherwise thought about...thanks for the list!

 

[AJLFJ80]

You got a nice new avatar out of it! Look at the bright side!

And, you probably learned not to call momma when the $#!T hits the fan... Surely one of your buddies coulda brought up a canoe and made this into a REALLY interesting news story!

I actually called her to get the number of the tow company I've used before. When she called them, they told her it would be another hour before they could come out...she told them that I told her water was starting to come inside and at that time, they advised her to call 911. Lesson learned. First person on the scene was actually my coworker, with a rope and a surfboard.

 

[ToyotaDon]

Was this near 41? It was not nearly this wide where I got stuck.

It was probably on 41, they live right off the highway but have a Creston address.

 

[MDarius]

Crossed 3 flash floods in Southern Utah a couple years ago coming out of a camping spot in Southern Utah's Henry Mountains. Monsoon rains for 3 days straight. If I didn't cross I'd be stuck in Hanksville, UT until things dried out...it was worth the risk. I appreciate the difference between the river crossing and flood waters. Mine weren't as deep as yours, but the bottom was ALL sand. Lots of skinny pedal going in to it and nursed it through to the other side...plus I was hauling a small trailer. Stupid? Probably. But I didn't end up on the news.

I did have to get winched off a muddy shoulder when I couldn't get ANY traction...no lockers...and the trailer was pulling me down in to the desert and away from the road.

I'd do it again.

Tech content: People are saying it wasn't that bad, or more experience would get you through it. The problem with that comment is it really sucks to repair your rig through all the learning experiences. So, you need to cross a swiftly moving, swollen river with water well over the rails. The bottom is sand or mud and we're talking 100 feet across or better. Does experience tell you to go around or find a better crossing, or strap up BEFORE you get in too deep, or hit it so fast you never have to worry about what's on the bottom, or....? I was honestly lucky to get out of my situation without a worse outcome. I had to maintain 30MPH on the sandy washes or I'd be stuck. Hitting those corners and sliding to keep the trailer behind me was exciting, but my stupid driving when I was a kid kicked in and I drifted through with the kids laughing in the back seat and my wife praying in the front. My buddy couldn't make it up the hill to meet us because the roads were to bad, and he wasn't in a Cruiser. rolleyes

So what's the tech tip to get through the river without getting stuck? My technique was to go fast enough I'd stay on top of it. No bow wave, just a huge splash.

 

[Blue Bomber]

All I can say is this reminds me of the time the CHP had to run a traffic break for me on 101 in Redwood City during rush hour. My Honda Prelude crapped out on me. Nothing like hearing about the upcoming traffic break on KGO. Good times. The intake tube decided to spall plastic spontaneously and clogged the air filter.

 

[timer00]

All I can say is this reminds me of the time the CHP had to run a traffic break for me on 101 in Redwood City during rush hour. My Honda Prelude crapped out on me. Nothing like hearing about the upcoming traffic break on KGO. Good times. The intake tube decided to spall plastic spontaneously and clogged the air filter.

Ahh, I remember my old 86 Prelude Si best little car I ever had

 

[AJLFJ80]

Crossed 3 flash floods in Southern Utah a couple years ago coming out of a camping spot in Southern Utah's Henry Mountains. Monsoon rains for 3 days straight. If I didn't cross I'd be stuck in Hanksville, UT until things dried out...it was worth the risk. I appreciate the difference between the river crossing and flood waters. Mine weren't as deep as yours, but the bottom was ALL sand. Lots of skinny pedal going in to it and nursed it through to the other side...plus I was hauling a small trailer. Stupid? Probably. But I didn't end up on the news.

I did have to get winched off a muddy shoulder when I couldn't get ANY traction...no lockers...and the trailer was pulling me down in to the desert and away from the road.

I'd do it again.

Tech content: People are saying it wasn't that bad, or more experience would get you through it. The problem with that comment is it really sucks to repair your rig through all the learning experiences. So, you need to cross a swiftly moving, swollen river with water well over the rails. The bottom is sand or mud and we're talking 100 feet across or better. Does experience tell you to go around or find a better crossing, or strap up BEFORE you get in too deep, or hit it so fast you never have to worry about what's on the bottom, or....? I was honestly lucky to get out of my situation without a worse outcome. I had to maintain 30MPH on the sandy washes or I'd be stuck. Hitting those corners and sliding to keep the trailer behind me was exciting, but my stupid driving when I was a kid kicked in and I drifted through with the kids laughing in the back seat and my wife praying in the front. My buddy couldn't make it up the hill to meet us because the roads were to bad, and he wasn't in a Cruiser. rolleyes

So what's the tech tip to get through the river without getting stuck? My technique was to go fast enough I'd stay on top of it. No bow wave, just a huge splash.

I said this previously, but in some of the pictures, you can see a HUGE puddle of standing water before the actual crossing. That puddle, which was deep and sandy also, killed any momentum I had before getting to the crossing. In retrospect, that's what probably doomed me.

 

[Jrob80]

This is totally something I would do. I tried doing something similar in town one time and the water got a little deeper then I tought it would but I had concrete under me and I just kept on going with water coming over the hood. The person riding with me had to go change his drawers after we got done.

Lesson learned you will get it next time!

 

[LINUS]

You're a braver man than me, I'd have slammed it in reverse before getting even that far, plus my laziness would have kicked in since I hate doing maint work due to mud, let alone getting the axles that deep & having to drain out the water.

Hindsight is 20/20 & you're accepting responsibility - I wouldn't dare make a snide remark at you, you already had the humiliating helicopter ride & the 'walk of shame' once they set you back on terra firma.
Glad you're here to take the blame/heat.


To keep this a technical post:

Had you relocated your axle breathers or are they still in factory location/elavation?
If factory, you might have to drain the diffs & let all the water out.

 

[Mark W]

There's a big difference between crossing a 3'+ deep river/stream that's flowing at normal capacity and one that's 3' or so due to flooding/increased water volume.

When I went through water survival school, the water was 50*. They had us in wetsuits. 48* is plenty cold enough to send you into hypothermia if you spend enough time in it.

It is simple enough to get a good feel for the current in that creek by looking at how little (almost not at all) it is stacking up against the upstream side of the rig, and how little (again, not at all really) it is spilling around the end at a higher level than in the lee of the vehicle.

It may be higher/faster than normal for that creek, but it is still just barely over the top of his 33s (as they are bogged down in the sandy bottom even) and still flowing at a very slow speed.

As to causing hypothermia... ANY cool water will sap you f you spend enough time in it... 48 degree water... not an issue unless you are there a hell of a lt longer than the minute or two (at the MOST) it would take to wade to shore from there.


Mark...

 

[AJLFJ80]

You're a braver man than me, I'd have slammed it in reverse before getting even that far, plus my laziness would have kicked in since I hate doing maint work due to mud, let alone getting the axles that deep & having to drain out the water.

Hindsight is 20/20 & you're accepting responsibility - I wouldn't dare make a snide remark at you, you already had the humiliating helicopter ride & the 'walk of shame' once they set you back on terra firma.
Glad you're here to take the blame/heat.


To keep this a technical post:

Had you relocated your axle breathers or are they still in factory location/elavation?
If factory, you might have to drain the diffs & let all the water out.

Yes, what I really wanted was the chopper to drop me off somewhere in rural mexico.

Factory height. Engine, transmission and differentials are getting flushed and refilled as I speak. No water was sucked into the intake, since I shut her off before I got that far, so I saved myself an engine rebuild at least.

 

[kidglove13]

Glad that you are ok, not to sound like a jerk, but the fact that you tried to go across that without possible help near by was plan dumb.
That is not something you cross just for the hell of it without experience and backup.
This was a hard lesson to learn.
You will be replacing all kinds of stuff on your truck now because of stupidity, and it is not going to come cheap either.
And if you get a bill for that heli rescue, which I would be surprised if you don't, that is going to run you I bet all of a $1000 or more.
And again I am not trying to be a jerk but that was just stupid.

 

[Mark W]

So what's the tech tip to get through the river without getting stuck? My technique was to go fast enough I'd stay on top of it. No bow wave, just a huge splash.

High speed will get you through puddles at the mall. If you try to hit even a moderate water crossing at high speed, all you will do is make a big splash as you enter and then immediately slow. You will blast water to places it might not have gotten otherwise but it will not help you get across. Unless it was so short and so shallow that it was never a concern in the first place.

This is terrible advice. You are not going to "stay on top of it" by charging in a high speed. Seriously, think about that some.


Mark...

 

[AJLFJ80]

Glad that you are ok, not to sound like a jerk, but the fact that you tried to go across that without possible help near by was plan dumb.
That is not something you cross just for the hell of it without experience and backup.
This was a hard lesson to learn.
You will be replacing all kinds of stuff on your truck now because of stupidity, and it is not going to come cheap either.
And if you get a bill for that heli rescue, which I would be surprised if you don't, that is going to run you I bet all of a $1000 or more.
And again I am not trying to be a jerk but that was just stupid.

At this point you are preaching to the choir. Just to be clear. I wasn't doing it just for the 'hell of it' either. That creek stood between me and work; I wasn't trailing or screwing around, I was commuting.

Feel free to come down from that soapbox any time, because as you can see from reading these comments, I am not the only one that has acted "plan dumb" with my rig. I wouldn't have driven in if I didn't think I could make it through.

Your finger-wagging lecture has the best of intentions, but at this point everything you are telling me is nothing I have not already been made aware of (repairs, rescue bill, foolhardy choice). Thanks again.

 

[Mark W]

I said this previously, but in some of the pictures, you can see a HUGE puddle of standing water before the actual crossing. That puddle, which was deep and sandy also, killed any momentum I had before getting to the crossing. In retrospect, that's what probably doomed me.

No.... if you went in thinking that you needed to use speed and momentum to cross that creek... it was lack of understanding of the situation that doomed you more than any puddle you had to cross first.

You power through water, you do not power into it.



Mark...