Yes, this was me.

[Uncle Grumpy]

AJLFJ80, thanks for sharing and your sense of humor. Not everyone on this forum is an avid off roader. Fortunately the only things injured were your pride, wallet, and any chance you had of going out with any of Mark W's daughters.

 

[ppc]

I already gave in to the fact (way back on the 1st page) that a more experienced river crosser might have made it across. So, since this is tech, what steps do you take on deciding whether or not a river crossing is passable?

I think you have answered most of your questions based upon your own statements starting with your first post. The most important thing is preparation. Take the time to analyze each of the statements.

"Guess that'll be the last time I attempted that "short cut" on my way to work."

"I was already late to work at this point, and was not thinking clearly."

"Yes, 4 low all the way...and I never stalled, I just gave up."

"If I do try it again, I'll bring a friend with a truck that has a winch.."

"By the time anyone was able to get to me, my anchor points were already submerged, it would have been a little too risky to attempt a tow at that point."

"I wasn't able to get much momentum because as you can see from some of the pictures there was a HUGE puddle in front of the actual crossing, which also had a nice sandy bottom."

"My LC is my DD and I (usually) do nothing more than light-to-medium trailing...and even at that, it's not a very common occurrence."

"River currents/water levels are very unpredictable in these parts. "

"I was not equipped at all..."

I stopped at three pages but there are more. You asked how can I tell when it is safe to cross but when Mark and others replied with there own examples you accuse them of being arrogant. I think you are both arrogant and ignorant. Even though you state you did wrong, your fault etc., you blame your own mother for calling 911. That stinks in my mind. If the water continued rising, what would have been the outcome without the 911 rescue?

 

[Mark W]

You seem to take full responsibility, and definately come across as having a good sense of humility about the whole incident. I can empathize with having a situation blown out of proportion by a well intentioned mom. Hilarious.

Mark W, I'm sure you're an experienced offroad driver, but your attitude as it comes across on here, makes you look like a true a$$hole. Cut the guy a break, he seems to have already taken enough slack. Seriously, I don't care how many streams you've crossed (and I mean that more than one way), you're sounding pretty arrogant.

Charlie.... or Charki or whatever your name is... are all California boys (and I do mean boys) as thin skinned as you? Or do you have some sort of crush on the op and feel a need to suck up to him a bit?

You do not even make sense in your comment... he has had enough slack, so I should cut him a break? The way most of us use those terms you are arguing against yourself in a single sentence.

I am not quite sure what you are trying to insinuate about streams, but I assume it is a sexual or scatalogical reference. In any event, I really could not care less what you think of me... you do not know me or anything about me, I do not know you and I am certain I would never and will never have any need for you.

Perhaps you feel that the only valid approach to a discussion here on Mud is to cheerlead and tell everyone that their rig is "really sick dude" and that their actions were "awsome!!!"

Sometimes that is not the case... the OP made some mistakes... I and one or two others had the audacity to point this out as most seemed to be in awe of the fact that he got a helicopter ride.


He made a mistake or two. No big deal. He probably learned from it. You however are simply immature and obnoxious and will probably have to just hope to grow out of it someday.


Mark...

 

[AJLFJ80]

I think you have answered most of your questions based upon your own statements starting with your first post. The most important thing is preparation. Take the time to analyze each of the statements.

"Guess that'll be the last time I attempted that "short cut" on my way to work."

"I was already late to work at this point, and was not thinking clearly."

"Yes, 4 low all the way...and I never stalled, I just gave up."

"If I do try it again, I'll bring a friend with a truck that has a winch.."

"By the time anyone was able to get to me, my anchor points were already submerged, it would have been a little too risky to attempt a tow at that point."

"I wasn't able to get much momentum because as you can see from some of the pictures there was a HUGE puddle in front of the actual crossing, which also had a nice sandy bottom."

"My LC is my DD and I (usually) do nothing more than light-to-medium trailing...and even at that, it's not a very common occurrence."

"River currents/water levels are very unpredictable in these parts. "

"I was not equipped at all..."

I stopped at three pages but there are more. You asked how can I tell when it is safe to cross but when Mark and others replied with there own examples you accuse them of being arrogant. I think you are both arrogant and ignorant. Even though you state you did wrong, your fault etc., you blame your own mother for calling 911. That stinks in my mind. If the water continued rising, what would have been the outcome without the 911 rescue?

.....and as I stated before...educational tips are always welcomed...finger-wagging holier-than-thou lectures are not.

'What if'...we can sit here all day and speculate all we want. Doesn't change anything. Like nearly everyone else has stated, I can learn from this and move on. Simple as that, nothing more, nothing less.

I have no problem admitting I was unprepared, that was a given. I'm sorry; when I'm on my way to work, I'm not driving around with a truckload of trailing equipment. MY BAD.

 

[AJLFJ80]

If anything, I should be apologizing to everyone on here for making the rest of you and your rigs look bad

 

[Mark W]

AJ... you need to figure out how to take constructive criticism instead of deeming it "finger-wagging holier-than-thou lectures" so that you can dismiss it.


But I do think we have beat this dead horse to a pulp.


Mark...

 

[timer00]

If it was me... I would have never posted this thread
All kidding aside.. we have all done stupid things in our lives and no one is perfect even if think they are

 

[lt1fire]

are all California boys (and I do mean boys) as thin skinned as you?

Making fun of California boys...... oh this s*** just got serious....

JK

 

[spdwaver]

Isn't there a 'stuck' thread somewhere in Chat?


If not, I feel that there soon will be.

 

[MDarius]

I wasn't giving advice, I was asking it. You're right, if you think about it, going fast through it will cause problems. The issue is that if you're in a flood, or a ''get through it or suffer'', you're not always thinking about it. You react with what you know. That's why talking about it in posts like this is helpful. It gives me your experience in my toolbox of skills. Thanks. Your next post about powering through it, if that's right, is good too. Thanks!

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...

 

[wngrog]

Three people rescued from floodwaters in Paso Robles - Local - SanLuisObispo.com

The good thing is, all I'm going to need is a fluid flush and refill all the way around and about a week for my upholstery to dry out.

Guess that'll be the last time I attempted that "short cut" on my way to work.

Flame away!

No way I would have owned up to that on Mud.

 

[LCHardriver_02]

AJ - I do think it was a good idea to post problems in a technical forum, as you did. Mistakes were made, the readers learn. We all appreciate that. Mark and others make some rather good points and we all get to learn from your predicament and their experience. I too have been rescued in a helicopter, but that was on top of a mountain as a teen with frost bite and pneumonia. A tale for a different time.

Regarding hauling a "truck load of trail equipment", I have recently purchased a duffel bag (bright yellow for finding it easily) and have started placing commonly used recovery gear and tools. I do know that it is not always feasible to haul this gear, but for the most part, I try. A lot of times I find that having the tools available is quite nice and I work as an engineer who is mostly behind the desk. Common tools can be very handy at times when you least expect it. Something to think about...

Good luck with your truck and you didn't make us and our trucks look bad. Mine looks the same sitting in the garage waiting for me to do the front axle rebuild!

 

[MDarius]

MarkW, tell me more about sandy bottom or mud water crossings. Just go around? That's what I deal with most in the areas I wheel. That's what the OP was dealing with too, although it may not have registered at first because the road looks like it is usually paved. I usually avoid them because I don't feel like I have enough experience, I don't have lockers, and I don't have a winch...yet. But coming out of the monsoon rains where I didn't have another option I sure would have been more comfortable with some good tips from an experienced river crosser.

The mud/sand was like snot and my tires were too worn for the conditions. When we got in to camp it had barely started raining as we pulled in. It wasn't a problem and I was OK. After 2 and a half days of rain I was not OK and nobody was coming to get me, mainly because they couldn't. Hindsight is 20/20, but stuff happens. Tips for when it does?

 

[Manuelsv]

I am jealous!

Dude.. !!! Sorry you are getting so flamed for this! I'm actually jealous! Wish I had a commute to work filled with water crossings and rescue scenarios instead of 45 min of stop and go trafic on a lame a** freeway with a bunch of drones talking on their cellphones and sipping their lattes

Mark, I'm not doubting your qualifications. I am doubting the way you are coming across. Personally, you are coming across as very arrogant, as if you have never made a mistake trailing or wheeling or attempting to cross water before. I appreciate the information you are providing, but I do not appreciate being talked down to, as if the information you are stating is something that is common knowledge and that I should have known about it beforehand.

And, for the 4th time in this thread...I was not the one that notified emergency services. I would have been plenty complacent with waiting it out. It was not by choice.

 

[Prophecy]

AJ,

Glad you shared your story with us. At least your safe, your rig seems ok, and you can have stories to tell and laugh at. If I'm ever your way (not likley at $3.50 a gallon and 10mpg from Ks.) I can hook my 12k warn up to the back end of your rig, and you can show that river who's boss. All joking aside though glad your safe, and hopefully your bill isnt to big.

Jeremy

 

[TexasJack]

We have had very good luck with the Post '77 OEM 2/3F series distributors on the Cruisers with the O- ring, screw down cap and venting system. On the minis and the '93 and newer '80s you have to seal the vent holes in the distributor body and run vent lines instead of the short rubber vent/cap that is used from the factory. Personally for Chevy HEI distributors I drill and insert fittings to vent the distributor like the later 2 and 3f engines do and then seal the cap to the body of the distrbutor with silicon sealant

If you use silicon sealant, make sure that you use some weak stuff so that you can get the cap off again. Or... what I do is smear a little oil on the cap before setting it into the bead of sealant so that it does not stick.

The OEM plug wires on the FJ60s and later Cruisers fit very snug at both ends and are hard to beat. A liberal application of di-electric grease will do a lot to keep these connections sealed.

Any time you short out a plug in deep water, or get it in the distributor, it is simply a matter of drying off/out and it will work fine. The plug is not really fouled, the spark is just finding an easier route to ground.

It is a good idea to keep your ignitor dry too. On the EFI rigs with electronic control modules, you need to seal these also in case you swamp the rig or simply have a long deep crossing and wind up with water inside the rig. Silicon sealant around all the seams and liberal application of di-electric grease in/on all the plug connections has worked great for me and mine.

Make sure your snorkel is sealed well.

Keep your speed down so as to reduce/eliminate splashing that throws water hard against connections and components. Driving has a lot to do with it too. it is easy to jump in splashing and charging only to kill your engine from water blasting everything under the hood. Turing upstream is usually not a good idea. Failing to pick a good line for the crossing is the biggest reason for failure.

They shorter rigs that run with us often have distributors and spark plugs underwater.

Obviously a taller rig has an easier time in deep water than a shorter one.




Mark...

Great information and well thought out. Much appreciated! I think I actually created a thread on this topic at one time on MUD and didn't get this much good information. I am anxious to see how well it works but hopefully not in fast moving water.

 

[TexasJack]

If anything, I should be apologizing to everyone on here for making the rest of you and your rigs look bad

AJ,

Don't sweat it. S#$% happens in life. If you never take chances, you will never learn anything. I think you had it right up front in seeing the humor in the situation.

From my perspective, I learned several new things from the replies on your post so accept my thanks for sharing your slightly embarrasing situation. Some of the water crossing wisdom expressed here may wind up saving someone's life.

Jack

 

[AJLFJ80]

Apparently the cost of the rescue operation is going to be distributed among the taxpayers of California...hey, my tax dollars actually helping me out, who would have thought, right? However, my mechanic informed me that the labor involved in ripping out all the seats and carpet to dry wasn't going to be cheap. Although this is probably something I could do myself, I have neither the time nor the facilities to accomplish this. Even more, I am going to half to wait for sunny weather for the interior to dry, which is not going to be until next week. Man, stupidity is expensive.

 

[bhmmapping]

However, my mechanic informed me that the labor involved in ripping out all the seats and carpet to dry wasn't going to be cheap.

You're paying your mechanic to pull the seats and carpet? Pulling the seats is so easy I do it almost every time I vacuum the truck.

 

[AJLFJ80]

You're paying your mechanic to pull the seats and carpet? Pulling the seats is so easy I do it almost every time I vacuum the truck.

I'm aware...it's just that A. my truck is there anyway and B. I'd really have no where to put the seats to let them dry...I don't have a garage (Live in a house where the garage was converted into the Master Suite years ago) which means they would have to be outside; there's rain in the forecast all the way up to next week. I'd be saving money, but sacrificing time and convenience. For this instance, I'll consider it a fair trade-off.