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Much ado about nothing. They were always going to be ok, most people in that neck of the woods have webbed feet anyway !
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That Landie had a snorkel - it was being driven quite sensibly.
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>> That Landie had a snorkel - it was being driven quite sensibly.
Not sure I fully agree with that. It wasn't like a few yards fording a river, it was fairly deep in parts and if it had stopped it could have been a swimming job, or call the rescue services at a time when they have more to do than look after people having a play. But maybe they had their own boat with them.
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>> it was being driven quite sensibly.
Yes, it was the tractor drivers fault.
"At one point in the video, a tractor and trailer pass in the opposite direction, causing a wave of water to surge over the Land Rover's bonnet."
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As Humph said, much ado about nothing.
Just a bunch of people getting bothered by someone having fun that they don't approve of. No doubt the same people who get all excited about how over the top H&S is.
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How deep would it need to be for the water to provide enough buoyancy for it to lose traction?
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>> How deep would it need to be for the water to provide enough buoyancy for it to lose traction?
From my 4x4 days, I would have said he was right on the limit. Any deeper and he would have floated away.
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I've just read on a Landrover forum that army Landrovers prepared for deep wading have perforated floors, as it is vital to equalise levels inside and out to stop them floating.
Also even diesel Landrovers have a lot of vulnerable electrics, which for proper sub-aqua work is all specially sealed. Axles and gearboxes also need raised breather pipes.
There was a famous exibition years ago of a diesel engine running submerged in a deep glass tank of water, with just a snorkel and an exhaust outlet above water level. But that was an old-fashioned engine with no electrical components.
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>> Axles and gearboxes also need raised breather pipes.
Yup. The problem there is "axle suck". Axle gets nice 'n warm while running. Air inside expands and is vented through breather. When the warm axle is immersed in cold water the air pressure inside drops suddenly and water is sucked in, either through the breather or through the oil seals.
>>There was a famous exibition years ago of a diesel engine running submerged in a deep
>>glass tank of water, with just a snorkel and an exhaust outlet above water level. But
>>that was an old-fashioned engine with no electrical components.
I though the most compelling demonstration was the "Scrapheap challenge" to build an underwater car. Suzuki jeep diesel, with the controls and seats mounted on the roof, driving around fully submerged courtesy of a snorkel and high rise exhaust. IIRC there was a fair amount of steam in the exhaust.....
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>> How deep would it need to be for the water to provide enough buoyancy for
>> it to lose traction?
Good question. But Land Rovers do admit water fairly readily, obviously a design feature to help stop them floating away. It's hard to say how deep it was from the pictures - might not have been much more than a foot for most of the way, if so barely at floorboard level.
I don't blame the chap for it at all actually, I'd probably have tried it myself.
Last edited by: Manatee on Sat 1 Dec 12 at 17:48
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>> help stop them floating away. It's hard to say how deep it was from the
>> pictures - might not have been much more than a foot for most of the
>> way, if so barely at floorboard level.
2'6" indicated on one of the passing flood depth boards, it went deeper than that now and again.
It does show how well you need to know the area, cos if you are a passing stranger its hard to see where the road is.
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>>Land Rovers do admit water fairly readily
I recall seeing a sticker on a Defender: 'leaks more than the Titanic and has a larger turning circle'.
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Can't see what the issue is providing you have the right kit. And as for possible prosecution? I'd be interested to see which bit of legislation.
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Land Rover should use it for the advertising of there Defenders. :-)
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Good advert for Land River Rover.
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Fuss about nothing.
I would say he knew what he was doing by the way he controlled the bow wave in front of him
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"fuss about nothing"
The idiot cannot see the road beneath the flood water. The roadway could have been washed away in parts, making his route even deeper, or manhole covers may of lifted providing a nice hole to set in to. In my mind he was very lucky to get away with it unscathed. Pure stupidity and anyone who agrees that there was nothing wrong with this behaviour is as nuts as him.
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Not many manholes on rural Norfolk roads, but it's a fair point in urban areas and a submerged obstacle can occur anywhere - especially with water moving things around.
It's a bit like driving in deep snow - do your best when you have to, but avoid it if you can.
Back in 1998 I think, I had a very difficult journey from Yorkshire to Hertfordshire in what turned out to be flood conditions. Just below the A43 roundabout on the A5 a Towcester there was a boiling torrent (as in 2-3' high) coming out of a lane on the right, and no way forwards. Among the visible debris there was a displaced manhole cover that gave me pause for thought.
I had a Galaxy at the time, and we went through a good few patches maybe 8" deep, or a bit more. Some time afterwards, the boss had been out in it and came back quite cross. The headlights wouldn't turn off, the engine wouldn't stop, and the doors kept locking and unlocking themselves. The little cubby under the passenger seat was full of water, and in it a submerged control unit and a lot of wires...I don't think the incidents were related!
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The green lane forums will love that picture it's what they do for fun off roading and good for him he made it ok and im sure he can swim. :-)
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I'm familiar with that stretch of road having worked up that way a few years ago. That stretch between Welney and Suspension Bridge must be approaching a km long and it's regularly flooded for long periods through the winter.
Rather than drive the detour, I was once advised by a local that "It should be OK to get through now, so-and-so came through alright this morning". (This sounds like a cue for the 'but the water only comes halfway up the ducks story').
I set off in my old Mondy estate and could soon hear the water lapping underneath the floorpan. Fear started to set in - but what was best to do? Reversing looked tricky, I couldn't turn round because I now realised that I couldn't see the edge of the road - or should I keep going and hope that it didn't get any deeper? I carried on in utter trepidation and fear. After what felt like a lifetime, the lapping noise stopped and I was still going forward, and then the water gave way to road again.
I pulled in at the nearest opportunity, poured myself a coffee from my flask, allowed my heart to quieten down - and vowed never to attempt anything like that again.
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>>I pulled in at the nearest opportunity, poured myself a coffee from my flask, allowed my heart to quieten down - and vowed never to attempt anything like that again<<
Phew - I would have needed a fag after that!
I remember driving home from Maidstone to London in a blizzard at night in my ole Mitsubishi Sapporo.
The M20 was like an ice rink and you couldn't see where the M/way stopped and the fields began.
My sister was in the back seat crouched down in the foot-well absolutely terrified.
I did what I had to do, like you, and carried on - but living on every nerve :)
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"Phew - I would have needed a fag after that!"
I should add that the water probably wasn't more than 10 inches at the deepest part but it was sufficiently opaque as to not be able to judge the depth - that was the frightening bit. I wouldn't want to leave the impression that I considered the Mondeo a comparable underwater rival to a Land Rover! :-)
As Dog mentioned 'blizzards', I once rode about 50 miles down the M5 from West Bromwich on my Triumph T21 in a blizzard. I didn't have decent winter biking gear and stuffed rolled up newspapers down the legs of my jeans. I could barely see where I was going because of snow building up on my goggles. When I arrived, I had to be helped from the bike and immersed in a hot bath. But that was 40 years ago - I was very stupid, and there was a siren's song ringing in my ears.
Last edited by: Haywain on Mon 3 Dec 12 at 08:44
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I just twigged, thats the road across the Welney marsh, (its maintained as a flood plain). Done it in the dry loads of times, and about 3 inches deep once. I thought there were flood poles to mark the road edge, but I cant see them in that clip.
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There are floods poles, and as Haywain says, the locals know when they can risk it and when not to.
The voices on the clip had local accents.
He took a risk, he had fun, he can no doubt, swim and he didn't need to...good luck to him and well done!
Pat
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CGN Norwich off to get his milk and morning paper. - Runfer D'Hills
