pics? or it did not happen?

 

After the dealer replaced my windshield I noticed about 2 days later that the top attachment of the snorkel was broken, so that it shook in the wind. They finally got a replacement in, had it installed and by the time I got home (70 miles) one bolt had completely backed out and the other was 80% out. The base was about 3/4" away from the side of the truck. With a flex head 10mm I was able to tighten it so I can drive around without fear of losing it.... Wondering if the best option would be to just throw some locktite on the bolt and tighten em in?

 

I don't quite get snorkels. I have had two projects requiring daily river crossings. The first in Borneo and the other in Sonora Mexico on the Yaqui river. In Borneo, I had 2 Land Cruisers and a Hilux, all new and they started falling apart day one. Daily transmission issues and the Hilux's brake caliper fell off the right front wheel. None where snorkel equipped, yet we crossed a 50 meter wide river up to our wheel tops daily. Only incident was when Kadig, one of my intrepid drivers, rolled nose over tail coming out of the river at the bank. Snorkel would't have helped there. Apparently they don't work upside down. Anyhow, the big pain was not pulling the truck up, but the 125 meter long 5cm wire rope long line cable for the Skycrane we contracted for the job. Took 10 people fishing around in the river to find and then carry it out, sucker was heavy.

On the Yaqui river exploration project, again we crossed daily with the intrepid ex-Forest Service F350. With that gross thief repellent green paint. It too was snorkel free. The only problem was when my Intern from the Colorado School of Mies and Geology got it stuck towing a Turbo-Generator and trying to make to tight a turn out of the river (you had to cross on the more shallow section and drive parallel to the bank a bit to pull out). He was kind of freaking out since the dam released more water at night, which would be not so good for the truck. I pointed out that that might be why there is a winch on the front. So just a tiny bit of assist got the combo out of the river. It is the only time in my career I have ever used a winch. It could have been avoided if he drove a bit wider to make the turn. Winches are another must have apparently useless item.

So unless your an Aussie Bogen in Queensland, who need to put a snorkel and fishing rod holders on every Ute and would if they could, their mountain bikes as well. I just don't get the point to snorkels. If the water is that big a problem, I'll just fly. My airplane is an amphibian.

 

Mine rattled it self free from the top bracket (on the A pillar). Really windy, going 150 kph on the motorway. The issue was the foam pad between the snorkel and the A pillar. It flew away the day before. I think its glue was bad and the wind and rain got in-between it and the snorkel.

I managed to safe the the whole thing and fix it by the side of the road. Zip ties some wire and gaffer(duck tape) made it more robust than the factory installation... and it was broken so.... yeah. I eventually got it replaced and asked them to put a washer on the top bracket. If there is any play there, the plastic will start to bend and eventually leave enough room for the wind to go in-between the snorkel and the pillar.

Im thinking of getting some speed tape (duck-tape for the outside of airplanes) to make sure no wind or rain goes in the gap in high speeds.

Also, make sure to NOT put a ton of water in the gap when you are cleaning your car. It could get rid of the glue between the foam pad and the snorkel. I aways tell this to the car wash guy.

 

snorkels are for dry, not for wet. They are not made to increase wading depth. You use them to access cleaner air above the hood when on trails.

 

Exactly this. LR even state that the - not snorkel but raised air intake - is not for increasing wading depth. It will however increase the interval between bouts of emptying dust out of the air filter when driving in very dusty conditions. Especially in convoys. The days of Camel Trophy style river crossings where all you could see of the car was the roof and the tip of the snorkel are long gone.

And aside from all of that, Dogpilot is def right. All sorts of people who work or live in (the few remaining) truly remote areas get by without being outfitted to the hilt with 'expedition' equipment. Be it aid organizations, oil or geological exploration, or simply bush farmers who need to sell their products, they all get to where they need to go with much simpler means. I knew people who used to sell clapped out Mercedes, VWs or whatever to central/southern African countries. And they'd drive them there from Europe. Through the Sahara. No additional 'expedition' equipment, not even a mild lift or off road tires. Just a clapped out used Benz or VW Bus. And they usually made it (it was kind of an adventure travel, post-hippie 70s/80s thing...). No, you def don't need gear out the a$$ to make it from A to B in a vehicle. Anywhere.

But on the other hand, the mere presence of the winch on my LR means I will go places I ordinarily wouldn't - especially when traveling alone. And the RAI def does work. Do I need all of this stuff to get through the 'truly remote' areas I travel through? No. But it is much more fun not to have to slither under the vehicle in mud regularly or get myself filthy getting un-stuck or working on the car an hour or 3 every day. And still get to where I want to go (and very few others do) in relative luxury.

That's why.