This just camme up. All of my in-laws (three homes) are flooded in Louisiana an I'm leaving in the morning to gather kids to stay with us in Northeast Texas while they deal with insurance and repairs. We also need to secure their houses. They've been in hotels and got the bad news this afternoon. One set lives in Walker, where the caskets are floating and the walmart is under water.

I have zero plans to drive in water but it is almost inevitable that my DIFFS will be submerged and that I will, in fact, drive in water. Ill be going to all three homes with a trailer for pictures and whatever valuables arent ruined, if they arent blocked off.

Im really picky about my one owner 2000 Disco II; I don't even like towing my trailer with it! But our Excursion is in the shop so thats that.

Do I need to change the diff oil before driving back or can it wait? Affects what I take it terms of tools and clothing. There is nowhere to stay and I wouldnt want to leave a trailer full of things parked anyway, so this will be a round trip.

Is the fan okay if it slaps water?

Any tips on brakes (mine are anemic in dry conditions. Ugh). I'm taking a sixteen foot trailer that doesnt have its own brakes.

Any clever tips for putting kids in the cargo area safely? I have been saving jump seats but I cant possibly install them by tomorrow. Current count is five kids.

Anything else I need to know about water? I've never even driven offroad in my disco, despite having a lift, tires, and winch. (Just for looks, I admit it).

Any other concerns assuming water stays below door sill?

Anything I should take other than normal tools and maybe a pump for diff oil?

Bad time for me to ask for a quick answer (Sunday night) but any answers before 10am tomorrow (Monday) will be appreciated. I'm googling too but I'd appreciate answers from those who know.

 

I don't know if this will help;

The diffs are sealed, I don't see how water will get in. I would drive there and back without changing diff fluid.

Water could come up over the door if it had to. Notice how our floorboards are slanted downward? There is a reason for that.

Keep in mind your 4500 lb truck will suddenly become very light in water..please be carefull.

 

check the RAVE for the diff breather hose heights and the transmission breather height. i think if they stay above water you are pretty good.

i know that applies to D1's, with which i am more familiar.

and take some waders so you can check water depth before you drive through. unless of course the water is flowing quickly. in which case, of course, don't attempt to wade or drive.

 

Got the waders. Snakes.

I have history with snorkeled ATVs so if check depth for sure. A flooded, carbureted ATV can be drained, run a few seconds with diesel, then filled up and the fun continues. My disco screws me every chance it gets.

I'm concerned about the breather hoses because I've swapped my engine (a few times) and k know the breather lines come up by the firewall, but I just looped them over the air conditioner lines because I never planned to do anything remotely offroad. Poor planning on my part.

 

I just measured and the trailer bed with flipped axles is 27 inches off the ground, so I won't go in any more than that for sure, or it would defeat the purpose (ruin whatever we can get).

 

Hope all goes well helping your your in-laws. Sorry to hear they've been affected.

Your bigger problem may be allowed access to flooded areas by the authorities. I was ready to head to NO area after Katrina to help friends with generators and labor. My lack of BS/gift of gab was one factor that kept me from heading out.

Don't worry about the D2 do what you need to do and take care of the vehicle once back to home.
......

 

Geez, well, okay. Just learned that the Walker house was up to the roof, and St. Francisville house was halfway up the walls, so no trailer needed. Laffyette family are well heeled and will be happy to get new things ... though they did sink an almost new King Ranch pickup. I really had no idea that it was so bad until tonight.

I have 33's and about 4 inches of lift on my boulevard queen so I assume that if anyone not in a monster truck precedes me, I should have no issues except for the diffs, which are noted above. I am not going to ruin my carpet. I don't know where those breather hoses go but I'll check for them in the morning. Surely the water will be down some by tomorrow afternoon.

I'm sure you're right, Number9. St. Francisville is small so my main concern about not having adequate warning would be there. Walker is more of a distant suburb of Baton Rouge. Lafyette is a big city. Oddly enough, none of the houses flooded in Katrina, but one is under water now? Really shocking. That is basically why I wasn't watching the news and worrying over them.

If any members are in these areas I would appreciate a heads up on getting around or staying away from Lafyette, Walker, and St. Francisville.

Any suggestions about making a big kid in the cargo area comfortable and safe on a 7 hour trip would be great.

 

I found the breather hoses on the diffs intact and they go somewhere higher so that satisfies me. Thanks for the quick responses. I think I got a little wrapped up in the suddenness of the news, the family loss, the thougt of having several kids in my house for probably weeks to months, and the trickle of information from my relatives.

I also checked the news and while they still have water everywhere I don't need to worry about super high water since I won't be trying to drive to the houses and should be good to go. Thanks again.

 

Stock breathers are 21 inches high I believe. Water getting into the diff's is quite easy, you see the seal is made to keep oil in , not to keep water out.
Especially it you are sitting in water rather than driving thru.
That being said I drained about a quart of water out of my front diff years ago, still running.
Good luck

 

Thanks dro. I recall replacing the seals--giant o rings--when I replaced my hubs and didn't see how they would keep much out of submerged.

The trickle continues. This is the bass pro shop in denham springs, which is a couple of miles before Walker from Baton Rouge and on the other side of the highway. The highway is above the top of the flooded picture. I don't want to go too non rover here but it looks like a lake. I'm sure it is blocked off so I don't even know how to get to them. I'm going to stop and get an old school map. But they are actually at a hotel just beyond the bass pro parking lot. Maybe the water will be down by the time I get there. It looks to be a few feet deep on the road in that picture from yesterday.

So much for dinner at Hooters (red roof to the left).