A different type of trawler
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Exactly!
loafs and fishes
Senior Member
semi displacement ?
:lol:
Whether the driver did this consciously or not we have no way of knowing, but he (she?) actually drove through the water correctly. When we bought our Range Rover it came with a very good video demonstrating the proper ways to drive in various conditions including snow, mud, sand, deeply rutted roads, deep water, etc.
For deep water, the method is exactly what that semi driver was doing-- drive at a steady speed that pushes a bow wave ahead of the vehicle. Doing this creates a lower water level under the engine compartment.
When I saw that video of the truck I saw the driver was doing exactly what is demonstrated in our Range Rover video. Whether or not the driver used the technique deliberately is another matter but regardless, he or she was doing it the right way if one has to wade a vehicle through deep water like that. I've had to do it once on a hunting trip in BC and the technique works as advertised.
For deep water, the method is exactly what that semi driver was doing-- drive at a steady speed that pushes a bow wave ahead of the vehicle. Doing this creates a lower water level under the engine compartment.
When I saw that video of the truck I saw the driver was doing exactly what is demonstrated in our Range Rover video. Whether or not the driver used the technique deliberately is another matter but regardless, he or she was doing it the right way if one has to wade a vehicle through deep water like that. I've had to do it once on a hunting trip in BC and the technique works as advertised.
bcam
Senior Member
I don't do too much off-roading, so his technique may be perfect. But I have almost 3 million miles in a class 8 truck. So I feel pretty secure in saying his truck driving is pretty poor. If it's his truck, not too bright as he will be paying for maintenance that he wouldn't otherwise. If it's someone else's truck, he should be fired for willfully damaging the truck.
The reason you don't see many drivers like that anymore is because their trucks are in the yard, waiting to be repaired!
The reason you don't see many drivers like that anymore is because their trucks are in the yard, waiting to be repaired!
Maintenance of what? It was fresh water (I assume) so no harm done to anything assuming it was driven in the proper manner so as not to get a lot of water up into the engine compartment. My own vehicle has suffered zero problems after being waded in fresh water in the same manner that semi was.
what_barnacles
Guru
Oh yeh, the pop type Blazer.
bcam
Senior Member
As I said, if was his, he's welcome to the issues that might arise.
Most of the trucks in our fleet cover over 100,000+ miles a year. Our head mechanic had a different take on the driver than you did. Even if there were no immediate consequences, the driver would be providing his excellent off- roading skills to another company.
I guess, like most topics on this forum, there are different opinions. Let's enjoy them all:lol:
Nomad Willy
Guru
Marin,
Toward the end of the video one can see what appeared to be sudden bursts of light colored exhaust and then dark. Certianly not normal. I agree w bcam. I also have lots of semi truck experience and would never do what that guy did.
AKDoug
Guru
And it's a diesel. I have splashed a few fire trucks through streams to get to fires on the other side in my career, it didn't hurt them one bit. No telling how it got to the point where he had to drive on through it. I have no doubt he wouldn't have gotten into it in the first place if he had much choice about it, and I doubt turning around was an option.
Northern Spy
Guru
- Joined
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- Canada
- Vessel Name
- Northern Spy
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- Nordic Tug 26
Biggest problem I see us that the tranny and the diffs are vented. If they are nice and warm and then drive into cool water the warm air/vapour in the space may decrease in pressure quickly and suck water into the vents.
My Cruiser has the the vents up high on the end of hoses to prevent water intrusion in that manner.
I sucked water in to my axles a couple of times on my little samurai doing just that.
My Cruiser has the the vents up high on the end of hoses to prevent water intrusion in that manner.
I sucked water in to my axles a couple of times on my little samurai doing just that.
Our Range Rover has that setup, too. My 1973 Land Rover has clever breather valves on each axle that let the axle and differential breathe but don't admit water. Perhaps similar valves are fitted to the axles of semi-tractors which often run enveloped in heavy spray on wet roads.
stubones99
Guru
Almost all the running gear cases have vents usually right off the side of the case. So his tranny will be making mayonnaise soon, and probably the differentials. Any electrical systems (like his batteries) are often under the steps, so probably underwater. If his tank vents were low, he may need fuel polishing.
Over the road trucks are not made with the same design specs as off road rated vehicles.
The biggest risk with deep water is that you have no idea what's under it. Who knew the bridge was still there?
I am sure he's glad it isn't his truck!
Winner!!
You and bcam both are dead on point!!
Granted he did the "water crossing " correctly, I'll give him credit for that, but it misses the point. If the ground or bridge no longer exists, he goes from super trucker to statistic in the time it takes him to say oh crap! I'm sinking!
The real issue here, is "why" do it in the first place? Obviously a rhetorical question, but what was he hauling that was so critical that he had to take the risk?
I've seen (either on scene or the video after) more than a few vehicle's, from standard passenger cars to large, well set up 4x4's specifically designed (not the mom and pop factory stuff) for "hard" off road use, get swamped, swept away or stranded, by flood water or the erosion below that's unseen.
Now this genius places others in harms way trying to save his silly backside. Firefighters, paramedics, cops, even everyday citizens, have lost their lives, trying to help those stranded in flood waters.
From the looks of things, he didn't get trapped, he chose to drive through it.
The maintenance issues have all been well covered. This is an over the road, not under the water truck. The maintenance whether his or an owners, can overshadow the profits of a load. If he dies, and /or losses the rig/load, what has he accomplished?
Starting with rail and fiberglass dune buggies as a kid, through an 83 Toyota 4x4 pick up, 76 Toyota FJ40 Landcruiser, a modified 85 Toyota 4-runner, to my latest 89 Toyota FJ62 Landcruiser, and a few military humvees, I've done more than a few water and deep mud crossings, and just a "little bit" of off roading ;-), so I stand by my original statement. I don't consider him good.
I'd consider him reckless and his actions very likely unwarranted and dangerous.
OD
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And possibly illegal - I have to assume he drove over / past a road closed sign, though if this disaster happened too quickly they may not have been in place.
But I would also be concerned about damage to the road bed, not to mention that bridge. He could literally have caused or contributed to millions in damages.
Keith
Ski in NC
Technical Guru
Engine was throwing white smoke at tail end of video. Hard to tell if it was from him powering up or water getting sucked in.
Starter, alternator, batteries, axle fluid, tranny fluid, ujoints, wiring harnesses all potential trouble from here out.
Starter, alternator, batteries, axle fluid, tranny fluid, ujoints, wiring harnesses all potential trouble from here out.
Steve
Guru
Not much fun for those living alongside a road when vehicles push a big wake up to the house, sometimes inside. It happens around here when sightseers in high wheeled vehicles cruise flooded neighborhoods.
Very true.
Throwing a bow (or any other) wake, is not a good idea unless you know the depth, bottom condition and obstructions in front of you.
While our place wasn't impacted, we recently had a good bit of flooding in the area, during which I had the necessity to traverse some of the areas for work. I used my old 89 FJ60 land cruiser. Note:The roads were not closed or damaged, just high water.
I made it a point to control my wake so as not to contribute to the residential flooding, and about all you could see was a small ripple as i moved along, which dissipated at or before the grass line of the yards.
There was however, some jackleg in a store bought, pimped out, mall cruising Ford 4x4, that thought it was cool to blast through the area, leaving a 2+ft wake to charge into surrounding Properties :-(
There were a couple of people who were outside shooting video, and just before this idiot blasted through, thanked me for being courteous. When idiot child felt the need for speed, i looked at the folks and said, just because you can doesn't mean you should, which was met with a couple of thumbs up!
OD
