Snorkel Wars

overlander

Expedition Leader
My last time in Brisbane Australia, I was surprised to walk around the city and find the taxi's and delivery trucks all had snorkels and bullbars. Imagine a Ford Taurus with a snorkel. Was it dorky? Yes. Was it functionally indispensable enough for a small business to invest in them? Yes.

It really comes down to this: If you choose to ignore the obvious and universally agreed to advantages of a raised air intake solely because it looks dorky, then you are choosing form over function. Form over function is the trademark of a poser.

My recommendation is everyone have an honest conversation with themselves about what their equipment needs are for overlanding or travel, completely absent of the influence of form or "looks", and determine what is required to get you safely there and back again. Once you do that, if you want to care about form, find a bumper sticker you like and stick it on the back of your rig.

I have a bullbar to protect my radiator from animal strike in remote areas, and a raised air intake to protect the investment in my engine from unintended water immersion.

If you have a raised air intake on your vehicle, and never leave the city you live in, then go ahead and have it chromed. you're a poser. Be proud of it. There is no functional need for it.

If you travel to remote destinations in your vehicle, and choose not to have raised air intake, then Darwin will be the judge of you. My recommendation is to have a bug out bag and a satellite phone or SPOT.
 
Last edited:

doug720

Expedition Leader
It's rail road bridge. The crossing is the only way to cross without a 16 mile rough and slow alternate.

Doug
 

toymaster

Explorer
^^^^^ Every since I saw the movie "Stand by Me" when I was a kid I've thought crossing a railroad bridge may not be the best idea. Good choice.
 

ZMagic97

Explorer
This was after a backed out a few feet. Even after doing a quick walk down I was unable to see the "shelf" I had dropped off of. Snorkel saved me that day. I haven't needed it much, but one time makes it worth it.

DSC02037_zps21235e5f.jpg
 

Buliwyf

Viking with a Hammer
This was after a backed out a few feet. Even after doing a quick walk down I was unable to see the "shelf" I had dropped off of. Snorkel saved me that day. I haven't needed it much, but one time makes it worth it.

DSC02037_zps21235e5f.jpg

Where exactly were you planning on going???

That's the perfect pic to illustrate the difference between 4wheeling to get somewhere, and 4wheeling just for the fun of it.
 

AndrewClarke

Adventurer
That's the perfect pic to illustrate the difference between 4wheeling to get somewhere, and 4wheeling just for the fun of it.

...not that there's anything inherently wrong in either, although this is "Expedition Portal" rather than "Redneck Hollow" ... sorry ZMagic97 :).

Maybe if you're perfect you don't need a snorkel. I know I'm not perfect, and my truck has a snorkel.
 

ZMagic97

Explorer
All good AndrewClarke :)

Straight ahead of my Jeep there was another beach like area that I wanted to get to. I was going to go across for a snorkel test/just for fun.
 

Buliwyf

Viking with a Hammer
All good AndrewClarke :)

Straight ahead of my Jeep there was another beach like area that I wanted to get to. I was going to go across for a snorkel test/just for fun.

LOLz.

Well, I'm just south of Lake Erie and would love to see what a sunset over water from Canada looks like. Time to test my snorkel!
 

Forum statistics

Threads
185,841
Messages
2,878,757
Members
225,393
Latest member
jgrillz94
Top