I know that Toyota says that there is 9.6 inches of ground clearance for my T4R before it starts scraping the boulders and rock ledges on the trails, but no where can I find an "official" statement for the depth of water that a stock T4R Trail edition can drive through safely. I have looked around on other "sites" and I see everything from "up to the middle of the wheels" to "well the FJC can ford 27 inches (about 700mm) of water so the T4R should be able to do that as well" Some folks caution about getting water into the rear differential breather and others say it doesn't have one. Others say as long as you are moving then you can probably ford water up to the headlights, or other body parts depending on whose posting you read. Some say it may depend on the "bottom" of the water - if it is stones/gravel then up to the - insert a body part here - is okay. If it is mud or soft sand then the water depth may be less.
So I am really confused.
There are basically two reasons I ask : (If there are others, then I haven't encountered them yet.)
1. The last time I was out at one of the local off-road areas I encountered some "deep-looking" mud holes and decided that with my stock vehicle and being solo, discretion was paramount for safety and getting stranded. I wouldn't mind going through them, if I knew how deep they were and how much water I could have safely forded. (After a recent experience in the Peace River Country, I have very little doubt that I can get through the shallow, muddy ones.)
2. I was up the Transalta road (before bear) and when we got to the Ghost river, the normally empty channels or shallow (4 to 6 inches), slower moving water was tearing right along and was so "muddied up" that it was difficult to determine exactly how deep it was and I wasn't about to use the T4R as a depth gauge - again alone and in a stock vehicle.
So I am hoping there are some other 5th Gen owners out there who may have some experience fording water bodies, relatively slow moving or standing, and faster moving, that they might care to share. Alternatively, they may know where the breathers are positioned and how much water can be safely forded without mucking up some important moving part of the vehicle.
I definitely know where my air intake is and, rest assured, I will definitely keep the water level below that, but how far below is necessary, is the real question.
4Runner43
So I am really confused.
There are basically two reasons I ask : (If there are others, then I haven't encountered them yet.)
1. The last time I was out at one of the local off-road areas I encountered some "deep-looking" mud holes and decided that with my stock vehicle and being solo, discretion was paramount for safety and getting stranded. I wouldn't mind going through them, if I knew how deep they were and how much water I could have safely forded. (After a recent experience in the Peace River Country, I have very little doubt that I can get through the shallow, muddy ones.)
2. I was up the Transalta road (before bear) and when we got to the Ghost river, the normally empty channels or shallow (4 to 6 inches), slower moving water was tearing right along and was so "muddied up" that it was difficult to determine exactly how deep it was and I wasn't about to use the T4R as a depth gauge - again alone and in a stock vehicle.
So I am hoping there are some other 5th Gen owners out there who may have some experience fording water bodies, relatively slow moving or standing, and faster moving, that they might care to share. Alternatively, they may know where the breathers are positioned and how much water can be safely forded without mucking up some important moving part of the vehicle.
I definitely know where my air intake is and, rest assured, I will definitely keep the water level below that, but how far below is necessary, is the real question.
4Runner43
