Water proofing my Disco!!

[BIRD]

Here is my problem. I live in Hawaii and in 4 days we will be hit by 3 hurricanes in a row. I might not have the time to get my truck to higher ground. (I am in the Navy and they will work us to last moment) I need to know what I can do if I have to leave my truck parked in water as deep as 5 feet or more!! (I live close to sea level.) I will put a potato in the tail pipe to keep water out of there. I will tape off the alternator with water proof bags and tape. I will tape off all the doors and windows. I will take out the battery and tape off the axel breater tubes. I am thinking of putting some bath room calk around the spark plug boots, but it might catch fire when I start the truck back up. I was thinking of getting a roll of industrial Cling Wrap and do the whole truck, but I can not find a roll of it so far. Is there any thing I can do more. Any help or ideas will be great. I just hope I can get my truck to higher ground in time.

[Disco]

I can understand your predicament. I'm not sure how high the expected water level is going to be. If you expect it to above the door sills, then short of removing panels and sealing I think you will get water ingress. Having said that, here's some other things you can do. Pull off your spark plug leads and just let them hang. If they get wet they will dry out. Don't fill the boots with anything. Seal all rubber grommets on the fire wall with silicon. Spray all electrical connections with WD40, or better still, those you can get too, smear with a copious amount of heavy grease. I don't think that you need to worry to much about water affecting your alternator, just make sure that if it does get wet, dry it out before you start up again. Tapping up your doors is certainly something to do,as well as removing the battery as you have said. I'd remove the ECU also, as well as an electrical equipment at floor level such as CD deck. Regardless of all the waterproofing you do, once the water reaches the windows, it will find it's way into the vehicle between the glass and the rubber strip on the door ledge. I don't think that the clingwrap idea will work. Regardless of how well you applied it, your vehicle would be sitting in water long enough for the water to find it's way in.
I hope this helps. Good Luck!

[DallasRover]

That sucks........
In Texas, and it looks like Rita is coming this way. Lots of friends in Houston that may be in the same mess as you.
Maybe if nothing else you can get it up on some jackstands at their highest level in the garage or something and you can get some extra height that way.
Good luck, let us know how you are doing.

[02RhinoRange]

Hey BIRD, do you know anywhere you could drive your Landy to higher ground and leave it for a week persay? On the mountains there. That might be a bit much to ask, I don't know the situation over there. Hope all works out well.... We hope the storms won't be that bad...

[TerryS]

Anything you do to keep the water out is good, but the most important thing you can do if you expect it to be submerged to inner floor level, is to remove the battery, or, simply disconnect both terminals. Electrical componants can get wet, and dry out on their own, but if the conductor is carrying current, or can if given a path to ground by the moisture, Major corrosion will result.
Salt water is especially evil to anything electrical, metallic, etc. Even well after the moisture should have dried, the salt will remain. Salt is a great conductor, as well as the main diet of the tinworm.
Personally, As soon as you get off, drive up hill. Screw it if you get a parking ticket, they're cheap compared to a dead Land Rover

[oberdahill]

Bird,
Why don't you take it up to Mililani? That's a lot higher ground than the Pearl Harbor area and Mililani Town shopping center has a large parking lot. You may even consider the Windward side of the island (mo' protected). I talked to my wife last night and she didn't mention anything about hurricanes. Or if you want to keep it close, take it to the parking structure at Pearlridge Mall and keep it on the upper levels. We live across from the airport so we'd be smack in the middle of it all.

[oberdahill]

I just pulled this off Weather Underground...it shifted slightly to the right of the projected track so it looks to continue follow the east side of the Big Island (Hilo). If that's the case, you'll most likely see lots of rain and residual winds. I'm gonna have to tell my wife to sandbag around our place.

On its present track...Jova should have little influence on island
weather. There may be a slight slackening of trade wind flow...
especially for days 3 and beyond...that would be for the coming
weekend...but the mid and upper level trough dropping down
northwest of Kauai will likely have more effect on island weather
than will Jova. Nonetheless...it would be best for all interests in
the area...including those in and around the Hawaiian islands...to
closely monitor the progress of this system over the next several
days.

[BIRD]

I watched the news last night. And it looks like the storm will pass by us. I did look into the local parking lots. And many of them would have been filled with new cars from the dealerships and rental cars. As for going to the other end of the island. I would have had to let my wife ride out the storm by herself and I was not going to do that. I will put some WD-40 on the wires just to help out. I just wanted some good info if I had to do a last stand at my building.