Safari make a range of snorklels for four wheel drive vehicles. A snorkel is a strange looking contraption until you see it mounted on a vehicle. This helps but the reason it is there is not always readily apparent.
What is a snorkel?
It is basically a plastic tube that feeds air from near the vehicles roof and directs it down to the vehicles air filter in the engine bay. It is a sealed unit as air leaks are detrimental to its function.
What is the function of a snorkel?
The primary function is to make the vehicle that has it be able to drive or wade through deep water. I am talking about over the bonnet deep water. Without the snorkel, the air cleaner would flood with water, drowning the engine. Just like a snorkel you use at the beach lets you breathe under water, the snorkel on the vehicle does the same thing. By lifting the air cleaner intake from under the bonnet to near the top of the roof, it lets the engine breathe underwater. This is why a snorkel needs to be well sealed, so it cannot leak water into the engine.
The secondary role is dust management. When following another vehicle on dirt roads the leading vehicle throws a dust cloud out behind it. You usually follow at a distance behind them to avoid the worst of it. Naturally the worst of the dust is lower down. Having the snorkel lifts the air intake above the worst of the dust so it breathes in cleaner air.
So if you are considering serious off roading, a snorkel is a good investment. Look over the Safari range and find the correct one to suit your vehicle.
