>Sure seem like the "flow" of the water in this pic would have easily swept
>the westy off her feet.

I can't see any flow there... the only water motion visible is that
caused by the van's passage.

>It does not take much to make a vehicle float off its traction and get swept
>down stream.
>
>IMHO this pic is SCARY and a possible fake based on how the sides of the van
>dont even look wet.

No fake. Illumination, focus and shadows are consistent, as it the
vegetation just visible through the side windows. Lighting direction
means you couldn't SEE any water on the van's side.

These vans aren't light, especially campers. The 4WD crowd regularly
drive their Cruisers etc with water up to the windshield (and I'm
talking about Wagons with shut doors and closed windows, not old SWB
vehicles with flooded cabins).

The deepest I have gone is wheel-deep in my 57 Panel, in a clear
slow-flowing stream. No float, no ingition problems. The second ford
i did have trouble with... I zoomed through it for the cameras,
sending up a sheet of water higher than the van as the nose plowed
in, and the engine died as I crossed... speed carried me up the other
side, though, and the problem was an overturned battery (yeah, no
clamp in that bus). 20 seconds & it was puring again, all 36hp of it.
--
Andrew Grebneff
Dunedin
New Zealand
Fossil preparator
<andrew.grebneff@stonebow.otago.ac.nz>
Seashell, Macintosh, VW/Toyota van nut