Is a snorkel really necessary for off-roading, or is it just a trendy accessory that doesn’t provide much benefit in practical terms? Have there been any studies or real-life scenarios that demonstrate the true value of installing a snorkel on a 4×4 vehicle?”
A snorkel, as it is commonly known, is in fact a “Raised Air Intake” (RAI). Its function is to collect air at a level where it is usually cleaner and a lot less dusty than around the wheel arches where the standard air intake is located.
The most common misconception regarding the “snorkel” raised air intake, is that you may now drive through deep water. Sadly, this is incorrect, and you can most definitely not drive any deeper. You can still only drive to a depth recommended by the vehicle manufacturer. There are far too many electrical and other components which the “snorkel” will not protect.
There is a small advantage however, and this would be that it does prevent water splashing and entering the air filter if the water is approached with a bit too much enthusiasm.
Back to the raised air intake positioning, versus performance and fuel economy. Should it be forward facing, or can it be rearward facing? It makes no difference because the engine is still sucking in air, regardless of which way it’s facing – the air doesn’t suddenly become dustless. Also, we are not driving ram-air intake vehicles that a greater massflow through the engine and hence increases engine power. In the case of an RAI, I envisage the amount of fuel saved and the increase in performance is so minimal, that leaving the packed fridge at home would give you a better fuel economy.
Many overlanders rotate the head to face rearwards in harsh dusty conditions, but I would lean more towards the reason that prevents any debris been caught in the head as an advantage. I had an odd experience once where a a dove perfectly aimed itself through the plastic grille cover and wedged itself down the pipe. The vehicle experienced a sudden loss of power and all the fundis and engineers on our trip just could not figure out the reason… until a bright young lady pointed to the intake head with a few ruffled feathers and blood spatters. Problem solved.
The absolute best raised air intake would be the cylone type, which has a pre-filter and a tray to collect debris. It’s shocking to see how much dust and grit the tray actually catches, which makes me think that the “snorkel” we all so much want, would have let all that muck and dirt directly into the air cleaner.
Is it a must have? That would be a no. But it does look the part. And will the cost and fitment warrant the looks and the small amount of advantages? Probably not.
Water entering the RAI head is discussed often, and one of the questions asked is whether rain will enter as we drive. The well-known and recommended manufacturers have designed the fitting with a flute which disperses the water as you drive, so no water will get to the air filter. But a recommendation would still be to cover the head with a bag of sorts when standing for long periods, as well as at the car wash, to prevent that unnecessary H2O from entering.
