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As I was taking my Max IV back home on a trailor , Sunday morning , I passed by a very large stone and wood , A-frame house , on my left side . In front of the house I saw eight 4-wheelers in the drive way , with people standing around them . I drove down the road a ways , turned around and parked on the side of the road ,in front of the house . I introduced myself to all of them , and asked if they were going to ride some where close by . The man that owned the house told me , " yeah , we are going to ride real soon behind my house " I then told him I had an amphibious 6x6 on my trailor , and would like to ride with them , if he did,nt mind ? The owner of the property said "Sure ,,when ever your ready " You don,t have to ask me twice . 
The land behind his house,,down from his house ,and on the other side of the road , is prime riding for amphibs . Its been raining a lot lately , and all of the bottom land is full of water . All of the jeep trails and 4-wheeler trails were hardly visible . In fact , 95 % of all the jeep and 4-wheeler trails under water .
The 4-wheeler crowd all drove down to the edge of the property , where it was flooded with water , to watching me swim across it . This is the first time I,ve ever had a crowd of 4-wheelers watching me in my Max IV .
The owner of the property and a friend of his , was in the back seat of my Max . I eased into the water and swam away from the 4-wheelers for about 80 yards .
As I was postioning my Max IV for the best approach angle , out of the water , I then tried to climb the bank . It was then I noticed I was not moving forward ?
Had my Max slipped out of forward ? Nope , it was still in forward . Hmmm Whats up with this ? I then looked backwards , and noticed that the back end of my Max IV was very low in the water . I then tried to climb the bank , and as I looked rearward , I saw water shooting out of the top of the engine cover . 
It was then I remembered I had not reinstalled my rear drain plugs . I looked under my floor boards , and saw water over the chains . I got out of the Max , and into water over my boots ,and waded about 3 ft , until I could climb up the bank . I then attached my winch line to the closest tree . It was then I remembered where my drain plugs were . Yes,, in the middle console of my Jeep . I then yelled out to those watching me ,, where my plastic drain plugs were . One man drove his honda 4-wheeler back to my jeep and came back with two drain plugs . I,ve been meaning to install a bidge pump . I,m really motivated now .
After I installed my drain plugs , I took my new friends on a ride they would never forget . I drove through bushes , knocked down small trees , swam down flooded jeep trails , until the trails vanished from sight . The Max swam through the water , weaving in between flooded trees , over submerged logs , and then climbed out of the water ,,finding trails they had never seen .
I then let each of my new friends drive my Max . We drove through every place that even looked like a trail , or I thought we could make it through .
My new found 4-wheeler friends were amazed at what the Max could do . We then drove back to the house , and I picked up two more of his friends . After they both watched me drive a while,, I let both of them drive the Max IV . The second time out I decided to take a different trail , than the one we went on the first time . Some times I could feel my wheels touching the ground under the water, but most of the time I could not . I then drove down a trail I had went down before , but this time turned another way . This idea got all of us lost for an hour . As we drove the Max we saw several deer stands in the water. After 30 minutes of driving this way and that way , weaving in between flooded trees ,we then realized we had driven past the same deer stands again , for the third time . Maybe I should have taken the same flooded trail as the first time .
I then drove through tall swamp reeds , bushes ,,over logs , and on land , until I then decided to stop and park it . I got out of the Max and walked between the flooded trees , over logs , and pushed fallen tree branches out of my face . I then found a place that looked like a way out ,and walked back towards my Max . I looked to my left , as I was walking back , and saw one of the guys searching for a way out also . We finally made it out , but this was the hardest challenge I ever put my Max though . I wish I had a helmet cam this day .
When we finally made it back to the house , I asked every one that rode with me , what they thought of my amphibious Max . The owner of the house told me he wanted me to find him a used one . One lady that watched us , and who had recently sold her 4-wheeler , said she wanted one too .
Mike ,your advice paid off big time !
The land behind his house,,down from his house ,and on the other side of the road , is prime riding for amphibs . Its been raining a lot lately , and all of the bottom land is full of water . All of the jeep trails and 4-wheeler trails were hardly visible . In fact , 95 % of all the jeep and 4-wheeler trails under water .
The 4-wheeler crowd all drove down to the edge of the property , where it was flooded with water , to watching me swim across it . This is the first time I,ve ever had a crowd of 4-wheelers watching me in my Max IV .The owner of the property and a friend of his , was in the back seat of my Max . I eased into the water and swam away from the 4-wheelers for about 80 yards .
As I was postioning my Max IV for the best approach angle , out of the water , I then tried to climb the bank . It was then I noticed I was not moving forward ?
Had my Max slipped out of forward ? Nope , it was still in forward . Hmmm Whats up with this ? I then looked backwards , and noticed that the back end of my Max IV was very low in the water . I then tried to climb the bank , and as I looked rearward , I saw water shooting out of the top of the engine cover . It was then I remembered I had not reinstalled my rear drain plugs . I looked under my floor boards , and saw water over the chains . I got out of the Max , and into water over my boots ,and waded about 3 ft , until I could climb up the bank . I then attached my winch line to the closest tree . It was then I remembered where my drain plugs were . Yes,, in the middle console of my Jeep . I then yelled out to those watching me ,, where my plastic drain plugs were . One man drove his honda 4-wheeler back to my jeep and came back with two drain plugs . I,ve been meaning to install a bidge pump . I,m really motivated now . After I installed my drain plugs , I took my new friends on a ride they would never forget .
I drove through bushes , knocked down small trees , swam down flooded jeep trails , until the trails vanished from sight . The Max swam through the water , weaving in between flooded trees , over submerged logs , and then climbed out of the water ,,finding trails they had never seen . I then let each of my new friends drive my Max . We drove through every place that even looked like a trail , or I thought we could make it through .
My new found 4-wheeler friends were amazed at what the Max could do . We then drove back to the house , and I picked up two more of his friends . After they both watched me drive a while,, I let both of them drive the Max IV . The second time out I decided to take a different trail , than the one we went on the first time . Some times I could feel my wheels touching the ground under the water, but most of the time I could not . I then drove down a trail I had went down before , but this time turned another way . This idea got all of us lost for an hour . As we drove the Max we saw several deer stands in the water. After 30 minutes of driving this way and that way , weaving in between flooded trees ,we then realized we had driven past the same deer stands again , for the third time .
Maybe I should have taken the same flooded trail as the first time . I then drove through tall swamp reeds , bushes ,,over logs , and on land , until I then decided to stop and park it . I got out of the Max and walked between the flooded trees , over logs , and pushed fallen tree branches out of my face . I then found a place that looked like a way out ,and walked back towards my Max . I looked to my left , as I was walking back , and saw one of the guys searching for a way out also . We finally made it out , but this was the hardest challenge I ever put my Max though . I wish I had a helmet cam this day .
When we finally made it back to the house , I asked every one that rode with me , what they thought of my amphibious Max . The owner of the house told me he wanted me to find him a used one . One lady that watched us , and who had recently sold her 4-wheeler , said she wanted one too .
Mike ,your advice paid off big time !
if it don't float with out you getting wet . don't bring it ! 
I try to get Mudbug to consider coming up our way, but he likes the lowly swamps, dislikes hills 
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