RV Water Crossing: How to Avoid Engine Damage and Recovery Steps

Here's the Deal

You're absolutely not being overly cautious - getting your Ekko Transit van into water up to the hubs is a serious situation that requires immediate proactive maintenance. Since you mentioned the water almost reached your cargo bays, you're looking at significant water depth that varies based on your specific vehicle configuration, which puts several critical components at risk. The fact that you're not experiencing unusual noises or driving behavior right now is actually typical - water contamination in sealed systems often takes days or weeks to manifest as problems, by which time expensive damage has already occurred.

Your instincts about the hubs, bearings, differential, transmission, and brake system are spot-on. Even though these are supposedly "sealed" systems, water under pressure (especially moving water during a flood) can penetrate seals that weren't designed for submersion. The Winnebago Ekko sits on a Ford Transit 350 chassis, and while it's a robust platform, it was never intended for water fording beyond normal puddle depth. Your proactive approach could save you thousands in repairs down the road.

The good news is that you caught this early and you're thinking systematically about the potential issues. The bad news is that flood damage to RVs often reveals itself in stages - what seems fine today might show problems in 2-3 weeks when contaminated fluids start causing corrosion or when water trapped in electrical connections begins causing shorts.

What's Behind This

When an RV gets into deep water like yours did, several physical processes put your systems at risk. First, hydrostatic pressure increases with depth - at hub level, you're dealing with substantial pressure that can force water past seals that normally only deal with road spray and weather. The Transit's wheel bearings, for example, have seals designed to keep grease in and road debris out, but they're not submarine-rated.

Water contamination in your drivetrain fluids creates multiple problems. In gear oil (differential and transmission), water forms an emulsion that reduces lubrication effectiveness and promotes corrosion of metal surfaces. Even small amounts of water can cause pitting on gear teeth and bearing surfaces. In hydraulic brake fluid, water contamination lowers the boiling point dramatically, which can lead to brake fade under heavy use, and it accelerates corrosion in brake lines, calipers, and the master cylinder.

Your electrical systems face different but equally serious risks. The Ekko has numerous electrical connections under the chassis for lights, ABS sensors, transmission controls, and chassis monitoring systems. Water intrusion into these connectors can cause immediate shorts or create corrosion that leads to intermittent failures weeks later. The Transit's sophisticated electronic systems are particularly vulnerable - a single corroded sensor can trigger multiple warning lights and put the vehicle into limp mode.

Temperature cycling makes everything worse. As components heat up during normal operation and then cool down, they create a pumping action that can draw contaminated water deeper into systems. This is why flood damage often gets worse over time rather than better.

Getting Started

Your immediate priority should be a systematic inspection and documentation process. Start by taking photographs of everything underneath the vehicle while it's still showing evidence of water exposure - this creates a baseline and could be valuable for insurance purposes. Focus on areas where you can see water marks, debris, or discoloration that indicates the high-water line.

Begin your fluid inspection with the easiest checks. You've already looked at engine oil and brake fluid, which is smart. Before starting the engine, check for water in the air intake, oil pan, and other critical engine components. For the transmission fluid, first ensure all electrical systems are safe, then check it with the engine running and warm - look for milky discoloration, unusual consistency, or a sweet smell that indicates coolant contamination. The differential fluid requires removing the fill plug on the rear axle, which is located on the back of the differential housing. This fluid should be dark but translucent - any milky appearance or metallic particles indicate water intrusion or bearing damage.

Your wheel bearing assessment requires removing the wheels to visually inspect the bearing seals and grease condition. Look for grease that appears watery, discolored, or contaminated with debris. On the Transit platform, the front hub bearing assemblies typically require replacement as a unit if contaminated, while rear bearings on the solid axle can sometimes be cleaned and repacked if caught early.

Document everything with photos and notes, including fluid colors, consistency, and any debris you find. Create a maintenance log specifically for this flood recovery - you'll want to track what you've checked, what you've changed, and when. This systematic approach helps ensure you don't miss anything and provides valuable information if problems develop later.

Making the Repair

Start with the most critical safety systems first. After ensuring electrical systems are safe and disconnected as needed, your brake system inspection should include removing all wheels and checking brake fluid at each caliper for contamination. If you find any evidence of water in the brake fluid - cloudiness, unusual color, or corrosion around fittings - you'll need a complete brake system flush. This isn't just changing the fluid in the master cylinder; it requires bleeding fluid through each brake line until clean fluid emerges at every wheel. Budget accordingly for a complete brake flush - costs vary significantly by location and service provider.

For the wheel bearings, plan on replacement rather than attempting to clean contaminated bearings. Front wheel bearing assemblies for the Transit 350 run about $80-120 each, and you'll need special tools for removal and installation. Rear axle bearings are more complex but less expensive - about $40-60 per side for the bearings themselves, plus seals and gear oil. If you're not equipped for bearing work, this is definitely a job for a qualified shop, with labor costs typically running $200-300 per wheel.

Your drivetrain fluids need complete replacement, not just topping off. The rear differential should get fresh 75W-90 gear oil (about 3.5 quarts for the Transit 350), and if you're changing it anyway, consider upgrading to a synthetic gear oil with better water resistance. The transmission service is more complex - it requires a complete flush, new filter, and fresh ATF. Expect to use 12-15 quarts of transmission fluid and budget 2-3 hours for the complete service.

Electrical system protection requires methodical inspection of every connector you can reach. Look for corrosion, water intrusion, or damage to wire insulation. Pay special attention to ABS sensors, backup camera connections, trailer wiring harnesses, and any aftermarket electrical additions. Clean any suspect connections with electrical contact cleaner and apply dielectric grease to prevent future corrosion. This is also an excellent time to relocate any low-mounted electrical connections to higher positions if possible.

Consider this an opportunity to upgrade vulnerable systems. Installing breather extensions for your differential and transmission can help prevent future water intrusion during river crossings or flood situations. These kits typically cost $50-100 and route the vent lines to higher locations under the hood.

Call in the Pros

While you can handle many aspects of flood recovery yourself, certain jobs require professional expertise and equipment. Brake system work, in particular, is not the place to cut corners - if you find any evidence of water contamination in your brake system, have it professionally serviced immediately. A qualified brake shop has the pressure bleeding equipment and expertise to ensure all contaminated fluid is removed from the system.

Transmission service on modern vehicles like the Transit requires specific scan tools to perform learn procedures after fluid changes. Many shops can also perform a proper transmission flush that removes fluid from the torque converter and cooler lines - something that's difficult to accomplish with a simple drain and fill. Expect to pay $250-400 for a complete transmission service, but this is cheap insurance against a $4000-6000 transmission replacement.

Consider having your local RV service center perform a comprehensive inspection of all chassis electrical systems. They can use diagnostic scanners to check for fault codes that might indicate water-damaged sensors or control modules. Many flood-related electrical issues don't show symptoms immediately, so having a baseline diagnostic scan performed now could save significant troubleshooting time if problems develop later.

If your Ekko is still under warranty, document everything and contact Winnebago immediately. While flood damage typically isn't covered under standard warranties, having professional documentation of your proactive maintenance efforts could be valuable. Some manufacturers have been known to provide goodwill assistance for owners who demonstrate responsible maintenance practices after an incident like this.

Finally, contact your insurance company about the flood exposure. Even if you don't file a claim now, having the incident documented could be important if related problems develop later. Some insurance policies have specific provisions for flood damage that might cover preventive maintenance performed after exposure.

Your proactive approach to this situation shows excellent judgment. Many RV owners ignore flood exposure and pay dearly for it later when major components fail unexpectedly. By addressing these systems systematically now, you're likely to avoid much more expensive problems down the road. The investment in preventive maintenance - probably $800-1500 total if you do some work yourself - is far less than the cost of replacing a transmission, differential, or dealing with brake system failure while traveling.