Rodent Damage

[DaveS52]

(First of all a quick, aside: Does anyone have any luck with the 'search' function in these forums? I hate to start a new thread when one already exists, but a search on "Rodent Damage" came up with totally irrelevant posts.)

Rodent Damage!
For the second time, on different rigs, I have had the little SOB Red Squirrels in my yard get in to my motor home and chew through, of all things, the vacuum line for the cab air handling system. Both times the symptom was the heat/ac only blows inside the dash. It would not move to def/vent/floor positions with the selector knob.

On my previous RV, an 18' 1997 Jayco Eagle with a Ford E350, my fellow campers and I were able to locate the chewed line and repair it. That's after finding a large quantity of dead grass sitting directly on the engine block, under the cowling (from the inside of the cab). And a ridiculously large collection of black walnuts under the hood. (See attached pics).

Well I thought I had that resolved with the use of "Fresh Cab Botannical Rodent Repellent" (from Earthkind). I continued to use these when we purchased our 28' 2011 FourWinds, again with a Ford E350. No evidence of squirrel activity. But low & behold the day before we were leaving on a 10 day road trip, same symptom, no control of the heat in the cab. This time it was a nearly $600 repair to replace the chewed through vacuum line. The dashboard had to be completely removed, AC system evacuated & recharged, etc, etc.

I now hear that the culprit may be the fact that the auto manufacturers are using soybean based materials for lines such as that and most wiring harnesses. Supposedly this is a 'green' consideration, but you know they wouldn't be doing it if it wasn't cheaper for the bottom line.

So, is anyone else dealing with this problem?

[CLIFFTALL]

Maybe this link will help.

https://www.google.com/search?q=Rode...com&gws_rd=ssl

[Dave & Jo's Winnie]

Am using Rig a Rat. It is a led strobe that operates from you battery so far working.


2005 34A Winnie Sightseer pushed by a 2013 Chevy Sonic.

[JackieMac]

According to a lady on another forum I use, this website has suggestions for most critters and she swears by it...


https://www.predatorpeestore.com

[DaveS52]

Originally Posted by Clifftall

Maybe this link will help.

https://www.google.com/search?q=Rode...com&gws_rd=ssl

Thanks for this tip! I will check Google and not iRV2.com in the Search box from now on!

[CLIFFTALL]

It is a Google search of irv2 threads. I leave the irv2 button selected.

Originally Posted by DaveS52

Thanks for this tip! I will check Google and not iRV2.com in the Search box from now on!

[530ktm]

Originally Posted by DaveS52

(First of all a quick, aside: Does anyone have any luck with the 'search' function in these forums? I hate to start a new thread when one already exists, but a search on "Rodent Damage" came up with totally irrelevant posts.)

Rodent Damage!
For the second time, on different rigs, I have had the little SOB Red Squirrels in my yard get in to my motor home and chew through, of all things, the vacuum line for the cab air handling system. Both times the symptom was the heat/ac only blows inside the dash. It would not move to def/vent/floor positions with the selector knob.

On my previous RV, an 18' 1997 Jayco Eagle with a Ford E350, my fellow campers and I were able to locate the chewed line and repair it. That's after finding a large quantity of dead grass sitting directly on the engine block, under the cowling (from the inside of the cab). And a ridiculously large collection of black walnuts under the hood. (See attached pics).

Well I thought I had that resolved with the use of "Fresh Cab Botannical Rodent Repellent" (from Earthkind). I continued to use these when we purchased our 28' 2011 FourWinds, again with a Ford E350. No evidence of squirrel activity. But low & behold the day before we were leaving on a 10 day road trip, same symptom, no control of the heat in the cab. This time it was a nearly $600 repair to replace the chewed through vacuum line. The dashboard had to be completely removed, AC system evacuated & recharged, etc, etc.

I now hear that the culprit may be the fact that the auto manufacturers are using soybean based materials for lines such as that and most wiring harnesses. Supposedly this is a 'green' consideration, but you know they wouldn't be doing it if it wasn't cheaper for the bottom line.

So, is anyone else dealing with this problem?

That is one busy rodent! Good luck with this situation.

[Offcamber]

Red Squirrles are the worst. I had them get into my TT last summer. They chewed through the metal mesh on the fridge vent and were living in the gap between the sides of the fridge and the TT. Had to pull the whole fridge out to get them out. Luckily other than a couple of holes and some insulation (and smell) they didn't damage anything. We have had issue with field mice as well. I have not really found a great solution to the squirrels Good Luck!

[DrDaveMA]

Originally Posted by JackieMac

According to a lady on another forum I use, this website has suggestions for most critters and she swears by it...


https://www.predatorpeestore.com

So who collects bobcat urine, that seems to me to be a particularly dirty job, maybe we need to call Mike Rowe?

Seriously, I had a problem with grey squirrels getting into my shed. They chewed the spouts off the plastic gas cans, our grandson's big wheels and the tow cables for our toad😂 Maybe you are on to something with the soy or better yet the predator pee. I tried fox urine, but they ignored it. We have several red foxes in the area, but I have not been able to keep them around enough. Luckily it was our shed so I found where they were getting in and covered it with heavy duty, galvanized, hardware cloth. That has kept them out for 2 years. I am concerned that they will go to our MH next. Oh, yes, I also set Have-a-Heart traps baited with peanut butter and peanuts. I have trapped 15 squirrels, 6 chipmunks and over 2 dozen mice/voles thus far. There is less wildlife on our property, but no damage for the last 2 years. We have a red tail hawk living in the area that I think has placed his nest up for sale. My next step will be either a Maine Coon Cat, nasty little devils, but effective, or a barn owl, just have not figured out how to be sure they would survive the winter while this snowbird heads south. Maybe I will try both!

[IC2]

On a TT years back, a chipmunk family chewed through the vent and destroyed a Dometic fridge and an interior wall. They have tunneled under our driveway which nicely collapses when I run my 8300 pound TV or 12,000 pound 5er over it. Then they have destroyed the dash and glow plug wiring on my little diesel tractor. They also destroyed the air filter. On the last TV they succeed in eating a hole in the heater water control, ate a coil over for a spark plug and a couple vacuum lines. Currently there is a chippie that moved in on the spare tire rim of my TV and is living on borrowed time. We have given up with Havahart traps and are taking drastic, fatal remedies against chipmunks plus gray and red squirrels. The traps require that you take the little beasts at least 5 miles, preferably across a busy highway or they will return - and we just wont do that again. We also have couple hawks, at least one fox, a fisher, some owls and a pair of bald eagles - but they don't seem to make a dent in the rodent population but have cleaned out most of the neighbors outside cats.

If something really works, by all means post the rodentcide

[BRex45]

our driveway which nicely collapses when I run my 8300 pound TV

My god, you have an 8300 lb TV? I bet it is one of those big old glass tube ones?

[IC2]

Originally Posted by BRex45

our driveway which nicely collapses when I run my 8300 pound TV

My god, you have an 8300 lb TV? I bet it is one of those big old glass tube ones?

I guess you just need some eddicatin' about RVs and their forum contractions, ie S&B, DW to name couple more