The LD now protected. Bought LD end of November, started carport process mid December. Installed today.
Steve and Jill,
Looks nice!
When you get ready for another project, you might think about running siding down to the ground on the passenger side. It will keep the sun off that side of the coach.
Harold
Looks great! I wish I had something similar.
Take active precautions against mice. I keep a snap trap set inside pretty much all of the time now. I also make an effort to keep the grass ground in and around the RV as clear as possible. Still, the mice occasionally make their way inside. Some here have had substantial damage to engine wiring as a result.
Rich
'03 MB in NC
Rich, have you tried anything like a led light string under your LD to prevent critters, or hanging smelly dryer sheets?
I would love some first hand knowledge if those tricks really helped prevent critter "attacks" on the LD.
Jane
I haven't. I've read lots of things about dryer sheets and moth balls and led lights, but none that I consider to be well designed experimental results. I suspect others will disagree.
In addition to the snap trap, I also toss a tomcat bait station under the RV. I remove all food (except the small amount of peanut butter baiting the trap) and try to keep the paper towels (nesting material) out of reach.
Most years I get no mouse activity. When I do find one in the trap, I usually also find the small beginnings of a nest somewhere. They like paper towels and the factory wall insulation (fiberglass, not the foam board used now). I think they typically enter by squeezing through along the doghouse seal. I frequently check the engine compartment for acorns and the air filter for damage.
I probably need a farm cat.
Rich
'03 MB in NC
Here is my cover, or the boat barn, as we call it.. Rats were a real problem, especially in the engine compartment of the Lazy Daze. I have repaired the vacuum hose from the dash vent control twice now. Rat poop was all over the concrete floor.
I have tried panty hose bags of moth balls, bars of irish spring, dryer sheets, etc. These only provide limited rodent deterrent.
I have had EXCELLENT results by stringing 120V LED rope lights and haven't had any rat droppings or damage since I installed it 18 months ago. Rats hate light. I string the lights under the engine, around the front wheels, behind the cab to about the back of the water tank and then across and under the generator. From there, it goes up into the engine compartment, across the battery and the ledge in the front, and then back across and down into the valley under the plenum and into the valley between the cylinder heads. These lights are on a photocell timer so that they go on at dusk and turn on at dawn. I have had exactly zero rodent evidence or damage since installing this system and have since strung another string through the bottom two shelves across the back of the boat barn.
One unintended but necessary additional mod is that I had to make plywood 24 inch tall light dams so that the bright lights don't keep my sensitive bride awake at night, as the barn is behind our bedroom.
As an aside, although I have no rat droppings or evidence in the barn, I have trapped 5 rats in the last 5 days on the property. They are attracted to the citrus which are on the ground. We clean up the dropped fruit, but the devious rodents get up into the trees and pull down more ripe fruit. But they aren't in the boat barn or the Lazy Daze!
YMMV,
Harold
Steve and Jill,
Looks nice!
When you get ready for another project, you might think about running siding down to the ground on the passenger side. It will keep the sun off that side of the coach.
Harold
I actually thought it came with full sides. A terminology misunderstanding on my part. That side is the west side. The tree helps a lot. We may make changes down the road.
The rear faces north, so I only leave about two feet from that end to prevent the downpours from getting it too wet. The front is the south, I leave 6' or so, which so far keeps the sun off it.
Looks great! I wish I had something similar.
Take active precautions against mice. I keep a snap trap set inside pretty much all of the time now. I also make an effort to keep the grass ground in and around the RV as clear as possible. Still, the mice occasionally make their way inside. Some here have had substantial damage to engine wiring as a result.
Rich
'03 MB in NC
Yeah, I had moved my mower from under a structure near the chickens because rats like getting on the seat, under the tarp and leaving me stuff.
Rats were a real problem, especially in the engine compartment of the Lazy Daze.
I have had EXCELLENT results by stringing 120V LED rope lights and haven't had any rat droppings or damage since I installed it 18 months ago. Rats hate light. I string the lights under the engine, around the front wheels, behind the cab to about the back of the water tank and then across and under the generator.
YMMV,
Harold
How long does the LD sit between uses? I hope to pull ours out every 6 weeks even if for just a short trip or one nighter. Maybe in my case the rats will stay up near the chickens. (they get leftovers) We have trapped a few, but there was a family, so more than one.
I remove the LED rope lights prior to using or moving the LD. It takes 5 minutes. I gently arrange big loops and hang them from a hook on the inside of the barn. I probably spend 10 minutes replacing and repositioning the lights after I return. The rope lights have been problem free, using them every night for about 18 months or so. Zero rat droppings or Lazy Daze damage in the barn.
The 18 chickens are cooped about 100 feet from the boat barn. I don't think they draw rats as much as the fallen fruit, but ever since we lost "Bad Kitty", we have had a rat problem. I've trapped five this week. BK brought us a dead rat, mouse, mole, or bird (or special guts offerings) every few days and I never had any evidence or rodent problems. Besides his effectiveness as a hunter, I just miss him.
When I decided to enclose the sides, I found that Home Depot sells galvanized siding in various lengths for a reasonable price.
Harold
How long does the LD sit between uses? I hope to pull ours out every 6 weeks even if for just a short trip or one nighter.
I would take Harold's advice and string LED lights under the rig whenever it is parked, rats can move in only a day or two.
The damage rats can do in unbelievable, causing thousands of dollars in damage over a short time.
Rats like to build nests in a parked rig's engine bay, in the 'valley' between the V10's two heads. There are wires and hoses in the way that are easy to chew through. For a comfortable nest, rats rip the thermal insulation off the doghouse and firewall for padding.
Rat damage can keep the engine from starting and prevent the heater and A/C from working, the missing insulation allows the doghouse to get so hot that your right foot cooks while pressing the accelerator. If the HVAC vacuum lines to the dash are chewed off, the repair sometimes requires disassembly of the dash. Think big bucks.
Repairing the damage in confined quarters is difficult and expensive to repair, do what you can to prevent thiis from happening.
Rat damage | Flickr (https://www.flickr.com/photos/lwade/sets/72157628789839867/with/6665571453/)
Larry
"I would take Harold's advice and string LED lights under the rig whenever it is parked"
We sustained a fair amount of damage from a pack rat when our Lazy Daze (RB) was stored in an open field for a shortish period of time. We had the resultant damage repaired ($2500.) and subsequently moved her to a commercial storage facility where they have "rat protection" items all over the place.
Just to be extra vigilant, we put dryer sheets inside of the engine compartment, and lights are strung under the rig, and also in the engine compartment. No repeat damage in about ten years.
Whether any of these three actions account for the non-damage is hard to say, since it is difficult to prove a negative, but so far, so good.
Virtual hugs,
Judie <-- Sierra Vista, Arizona
Adventures of Dorrie Anne | Photographing the West (http://dorrieanne.wordpress.com)
Today: The Jade Beetle
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Whether any of these three actions account for the non-damage is hard to say, since it is difficult to prove a negative, but so far, so good.
Today: The Jade Beetle
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This is what I call 'the exploding elephants' argument. You haven't seen any exploding elephants since you started this, so it protected you from that as well. Doesn't matter which one(s) did the trick, the trick is done.
Was disappointed in the Jade Beetle. Your other postings had me expecting an intriguing recipe. ;)
Be safe
Joel
A bit off-topic, but in respect to Joel's disappointment, I have included a personally tested recipe for cookies made with cricket flour. My students used to make this, except they left the little heads on the top of one cookie, and guess who got to eat it? In front of the class.
Joel, this may work with beetles as well. Please report back. Bon Appetit
Bite-Sized Chocolate Chip Cricket Cookies | Entomo Farms (https://entomofarms.com/featured_item/bite-sized-chocolate-chip-cricket-cookies/)
Harold
Harold, thanks for the info on the LED lights and other rodent repellant ideas.
It makes me think about connecting LED lights to the underneath side of the LD and the engine department and maybe bins also to use while the LD is away from home and in the wild. Sounds like a great project.
Is “Bad Kitty” eyeing chocolate ice cream in your picture? We have a tortoise that thinks chocolate ice cream is good, but she only wants a couple small cat bites which satisfies her.
Jane
He would climb down from his kitty castle next to my seat at the dinner table and patiently wait for me to share some ice cream. I'd usually give him a few licks off the spoonful now and then as I ate and he never got rude or pushy about it. He always got to lick the bowl at the end.
Harold
Has anyone tried "fences" around the tires? Say, a foot high piece of thin steel or aluminum around each of the front wheels and the two dualies, so the critters can't climb up the tires? I've seen pilots do this to their small airplanes at airports. The 12" wide pieces are long enough to go around the tire(s) and connect to the other end. They lie flat when not in use and are easy to erect, and to carry along on a trip.
Has anyone tried "fences" around the tires? Say, a foot high piece of thin steel or aluminum around each of the front wheels and the two dualies, so the critters can't climb up the tires? I've seen pilots do this to their small airplanes at airports. The 12" wide pieces are long enough to go around the tire(s) and connect to the other end.
Not sure how accurate this report is but it seems to indicate that mice can jump 12-18" straight up.
OF MICE AND AEROPLANES: Things Every Pilot and Aircraft Owner Should Know. (http://eaaforums.org/showthread.php?875-OF-MICE-AND-AEROPLANES-Things-Every-Pilot-and-Aircraft-Owner-Should-Know)
Unless your LD's wheel are lifted on blocks, the bottom of the rig has several spots where the distance is less than 12", the folding step for example. Airplanes sit higher off the ground than vehicles, needing the extra ground clearance for the suspension to compress and withstand the stresses of a hard landing.
Placing a tall foldup or roll out fence all the way around the RV should work but woud be a hassle to deal with and store, it would be good for longer-term storage where it isn't entered regularly.
Larry
Where I live in a rural area of San Diego County, mice and rats have been a constant problem for me over the last 11 years causing thousands of dollars of destruction in the engine compartment (they've never gotten inside the coach). I tried just about every suggestion to no avail. Snap traps baited with peanut butter, vigilantly checked every day, worked the best but even that was not foolproof. Out of exasperation I finally constructed a skirt, 8 panels with 2 X4s and sheet metal (3' high) to surround the vehicle, doing my best to block even the smallest seams. The skirt is a royal pain to remove and put back together (not to mention an eyesore) but I have been rodent free for the last 3 years. At about the same time my neighbor got some outdoor cats (how she has kept them alive in our coyote rich environment I don't know) who like to visit my property, so in all honesty I would have to give credit to both factors. My next house will have a fully enclosed RV garage!
Mike Liner
'08 24' FL towing '14 Forester
Dang, I have been reading just to let you all know. Looks like I will be getting some lights.
Reply to Eric's comments. Yes, we used pieces of sheet metal to surround tires and front jacks on our 5th wheel about 30 years ago. The surrounds were fixed into rings with duct tape. These pieces of metal were about 15 inches tall. This worked very well for years. DH is a pilot. Keeping mice, etc away from aircraft is a problem . Bumper? Are you online? I'm sure he would have some comments on this ,too.
One point for those LD owners that have the old type electrical cord that winds up into an interior area. Use a coarse steel wool and pull and fluff it up, then surround the power cord. I'd tape it into place. Find some pieces (chunks) of foam rubber and stuff it into the compartment. We had a '94 MB and the cord was stored in the cupboard under the kitchen sink near the outside. Once the cord was extended through the access door, we used foam rubber to make sure no critters entered. When parked at home, we used the combo of steel wool and foam. It worked.
Mice in your RV are both not nice and a health hazard. In our 5th wheel the mice even pulled the cotton off of Q tips for their nest. We tried everything and nothing worked until we used the sheet metal surrounds.
Juli W
Minden, NV
I am hoping to eventually have a garage big enough to store an RV or two. Not likely this year. I hope work resumes soon enough to be able to plug my LD in and run a vent fan and perhaps snowflake mode heater by next fall. It survived on solar power with someone running the engine and generator a few times but had a bit of mold, mostly in areas closer to floor and mainly the kitchen.
I had some rodent repellent delivered but it got lost. We had a rid a rat strobe flashing in the engine. I know there are mice and they did move in to our LD for a couple weeks last summer, but no evidence during winter storage. I have heard there have been pack rats nearby. I think there are the ones that do expensive damage, but glad not to have mice in the LD too.
Anyone have experience with these?
Amazon.com : Loraffe Battery Operated LED Rat Strobe Light Electronic... (https://www.amazon.com/Loraffe-Electronic-Ultrasound-Warehouse-Protection/dp/B081LL34FH)
Anyone have experience with these?
Amazon.com : Loraffe Battery Operated LED Rat Strobe Light Electronic... (https://www.amazon.com/Loraffe-Electronic-Ultrasound-Warehouse-Protection/dp/B081LL34FH)
Don't know what to believe anymore, but in my quest about lights for rats a few weeks ago I came across some youtube vids about led strobe lights for rats.
If the storage for the LD is visible from your house, the strobe light will be irritating to rats and to YOU at night.
We can see the LD from our bedroom, so we use the LED rope and built a 12 inch tall plywood light dam around the front of the coach so the light doesn't keep the Admiral awake.
Harold
If the storage for the LD is visible from your house, the strobe light will be irritating to rats and to YOU at night.
Harold
Never thought of that.
Might be effective at getting rid of rats and annoying neighbors.
For what it is worth:
1. Lazy Daze in the boat barn with wood light barriers.
2. Rope lights woven under hood and down into engine compartment and valley between heads.
3. Twilight and LED rope lights turn on.
4. View at night. Under the closed hood, it is bright as an operating room. It is also quite bright under the Lazy Daze.
Rope lights have been on every night, other than the nearly 60 days of trips in the Lazy Daze each year with no failures. Minimal current draw. We have had no rat activity in the barn since we adopted this system. We had a significant problem and damage to the Lazy daze prior. I still trap up to 5 a week on the surrounding property, so they are here, but elect to not go into the boat barn with the lights.
Harold
For what it is worth:
1. Lazy Daze in the boat barn with wood light barriers.
2. Rope lights woven under hood and down into engine compartment and valley between heads.
3. Twilight and LED rope lights turn on.
Harold
Wood barrier just in the front? Wouldn't have thought that would make much difference.
A few weeks ago I watched some youtube vids where they showed the rats running around the lights. Maybe they already new that to be there home. I will post the links.
After finding the vids again, I reading the comments. Some say the lights needed to be on longer and they are meant for small enclosed areas, not out in the open.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOdt4G2uVAQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVN9JXUJXdY
The wood barriers are on three sides. They aren't visible in the photos since it a frontal perspective. Otherwise the lights would illuminate the boat and the interior walls of the boat barn. They hug the LD on three sides, across the front and along the running boards to the main part of the coach.
YMMV
Harold
To be more clear, the rope lights are about 15-20 feet long each. I have two connected together. They go across the front under the bumper, around the front tires to illuminate the base of the tires on both sides since I suspect this is how rats enter the engine compartment, behind the tires and under the coach and across to the rear of the generator. Then the rope goes forward and around the other front tire and up into the engine compartment.
I tried 12v solar lights first, but they are too dim. The 120v rope lights are quite bright and fully illuminate the underside of the LD and the inside of the engine compartment.
It takes me about 10-15 minutes to arrange everything when I put the LD to bed. This is insignificant compared to how long it has taken me to repair previous rodent damage.
Harold
What I don't understand is why the rats will go to the LD but apparently not your boat. I wonder why that is.
glen
Glen,
They likely can climb up onto the trailer, but the boat has slippery sides, high freeboard, and negative shear from the chine to the gunnels, so getting up the sides of the boar would be nearly impossible.
Ants have no such problem, which we discover after someone leaves a little fishy tidbit in one of the bait tanks..
Harold