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Topic: Some Critters Have Turned Our Engine Compartment Into a Food Storage Unit (Read 492 times) previous topic - next topic
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Some Critters Have Turned Our Engine Compartment Into a Food Storage Unit
YIKES!  We live in Michigan right next to Detroit.  We park our LD on a cement pad in the back yard.  In the 15 years we had our 2002 MB and the 6 years we've had our 2017 MB, we've never had a problem with critters in the engine compartment - until now.  I was starting the winterization process by hooking up my Viair compressor to the engine battery when I found evidence of unwanted tenants - see attached pictures.

Winterization process has been temporarily suspended.  I removed most of this mess but I'm going to have to remove the doghouse engine cover to get more out.  There was no evidence of chewed wires or gnawed components.  I soaked some rags in ammonia and placed them on the pavement under the engine area.  I placed a trap (The Claw) under there as well.  I put a Ring camera under the front end.  I was thinking of putting a bluetooth speaker under the front end and playing disco music, but that's cruel.
Glenn & Joan Lambert
Redford, MI
2017 27' Mid-Bath
Re: Some Critters Have Turned Our Engine Compartment Into a Food Storage Unit
Reply #1 –
"...we've never had a problem with critters..."

Looks like things have changed! But the grass is still green so at least it's recent. And you could have the wife bake a cake using those black walnuts!   :D   ;)
Steve S.
Lazy Bones & Cedar
2004 30'IB (Island Bed)
Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery
Live for the day!
Re: Some Critters Have Turned Our Engine Compartment Into a Food Storage Unit
Reply #2 –
Quote from: Glenn Lambert  - 
YIKES!  We live in Michigan right next to Detroit.  We park our LD on a cement pad in the back yard.  In the 15 years we had our 2002 MB and the 6 years we've had our 2017 MB, we've never had a problem with critters in the engine compartment - until now.  I was starting the winterization process by hooking up my Viair compressor to the engine battery when I found evidence of unwanted tenants - see attached pictures.

Winterization process has been temporarily suspended.  I removed most of this mess but I'm going to have to remove the doghouse engine cover to get more out.  There was no evidence of chewed wires or gnawed components.
I was thinking of putting a Bluetooth speaker under the front end and playing disco music, but that's cruel.

Good thing you caught this problem when you did, rodents can cause thousands of dollars of damage under the hood.
Check under the intake manifold when the doghouse is off, a favorite place to build a nest after ripping off and using the underhood insulation as padding.
I can’t speak for the rats but listening to a constant stream of disco would be worse than death.

Larry
Larry
2003 23.5' Front Lounge, since new.  Previously 1983 22' Front Lounge.
Tow vehicles  2020 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, 2001 Jeep Cherokee
Photo Collection: Lazy Daze
Re: Some Critters Have Turned Our Engine Compartment Into a Food Storage Unit
Reply #3 –
Glenn, I feel your pain. If I could offer you a suggestion, use something to block off the air cleaner to prevent your new tenants from nesting inside the air cleaner and chewing the air filter. You do NOT want to have a chewed up air filter sucked into the engine!!!

I put a note on the instrument cluster to remind myself to remove the screen from the air cleaner and how many sacks of mothballs I have in the engine compartment. Larry is correct about the nesting that goes on under the dog house cover and on top of the intake manifold. Good luck!

Steve K
Steve K

2003 Mid-bath
Re: Some Critters Have Turned Our Engine Compartment Into a Food Storage Unit
Reply #4 –
Glenn, I had the same rodent problem many years ago both on the road but mostly in the storage barn at home. I learned from other campers that rodents don't like light and while camping in the woods they would prop open the hood with a stick at night to keep them out.
I thought why not LEDs where they like to nest and chew hoses and wiring. On my previous 2010 LD I installed LEDs under the hood, inside the rear engine doghouse, and above the fuel tank where I had a damaged hose. I had no more rodent problems for the next six years I had the RB when I sold it.
As soon as I brought our current 2021 RB I added LEDs in the same locations plus inside the Onan where I had previously found a nest on the 2010 RB.  Photos included here. I obtained power at the solenoid  that connects the two battery banks (coach & engine) that is located under the engine coolant reservoir. I drew power from the coach batteries side as they were always charged while the coach was plugged in. I bought the single LED bulbs from M4 Products (M4 LED Products).
At first I had LED strip lights (photo)attached to the hood but the heat from the engine burned out the LEDS. I then replaced them with bright single bulbs. I added a 'Normally closed' relay switch in the main power feed to switch off the lights when the engine is running to eliminate the heat issue. I tapped into the ignition wire that controls the batteries solenoid to activate the relay switch. I fed the power wires to another light mounted at the back of the engine inside the doghouse(photo). From there the  power went to the Onan housing with a light mounted at the left & right side of the housing(photos). The power then continued to the top back side of the fuel tank where I mounted two more lights(photo). They stay on as long as  the engine is off and turn off when the engine is running. No more rodent problems for the last 9 years. Yes it took a while but it is insurance against rodent damage costing lots of $$$$$$. 
2026 Coach House 27' "Casa Azul"
2010 RB "Monty"  &  2021 RB "Villa Verde"
2004 Born Free 26'
1998 Beaver Patriot 33'
1992 Barth Breakaway 28'
1982 Fleetwood Jamboree 23
Re: Some Critters Have Turned Our Engine Compartment Into a Food Storage Unit
Reply #5 –
Well, it's been a few weeks since the arrival of the RV dwelling spermophile I have named Cousin Eddie (a reference to the movie National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation).  It took one trash can, many hours, scratched arms and hands, body contortions I didn't think possible at my age, to remove all the giant black walnuts crammed into every nook and cranny of the engine compartment.  

I then launched my eviction plan.  I placed bags of moth balls at vital entry points about the undercarriage of the RV and at evident feeding stations.  I then squirted a highly volatile mixture of potent peppermint oil around the engine until the fumes made me dizzy.  I then purchased four motion activated puck LED lights.  They have a magnetic backing so I placed two under the engine cover and two in the front wheel wells.  I placed a wifi camera under the RV for ground surveillance.  The camera has a feature that plays an audio command when a pet is detected.  I had to modify the App to recognize a squirrel as a pet.  When a pet is detected, the audio says "Go ahead punk, make my day".  See the attached picture of a stunned Cousin Eddie.

So as of today, the squirrels are still visiting but they haven't stockpiled anymore black walnuts.  No wiring, hoses, or non-metallic items have been chewed.  No attempts at making grass housing units.  I have found little piles of sawdust (chewed up nuts) on top of the battery which I blew off and reinforced with a bag of moth balls and the peppermint spray.  I hope this will prevent further residency until we head out to Florida in January.  Then it will be mosquitoes - for which I have prepared for by replacing the window screens with special mosquito mesh -  with the help of a fellow Lazy Dazer.  
Glenn & Joan Lambert
Redford, MI
2017 27' Mid-Bath