googled "does Honda rodent tape work", I would have expect a video of two identical wire harness tested one protected one not. Or any test.

 

i had a nightmare situation with a large rat in a car 3 years ago. absolute nightmare situation, that's all im going to say, i dont want to re-live it.

 

Sorry to dredge up bad memories but was it a situation of one coming into the van at a campsite?

I've had bad memories of aggressive chipmunks running into my pop-up shelter, racing around like mad, looking for food. On the surface, they look cute and to us they are harmless. But they were always leaving their poop behind on the picnic table and everywhere they had been.

They weren't afraid of humans in the slightest. I diligently kept my van (minivan at the time) closed in case they ran in there.

I haven't yet visited campsites or boondocked yet in the PM but am planning to soon. I'm just wondering how often creatures could wander in an open slider. And what can be done about it. I could see it being difficult to shoo out something like a mouse or rat or one of those pesky chipmunks.

 

Peppermint spray works .
Lived in the hills for 30+ years .
No more rat nest with acorns , neighbors dog food etc .
Soon as I see ratprints I spray .
when engine gets hot smells like a candy shop 😁

 

left out container of peanut butter crackers on picnic table.....aggresive squirrel

I feel lucky

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We've had 4 mice—two of them at once—in our food drawer under the fridge. We believe they came in the hole for trailer wiring. That part has been replaced.

We have had two picas under the hood. They wanted to build nests on the engine with firewall insulation.

We saw a marmot disappear under the hood. He was so persistent we had to drive away.

So far, no wire damage that we know of.

 

OMG I never thought of this😳 People always ask me aren’t you afraid to travel alone! My answer is always no, but now I’m starting to think about the rodents🤮 it never crossed my mind before 🤯 that could be my biggest fear!!!

 

Our mice problem here is perennial, pervasive and persistent.

Here is my "One Weird Trick" :

I close up the van normally, then I put one of my roof fans at 10% ~ 20% out. If you have another fan and leave it closed and off.

This creates the slightest negative pressure inside the van.

So now, any small leaks or holes or vents anywhere on the van are drawing in fresh air. Well, it's not that drawing in fresh air is the important bit. The important bit is that none of the very attractive food smells and human smells from inside the van are leaking out down low where the vermin can smell it and go after the source of that yummy cheddar.

So far this seems to work perfectly. Since there is no attraction for the mice to come to the van they simply leave it alone.

Since the fan is on 24/7 I use my shore power to keep the batteries from draining.

 

seems never cook in van might be good idea which would simplify build and probably make more room because if cook outside gonna wash dishes outside

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That's good advice as long as you are not in a problem bear country. Leave the keys in the ignition as I cook in van.

 

I have heard of people using a second refrigerator for all food related items as a possible rodent deterrent.

 

I’ve read that mice don’t like aluminum foil, so I wrap vulnerable dry goods in it.

 

I once threw a small amounts of leftovers tightly wrapped in aluminum foil. Mice got into the garbage. They not only ate the leftovers the foil was shredded.

 

I can handle a mouse eating my food. It's what they do. What I can't accept is mice eating electrical insulation that is hard to find so as to repair. It's usually in hidden or hard to get to locations. This is frustrating and expensive to undo.

Years ago, pet hamster escaped for days. Found him electrocuted behind large entertainment center. He munched the big built in tube style TV's power cord leaving a few strands before his demise. We wondered why the images were changing for the worse, increasing voltage drop I assume. Destroyed a great high end TV (for that era).

Recent AC condenser repaid cost more than $400 due to technician diagnosing time spent followed by repair. I wrapped all wires I could get my hands on, time will tell.

 

I can handle a mouse eating my food. It's what they do. What I can't accept is mice eating electrical insulation that is hard to find so as to repair. It's usually in hidden or hard to get to locations. This is frustrating and expensive to undo.

Years ago, pet hamster escaped for days. Found him electrocuted behind large entertainment center. He munched the big built in tube style TV's power cord leaving a few strands before his demise. We wondered why the images were changing for the worse, increasing voltage drop I assume. Destroyed a great high end TV (for that era).

Recent AC condenser repaid cost more than $400 due to technician diagnosing time spent followed by repair. I wrapped all wires I could get my hands on, time will tell.

I can't say it any louder : PEPPERMINT OIL SPRAY WORKS : Rodents hate it .🤬

 

Shawn Woods video
Does Mint Oil Actually Repel Mice? Let's Test It Out With Real Mice.

 

Had mice issue this recent trip. I will need to try the peppermint oil and try to plug up all the holes under the van.

 

What holes do you have in the PM? I've crawled under nearly every square inch of the PM and haven't noticed any open holes. There are some at the rear bumper but they are covered by rubber caps or plugs. Did the mice chew through them and get it?

 

I thought there was another post about plugging some holes under b pillar? I haven't really crawl under to look for it. We have no idea how it got in but we did leave the slider open when we were cooking. We end up spending few hours taking all the stuff out and re-secure our food in containers with lids.

 

Hole in battery box also .

 

Phil posted video in this discussion it backs up my experience .

30+ years I've been battling rat b@#*#ds getting into my vehicle's .
Glue traps , live traps , poison , even used bb gun when rat was hiding in plain sight . Try the brand I posted earlier in this discussion.

 

The only time we've ever had rodent problems in the PM was in Tucson. Packrats piled random junk on top of the engine, including nasty clumps of cactus spines. No wire damage though. We've never had critters get inside the van. Maybe because I sealed gaps in the two big square rubber plugs under the rear columns early on in the build. One was cut into at the factory for trailer wiring, I cut the other for shorepower. IIRC, the one with the trailer wiring wasn't even seated all the way.

 

A lot of people here in the Colorado mountains leave their hoods up to repel pack rats and mice. I have never tried that. I did repel a pack rat that built a nest in my back tire well by spraying ammonia window cleaner in the wheel wells. Mint would be a more pleasant scent!

 

Yes , leaving hood open does work .

 

Lack of privacy ? Not cozy enough ? Rodents are just like us.

 

Fish like roof over their heads....do not believe we will catch that 7 lb bass in air intake

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The Pleasure Way I bought used, had an rodent screening done and on the customer paper it states (install rodent screening in front duct, inspected rest of RV and found no other spots to screen). The shop had a price for work at 500.00 and they only charge the old owner 300.00, (meaning if they wanted to stiff her they could of charge 500.00) that leaves me to believe that the front duct is the only place you need to worry about. If you are wondering where the front duct is, it is by the cabin filter, this was told to me by the service place that did the work. Here is a picture of their work.

 

I'd be happy to cut the cost in 1/2 and do this patchwork for $150. Wow $300 for that? I retired way to early. On a side note, we are boondocking in Zion NP area and saw our first mouse outside. I picked up a solar powered light that I may start putting in my engine bay at night. Picked it up at walmart for $2.50. Haven't had any issues yet but staying ahead of things.

 

Goodness Gracious, don’t let that stop you! Four mice in seven years—two of them at once, so only three incidents. I suspect most people never have them.

 

@CorndogCaravan - Very nice of you to put a light in there for them. After all, you wouldn't want a mouse to stub or toe or anything in the dark. ;-)

 

apparently people do this anyone attempt this on a PM?
Marmots - Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks (U.S. National Park Service)

 

apparently people do this anyone attempt this on a PM?
Marmots - Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks (U.S. National Park Service)

View attachment 90040

I've done this with my Honda Element at one of the remote trailheads over Stony Pass, CO for a 3 day backpacking trip. I don't think it would be effective for long-term storage; the rodents would eventually chew through it.

Also, peppermint oil was ineffective at repelling woodrats for me and my neighbor here in southern UT.

 

I use solar fairy or Christmas lights. Throw them under the van when parked outside. Plug in under the engine when in the garage. Make sure they cycle through a lot of flashes. No more mice or even other rodents.

 

Love this!