Tabalong?

cbarnhill · November 2017

oh yeah...there’s a story. I recently attended an RVW (RV Women) rally at Roosevelt Lake state park in Arizona with 25 of my friends. On the 4th day, we were moving on to Lost Dutchman SP in Apache Junction AZ. Sunday morning, I attempted to start my Subaru and it wouldn’t start. 2 attempts of jump starting failed and I was forced to call AAA for a tow. Turns out pack rats had set up home in my engine and dined on some of my cables. (In 3 Days!) question is how to get my trailer out of the Group area (which was closing) and the 60 miles to AJ? We rolled it up the incline to the pavement and attached it to my sisters Lazy Daze Class C and she towed it to AJ where we rolled it into the site. The looks on the rangers face when we checked in was priceless.

Verna · November 2017

Good and quick thinking.

The Camp Hosts at Organ Pipe told me the pack rats could demolish an engine’s wiring overnight, and I guess they’re right!

Here’s what I’ve been taught to do over the past 3 winters: I love those blue magnetic lights from Harbor Freight. Just put it on the under side of the hood, turn it on, put a block in the hood to keep it open about 12” or so, and the pack rats stay away. They don’t like light and they stay away to check out your neighbor.

fiddlefoot · November 2017

Rats are so bad. Cindy and Verna are so smart.

Freshaire · November 2017

@Verna, you are one educated cookie. You surprise me with the things you know. Keep 'em coming.

cbarnhill · November 2017

Good tip, Verna. The tow driver recommended the same thing (a little late). When we got to Lost Dutchman, we all had our hoods propped open with a board and lights under our rigs.

T@Balong · November 2017

Does anyone have a link to the specific lights Verna mentions?

Verna · November 2017

blue magnetic flashlight from Harbor Freight here

jkjenn · November 2017

I have never even heard of pack rats! Are they generally in specific parts of the country?

Verna · November 2017

@jkjenn, they are “popular” (NOT!) in AZ and the desert areas. I saw the nests of two packs of pack rats at Roosevelt Lake (where @cbarnhill was camping) and they were almost 5’ tall, a cone-shaped mess of twigs, brush and whatever. Since one nest was at the rear of my campsite, I kept my hood propped open with one of my jack pads all that week.

I do remember reading about them in Western novels/historical fiction novels when I was younger. They always emphasized the pack rats would steal shiny articles and take them back to the nests. I do not know if that is true.

But, the pack rats are worse than squirrels with their appetite for the insulation on vehicle wiring. I saw this summer that one vehicle company was being sued because they had changed to a soy-based insulation for their vehicle wiring and that created an even larger problem with the pack rats.

cbarnhill · November 2017

But wait...there’s more. Here she is beginning to back in to the site at Lost Dutchman. (And you know how easy that is ;-). Really, She did a pretty good job of starting it, we rolled it the rest.

GailandJohn · November 2017

Verna said:

Good and quick thinking.

The Camp Hosts at Organ Pipe told me the pack rats could demolish an engine’s wiring overnight, and I guess they’re right!

Here’s what I’ve been taught to do over the past 3 winters: I love those blue magnetic lights from Harbor Freight. Just put it on the under side of the hood, turn it on, put a block in the hood to keep it open about 12” or so, and the pack rats stay away. They don’t like light and they stay away to check out your neighbor.

@Verna, is there no need to be concerned about the underside of the trailer? We're headed to the Palo Duro Canyon in Texas next weekend and it sounds like packrats could be a problem.

Verna · November 2017

@GailandJohn. Because I have extra wiring in my front tub for my dual 6 volt golf cart batteries, I do also prop the tub lid open, and I do put another light in there. All wiring under your 2017 is concealed, except that around your front tub.

I stayed at Palo Duro Canyon while I had my Silver Shadow Teardrop, but my battery was an AGM Battery and was inside the galley, so no problems.

I am not familiar enough with the area to know if the pack rats are active there. Please check with the Rangers and/or Camp Hosts to see if there is any active pack rat activity.

GailandJohn · November 2017

Thanks @Verna! We'll leave the tub open. I purchased a pack of 3 lights, so I can use two for the car and one for the tub. Great idea to ask the park people, definitely will do!

dlud · November 2017

@Verna, how often do you need to change out the batteries on the lights?

Verna · November 2017

@dlud, honestly, when the light is dim. It was amazing two years ago how long the batteries did last. I would imagine the Harbor Freight batteries don’t last long, but the replacement batteries I used do last longer.

ChanW · November 2017

@cbarnhill, that's a terrible way to learn about the local fauna! (That's a great tip Verna, thanks.)

We had a packrat living over the porch at the cabin we lived in in Montana. He'd quickly collected all sorts of things of ours, nuts and bolts, tools, bits of pottery, definitely favoring shiny stuff.

Dumb too. I was able to grab his tail one afternoon, at which point he pulled hard enough to pull it off! I ended up with his tail in hand, as he ran off...

I had to assume it was 'designed' that way, as a defense. Weirdest thing.

He was about the size of a squirrel, but his tail was scraggly, rather than bushy.

cbarnhill · November 2017

ChanW said:

@cbarnhill, that's a terrible way to learn about the local fauna!

So true, Chan. I’m taking these tips to heart. These rats were tiny— more like mice. But MIGHTY!

Tabalong?

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