Mice

[Trustable]

I've got the aluminum panels cut out, cleaned, degreased, and painted to match my iconic Silver SCAB, not that anyone will ever see them! I'll install the panels to the vents after dinner, then reinstall the vents in the truck later tonight.

The ingress for the mice will be closed. No more mice threats inside the truck. The traps however, stay set in the garage.

UPDATE:
Here's a picture of the plate placed in the vent checking for fitment. I will seal the edges with exterior high density tape and insure it says in play with a single bolt through the center. Then replace back in the truck. This side faces the exterior of the truck.

UPDATE 2:
All done! Here are the finished blocked vents. The adhesive would have probably been enough to hold the plates in place, but just to be sure I secured them with a nice powder coated black bolt. IO used a 1/8" x 3/4" x 3" aluminum stock as anchor with a nylon lock nut, just snug enough to hole the plate without stressing the plastic. Time to pop them back in the truck.

We'll see how it works out over time.
- T

Please keep us posted on if you notice anything different, I don’t plan to keep the truck much longer but if I have to I may be doing this long term.

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[TJC]

Please keep us posted on if you notice anything different, I don’t plan to keep the truck much longer but if I have to I may be doing this long term.

Will do. I'll report back here every couple of months unless I see or feel something dramatic. I am hoping the truck will have less road noise.

 

[Trustable]

Will do. I'll report back here every coupe of months unless I see or feel something dramatic. I am hoping the truck will have less road noise.

Thanks! I imagine it will have less. Those plates look really nice, almost to the point where I wouldn’t want to cover them up with the seats!

 

[TJC]

Thanks! I imagine it will have less. Those plates look really nice, almost to the point where I wouldn’t want to cover them up with the seats!

The silver side is external to the truck. It is not easily seen because the bed is in the way. The other side hides behind the seat. This is the original vent facing outside the cab. It is plastic and simply snaps into place. Notice the raised lip at the top to divert water around the vent.

 

[TJC]

The vents easily popped back into place and are installed. I removed and replaced them from inside the cabin. It is somewhat tight but easily doable if you take your time. They look exactly the same except for the 3" retainer and nut.

Seats are back in place.

I can tell you with certainty, the doors close just as easily with the vents blocked as with them open, so we can rule out Ford Point #1, Equalizing Cabin Pressure when closing the doors.

That leaves

• Ford Point #2 Air Bag deployment, and
• Ford Point #3 Climate Control to expel dangerous fumes (whatever that means)

Considering the doors close as easily as before the vents were blocked, the air must be exiting through the AC intakes. I would imagine the air bag deployment would push air out the same way.

That leaves Expelling Dangerous Fumes (CO2 or exhaust fumes?). Unless Ford is pumping dangerous fumes into the cabin somehow I am not overly concerned with this risk. My exhaust is tight, and I keep them that way.

We'll soon know if the AC operates as efficiently as well. Is the new refrigerant any more toxic than the older versions? I have not checked into that yet, but none of them are healthy. A quick check shows the problem primarily to be young people getting high on the stuff!

The mice problem has been addressed, and my truck may be quieter at highway speeds.

Time will tell the story.

 

[Trustable]

The vents easily popped back into place and are installed. I removed and replaced them from inside the cabin. It is somewhat tight but easily doable if you take your time. They look exactly the same except for the 3" retainer and nut.

Seats are back in place.

I can tell you with certainty, the doors close just as easily with the vents blocked as with them open, so we can rule out Ford Point #1, Equalizing Cabin Pressure when closing the doors.

That leaves

• Ford Point #2 Air Bag deployment, and
• Ford Point #3 Climate Control to expel dangerous fumes (whatever that means)

Considering the doors close as easily as before the vents were blocked, the air must be exiting through the AC intakes. I would imagine the air bag deployment would push air out the same way.

That leaves Expelling Dangerous Fumes (CO2 or exhaust fumes?). Unless Ford is pumping dangerous fumes into the cabin somehow I am not overly concerned with this risk. My exhaust is tight, and I keep them way.

We'll soon know if the AC operates as efficiently as well. Is the new refrigerant any more toxic than the older versions? I have not checked into that yet, but none of them are healthy. A quick check shows the problem primarily to be young people getting high on the stuff!

The mice problem has been addressed, and my truck may be quieter at highway speeds.

Time will tell the story.

It looks great! I think the fumes thing will be a non issue because the truck is not sealed nearly tight enough imo. Otherwise there would be a bit less noise I would think.

 

[Trustable]

With no activity in the garage in over a week, I am parking in it for the night ?

 

[TJC]

Drove my truck yesterday to run errands. Saw no difference in AC performance, door closing pressure, or fumes.

It was a little quieter at speed.

 

[TJC]

Performed maintenance on my 2005 Ranger... and found a bed of peanut shells, what appears to be bag dog food, and a hole in my air box just above the inlet!

The truck sat outside for 2 weeks for the first time while I cleaned and refurbished my detached garage, and the little buggers started eating it!

Pulled the filter and this stuff fell out of it! The truck is now safely tucked into the garage.

 

[Ranger_Rocks]

They chewed a hole through the plastic airbox ??

 

[TJC]

They chewed a hole through the plastic airbox ??

Yes! I will repair it with an aluminum plate. They are quite destructive!

Yesterday while doing yard work I checked the fuel level of my in ground 1,000 gallon propane tank, the top of which rests a hard thick plastic hinged lid. The 24" diameter lid is 2" thick and has a 3" hole in it to allow one to see the fuel gauge. The mice have eaten the the entire top ring around the hole widening it to over 4". I have to stop it now as they have eaten through to the center core and I don't want water damage between the layers. I will be installing a metal plate over the hole with sealant to keep the mice at bay.

I'll just need to open it from here on out to check the fuel level.

 

[IdahoRanger]

Yes! I will repair it with an aluminum plate. They are quite destructive!

Yesterday while doing yard work I checked the fuel level of my in ground 1,000 gallon propane tank, the top of which rests a hard thick plastic hinged lid. The 24" diameter lid is 2" thick and has a 3" hole in it to allow one to see the fuel gauge. The mice have eaten the the entire top ring around the hole widening it to over 4". I have to stop it now as they have eaten through to the center core and I don't want water damage between the layers. I will be installing a metal plate over the hole with sealant to keep the mice at bay.

I'll just need to open it from here on out to check the fuel level.

My 1000 underground tank has a metal lid with the hole in it so maybe you can find a metal one.

 

[TJC]

My 1000 underground tank has a metal lid with the hole in it so maybe you can find a metal one.

My old one had the tower welded to the tank, the replacement was designed without the tower, and had a plastic one that simply sits on the tank and the earth back filled around it. The fix is easy enough.

 

[Ranger_Rocks]

I enjoy watching wildlife and have cameras outside around the house to catch the action. That's how I discovered nighttime visiting mice and an occasional rat. Being outside, snap traps and chemicals are not an option for concerns of catching the "good guys". For a few months, Havahart traps worked well, but soon became a chore taking the little monsters out of the area hoping the predators would enjoy them. Also, mouse urine corrodes the small size Havahart trap. Cleaning the traps and surrounding area gets old. Mice kept tripping the rat size Havahart, then squeezing out through the side holes.

While searching for a better solution, I discovered the GoodNature A24 Trap Kit with a Digital Strike Counter. I was surprised at the high price, but after watching a few user utube videos, two years ago I decided to try one.

This A24 is well made and effective. Our trap sits outside all year in the weather, only slightly protected by an eave overhang. I keep a small security camera viewing the trap which sends notice of movement or noise. Our camera shows how even cautious mice wandering about for a few hours always end up getting bonked. Otherwise, never need to check the trap.

No chemicals and no mess from snap trap smashed rodents. I just scoop them up with a garden tool and toss them out in the field for morning crow snacks.

I use crunchy peanut butter for bait rather than the their paste food.

We usually get about 20 kills per CO2 cartridge. They're cheap, quick and easy to replace.

Thanks to our previous neighbors unkept jungle yard, our trap has nailed 80-90 mice, sometimes 2-3 in one night piled on top of each other below the trap. Rats are smart and seldom visit, have caught two in the A24. Still have the rat size Havahart for backup.

In our garage, I keep several glue traps out. They catch mostly bugs, two tiny shrews, and a small scorpion. Have never had a mouse/rat inside. Our Ranger and Santa Fe are always in the garage.

https://www.automatictrap.com/products/home-trapping-kit-a24-rat-mouse-trap-with-counter

 

[TJC]

Took a quick picture of the top of my 1000 gallon propane tank lid that the mice have chewed into.

UPDATE:
It stopped raining long enough for me to repair my tank lid. An aluminum cable management insert for computer desk fit perfectly. The insert extends down into the lid 2+ inches with a 1.2" lip. I epoxied it in place.

Let's see the little rascals chew through this!

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