OREGON '23...............Postcards from the Road

[jacqueg]

^ Oh great...............now I need to keep LIZARDS in the van too ?

Blackie would just LOVE a new playmate...

 

[RvNaut]

While I have seen a couple of bear, I have only seen a few mosquitos..... mid 90s today in the Coconino today... Jesse has landed for a bit....

..now then... we could talk mice.

 

[maki2]

While I have seen a couple of bear, I have only seen a few mosquitos..... mid 90s today in the Coconino today... Jesse has landed for a bit....

..now then... we could talk mice.

Horses having grain+water equals very happy X-Large rodent families.

 

[abnorm]

Seems that.......among everything else........my Radiator is full of bugs ! DE-Bugging commences Thursday........

We need to drive 30 miles for an EIGHT O'clock appointment ! Early mornings are not our style............

 

[RvNaut]

my Radiator is full of bugs !

We were just talking about this yesterday, as J's van overheated on the way down here from UT..... !!!

 

[abnorm]

JESSE.........stay Cool........

Yes my radiator is toast.....CLOGGED inside and out.....A pricey new one was sourced locally

 

[RvNaut]

my radiator is toast

..better to be found up front vs in the middle of nowhere... glad you got a good remedy, and a radiator.

Flagstaff is setting high temp records... my area is a good 10° above normal....

Today I decided to suck some company gas in the genset they provided to run the A/C....

Party of 18 young ladies over 4 campsites in today for a birthday celebration....

 

[BelgianPup]

How do ants get into a radiator?

 

[wayne49]

Most likely any bugs in the radiator were external, entombed into the cooling fins at highway speeds, and then baked to a firm crust.

I could be wrong.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

.....
The BUGS are special here in Oregon............We have two species of Mosquitos in the van at nite.......Big ones and Little ones.....

The Big ones are easy to kill.....First they bite Paulette and then they are easy to see and smash leaving a new decorating style on the ceiling.....Red and Black splashes.........much like a WWII flying ace's kills

I find Thermacell clears out the camper before bed (and any other time you want to be inside.
Window screens are no-see-um (to keep out the little ones).
Mosquito bar for over bed when in heavy 'skeeter country:

 

[maki2]

How do ants get into a radiator?

Not sure how they would get inside a radiator but for sure they might get onto the exterior of it.
Ants are very much attracted to antifreeze so it will quickly become a problem if you have even a small leakage of antifreeze including the steaming antifreeze that could escape the radiator cap on an overheated car. That steamy would coat the outside surface of the radiator and other items in the immediate vicinity. If the coolant container was leaking then for sure both ants and flies would be strongly attracted to the engine compartment as would be rodents and even coyotes. Most every dog owner has seen warnings about keeping antifreeze away from dogs when changing out radiator fluid because they are attracted to it and will drink it.

But imbedded insects would be from their impacting into the radiator fins while the vehicle is in motion.

 

[tx2sturgis]

Back in my truck driving days, we normally washed the trucks every week or two, and using the power washer (hot spray setting with very aggressive cleaners) we'd always spray the radiator and all of the cooling fins and coils up front (oil, transmission, engine coolant, A/C, turbo intercooler) and knock out all the bugs, feathers, dust, tar, soot, and sap.

Thanks abnorm for the reminder, its so easy to forget this on my own personal vehicle. A couple of thorough blasts into the radiator per summer season should be about right for most of us.

 

[rpmhart333]

Notice to all...I herewith claim "Lizards in the Van" as the name of my backing band. When I can afford a backing band. And I find musicians who don't mind going on-stage as stetson-hatted lizards. I can just hear it now:
Now I've got heartaches by the number
lizards in my van
hissing bastards keep me awake
all night long if they can...

 

[Morgana]

somebody call David Allen Coe, this sounds like there needs to be another verse added to You Don't Have to Call Me Darling

 

[jacqueg]

Notice to all...I herewith claim "Lizards in the Van" as the name of my backing band. When I can afford a backing band. And I find musicians who don't mind going on-stage as stetson-hatted lizards. I can just hear it now:
Now I've got heartaches by the number
lizards in my van
hissing bastards keep me awake
all night long if they can...

Each day I love them less
Each day they hiss some more...

 

[abnorm]

WELL........The van overheated on the way to Crater Lake............It looks like RATS again.......the radiator cooling fans are having problems..........They are NOT operating while general driving.....ONLY when the A/C is on....................

So it appears the fault is in the computer/control wiring.....and I found a "nest"

 

[RvNaut]

.and I found a "nest"

You have my empathy. I have just in the last days finished off a rat family.. .somehow, Chilli found three babies over two days, earlier I got one in a big snap trap, and two days ago got the other adult in a glue trap ( I hate those, but I hater rats and mice more) I finished off the mice in June and have not had a reccurance (yet) ... I have started using moth balls around the rig to discourage the rodents, but will maintain the snap traps as well....

May this pass with minimal pain and suffering.

 

[NctryBen]

I’m having overheating problems too…

 

[bullfrog !]

You guys do know it is hot outside right! Lol!!! I have taken my windshield washer hose and put a mister nozzle in the end and duct taped it to the center of my grill in front of the radiator to squirt water on long hills in the past to make it home as well as rolling down the windows and running the heater on high, just so you know!

 

[abnorm]

Oh we know it's Hot....................

The old radiator was plugged with Bugs on the Outside............Inside the old original FORD "orange" coolant had turned to Jello in one corner of the radiator.......NEW one Please !

After the new radiator.......The coolant bottle "radiator cap" fell apart............of course we were up near Crater Lake Natl park at the time..........coolant blowing everywhere........and no internet/phone.......

That's when I saw the droppings covering the wiring and modules.............BUT I may have lucked out because we can find NO wires damaged YET.....photos to follow

Ultimately the PROBLEM IS: The engine fans are not working normally............When just the engine running or driving......NO FAN..................Turn the A/C ON............Engine Fans work.........................

Our solution for TODAY is to drive with the A/C on and the cabin temp set for WARM..............Today's new cap is holding the 21 lbs of coolant pressure.........when we returned the 35 miles to KlamathCamp (Four mile quarry)...the under hood temps were reasonable.....good news!

This week............with good internet access..............
I need to see how the fans react with the four relays that operate them................Wiring Schematic time !

...................and clean rodent droppings !

The Caravan continues North to the Bend area without us......................