Getting ready to go back for my third tour in The Sandbox. Last time, I still had kids in college, so let them drive the 350 while I was gone (yay, Dad, we'll take good care of your truck-and they did except for the idiot who knocked the driver's side mirror off while it was parked on a city street). This time around, they are off on their own and I'm putting the rig in dry storage. Any particular things I should look at so I don't have a bunch of maintenance issues when I get back? I'm planning to put the rig up on jackstands, disconnect the batteries, and give it a hefty dose of Diesel Kleen, and cedar or mothballs to discourage rodents in the cab. It's already got fresh oil, ATF, and anti-freeze.

Paul (Charlie46)

 

Thank you for serving,

Trickle charger for the batteries
Steel Wool in the exhaust pipe (put a note on the dash reminding you of it)
bucket half full of antifreeze and a ramp leading up to it, with a wire run through the upper half with some peanut butter on it for the rodents.

 

I'd put in Sta-Bil in the fuel tank and run the truck with it until I was sure (maybe an hour or two) that all the lines/fuel bowl/injectors have fuel that has been treated for longterm storage. I'd also get a trickle float-charger (very inexpensive) and leave the batteries on the float charger while you are away.

For the rodents...I have much experience with rats and mice out here in the desert (this time of the year they seek warm engines at night). Get a foot long (+ or -) piece of two inch (+ or -) pvc with two caps that fit the pipe. Cut a whole in one of the caps about an inch or so in diameter. Put the uncut pvc cap on the pipe (just slip it on, no need to glue). Then fill the pipe with plasticized rodent killer (you can buy it at home depot or wally's world...it looks like blue/green cubes about an inch or so on a side). Then slip the other cap (the one you put the hole in) on the pipe and place it under the hood. The rats and mice will go straight to it and feed...as soon as they eat it they will lose their appetite and thus never touch any of the wiring. Soon after they will assume room temperature . In fact, I'd build two of these feeders, one for inside the truck and one for under the hood.

Finally, thank you for your sacrifice and patriotism . We owe you and your family more than we can ever repay. If there is anything that we can do for you while you are away...just shout. FTE loves our soldiers!

 

I had a customer that found a solar powered trickle charger at an RV dealership that he used on his RV. It's pretty small and he just attached it to the roof and lenghtened the lines and ran it down to the battery. Nothing like having Mother Nature pay the bill. The steel wool in the exhaust is a great suggestion. My uncle has a birds of prey recording that he plays in the barn. I just make the sound of a hawk or owl every so often and he said the rodents nearly disappeared. It works better than one of those fake owls because they don't get used to seeing it. I've heard some churches use it to keep the pigeons out of the bell tower. I've never read the directions on Stabil; can you use it on deisel? If you posted where you're from you might find someone who'd be willing to come around once and a while just to put eyes on and make sure all is well with your rig. For the sacrifice you're making I donate some of my time if you were local. Be safe Paul, keep your head and fourth point of contact low. Keep in contact while you're there. I think I can safely say that there is a community of folks here, old vets like myself and just great Americans who like to know your well and who'd fill boxes up with whatever you'd like. God Bless.

 

I echo all the above posts. Thank you for your service.

If I am nearby let me know and I would be happy to check up on your truck while you are away.

 

Quote:

Finally, thank you for your sacrifice and patriotism . We owe you and your family more than we can ever repay. If there is anything that we can do for you while you are away...just shout. FTE loves our soldiers!

Very well said and I too want to thank you for what you have done and continue to do.

All of the advise above is great (except maybe the antifreeze in the bucket, nothing like a bucket full of dead rats and antifreeze to try and get rid of). The only thing better than the suggestions above would be to have someone you trust to drive it once in a while. I have always believed that a used vehicle fairs better than an unused on. Wish you were closer to me, I would be glad to keep a check on it and give her a caring drive once in a while. Good luck and God Bless.

 

Thanks for the good tips. Your comments make my eyes sweat.

That's a good point about the bucket of dead rodents. Up here in central Montana, we get our share of mice(field and house varieties) plus pack rats. I think I'd rather deal with a bucket of dead ones outside the rig than deal with a PVC pipe in the cab full of 'em. The engineer part of my brain wonders how many dead rodents will fit in a foot long PVC pipe?????

I can only imagine the strench if they were in the cab for any length of time.

 

Mouse trap

http://jimsalmon.com/homepage.cfm?goget=2651

As the man says, you can upgrade to a 55 gallon drum if necessary.

Wouldn't it be nice if the rodents would clean your truck, instead of eating the wiring?

 

Paul, since you're so new I didn't know if you knew there is a Western chapter. You may find some helpful folks there who could look out for you while you're gone. Here's the link: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/forum163/.