Squirrel ate my propane hose!

A squirrel ate through my propane hose while camping. I have the twin propane bottles and the automatic switching distubution valve. I left the campsite early yesterday morning and my wife called me saying she heard an hissing sound coming from the propane tanks. She said there was "frost" on the front of the left tank. I told her to turn the valve off and I would come look at it. It looks like a squirrel had knawed the rubber insulation off of the piece that connect the bottle to the switching valve.
Where can I find a replacement hose? Also, is there anything I can put around the hose to keep these pesty critters from doing this again?

A cat?

Reason why I got my new 3023 is because racoons stole all my food for the week when I was tent camping last year in Florida. Between the noseeums (little critters that bites you all over), bad fishing, the heat, and the no sleep, I said to heck with it and got me a brand new TM. Those racoons were something.

We never had a squirrel problem like yours, but some creatures, probably chipmunks, built a nest of sticks and straw on the manifold of our minivan while we were camping. We had very smoky smell and we had no idea that we were almost on fire till we stopped, opened the hood and removed the nest. Now we check inside our engine more often. ;D

This is a tad radical, and it makes the hose get dusty looking really fast but it works.

Spray the hose with Acid Free Spray Glue the dust it with the hottest Cayenne Pepper you can find. Both are cheap and easy to find. Works good on rope too.

You can get the pepper in larger jars and dust around you wheels and jacks to keep the ants out of the trailer.

[Bill]

Dude -

You can get a replacement hose at any RV store, RV repair shop, or at any bulk propane dealer (not a cylinder exchange cage at MiniMart). They are kind of a pain to install because they are torqued down real tight on the regulator end, but there is no reason you can't handle it if you have a couple wrenches (NOT pliers!) and some soapy water to check for leaks when you are done. However, you might be happier to let a propane tech do it for you. It takes only a minute, doesn't cost much, and he will ensure there are no leaks.

Out here (AZ desert), the problem is packrats. They will climb up on a warm engine at night, and chew the wire harnesses. Boy does THAT get expensive! I would love to know what to spray on those wires to discourage 'em. Windy, I'll try the hot pepper, but out here, I bet they just think it's Mexican food, and ask for a margarita on the side!

Bill

[mjlaupp]

[quote author=Windbreaker link=board=22;threadid=1770;start=msg12480#msg1248 0 date=1079570393]
This is a tad radical, and it makes the hose get dusty looking really fast but it works.

Spray the hose with Acid Free Spray Glue the dust it with the hottest Cayenne Pepper you can find. Both are cheap and easy to find. Works good on rope too.

You can get the pepper in larger jars and dust around you wheels and jacks to keep the ants out of the trailer.

[/quote]

I tried the cayenne pepper thing to stop the squirrels from robbing my bird feeder here in north Louisiana. I mixed the pepper with petroleum jelly and smeared it on the post supporting the bird feeder. The squirrels just jumped on the post and slid down untill they wiped the post clean. I saw a couple of them licking their coats clean of the pepper. It might work in other places but don't count on this method of protection in Louisianna. I think they used the cayenne to spice up the bird seed
MJL

;D You guys are too much. Maybe it is the spray glue, not the pepper, I don't know. ???

Something else that might work, haven't tried it. is tangle foot. But that is really sticky and I'm not sure if I would want it any place that might get hot.

Some of you folks that live where there are trees most likely know about this, speak up.

Mike, have you found anything that worked? The pepper worked when we had a trailer parked out at the ranch but that was 20 years ago, maybe the critters developed a taste for the finer things in life like Mexican and Cajon food.
:-\

[mjlaupp]

Most probably the squirrel was looking for salt when he chewed on the hose. Salt could be left behind fron sweat or a leakdetector fluid. Or, how about road salt left over from winter? I would try washing the hose and general area with soap and water to remove any possible salt residue.

On Squirrels and Salt. My father-in-law built a cedar deck on the back of his house in North Carolina. He wanted it to weather to silver-grey. After it weathered, the paper wasps would strip the silver outer layer off and leave a natural wood colored stripe where they removed the wood. So, he sprayed the deck with some kind of bug poision to stop the wasps. The spray biodegraded during the next year. I guess one of the end components was a salt that washed down to the bottom end of the ballisters and posts. End result, the squirrels are now eating the salty areas of the wood. He has had to replace several peices that have been eaten away. You can't win over a squirrel. Books have been written on this topic.
MJL

Don't know about stopped those critters. I lost a full bottle of propane to them and am on the 3rd hose in less than 3 years. Of course it always seems that the problem is discovered as we're getting ready to depart with the TM. If I could fine stainless steel braided hose cover... maybe. Dang those critters sometimes.

I have also been told that they like the stuff that is added to make the propane smell. (??)

Camperboy