Surefire Marmot Protection

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Surefire Marmot Protection

Surefire Marmot Protection

According to studies conducted by the forest service, this tarping technique is 100% effective against the disconcerting habit of marmots to chew through vehicle hosing coming in from underneath the vehicle. The technique more commonly used is to leave the hood of your car popped -the theory is that the marmots won't chew on the rubber unless they're in a confined space like when the hood is down. Leaving the hood up worked in the case of Tom's car. Popping the hood is certainly easier than dressing your car in tarp or chicken wire. Seen at Sawtooth Trail trailhead in Mineral King, 7.20.08.
Augie Medina
on Jul 23, 2008 8:36 pm
Image Type(s): Informational
Image ID: 424189

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Bob Sihler

Bob Sihler - Jul 23, 2008 9:17 pm - Voted 10/10

This cracks me up.

I remember parking at the same TH back in 99 and seeing cars with chicken wire strung about the undersides. My brother and I had read all the warnings but had little choice but to take our chances since we were driving out in a rental car and weren't about to stop at Home Depot to get some elaborate protection system for the car. Fortunately, the car was left alone!

Augie Medina

Augie Medina - Jul 23, 2008 11:30 pm - Hasn't voted

Re: This cracks me up.

Yep. The marmots have been at it a long time, but for whatever reason, don't always pick on unprotected cars.

tphubbard

tphubbard - Aug 8, 2008 7:40 pm - Hasn't voted

Cunning

I once thoroughly chicken wired my jeep at the Bugaboo trailhead - notwithstanding on returning all four brake hoses had been severed by sharp little teeth , which led to an "interesting" return journey!

Augie Medina

Augie Medina - Aug 8, 2008 9:49 pm - Hasn't voted

Re: Cunning

Wow. Doesn't seem like you could have done much more than that except not be there!

AnonymousPirate - Sep 14, 2018 11:21 pm - Hasn't voted

Also use a top cover to protect the paint

I did this to keep rabbits out of my civic and the tarp scratched the hell out of the paint when it got really windy. So if you're going to do this then you should put a top cover on first and then tie the tarp around it. Make sure it's the kind of top cover with a soft lining.

nartreb

nartreb - Sep 17, 2018 2:03 pm - Hasn't voted

easier to wrap the car, or just wrap the hoses?

I used to have the same problem with the rubber hose that feeds my propane grill from the tank underneath - rodents (presumably grey squirrels, but maybe our local woodchuck - never caught them in the act but the tooth marks look too big for mice) would chew right through the thick hose. It'd be untouched for weeks at a time, then one day I'd find a hole I could put two fingers through.

Have had no problems since wrapping the hose in aluminum tape. Doing that for every rubber line in a car would be a big effort, but might be worthwhile for critical systems like brake lines.

Viewing: 1-6 of 6