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Old 07-16-2011, 03:42 PM   #1
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Mosquitos

So we are fully en-route to Alaska and in Whitehorse, YT now.
Check our blog. Theshunpikeexperiment.com

We have been battling Mosquitos. A couple nights when they have been bad it seemed they were getting in the van even when we had everything 'zipped up'. I then discovered that the magnetic screen on the side window over the sink/galley was not fitting totally flush! Why would these be magnetic!
We shut the window completely but still had a terrible infestation.
I am a little concerned that there is some 'leak' in the van.
I checked all the van door seals and there are a few tiny cracks that an evil mosquito could MAYBE infiltrate. Also I looked over the can body to see if any of the plumbing seals were letting the suckers in. Lastly, the diesel stove has a vent that I thought might be the problem.

Let me know if yall have had any know issues of van being porous to the evil mosquito. I may just be mosquito psychotic by now. I'll keep you posted if I discover any resolutions.

Thanks!

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Old 07-17-2011, 04:10 PM   #2
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Re: Mosquitos

Stephen,
We had a similar experience last year in the same place.

Finally, we decide the hungry buggers were coming through the vents. We closed the open vents to recirculate/heat and that seemed to close them out.

Good luck on a fantastic trip once you get beyond the bug hatches:-)
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Old 07-17-2011, 05:46 PM   #3
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Re: Mosquitos

I think the Mosquito is the state bird of Alaska.

Best fish & chips I have ever had was in Whitehorse. Oldest building in town. Has an airplane panted on the side. Yum Yum.

Be care full of the frost heaves going around Destruction Bay.

Ron
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Old 07-17-2011, 05:51 PM   #4
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Re: Mosquitos

Pull your rear taillights and there are holes to the interior. I don't know about mosquitoes, but the dust sure comes through there.
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Old 07-17-2011, 09:30 PM   #5
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Re: Mosquitos

Unzipping the door screen when exiting/entering is a time when mosquitoes enter. If it isn't too hot at camp we dont even use the screens, so we can minimize the time that mosquitoes enter. A portable fan pointed at the door seems to create a little wind resistant to keep them out. A net over the beds lessens their fly area and keeps you from being bitten while at sleep. Another way the mosquitoes enter is on the dog.
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Old 07-17-2011, 11:11 PM   #6
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Mosquitos

So how about this... We are rolling through Alaska today on approach to Anchorage, as we passed through Glen Allen minding the frost heaves I hear a crash like some one dropped a chandelier on a hardwood floor. Before I could figure out what happened Michel yells from the back of the van, "the back window just blew out!".

We pulled off trying to figure out what happened. One of our top theories was that a local was having target practice.

Anyway, we did some first aid work and applied a 'vandaid'. Garbage bags and duct tape - the foundation for any emergency kit. The setup seems to be working for now. Tomorrow we will be in Anchorage. I'm checking now where the GMC dealer is. I will call early in the AM to see if they have a window in stock.

These are GMC stock windows right?
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Old 07-17-2011, 11:14 PM   #7
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Mosquitos

Another pic of the vandaid.
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Old 07-17-2011, 11:38 PM   #8
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Mosquitos

Finished...
I will try to post an update from Anchorage.
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Old 07-17-2011, 11:46 PM   #9
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Mosquitos

Quote:
Originally Posted by bettyford
.

Best fish & chips I have ever had was in Whitehorse. Oldest building in town. Has an airplane panted on the side. Yum Yum.

.

Ron
Ron. We missed the fish and chips! Michel wanted to wait until Alaska for fish and chips. We did have some bad mexican and good beer at sam and andy's. Why would we choose Mexican in the Yukon. Especially since we had been eating cheese tortillas in the van before we got to Whitehorse. I guess we were still mosquito crazy.
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Old 07-18-2011, 04:39 PM   #10
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Re: Mosquitos

Love the vandaid...

about the mosquitos though...I was having a similar issue this past week in the beartooths (certainly not as bad as Alaska, but bad enough)...After some serious frustration I saw that the sketers were actually coming through the mesh of the screens in the penthouse!! I had noticed that the mesh looked a little big but didn't think they would really put a screen in that wasn't mosquito proof, but apparently I was wrong. I had to resort to closing the plastic windows, which solved the problem but made it very warm and stuffy.
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