Has anyone gutted their "50" style interior?

[pjpvi]

I've started my "let's find out where the mice get in" project. I've suspected it is somewhere behind the cabinets in my EB-50 layout. Have always gotten a lot of dust back there so there are definitely some open areas. It's also where I first see & hear mice when they do come in in the middle of the night. My hunch has been that it is where the water / electric enter the interior of the van or having to do with all the cutting that was done to install the propane tank (or combination). I dropped the propane tank yesterday in hopes of getting a better view but not as much enlightenment as I hoped. I'm curious if anyone with a "50" style interior with propane (or probably any other layout with built in propane tank on drivers side) has gutted the SMB interior and knows what it looks like up against the bare van wall and where the water / power feeds enter the van. If you do, I'd love any pictures or description of that area.

[Scalf77]

Typically there is a large I factory location to the left of the gas tank filler hump. This is where my water and main power came up through. I unfortunately don't have a great picture. Mine also wasn't a 50.




-greg

[pjpvi]

Thanks Scalf77. That looks like the area where the power and water line dissapear inside the wall from under the van. This helps support my thoughts of it being where mice and dust get in. When SMB installed the propane tank they cut through both "skins" of the van (outward facing and under the van facing) without sealing all around it to make it it's own compartment (if that makes sense). This gives rodents and dust a rather express path to any interior "skin" opening of which I believe there are many in these vans.

My plan is currently to try to seal the area off where the propane tank resides to prevent access into the interior of the van wall.

[A2Z]

I recently gave my SM a deep cleaning in hopes of finding where/how mice had gotten in, and yeah, I wanted to upgrade the flooring. Wish I could say I found a clear answer. The propane tank area is an interesting idea, I will seal that up as well. On the plus side: carpet is gone, upgraded insulation and vapor barrier, relocated water tank + battery and cleaned up the wiring. I'm left with wondering if the mice had entered through the firewall somewhere.

[pjpvi]

I learned when I removed my water heater earlier this year and replaced with fresh water tank that it was wide open to reach all the way down to the pinch weld area. I didn't take a specific picture of it, but in this pic, once I removed the water heater access door trim piece it was wide open down to the pinch weld. If there are any openings down in that area (like there is a huge one where the propane tank is installed), a rodent could travel to any opening on the inner wall into the van.

[pjpvi]

... and btw A2Z, one of these days I would like to do a complete interior remodel too. That's a long way from the top of my list. Looks like you dove into the deep end in your remodel!

[Beasty Boy]

Originally Posted by pjpvi

I've started my "let's find out where the mice get in" project. I've suspected it is somewhere behind the cabinets in my EB-50 layout. Have always gotten a lot of dust back there so there are definitely some open areas. It's also where I first see & hear mice when they do come in in the middle of the night. My hunch has been that it is where the water / electric enter the interior of the van or having to do with all the cutting that was done to install the propane tank (or combination). I dropped the propane tank yesterday in hopes of getting a better view but not as much enlightenment as I hoped. I'm curious if anyone with a "50" style interior with propane (or probably any other layout with built in propane tank on drivers side) has gutted the SMB interior and knows what it looks like up against the bare van wall and where the water / power feeds enter the van. If you do, I'd love any pictures or description of that area.

Fill up any holes/gaps with steel wool or a combo of spray on insulation and steel wool. It works. They can't chew through it. The EVIL little devils

[pjpvi]

Here's some good photos (not my van) that show what I mean by the opening of outward facing and under the van facing skin that is opened wide up to mount the propane tank giving wide open access to the inner van wall. This is pretty much exactly how SMB opened mine up to install the propane tank.

[RandallDee]

Originally Posted by A2Z

I'm left with wondering if the mice had entered through the firewall somewhere.

When I installed my aftermarket backup lights I had to go through the firewall with the wiring. I discovered that the rubber grommet was not in place for the factory hole like it should have been. I suspect that when Agile did the conversion that it never got put back. At any rate, it's plenty big enough for mice to get in and I got it put back in place. No mice since.

[vandiesel]

You might want to check the top. I had mice coming in from the top believe it or not. They chewed through it to enter.