refrigerator vent not screened---WHY

[airstream4]

I am in the process of redoing a 1963 Safari and find that MICE have entered thru the refrigerator vent! They have used the insulation for nests and migrated to the A/C. This model has a fiberglass vent on the roof, a hole thru the skins with the space between skins open. The vent opening is quite large quesstimate 3" x 20". Are all vent openings this unprotected? Why not screening? I am leaning towards a std 120 volt refrigerator, but want to keep my options open.
In my 1978 model I dropped a wire thru this opening, but never had a mouse problem that I was aware of! Can this be screened?
Paul

[lewster]

Originally Posted by airstream4

I am in the process of redoing a 1963 Safari and find that MICE have entered thru the refrigerator vent! They have used the insulation for nests and migrated to the A/C. This model has a fiberglass vent on the roof, a hole thru the skins with the space between skins open. The vent opening is quite large quesstimate 3" x 20". Are all vent openings this unprotected? Why not screening? I am leaning towards a std 120 volt refrigerator, but want to keep my options open.
In my 1978 model I dropped a wire thru this opening, but never had a mouse problem that I was aware of! Can this be screened?
Paul

Paul,

All new fridge roof vents are screened, so it should pose no problem to screen yours. I have mine screened at the sides of the trailer, as well as the furnace, RV-500 water heater and any other openings in the trailer walls to keep the mud daubers out. They can cause significant damage to electronics (like air conditioners) with their mud nests.

You should seriously think about your decision to use a residential fridge in your Airstream. While they are all the rage in new luxury bus-type motor homes, these rigs have huge battery banks, 1 or 2 large inverters and very large generators to power them.....and you trailer does not!

Plus, you will not be able to use the fridge while under way (as in LP) and it usually detracts from the resale value IF the trailer had an RV fridge in it originally.

[overlander63]

Our '74 also has no screen on it, and I had an isue last week with it. Dry leaves had blown in, and packed the vent hole.
Also, if I were looking at a trailer, and it had a household fridge in it, I would seriously reconsider purchase of it. To someone that knows this stuff, it would concern me that the person that installed the household fridge had taken other shortcuts not readily visible, and my "bid" would drop accordingly (if I even made an offer).

[fotochop]

- if your two way fridge is working OK, I think it'd be a mistake to pull it and put in a 110 only...the day I pulled an ice cold Rollin Rock outta mine on propane only was a day I'll never forget! I've never checked my vent for screen but it should be fairly simple to pull the cap off (those were some high flyin' mice who made the trip up to the roof...are you sure they didn't enter thru the floor (there should be a screen there, definitely, check for it) since the fridge is open below too?) anyway, pull the cap and screen it, I guess, just make sure the air can still flow through properly...