[VAC] Re: 1) Critters thru Utility Port? 2) Cut new Roof Vent?

[Dave Huffman <huff@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Our wonderful '67 Caravel mostly just sits handsomely next to our lake cottage near Mt. St. Helens.  My
wife was the one who got started on this, admiring a 16' Cassita a few years ago.  She didn't like the
Cassita bed choices, a friend had an Airstream, and now so do we.  But my wife is into volunteering big
time, so little spare time and there it sits.  So far we have managed two trips a year, one a solo trip
by me in the springtime when that Stream and soul-stirring call to me to get on the road.  Lois always
complains about this: "Why don't you fly to Missoula?"  (We have two flight attendant daughters and thus
cheap flying "privileges" [not always a 'privilege' because anyone who pays outranks you, then anyone
with longer service or higher ranking precedes you.  Thus "standby" often means you standby the gate
after the plane takes off]).
    So this year I Streamed to Malheur, a national wildlife refuge in eastern Oregon, about 450-500
miles from Longview, WA where we live.  Great trip.  I love that high desert country.  The first few
days were cool, then a heat wave hit.  Now I hate heat, but I was surprised that with windows open, the
Stream was really no hotter than the air temp.  In fact the "shade" inside the Caravel made it cooler.
The facility apparently had full service, though the AC was 10 amp only -- I didn't even try the old
Coleman A/C.  As usual the Caravel was a delight -- both towing (Toyota LandCruiser) and for living in
at the field station for the week.  As usual I also noted the quiet benefits of boondocking as there
were only maybe 6 other campers/tenters in a lovely campground north of Burns, Oregon where NO
facilities other than clean public toilet facilities were provided.  I don't think we'll ever get much
use out of that Coleman A/C unit which, of course, plugs the only roof ventilation on our Caravel. (How
many out there have undertaken to cut in a new roof hole for a new vent?).  A forester visiting that
quiet campground reported the full-facility campground about 50 miles north was already full for
Memorial Day weekend (when I signed up for this week -- an Elderhostel/Portland Audabon Society trip, I
did not realize I would be returning from the trip on Memorial Day weekend!).  I also forgot there was
no one home for a few days, so I could have just stayed in that quiet campground (Idlewild?) all
weekend.  Sure was delightful in the open, sunny, high altitude fragrenced by the "P-pine" (forester
term for Ponderosa Pine).
    The only Airstream concern I had was the Utility Port.  I had let the battery water run down, and
had to service the battery after pulling into camp at night on the way in.  Feeling the cold air rush in
through the open utility door, I wondered how often critters find their way up thru the round Utility
Port in the floor?   Is it 4" diameter?  The heavy A.C. cable and the water hose fill only 1/4 of that
opening.  Plenty of room for mosquitoes/insects + mice et. al. to wander in.  Anyone had problems with
this?  Any easy suggestions for effective, realonably easy plugging?

    Happy Streming,
    Huff