Protecting landscaping trailer wiring

[RobA]

After 8 years mice finally got to the wiring on my landscaping trailer. I'll be rewiring and redecking it soon. Any thoughts on protecting the wiring? Doesn't seem like conduit is doable. The trailer is stored outside and I have no way of keeping it inside. I'm on a farm and mice will always be a thing.

 

[ponytug]

You can run metal conduit, or square tubing. It is great against mice. You could also run split nylon loom. I had an old trailer with chronic wiring problems, which continued until the day I pulled new wire in a nylon (corrugated) split wire loom. Flawless after that.

With all of the soy based insulation out there, mice are likely to be an issue unless the wires are out in the open or enclosed in metal.

The original wiring ran down a one or two inch square tubing that was structural to the trailer. As I replaced the wiring, I found a sharp shard of weld metal about two inches inside the metal tube that had been intermittently grounding out the old wiring. That was a bit of a pain to file off... For some reason, mice were never an issue. I guess 1/8" steel will do that.

FWI: I use marine, pre-tinned, wire for all of my rewiring, as it has great conductivity and doesn't corrode much compared to straight copper wire. I also use crimp connectors with heat melt adhesive inside to seal out water. I get most of it from Del-City.net

All the best,

Peter

 

[Roadworthy]

While the deck is off attach EMT (thinwall steel conduit) for the long runs. You don't have to use the boxes and all the fittings, just use the conduit to protect the threatened areas.

 

[4570Man]

Pex water line makes good trailer wire conduit but it might not protect against mice.

 

[bmaverick]

After 8 years mice finally got to the wiring on my landscaping trailer. I'll be rewiring and redecking it soon. Any thoughts on protecting the wiring? Doesn't seem like conduit is doable. The trailer is stored outside and I have no way of keeping it inside. I'm on a farm and mice will always be a thing.

Automotive GXL wire or Marine Grade UL1426 are the best bet not to have varmints interested in chewing.

And Marine Grade wire is EZ-PZ to find because boat trailers use it too !

 

[oosik]

I used cheap plastic garden hose to protect my trailer wiring. Never had problems with rodents. This was to protect from mud, rocks, sand, gravel. Worked great.

 

[Diggin It]

Available in any size from 3/8" ID and up. Lay it in any way you want. Use bailing or fence wire to hold it. Use the special fittings or don't. Easily fished and available at most common hardware and big box stores. Also comes in covered versions:

If you have mice that will chew through it, you have much bigger problems.




..

 

[SARG]

Lesson I've learned the hard way is look carefully at the "bonded trailer" wire ..... to be very sure it is NOT the copper coated aluminum crap sold that corrodes in a couple years.
There really is deceptive labeling and you need to really read the small print to be sure it's solid copper.