Portal Covers??

Baroda5

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Location
- Finch Lake, Marcellus MI
My dealer recommended that I install screens over the Ports? on the center tube to keep out Muskrats.  Apparently they are really excited to find a manufactured home in the center tube, and then decide the fuel and steering lines are wonderful to chew on, causing a lot of tears and frustrations.  I used some SS perf that I found at work, I'm guessing 22ga.???, and retained them with SS screws and nickel plated nylocs (not sure how well the nylocs will hold up over time?)


Has anyone else done this or heard of the varmints causing havoc?  


Any reason this was a bad idea??

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Yes, there are other posts on here about the very thing you mentioned. 
 
That's cheap insurance. Ours was over $2000 for wiring and fuel lines. I made a plate a long time ago before we had the lift.


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THIS IS A VERY BAD IDEA.


Be aware that you have now connected two dissimilar metals together that will be sitting in water: stainless steel and aluminum.  This WILL lead to galvanic corrosion.  The two metals when in contact create a battery.  The corrosion process will begin, and because aluminum is less noble than stainless steel, THE ALUMINUM WILL LOSE THE FIGHT WITH ABSOLUTE SCIENTIFIC CERTAINTY.


http://www.anzor.com.au/blog/galvanic-corrosion-keep-those-metals-apart/


Make ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN that the materials are electrically isolated from one another (i.e. plastic, nylon, etc.)!


Like in "Ghostbusters" getting these two together is literally like crossing the streams - a REAL bad idea.
 
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OH MY GOD!!!  Thank you so much!!  I absolutely know this and completely screwed up....so embarrassing  :( !  I actually moved the aluminum perf out of the way to get to the stainless, so I WOULD have dissimilar metals!  Sigh!!  I need a drink!  Too much stress with life and the boat out of the water 


Thank you again for noticing my gross error, I'll take those off tomorrow and switch the perf and hardware.


Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
 
Good eyes tcpip95!!!
 
"Muskrat Love" is another post regarding this problem. 
 
/monthly_2017_06/large.593800903f47e_newtrampoline.JPG.447cbbf7c63b20ac6aa903f6d2d55248.JPGAluminum fasteners and aluminum perf in place, thanks again.  


Boat is afloat finally, the deck is 95% finished, trampoline is assembled, inflated and anchored, soccer season is over this weekend....let the summer begin!!
 
I still think it's funny I passed your boat while it was being towed down the highway. Looks like you guys are going to have a great summer!
 
Anyone know what kind of wire protection we can get that is aluminum? Need to cover we have a muskrat problem on our lake
 
Any metal supplier, like Alro, or probably a local fabrication shop. But you can order it online, McMaster-Carr is a reliable company to order from. Search for either aluminum perforated sheets or aluminum wire cloth. You can also order your fasteners there as well.
 
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