Bird's Nest in King Pin Box

[ETCrockett]

I tried to search for threads on this topic. I'm curious what some of you more experienced FW'ers have done to close off the opening on the king pin box to keep birds from building a nest in there. If you have pics, that would be great!

[Radar57]

In the old 5er it had a standard pin box. Cut a piece of 1/4" plywood to cover the gaps so they couldn't get inside. The next step was cut a piece of 3" foam and stuffed it in there yo keep the birds out.

[Donna]

We bought a King Pin Vest that goes over it.... It also saves the Noggin and the back lol.

[rkymntsno]

Originally Posted by ETCrockett

I tried to search for threads on this topic. I'm curious what some of you more experienced FW'ers have done to close off the opening on the king pin box to keep birds from building a nest in there. If you have pics, that would be great!

I never thought about that until this Spring others were talking about it on the forum and low and behold, had a nest when I went to it. I had some cardboard I put up in there to block it off and that has helped. I bought some Great Stuff expanding foam for 3+ " gaps. Haven't put it in yet but gonna.

[madmaxmutt]

I just stick the coils of the truck power cord in there enough to keep them out.

[SeventyGTX]

Ha Ha, this thread brought back memories. We had that problem with Sparrows a couple of years ago in our previous Wildcat. I kept pulling the nest material out, but they were PERSISTENT! I could not believe how much nesting material two small birds were stuffing in there especially here in the desert.

I finally just took a plastic garbage bag and taped to the back of the pin box. See pics of one of the nests I pulled out and the bag I taped over it. You can see the bag and tape in the chair next to the nest. They did this under our 3 sided cover. The green tape didn't work so well, but clear packing tape did...

[SeventyGTX]

We also had a pair of Dove take a liking to the upper part of the pin box after I kept running them off the awning where they originally wanted to nest. For whatever reason, they abandoned this nest so the eggs never hatched...

[ETCrockett]

I put the end of the power cord and break away cord in there when in storage or at the campsite just to keep them off the ground. They built the nest this Spring. We are usually camping in Spring during nesting season but not this time in the year of the Corona. I will try to coil the whole cable in there and see if that keeps them out.

[Jim Smyth]

I just use a piece of cardboard for now.

[AKRUEBBE]

Originally Posted by Donna

We bought a King Pin Vest that goes over it.... It also saves the Noggin and the back lol.

x2 I love the Hitch Vest!!

https://hitchvest.com/products/hitch-vest

[SeventyGTX]

Originally Posted by AKRUEBBE

x2 I love the Hitch Vest!!

https://hitchvest.com/products/hitch-vest

Ouch! For $150 I'll stick with a plastic bag or a piece of cardboard.

[AKRUEBBE]

Originally Posted by SeventyGTX

Ouch! For $150 I'll stick with a plastic bag or a piece of cardboard.

I really don't have it to keep birds out............I have it to prevent a $1,000 + emergency room visit to put staples in my head

[RedHorse1]

After 6 years of owning our 5th this is the first year I've had problems with the pin box. I saw a photo of the pinbox on a newer 5th and the gap was effectively sealed with what looked like "sweep" gaskets for a slider (flat rubber blade secured to the cover around the box with a metal strip and screws).
My birds prefer the areas between the slide and slide topper. After a couple of times I hit on the method of stuffing a "nerff" football into the opening and sticking a pinwheel in an empty screw hole on each end of the topper end cap. A little careful searching will usually provide these at a dollar store, wally mart and target are backup sources.
If we get some windy weather a couple of the pinwheels or the spinner part usually go missing and the footballs will start to tear and come to pieces with age so we try to keep some extras in the basement.

[norty1]

Here is my version. It’s made with plywood and fits the pin box. It’s held in place with 2 clips.

[Thomson]

The other place those creative little birds nest is inside the propane storage on the sides of our fiver. Since the bottom is left open they climb up in there. Our solution was to build a bunch of bird houses. It has helped.

[Marine71-76]

Our friends had a squirrel get into their king pin & have babies. And they chewed the heck out of their cord. We have had birds over the past several years. Last year this was made for about $20. Attached are several different angles of what I made.

[Dave A]

I quit taking our RV to a very large RV company that has dealerships ALL over the country and having it sit and wait for service to be performed. I was told you shouldn't name them on this forum. No more bird nests since then!

[S&K]

I stuff just enough grocery store plastic bags to deter the birds from "nesting" in the kingpin.