Exactly. My truck is 20 years old and runs great, but it needs upkeep. I have to remind myself that the cost of upkeep is still less than the cost of payments on a new truck!
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I have a 2006 F250 I used to haul the 2+1 I sold last year since it was sitting too much, just like the truck. Same issues. Rodents got to the wiring harness. Got it âfixedâ to pass inspection (bless the semi reasonable local independent shop). Check engine light is now back on. I love this truck and drive it weekends, get hay, mulch, stone. But another couple of grand is going to be another painful lesson come inspection in November. Hopefully you just need a new battery and more driven miles. Heat is tough on batteries, not just cold.
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Holy crapola 
Oh, it gets worse. We did this the very first year we owned it - our first brand spanking new F250. Little f*ckers never infested the old diesel âŠ
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We keep battery tenders on anything we donât use much - both tractors, the dually:).
It does help preserve the life of the battery. When the battery goes dead and itâs in the tender, we know we need a new battery:)
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UghâŠso sorry you went through this! I have learned a lot from this threadâŠneed to just get busy and drive the truck every week or sell it.
FWIW my 2013 Tundra isnât driven much and doesnât have any such problems.
Living on my farm, mice managed to make nests in my garaged car as well as the tow vehicles outside. I think it was the Tundraâs first winter with me when I could smell mice urine every time I ran the heat. After the mechanic cleaned out that nest, I never smelled mice again but there was another time or two that nests were removed.
I bought a gizmo off Amazon with the flashing lights and stuff to keep the mice out of the carâs engineâdoes not work worth a darn.
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Auto insurance may cover damage caused by rodents, including chewed car wires, if you have comprehensive coverage on your policy . Some auto policies donât protect against rodents eating car wiring, so check with your insurance provider to make sure that youâre covered.
there have been vehicles totaled by insurance carriers because of rodent damage
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This. And if you canât plug it in OP they sell solar battery tenders on Amazon that are easy to use, because all the little lights and other electronics will drain your battery over time.
ECO-WORTHY 12 Volt 5 Watt Solar Trickle Charger for 12V Batteries Portable Power Solar Panel Battery Charger Maintainer for Car Boat Marine Motorcycles Truck https://a.co/d/23vLpsp
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make sure the radio, AC, etc is all OFF when you next park it. I had a BMW with a random issue - the simplest solution was powering everything OFF before I turned it off. Never had an issue again.
a battery tender wonât charge UP a low battery, it will maintain a battery with a good charge on it.
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I have a similar age Toyota tow vehicle which I do keep hooked up to a battery maintainer, so no starting problems for me. However, due to outdoor parking and infrequent use, a squirrel built a nest under the hood and destroyed the main wiring harness, fuse box, battery posts and cables, and assorted other tasty plastic pieces.
The repair was $11,454. Insurance covered $5,800 so I am $5,654 out-of-pocket. Toyota took about 2 months to complete the repairs, mostly waiting on parts that had to be sourced from Japan.
Just be aware of this issue in infrequently used vehicles, and use some sort of rodent deterrent.
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You just gave me angina. I need to get mine inspected this month 
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Thanks all! I decided just to bite the bullet and drive it once a week, especially after hearing all the rodent stories! It is pretty eye opening. I found mice poop in a car once but nothing was chewed or damaged. Interesting about turning everything to off when parking itâŠnever thought of that. I do wonder if the aftermarket brake controller is draining it.
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Could be. Put a simple toggle switch on the power wire. Easy on, easy off, problem solved.
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Havenât read the replies, but my 2007 Tundra does the same thing. I used to drive it once a week to lessons but itâd stay stationary in the winter for weeks or months at a time. I just made sure to hook it up to the trickle charger a day or two before I knew Iâd need it. Also kept it parked at my house in the city/burbs (away from mice). 
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My 2008 does this too if I donât drive it at least once a week. I make a point of doing that anyway, but I let it sit while waiting on a repair and had to replace the battery. Still does it with the new battery if I forget. Itâs annoying, but I guess it reminds me to keep the seals lubricated.
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As a long time multiple Toyota truck owner I know that parasitic draw has been a problem, particularly with the Tundra 5.7L V8 for many years. When I bought my current one and knowing of the problem, I asked for a Battery Tender and direct wiring to the battery be included in the sale. The dealer did not bat a eye, just added it as a no-cost option. But you have to know to ask.
Looking at Toyota forums, some folks have managed to get their dealers to add this after the sale, but you still need to know what to ask for.
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Glad Iâm not the only one! My dad is currently in possession of mine while Iâm abroad, and he has a solar battery maintainer on it when itâs parked outside for an extended time. He was convinced my trailer brake controller was the culprit, but it still did it after he disconnected it. 
Iâll let him know that the parasitic draw is a known issue.
That is gross! I have a seldom used tow vehicle (2015 F-150) and I drive it once a week whether it needs it or not 
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Susan
Wow, interesting to know that! I bought mine used so that wasnât an option. But I had no issues with my 2008 Tundra; I donât remember the battery ever dying on me and my driving habits were about the same.
