Mouse intrusion AGAIN

[leeboat]

There is absolutely no reason that mice and other critters should be able to get inside an RV except thru the front door! You wouldn't accept that in your car/truck why is it accepted in your very expensive RV?

It's a problem that Forest River needs to correct! My 2020 Wolf Pup 16FQ HAD a mouse entry problem where mice came in under the huge opening under the shower pan which is above the black tank. I removed the access panel under the shower and discovered a 14" x 14" hole in the flooring separated from the outside world by only a little insulation and that cheap netting which holds up the insulation. I could feel a strong draft coming from below and easily passed a stiff wire thru the insulation at a point where I could see a mouse tunnel which was visible above the black tank.

Local dealerships either refused to work on fixing my camper or scheduled well into 2021. I "fixed" the problem myself by cutting and fitting several panels of wood under the shower pan, gluing and screwing those to the floor, stuffing with wire mesh and filling with spray foam. Sorry, photo rotated 90°. This is before my exclusion.

[Iwritecode]

Originally Posted by leeboat

There is absolutely no reason that mice and other critters should be able to get inside an RV except thru the front door! You wouldn't accept that in your car/truck why is it accepted in your very expensive RV?

I say the same thing about my house, yet mice sometimes find their way in. It happens.

Just because an RV has wheels and travels down the road doesn't mean it's anything like a regular car or truck. It's more like a house on wheels.

[MR.M]

Mice and other rodents do tons of damage to cars and trucks also . getting in under the hood and chewing wires . i mouse proofed mine 6 yrs ago when i bought it and never a mouse in six yrs . this is something you should/need to do yourself . not a warranty issue part of RV ownership

[dbutton]

Spray foam alone is not enough to keep rodents out. This is where there was a large hole for wiring to enter the control tower. I foamed it then found this a few days later, the pile in the first photo is chewed foam! I went back & covered all gaps with 1/4 X 1/4 wire mesh then foamed over that. It seems to have worked. We have red squirrels here & they were doing the damage but I used a trail cam under the RV & saw mice, chipmunks & squirrels. 2nd photo is one squirrel chewing foam.
Yes, it would seem better to seal all holes with more than foam or insulation at the time of build but it seems RV companies don't see value it that!

[Daycruiser]

I have commercial rodent bait stations under my RV where they would climb to get into the RV. They smell the bait and go that route first never to see what the RV looks like inside. So far so good.

[NJKris]

I've lucked out with my 2019. The bottom is completely covered with that chloroplast or whatever u call it, and cutouts for hoses/electric are completely and generously filled with expanding foam. If I ever notice any chewing on that stuff, I'm going to spray cyanide and arsenic on it, lol. And I live in a mouse heavy area, I've spent thousands repairing chewed up electric on my vehicles, i believe ground hogs are responsible. I shoot those things and stack 'em like cord wood, like that scene in the movie '300'.

[Tacky]

I've found that every hole that has a wire, drain, water pipe, gas line, etc has been cut far bigger than necessary and leaves plenty of room for mice to get in. The covering on the bottom has some gap around the edges and when the slide is out there is plenty of room around the slide mechanism for critters to get in. It's no wonder that mice love RV's.��

[rsdata]

I use an electronic repellant inside the camper, bounce dryer sheets and Irish Spring soap inside all drawers in the camer.

Outside I use this Victor product sprinkled around all the wheels and replenish every month in the colder 1/2 of the year.

And I live rural where there are lots of field mice... So far so good.

[jd4010]

Our RV is stored in our barn so out of the elements and on concrete. We use a pest control provider who puts rodent glue boards around the inside perimeter of the barn along with mouse bait. Plus we put the rodent glue boards around the tires. Between all these items, we've been rodent free (knock on wood).

[dodgemark]

Originally Posted by rsdata

I use an electronic repellant inside the camper, bounce dryer sheets and Irish Spring soap inside all drawers in the camer.

Outside I use this Victor product sprinkled around all the wheels and replenish every month in the colder 1/2 of the year.

And I live rural where there are lots of field mice... So far so good.

Mice love Irish spring soap!! So if your soap not chewed on, well mice are not getting in. Don’t believe?? Put some soap in a protective container outside and watch it disappear. Lol

[NJKris]

Only if they are Irish mice. My mice here in NJ will probably go, "fugetaboutit"!

[5picker]

Here's what mice do to Irish Spring soap in our part of the world. It's food for them.

To the OP.. you will find plenty more places than just that large hole under the shower for critters to get in. The factory enlarges EVERY hole (plumbing/electrical/heating) way more than necessary. It's part of RV life.

Oh... and I see it is your 1st post... Welcome to the forum!

[5picker]

dbutton... they are now making "pest block" spray foam. Not sure if it is any more deterrent or not?

[Flybob]

Originally Posted by Daycruiser

I have commercial rodent bait stations under my RV where they would climb to get into the RV. They smell the bait and go that route first never to see what the RV looks like inside. So far so good.

These bait stations have very negative side effects. The poisoned rodents leave the station and can be eaten by Owls. Hawks and Eagles. The end result is a dead Raptor. Not only is a bad practice, but in the case of an eagle it can result in a fine.

[leeboat]

If your RV was as large as your house, I might be able to understand your reply and why you're just gonna give up to mice. But my Wolf Pup has an underside dimensions of about 130 sq. ft. which should be modern manufacturing practices be easy to seal to exclude vermin. Mine with a 1 ft. sq. hole is almost large enough for my 85 lb. dog to get thru.

[Mandog]

Originally Posted by jd4010

Our RV is stored in our barn so out of the elements and on concrete. We use a pest control provider who puts rodent glue boards around the inside perimeter of the barn along with mouse bait. Plus we put the rodent glue boards around the tires. Between all these items, we've been rodent free (knock on wood).

I absolutely hate glue traps. They catch way to many good creatures.

[Mandog]

Originally Posted by 5picker

dbutton... they are now making "pest block" spray foam. Not sure if it is any more deterrent or not?

Wow I never new about this stuff!

[DocP]

I cut and stuff this copper mesh into all openings underneath my campers: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1



I then use the spray foam through the mesh. So far, so good. The link I provided is a 100 foot roll, which is way more than you're going to need for a single camper. I also used it on my utility trailers I have stored in a rodent-prone storage lot.

[dbutton]

Originally Posted by 5picker

dbutton... they are now making "pest block" spray foam. Not sure if it is any more deterrent or not?

Thanks for posting this. Yes I did use rodent foam!
I also used this Honda tape for wiring repairs behind the dash & overhead wiring.

[MarsbarsCT]

Re. Irish Spring soap, just leave it in the box, don't remove it from the box. I used it in my previous camper (along with dryer sheets) for 10 years with no problems, and no mice. I used it in my Wolf Pup last winter, same thing. We'll see this winter.