Extended Stay/Destination Trailers??

[Patrick45]

We are buying a Cottage destination trailer and in the past I have gotten much information on the RV forums about my fifth wheel trailers.

I believe that Forest River makes a # of brands of these trailers but I don't see a forum so designated. That is not to say that there should be site only for them but it doesn't seem that there is a home for the owners of these.

[Hercules]

Have you had any luck getting destination trailer folk engaged? We are newbies and are living in one now (see our recent posts). Would love to learn from other experienced Cottage owners. Our is set in a longer-term setup in the mountains of Western North Carolina.

[Patrick45]

No luck whatsoever however we do love our rig regardless. But I would appreciate the ability to talk to someone else who has a cottage.

[MillerTime]

You might look at the seasonal threads under "lifestyles ".
I know there are quite a few of us seasonal campers. Im not sure how many have park models. You might search "park models or cottages" as well on here.
I know im not a park model owner, but we have a permanent/seasonal site. And honestly i kinda wish we had a park model so i didn't have a black tank to deal with. It's hard to work it with a septic tank.

[Patrick45]

We spend 1/2 year in our trailer and it would be more convenient if there wasn't a black tank. However in Florida it would not be an RV if it did not have a black tank. So we are happy with the the whole "black tank Monday" thing.

[Patrick45]

Oh and the major issue that we had with our Cottage was the slide seals. They had to be siliconed in place.

[Hercules]

"Oh and the major issue that we had with our Cottage was the slide seals. They had to be siliconed in place."

We're dealing with two related complaints - Air leakage and the "field mice" thing. The slide seals are far from air tight. Not so big a deal until the temperature drops to 15F! Also, those mice can find their way through the tiniest crack! So we are now trying to figure out how to get better air sealing and keep the mice out.

Seems the most common way to deal with mice is steel wool in the many penetrations through the envelope - plumbing holes, wiring holes, etc. Some suggested a combination of steel wool and spray foam to keep them out AND provide some addition air sealing.

But how to seal the slide edges? From the outside? Silicone? Duct Tape? We're concerned about the ability down the road to remove the seals so we can retract the slides when needed.

What products have you tried? Did you employ seals inside AND outside? We're even thinking about some additional insulation on the poorly insulated slide walls - maybe some panels of foam sheathing? And even though Forest River says how well the units are insulated, the floor is damn cold... Buying area rugs.

[Patrick45]

Our Cottage spends most/all of its life on the coast of Florida so the cold is not a problem.

The silicone was used to prevent the rubber gaskets from coming out of their "slide/housings". The gaskets are not sealed to the walls of the slides. Maybe I misunderstood you. We pull the slides in when we are not "in residence".

We have not experienced mice but we have experienced ants but we spray with home defense.. I leave a large gray plastic bin under the trailer with DECON in an inner smaller gray bin. I used a hole saw to allow the mice access for the mice or rats. I have a concrete paver on the lid to prevent other creatures from entry. I am not sure if that has kept mice or rats from the trailer but there is evidence that something eats the stuff.

One of our Dometic AC's was just replaced on warranty.

I clean the roof twice a year with DAWN and wash the exterior with wash n wax regularly. I have not had issues with the black/gray tank stuff.

Heating is not an issue here but cooling is.

[MillerTime]

You might try pool "noodles" to tuck in on the edges of the slides to help with air leaks or even pipe insulation could be used. We used some noodles a few times with our puma we had a couple years ago to help with keeping hot air out.
Also at our park, there are several that have put up skirting around the bottom of their trailers. A few have stained plywood with a lap board over the joints, and one couple has galvanized sheetmetal around theirs that was really well done.
As for mice, i don't know other than rat poison or a cat or maybe a dog??

Oh and on my tanks, what i meant was black holding tanks and septic tanks kinda have problems together. A septic tank is designed to handle a normal flow of water. Dumping 45-50 gallons of black and another 40 or so to rinse it causes the septic system to back up (and we have 2 black tanks besides the 3 gray tanks). But our landlord is working on a solution to that for us, so hopefully that wont be an issue next year!

[Hercules]

Posted our air leakage experience under a new thread. Still working on the slide edges and bottom... See Air Leakage explorations

[Hercules]

So the steel wool and spray foam of all those holes seems to have worked. Now opened a new thread in "Plumbing" (I hate plumbing) due to unusual sub-zero temperatures and discovery of other "at risk" elements of Cottage living. I still love this thing... 384 square feet of wonderful...