LED rope lights on ground under RV

wwestman · 02-27-2021, 11:03 AM

We have noticed a number of RV's (we are in Arizona) have long strings (ropes) of LED lights laying under their rigs. Most seem to be laying around the perimeter of the rig.

Being in AZ with the issue of packrats getting into the unit, are these lights a fashion statement or an attempt to discourage rodents?

If I see the owners outside I will ask them, but with the current climate about getting close to strangers I figured someone here would know.

cboss · 02-27-2021, 11:25 AM

We don't use ours in a campground, but we do use them at home to deter the squirrels and mice from entering the camper. So far it's worked well.

wwestman · 02-27-2021, 12:18 PM

So does it really keep them away?

zexel · 02-27-2021, 12:27 PM

I don't know about pack rats but the lights will attract skunks as they root around the lights looking for bugs that are attracted by the light.

johnlochbuie · 02-27-2021, 02:38 PM

Just to make the site look better and since when are squirrels out at night ?

Glampen · 02-27-2021, 02:41 PM

We stayed at the Karchner Caves State Park campground and the camp host suggested that string lights under the RV would keep pack rats away. We noticed other RVs had string lights under theirs. The RVs on both sides of us had strings lights illuminating the ground so we hoped that we might be protected. We had no problems while there. Afterwards we purchased some rope lights but haven't had occasion to use them yet.

tgold · 02-27-2021, 02:46 PM

Fashion statement in Texas

gcrv · 02-27-2021, 02:54 PM

We have citrus and pecan trees in our yard and we keep our RV in our yard between trips. We found pecan shells and rat droppings in the RV engine housing. I started putting the rope lights under the perimeter of the RV when we park it at home. This has kept the mice and rats from going under the RV and into the engine housing. I tried spraying, traps and even two cats we have but the rope lights work the best. My trail cam shows the rats come out after darkness and stay away from the light. I have a 60ft roll of rope lights on a timer and I just lay it on the ground around the RV.

DogFather · 02-27-2021, 03:29 PM

We've had numerous problems with pack rats and mice - pack rats on the toad engine and mice on/in both.

About a month ago we began using a perimeter string around our MH and also looping beneath the toad engine abutting the end of the MH.

We haven't had any traces of uninvited visitors since. Might just be coincidence, but we'll keep at it. Need more time to make an intelligent conclusion.

The string is fed through a photocell switch, so no attention needed beyond setup/removal.

rsdata · 02-27-2021, 03:54 PM

interesting that it is good for critter control...

robo44 · 02-27-2021, 03:59 PM

If you want to go one step further you can hardwire LED Rock lights to a switch I had 6 of them permanent attached to the bottom of my trailer Waterproof ct.. 12v power to a switch inside where I could turn them on an d off at my desire

https://www.google.com/search?q=rock...w=1536&bih=722

denlinsen · 02-27-2021, 04:07 PM

We have been boondocking in Az in winter for 7 yrs and have always put solar string rope lites beneath our trailer and engine compartment of the truck and have never hade a problem with pack rats or mice even though we know for a fact they are in the area. Those little critters can do a lot of damage to the wiring of your RV engine. I've heard the wiring insulation on newer vehicles is made from soy beans....

Dave13 · 02-27-2021, 04:25 PM

in AZ it's to keep the pack rats away. They chew on the wires of your coach or TT like it's going out of style.

sfsgm · 02-27-2021, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wwestman

We have noticed a number of RV's (we are in Arizona) have long strings (ropes) of LED lights laying under their rigs. Most seem to be laying around the perimeter of the rig.

Being in AZ with the issue of packrats getting into the unit, are these lights a fashion statement or an attempt to discourage rodents?

If I see the owners outside I will ask them, but with the current climate about getting close to strangers I figured someone here would know.

Much like old western cowboys with a lariat, it's to keep snakes away.

sfsgm · 02-27-2021, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by denlinsen

We have been boondocking in Az in winter for 7 yrs and have always put solar string rope lites beneath our trailer and engine compartment of the truck and have never hade a problem with pack rats or mice even though we know for a fact they are in the area. Those little critters can do a lot of damage to the wiring of your RV engine. I've heard the wiring insulation on newer vehicles is made from soy beans....

Soybean insulation is precisely correct. I know of a couple of friends that had to purchase new wiring harnesses for their trucks. Over $1k.

sfsgm · 02-27-2021, 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sfsgm

Much like old western cowboys with a lariat, it's to keep snakes away.

Actually, I saw many, many years ago a test of the theory on "You asked for it" (that should give you an idea of how many years ago). They laid out a lariat and then opened a bag of snakes inside of it. The snakes crawled right over the rope.

rsdata · 02-27-2021, 05:33 PM

Quote:

They laid out a lariat and then opened a bag of snakes inside of it. The snakes crawled right over the rope.

YES... I recall many episodes of You Asked for IT... maybe time for a re-make?

The better test would have been to put food INSIDE the rope ring and see if snakes crawled over the rope to get to the food. Crawling OUT of the ring is not the same as crawling INTO the ring... ALSO was it the exact same rope material as was used by cowboys?

Same could be said of mice trapped inside a rope light ring... would they stay in the ring if caught there? or would they just be reluctant to crawl INTO a rope light ring?

DogFather · 02-27-2021, 06:19 PM

Well, if I can't trust my snakes to stay inside their rope "corral", then I guess I won't take them camping anymore,

rekaj321 · 02-28-2021, 06:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wwestman

We have noticed a number of RV's (we are in Arizona) have long strings (ropes) of LED lights laying under their rigs. Most seem to be laying around the perimeter of the rig.

Being in AZ with the issue of packrats getting into the unit, are these lights a fashion statement or an attempt to discourage rodents?

If I see the owners outside I will ask them, but with the current climate about getting close to strangers I figured someone here would know.

Decorative......imagine the money the LED industry would be making if the lights kept out rodents!!!

Comanchecreek · 02-28-2021, 12:38 PM

I'm interested in this theory myself. We camp in dispersed camping on occasion and have been inundated with mice, and chipmunks. One chipmunk even chewed through a screen on an open window to get in. We trapped 7 mice on our last trip, and 2 more when we got home. I don't have a problem at home.

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