The posters over at popup portal have me all worried that my Quicksilver will be eaten by mice this winter.
Please let me know what you have experienced with winter garage storage. Do rodents go to town on Quicksilvers? Or is that a problem for non-aluminum campers?
OH, I WILL take off the canvas and store it in my house after my last trip mid October (or early November if I go out again). I guess I COULD take out the factory mattress and curtains. Of course, there is no food in the trailer. Other than fabric and food (which will be removed), what could rodents do to the trailer?
They can eat the tires and the wiring. Also, they poop all over place, and even though you can't see it, there's the mouse piss.
I recommend setting the whole thing on fire somewhere around March, and looking online for a new one.
idlerockfarm, I checked your profile and see that you live in Wisconsin. Is your QuickSilver stored in a garage or is it on grass? If it is in a garage, has the garage been raided by mice in the past?
We have stored our Camplite on grass for a couple of months at a time, but mostly on gravel. No mice have come in, although I have read on other boards that storing on grass is a problem - for other makes of RVs. No mice problems so far for us.
I have had some people come in when I wasn't ready for them when they wanted to take a look at my camper!
Leslie, I keep it in my garage, and I didn't have mice issues last winter (moved in last fall). My garage's outside door is ancient and drafty.
I guess I'll put out traps this winter or let my cats play in the garage occasionally.
Setting on fire....ha ?
[a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyyoaBa7DaE"]Take out the whole nest.[/a]
I might need to show that movie to my Film Studies class for Halloween this year. Ha, pinstriper.
Idlerockfarm: I'm in Pennsylvania and have kept my trailers outside all winter. I'm no rodent expert, but I have had field mice in my house attic before and know I have shrews and moles in the yard since I see the tracks in the snow and ruts they leave in my lawn in the spring. Every fall I make sure to walk around the perimeter of my house and make sure any potential openings are will sealed with steel wool which is considered to be the closest thing to rodent kryptonite from what I understand.
My experience with both of my camplites is that the underneath (Floor, etc) where wires, hoses and pipes came through were all well sealed with spray foam insulation from the factory and both survived winter without any evidence of any B&E attempts.
If you have the ability to look underneath for any potential entry points I think it will set your mind at ease. Use a small mirror, flashlight,floor creeper, or just some old towels or old blanket on the floor so you can poke around underneath without getting filthy. If you find any hole, crack, or crevass not sealed to your standards a can of non- expanding spray foam insulation (I wouldn't recommend steel wool on a trailer) or something similar will make short work of it. Keep that tonnou cover snapped on tight and I doubt you'll have any problem.
Thanks tlbones.
I will poke around underneath and keep the tonneau cover on.
I imagine that my car is easier for mice to get into, or at least more appealing. I was just hoping for some reassurance. The PopUpPortal people were so sure that everyone is equally susceptible to winter rodents. I'm glad there are better experiences here with Livin Lites.
Hello,
While being under our trailer and inspecting some welding and frame issues I noticed that two of the access areas where the water, electrical and gas lines come up through the floor there was no spray foam in place. This is the perfect situation for rodents to enter the trailer. I believe there are three access holes? One under the converter and the other two were under the shower/ furnace area. Easy to find just follow the pipes. One did have some foam but very minimal. You can easily buy insulating foam specifically for this situation. Any hardware store will have this item in the building supply section. Another process that was not done and is left up to the customer to figure out. If any owners did have a rodent problem and when they discovered that those areas were neglected and left open they would be very upset to say the least.
Cheers,
I just had my rig in to American RV in Tigard, for a wheel bearing repack (gotta use the gift certificate for SOMETHING !)
While she was in, I asked them to look at all the exterior joint seals on the roofline and also check for openings underneath where rodents and critters could enter. Clean bill of health all around, foam in all the right places, no signs of critters.
I don't think they even charged me for the inspection, and I had made it clear I was looking for them to have something to do.
They are still researching a retrofit of the 2-step stairs.
Nice. Glad they found nothing. And I wish I had two steps.
I set a bunch of mouse traps around my trailer in the garage I store it in now that you have me all worried about mice haha. Hopefully none of us have issues with the little critters.
I just realized the difference between us and the popup portal people (whatever that is).
They get people wound up about mice.
We get people wound up about bears.
[quote timestamp="1475637380" source="/post/25174/thread" author="@pinstriper"]I just realized the difference between us and the popup portal people (whatever that is).
They get people wound up about mice.
We get people wound up about bears.
[/quote]Good perspective.