what about rodents?

[leslie]

My Camplite will be stored for a while on grass. Do any Campliters have trouble with rodents getting inside the camper? Where are the most likely points of entry? Pinstriper mentioned rodents getting into the campers in another thread.

[pinstriper]

For the record, I didn't mention any actual experience with rodents, only paranoia ABOUT having an experience with rodents !

I would be very interested in hearing the myriad approached out veteran camping brethren and sistren have taken WRT defeating rodents at their villainous designs.

[leslie]

For the record, I didn't mention any actual experience with rodents, only paranoia ABOUT having an experience with rodents !

I would be very interested in hearing the myriad approached out veteran camping brethren and sistren have taken WRT defeating rodents at their villainous designs.

I don't have paranoia about rodents -I have rodentphobia. My fearless beagle will kill them and eat them - ugh! I really don't want to go through this with her in the camper. I will wait to hear if this has been a problem.

[pinstriper]

I recommend against locking your beagle in the trailer as a winter storage strategy. Unless you don't like her...nah. It's still a lousy idea.

[pinstriper]

Also, I wish I could think of something pithy to say while posting [a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOv5ZjAOpC8"]this[/a], but I mainly offer it up to freak you out a little.

[leslie]

Oh, I can think of something pithy to say, but I try not to use that kind of language!

[spot1]

We live out in the country and store the TT on a concrete driveway next to the house. No issues, yet!

[djsamuel]

[quote source="/post/4550/thread" timestamp="1414578580" author="@exploringcarolina"]



We live out in the country and store the TT on a concrete driveway next to the house. No issues, yet!

[/quote]
Exact same situation here.  We have woods next to us, and a large yard with plenty of rodents, snakes, reptiles, etc, and nothing has made it into the camper.  They are sealed up pretty good underneath with foam insulation aprayed into the openings. The camper is stored on our driveway.  Of course the fact that the Camplite's floor is aluminum instead of wood, makes it harder for rodents since they can't gnaw on the opening to make it larger.

[drdave]

[quote source="/post/4551/thread" author="@djsamuel" timestamp="1414583961"]


[quote timestamp="1414578580" author="@exploringcarolina" source="/post/4550/thread"]



We live out in the country and store the TT on a concrete driveway next to the house. No issues, yet!


[/quote]Exact same situation here.  We have woods next to us, and a large yard with plenty of rodents, snakes, reptiles, etc, and nothing has made it into the camper.  They are sealed up pretty good underneath with foam insulation aprayed into the openings. The camper is stored on our driveway.  Of course the fact that the Camplite's floor is aluminum instead of wood, makes it harder for rodents since they can't gnaw on the opening to make it larger.


[/quote]  I agree with you.  I think the camplites are more rodent proof than a normal TT.    While winterizing I did take a pretty good look at things underneath mine, and I didn't see any obvious entry points for rodents.   It seems LL did a pretty good job of sealing every breech to the bottom for hose/pipes/electric and the corners, edges, etc. are all very tight.    You could put a mouse trap or 2 inside if you are overly concerned, but I don't plan on it myself.   

As a side note for rodent proofing your house:  Steel wool is your friend.   I had field mice get in my house and somehow make it up and into my attic.   I went around the exterior and stuffed steel wool in every orafice I could find including the corner covers where my vinyl siding meets, etc., foam sealant elsewhere and haven't had a problem since.   Mice HATE steel wool and won't chew through it.   I have TONS of vole trails everywhere in my lawn.   If anyone has advice on those i'd love to hear it.

.  

[supersuit]

[font face="comic sans ms"]I live in the woods in the Adirondacks.  I store my trailer outside on the ground with the wheels on wooden boards and trailer leveled.  I put a plastic tarp over the top and down almost to the windows, being careful not to let any ropes or edges of tarp be able to rub and scrape on windows.  This worked fine last year in a cold wet winter--no critters got in my trailer.  It really is quite impervious, being all aluminum.  A mouse would have to eat a hose off and then get up in through the hole--unlikely, I think.[/font]

[mitch]

I've never had one get into my camper (parked on gravel in the back yard full of chipmunks) but I have had them jump up on top of the gray water tank whilst escaping from my dog.  I can't think of any way to prevent that.  I do have some visible space in the opening where the power cables come up from underneath into the space where the converter is.  In my camper thats underneath a dinette seat.  There is some great stuff foam around the cables but it's not a complete job, I keep telling myself to spray a bit more in there but I keep forgetting to remind myself to buy it.    

[shovelhead]

One word..... "Cat"

[daplumbr]

I'm more concerned about mice getting in the furnace, water heater, and refrigerator exterior openings. I just bought Camco insect screens for all exterior openings to prevent entry. I know rodents can't get all the way inside, but they can make an awful mess in those cozy places outside. 

[pinstriper]

[quote source="/post/4562/thread" timestamp="1414599856" author="@mitch"] (parked on gravel in the back yard full of chipmunks)   [/quote][p]One word: .22LR birdshot.[/p][p]
[/p][p]Even Mrs. Pin allows an occasional "thinning of the herd", after the squirrels, chipmonks, mice, and voles set up camp under the hood of my truck and chewed the wires to smithereens.[/p][p]
[/p][p]This is not universal, or even generally applicable advice. I happen to live outside rifle range of my nearest neighbor. I could take them out with C-4 and nobody would bat an eye. Living in the country is different.
[/p]

[mitch]

If I were in a more remote setting it may just happen that an occasional chipmunk would be found dead of lead poisoning.