Mouseproofing (Hopefully) - Hi-Lo camper travel trailer forum

JackandJanet · 11-09-2014, 05:31 PM

A while back we were talking about mice in the trailer. Interestingly, I never had this problem until last year, and I've had the HiLo since 2007. But, I found evidence of mice in the cabinet under the kitchen sink, in the cabinet under the bathroom sink and in the small narrow cabinet to the right of the refrigerator. In each case, a mouse or mice had chewed up a roll of paper towels, toilet paper, and a washcloth.

The first picture shows the entry point (I hope) under the bathroom sink. It's where the drain line exits to the grey water tank and, as you can see, there is a huge space where mice could have entered. I didn't take a "before" picture, but you can see how I blocked the opening with hardware cloth (available at Home Depot, Lowes, ACE, etc.).

The second picture shows the big opening around the kitchen drain line under the sink. There are also a couple smaller openings under there too, around water tube inlets. Again, I blocked the large opening with hardware cloth but I used a new product called "Pest BlocK" in the smaller openings. It is an expanding urethane foam that supposedly has a "bitter" taste that critters won't chew through. I found Pest Block at Home Depot. You can see it bulging around the water tubes near the top of the picture and at the bottom of the cabinet in the back.

Before I cut the hardware cloth, I made paper patterns and after making slight adjustments to them, I found the hardware cloth installed without much difficulty and it seals the openings well. I show those in the last picture.

More in the next post.

- Jack

JackandJanet · 11-09-2014, 05:42 PM

The cabinet beside the refrigerator had a shelf inside that I removed to make repairs easier. The first picture shows a cozy little mouse nest on top of the wheel well at the back of this cabinet. There were entry points on each side. I blocked the large openings in front of the wheel well on the cabinet sides with hardware cloth and used the Pest Block along the top of the wheel well and in the openings where electrical wiring comes through.

Sorry, the pictures are all on their sides - I held the camera on its side, since the cabinet is tall and narrow.

Hopefully, there are no more openings into the living area! I didn't even try to block entrance in the bottom of the trailer. I think it would be much too hard to get to those openings.

I could have blocked the large openings with thin wood or even metal sheeting, but hardware cloth was easy to cut and easy to staple onto the walls.

- Jack

RichR · 11-09-2014, 05:52 PM

Our 1705T had an opening from the rear storage compartment where the frame comes through to the body. Mice had built a nest in there and were going inside through that opening. It got plugged and the mice got trapped. End of story.

JackandJanet · 11-09-2014, 06:04 PM

Thanks, Rich. I'll have a looksee in that area tomorrow.

- Jack

JackandJanet · 11-10-2014, 01:08 PM

Rich, I don't understand. I looked all over the rear of the trailer today and don't see anywhere where the frame goes into the body (living space) of the trailer. It appears to simply pass under it all the way to the front.

However, the rear storage compartment has large openings on each end, and mice have certainly gotten in at those points. They shredded a couple paper towels I had in there to wipe grease off my hands if I forgot to put gloves on when I worked with the hitch.

Is the rear storage compartment itself what you were referring to?

- Jack

RichR · 11-10-2014, 02:42 PM

Maybe that was corrected with the next model year. From the rear bumper storage area I could feel an opening along the inside web of the frame beam that appeared to be an opening up into the floor area. I stuffed it with a Chore Boy pot scrubber pad to be sure.

JackandJanet · 11-10-2014, 04:09 PM

OK, I wasn't looking for an opening like that. I'll go check mine. Steel wool pads or something similar are certainly the recognized mouse/rat/bat proofing hole fillers.

- Jack

JackandJanet · 11-10-2014, 05:39 PM

Well, I looked at both sides of the I-beams and the rest of the underside of the trailer back there and could find no holes at all. There is one point where a wire enters, but it is all sealed up with caulk and there is no opening remaining. I guess there WAS a change in the design. Wonder what the opening in your trailer was for?

- Jack

RichR · 11-10-2014, 07:21 PM

I couldn't find any holes on the 2310H.

Rolff · 11-14-2014, 05:44 PM

Jack,
Mice have been the bane of our Towlite since going to Bear Lake Idaho. Everyone at the RV park has stated that the mice are the worst of any place they have camped. Here is my statement based on my experience. You missed a spot. LOL not sure where. The little buggers are very cleaver and can squeeze thru very tiny openings. There was an opening under the tub for the bathroom sink drain and also an opening into the kitchen cabinets for the pipes. HiLo did not seal the openings in the trailer where it drains into the black and graywater tanks. I believe the opening thru the floor for the toilet was wide enough for a mouse. I thought I had the cabinets sealed and they got into them using the vent hole in the stove top (No oven in mine). After each time I would fill every opening I could find with steel wool or expanding foam. After about our 3rd incursion I believe I got all of them blocked. We still keep everything in the lower cabinets in either those vacuum space bags or in bins or tins so if the do get in we won't have to wash all the linens and every pot, pan and dish.

JackandJanet · 11-14-2014, 11:45 PM

Rolff, I certainly won't swear to getting every opening, but I know I filled every one I could find. I don't have a tub, just a shower. And, the opening for the sink drain in the bathroom that's under the sink just goes into the first storage area that I posted a picture of. It's not an entry to the outside. I DID add some "Pest Block" sealant in the cracks between the side walls, floor, and the back wall though.

I'm sure you are absolutely right about the openings in the floor of the trailer where the drains go through to the black and grey water tanks. Since I couldn't get to them without taking the tanks off, I opted to fill the inside entries.

I didn't take the cooktop out to check for openings there, and I have a microwave under it which I also did not take out. But, I did block a smallish opening where the microwave power cord comes out under the sink and plugs into 110V.

- Jack

RichR · 11-15-2014, 08:21 AM

I forgot to mention earlier that using a bright light on a dark night is a good way to find some of those little openings. A quartz work light will do. Place it under the trailer shining up in different place then go inside a look for the light poking through. Do the same from the inside out. You may find some places you missed.

JackandJanet · 11-15-2014, 10:26 AM

Great idea, Rich! I'll keep it in mind if I find any visitors next spring.

- Jack

Rolff · 11-16-2014, 07:39 PM

The spotlight is a good idea. They jumped up on top of the tanks and just walked to the openings in the floor. I think I crammed in steel wool from the top around the toilet. I was amazed that in 2 trailers I missed obvious openings in both. That earned me a smack on the head from my wife. I think having someone else look it over for openings is helpful as a double check.
I think it is odd that I have never had any indication that mice have shimmied up the gap between the upper and lower halves. My trailer is almost 20 and the door side is bowed outward an inch in the middle. I have 2x6 braces that I use when it is to be left up for long periods of time but they haven't climbed them either. Knock wood.

JackandJanet · 11-16-2014, 11:09 PM

The outside sides may be too slick for them.

I was certain they were getting in through the grey water drain openings in my trailer. (There's no opening at all into the inside around the black water drain.) So, I blocked all the points where the grey water drainpipes exited the cabinets to the outside. And, the openings into the small cabinet from around the refrigerator and from the storage area where the water pump is. But, I've seen no evidence at all of mice in the water pump storage space.

- Jack

Conifer · 04-13-2015, 07:58 PM

I have had very good results with Ammonia, I put it in a spray bottle and spray first the inside around all openings, give it a night for everyone to check out, and then spray the outside. No more mice. Granted that was on a mountain cabin, but should work on a trailer. Keeps the bear out of the trash too. Good luck.

JackandJanet · 04-14-2015, 01:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Conifer

I have had very good results with Ammonia, I put it in a spray bottle and spray first the inside around all openings, give it a night for everyone to check out, and then spray the outside. No more mice. Granted that was on a mountain cabin, but should work on a trailer. Keeps the bear out of the trash too. Good luck.

I just have to say it: "Your ammonia solution sounds like the "pee solution"!

There's quite a bit of folklore here in Arizona that if you want to keep pests out of any garden you plant or away from anything else that might be inviting, you make it less inviting by peeing around those areas. Marking your territory, so to speak.

You can also buy Coyote urine to accomplish the same task if you're too squeamish to do it yourself.

And, an update - no further evidence of mice in our trailer.

- Jack

MagdalenaJLM · 04-30-2015, 12:57 PM

In my Trailmanor, in the Fall, I scatter about 50 1/3 size Irish Spring soap, everywhere and during summer a little. No more mice, Outide of the camper, Moth balls, around tires- put into pantyhose and tie around tires. They will squeeze into any small spot..

Gunship · 05-15-2017, 06:59 AM

I use cedar chips. I take cheese cloth or a similar material and make soft ball size bundles and place them in various places thru out the trailer and I have no mouse problems any longer.

Gunship

Camping Catlady · 06-30-2017, 06:50 PM

Mice are supposed to be repelled by mint. I've heard that placing cotton balls with a few drops of peppermint oil around the camper and inside cabinets and drawers will repell them. Some people also use peppermint tea bags as an instant peppermint sachet. And they smell nice, too.