# Mice In The Trailer



## TwoElkhounds (Mar 11, 2007)

Hello everyone,

Shortly after returning home with our new 10th Anniversary Edition 301BQ, I started to notice mouse droppings inside some of the cabinets inside the trailer. I inspected the underside of the trailer, made sure everything was sealed and filed the issue away in my mind. As the summer faded and the temperatures started to drop, I began to notice more droppings in the trailer. Main areas were under the kitchen sink and in the front basement. I set out some traps and sure enough we began to harvest mice. Clearly we had a pretty significant access point. You might think a mouse or two might be able to squeeze through a random opening, but a continuous stream would indicate the mice are not working very hard to get in.

I crawl back under the trailer and really begin to inspect the entire underside. It did not take long to find the access point, actually there are numerous potential access points. I first noticed the slide design has several areas where it appears a mouse could enter. Below is a picture of the slide mechanism with the slide extended, notice the access holes in the frame around both the cylinder and the geared mechanism. The next picture shows the slide retracted, the motor does not seal the hole and the hole next to the geared mechanism is still accessible. Curious if anyone else has this construction and if they have had problems?



















The next access point is an issue with the 10th Anniversary Edition. Looking from the underside of the trailer behind the fiberglass nose cap, you will find that the area is completely open. No attempt has been made to seal this area off. Mice are free to gain access behind the cap and into the interior wall. Once the mice get inside here, there is no telling where they can go. If you look closely, you can also see where the mice can gain entry into the aluminum frame material. A nice, easy path to other areas within the trailer. They can also squeeze behind the trim and get into the trailer basement, which explains the concentration of mice droppings in this area.










So, anybody else with a 10th Anniversary Edition having mice problems? Does your construction look like mine? What about the slide mechanism, is this the same as pre-2012 editions? I had no mice problems on my previous Outback, never saw any evidence, never caught one.

Thanks for any insight or suggestions.

DAN


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## TwoElkhounds (Mar 11, 2007)

Some more information. Below is a picture I took of the front end during the Factory Rally this summer. This seems to really point to the front of the trailer being the entry point. The black fabric is on the underside of the plywood floor. Also notice how the aluminum framing on each edge is bent up as a complete unit up to the roof. This is open down in the trailer belly (I can see it), potentially giving mice access to the roof of the trailer (depending on where things are welded). Really interested in any comments from others with a 10th Anniversary Edition, this seems like a big problem to me.

BTW - the girl in the picture is my daughter. You can see how much she loves to camp!! She looks like this from the minute we pull out of the driveway until we get home. God help me.


















DAN


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## RDS (Jul 20, 2011)

Can't help you with the mouse problem, but your Daughter looks just like mine when we go camping!! Glad I'm not alone.... lol


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## Gr8daggett (Oct 19, 2011)

Has anyone tried this product? http://www.mouse-free.com/ 
I am thinking it may have some merit.


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## Santa Fe TX Bob (Oct 30, 2011)

Since you are getting droppings in the sink area, I would check the low-point drains for the water lines that protrude the under belly near the kitchen sink. Use some "squirty foam" to seal this hole and prolly no mo' problem.


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## TwoElkhounds (Mar 11, 2007)

After looking at this a bit more, it is pretty clear that the mice are entering in through the bottom of the front cap. I can see droppings and other evidence of mice being inside the cap. The gaps in the cap bottom are quite large and have no protection against rodents. The gaps are so large, I think a chipmunk or a squirrel could get up inside there. It appears the mice are able to climb up into the cap, squeeze through cracks into the basement or climb up into the ceiling. Both routes provide access to the sink cabinets.

I got a can of sealing foam (the stuff made for doors and windows) and sealed off the cracks. It took nearly an entire can to fill the voids. We have not trapped a mouse since I sealed the cap and I have found no further evidence of mice in the trailer. It is too early to say the problem is completely solved, but I am optimistic.

I suggest all owners of the new fiberglass front caps take a look and seal this area off. If you are picking up a new unit, have the dealer seal it off before you accept the unit.

DAN


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## Insomniak (Jul 7, 2006)

TwoElkhounds said:


> After looking at this a bit more, it is pretty clear that the mice are entering in through the bottom of the front cap. I can see droppings and other evidence of mice being inside the cap. The gaps in the cap bottom are quite large and have no protection against rodents. The gaps are so large, I think a chipmunk or a squirrel could get up inside there. It appears the mice are able to climb up into the cap, squeeze through cracks into the basement or climb up into the ceiling. Both routes provide access to the sink cabinets.
> 
> I got a can of sealing foam (the stuff made for doors and windows) and sealed off the cracks. It took nearly an entire can to fill the voids. We have not trapped a mouse since I sealed the cap and I have found no further evidence of mice in the trailer. It is too early to say the problem is completely solved, but I am optimistic.
> 
> ...


I don't have anything to add about mice, but every time I see that photo of your daughter I get a weird, guilty feeling....


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## TwoElkhounds (Mar 11, 2007)

Insomniak said:


> I don't have anything to add about mice, but every time I see that photo of your daughter I get a weird, guilty feeling....


Ahhh... Now you are starting to catch on. It is all part of the grand plan to make camping intolerable.









DAN


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## Insomniak (Jul 7, 2006)

TwoElkhounds said:


> I don't have anything to add about mice, but every time I see that photo of your daughter I get a weird, guilty feeling....


Ahhh... Now you are starting to catch on. It is all part of the grand plan to make camping intolerable.









DAN
[/quote]
A friend or two coming along would make things a whole lot better, I'm sure. I know from what you wrote in the other thread that it isn't easy to get camping buddies though - especially girls. We're lucky, and have two cousins only 15 minutes away who accompany our kids frequently. It also helps that we do most of our camping at our membership campground, and often run into families that we've met on previous trips. At this age, these female creatures just HAVE to hang out with each other....


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## Outback Scooter (May 25, 2006)

Mice can be deterred from entering by placing fabric softener sheets in potential openings. Don't ask me how or why this works but it does. I can't remember where I first heard about this. We have a relatively small trailer (21RS) and had a mouse problem ONE time when the trailer was left at our storage lot. Since stuffing softener sheets around piping etc under the sink we have not seen hide nor hair of a mouse in a few years.


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## NFARCH (Apr 2, 2012)

A farmer friend of mine stated that soap shavings around the trailer, not necessarily inside, can deter mice. Might be worth a try when trailer is sitting for extended periods of time.


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## hoodscoop (Mar 29, 2012)

Dan, two things. First, I live in the woods. If we do not park our vehicles in a well sealed garage, a rodent will nest under the hood in a day or two. When the camper is parked at home, I always place a couple hand fulls of moth balls under and around the camper. The smell has not carried into the TT as of yet.

Secondly, if all else fails try this. I use to be an energy auditor trainer. The primary evaluation of an auditor is to find air leaks, which of course entails areas where mice can access the home. This is done via a "blower door" test. You can easily make your own. Cut a sheet of plywood to cover the door. Then cut a hole in the plywood to fit a powerfull fan that you can rent, get a big one with high CFM's. Seal the plywood tightly around the door and turn the fan to blow out of the camper. With the camper in winter mode, all windows and vents closed as tightly as possible, you will be able to walk around and find all areas where air is getting into the camper. Foam the cracks and the mice should no longer be able to get in. P.S. A smoke tube available on-line can also be very helpful.


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## kathandroddy (Feb 9, 2012)

We found a mouse in our trailer when we were out camping last weekend. Haven't had a chance to get under the trailer to see where they are coming in but will take a look at the front cap now.


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## Doxie-Doglover-Too (Jan 25, 2007)

God help me.









DAN
[/quote]

hahahahahahahahahahaha! as the mother of a 34 year old girl and having been there done that.....HAHAHAHAHAHA! oh wait....







now that daughter lives with us and her 8 year old daughter







, can I retract that haha??????


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## Doxie-Doglover-Too (Jan 25, 2007)

TwoElkhounds said:


> Some more information. Below is a picture I took of the front end during the Factory Rally this summer. This seems to really point to the front of the trailer being the entry point. The black fabric is on the underside of the plywood floor. Also notice how the aluminum framing on each edge is bent up as a complete unit up to the roof. This is open down in the trailer belly (I can see it), potentially giving mice access to the roof of the trailer (depending on where things are welded). Really interested in any comments from others with a 10th Anniversary Edition, this seems like a big problem to me.
> 
> BTW - the girl in the picture is my daughter. You can see how much she loves to camp!! She looks like this from the minute we pull out of the driveway until we get home. God help me.
> 
> ...


poor Cupcake!


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## hautevue (Mar 8, 2009)

I read a mention of using moth balls for mice. They seem to work if around the wheels, under the TT, etc.

But NEVER bring them inside. The smell will never dissipate. It will get into the upholstery, the window treatments, any rugs you have, any towels and blankets, the mattress, mattress cover and bedspread and so forth. It will be a disaster.

Several members commented about putting them around the tires and tongue jack, etc., for the winter. That appears to have helped.


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## 2girls4mom (Feb 26, 2012)

I just asked to DH to stop by the Home Depot for a can of the foam stuff!!!! I am not afraid of mice but I don't like them and don't want them in my TT!









Let me take you back a few years to our first TT purchase. We were boaters, went all over Puget Sound and San Juan Islands... Decided it was time to explore land locked locations and purchased a TT from friends. All was good, had a great summer, no problems until Fall. We knew we wanted to do some fall camping so we did not clean out the unit and just put it into storage for a few weeks. Weeks turned into months as we got busy with school and fall sports. 
Spring rolls around and we get the TT out and opened the door to find that mice had a fabulous, heated winter vacation complete with snacks and warm places to live!!!







There must have been 50 or more in there. We had to shampoo carpet, replace mattresses, took apart the furnace and cleaned the ducting, etc. no place was untouched! Disaster!

Needless to say, all food comes out of the TT at the end of the season. I now pack all packaged or pouch products in plastic containers. Example: I take macaroni and cheese out of the box, put in sandwhich bags and label goes into a bin. If I am unfamiliar with a product, I cut out the instructions too. Cake mixes, corn bread mixes, etc. all get put into a large, locking plastic bin. Sauce packets, dressing mixes and so on all have a bin to go into as well. The only things not in a bin are canned or jarred foods.

I also wash all the bedding at the end of the season and put it into the space saving bags and stick them in the shower of the trailer. Pillows & towels get compressed in the bags too. In Spring, release the seal and fluff up and ready to go. (I have also found that trailer supplies don't get mixed into household supplies over the winter thus starting the great hunt to find everything!)

Needless to say we learned from a huge newbie TT mistake. We never had those kinds of problems while boating...just sea otters making a mess of the swim step! I probably go over board keeping things cleaned, mouse proofed ans stored but I don't ever want to get into that position again!

So, I need some foam ASAP for the front cap! Thank you for posting this information!


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## Dub (Dec 8, 2008)

Got mice in mine this past winter for the first time, I think it was just one because that's all I caught and I still have traps out. They were underneath the kitchen and bathroom sink as well as the bathtub. I think they got in underneath the camper somewhere and followed the drain from the tub up and then followed the water lines to the kitchen area. They didn't get anywhere else.


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## vdub (Jun 19, 2004)

Moth balls will keep mice out of most areas, but if you do have a few mice, then set a plain old fashioned spring trap with a little peanut butter on trigger. The peanut butter will last for a couple months. Put the trap wherever the mice seem to be accumulating and just leave them there. We know where our weak points are for mice and we leave live traps their all the time. Once in a while we will catch something. They aren't big enough for bbq or even a nice stew, so they generally get tossed....


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## duggy (Mar 17, 2010)

As to the original pictures of the slide mechanism, our 2011, pre anniversary edition, has the same hardware. We were camping in mid April, and had a squirrel getting into the underebelly by way of the large hole around the "pipe". I stuffed a work glove in the hole for the duration of the weekend. When our slide is retracted, the hole is blocked tight. We leave our slide retracted in our driveway, so this is only an access point while camping.


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## Ashley & Nicole (Aug 8, 2012)

Buy some dryer sheets and put them throughout the camper....I use the entire box when the camper is going to sit for a while. Won't have a single mouse....plus it smells good. Give it a try!


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## theskinnies (Aug 5, 2020)

Hey all,

Reviving this old thread as it's super relevant to my situation.

First, we had mice in the bottom of the trailer (saw droppings under the sink and couch, and heard scratching under the floor).

We sealed the underbelly and the holes in the floor where the water pipes come in. Laid traps and then... nothing.

Problem solved. ...for a bit.

A couple weeks later we are out camping and we hear scurrying across the roof. Turns out it's inside the ceiling. Must have been trapped outside when we sealed up the trailer so it found another way in.

Thanks to the posted photo by @TwoElkhounds, I found the mentioned gap at the bottom of the nose cap. Seems like an obvious way in.

So last night we opened up the ceiling speakers and replaced them with cardboard with a mouse trap on top and screwed the cardboard back in, thanks to the suggestion from @spidey. Today we had a mouse in the trap.

Now I will keep laying traps to see if there's more, but here's the big question: how should I seal the nose cap? I can't help wondering if the cap was built that way for moisture to have a way to drain out. If I use spray foam, I keep the moisture in. Perhaps I should use spray foam across most of the opening, and leave a few inches on the ends with which to stuff steel wool with peppermint drops added?

@TwoElkhounds, did the factory tour tell you anything about the reason the nose cap was built in such a way? And did you have success after sealing the front gap?

Thanks everyone.


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## vdub (Jun 19, 2004)

This is not just an old topic, but ancient. The unhappy young lady in the previous photo is probably out of college and making her own kids unhappy.


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