Airstream design glitch.

[wheel interested]

Ewwwee! New Mexico is off my list now. 2Air thanks for reminding me I am afraid of things under my bed reaching out and grabbing my feet or hands should they inadvertantly hang over.

There are bugs all over one time or another. They hardly need much room or incentive, but I don't put outside stuff under the bed, that would definitely help your situation I think. Cap the tubes or stuff the ends and wipe off the legs and inspect for creatures or better yet leave that stuff outside. I bring in the grill and chairs and table but I don't think I brought bugs and dirt in with them, they go in the closet, under the dinette, and in the zip dee storage compartment. Under the bed I put clothes and storage items that are not used frequently. Perhaps your best defense is to choose what you want to put in the bottom of your nest and sleep with a cat. I agree with Ken. I love our dogs, but cats are very good hunters.

[Nuvite-F]

Originally Posted by 2airishuman

a nearly universal childhood fear...

WHO (or what) is under the bed?

seen that horror flick where the KNIFE comes UP through the bed?

or the one where the bogey man grabs and drags the screaming teen down under?

i think THAT is the issue here,

not an 8 legged creepy crawly fuzzy bug eyed thing, that paralyzes then SUCKS your brains out...

sleep well.

2air'

That's why you sleep with your sixgun under your pillow, right?

Hey, 2air,

Great to see you back!

[rmet6669]

Have to laugh about a spider....here in West Texas....are spider are the least to worry about.....would it not be more easy to simply clean your items your going to put into the storage area under your bed.....?....I agree....your headed for some moisture problems....just as we have to breathe ...so does a home....or a home away from home.............just a thought...

[Robbie R.]

OK, in order to fix the potential moisture problem, I will put a nice big vent in the middle of the board I put in to seal off the under bed area.

The vent will have a screen, the screen will be small to keep critters out.

This vent will allow a huge amout of fresh dry air to consistantly flow in and out from under my bed.

Then there will be no mold, mildew, moisture or critters.........

Design glitch complete.

Robbie R.

[safari 28]

For us, we only store in the trunk very minimal needs such as walbernize, misc lubes, possibly an extra shore power cord and the little things when setting up. I find our truck takes most of the normal outside things like hoses, power cord, chairs, wheel blocks etc. They get dirty and that is what the truck is for, sealed with hard cover and locked. A/S outside storage when compared to other RV designs, well, is just no comparison. There really is none. So it makes a decision at least for us to have a truck vs SUV or van a no brainer. That little trunk on our 28 is just that, TINY!

[SilverRanger]

We have a Bambi. Almost everything is stored in the truck (with cap). This thread has inspired me to finally fix that gap where the plumbing exits from under the bed. I hadn't considered the ventilation function. I only use the trunk for water hoses, which I keep zipped up in nylon duffle bags, a jack, some plumbing supplies, and the essential (Airstream recommended) tool box.

[2airishuman]

Originally Posted by Robbie R.

...Design glitch complete....

the screen is a good idea rather than a solid barrier.

but don't think this SOLVES the moisture issue, or critter thing (seen the 1000 threads on mice yet?)

have you been camping yet in your new 'stream, or any solid side rv?

even without using the mattress, moisture will collect under it, along the wall or behind the sofa and dinette...

because of the temperature differential (like condensation on windows) in those tight places.

we deal with this issue continuously and in your home state it's especially problematic; rocky top is one really moist place!

here are 2 of the many threads on this problem. we can only hope to keep at it and manage water, mold, mildew and critters.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f462...ion-20638.html

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f427...wet-22770.html

without regular efforts they (natures creations) ALL win eventually.
____________

to add some clarity, the o.p. is dealing with a space similar to the pic below under a queen size bed...

with an outside hatch door ~ 4 feet wide and 1 foot tall.

the twin bed versions have 2 smaller storage areas with side hatches.
____________

for the many small outer hatches and openings for wiring, plumbing, gas lines, the fridge, the furnace and so on...

fresh gaskets, proper sealant goo or aluminum wool, or chunks of foam, or scotch brite pads or duct tape or aluminum tape can help.

just consider that EACH of those gaps work both ways and some of the openinga NEED to vent well...

a/s would like us to believe the rough cut, jagged holes and sloppy gaps are part of the carefully crafted assembly...

wanna buy some swamp land in the desert?

cheers
2air'

[pmclemore]

My method of keeping that sort of thing out of my storage areas (which are hard to clean) is to clean things before I put them away.

I have some cheap white gym towels of varying sizes. When I pack up, I carry around one of the hand-sized towels and wipe down everything before it goes in. Doesn't take much time, and you never have to worry about straggling critters and dirt. I also use it to dry the dew from water hoses and the electrical cord.

Pat

[Gene]

You're never more than 8' from a spider someone said. We share the world with them. Mice can fold their shoulders inward to get into small holes. As winter is coming, all critters look for a warm place to spend time. Paper wasps (mud daubers) are looking for places to build nests. The screen door is not a great stopper for a bug. Lots of holes in the body for propane and water lines on the bottom and lots of stuff on the top.

And, of course, nothing stops monsters. Did you know about the monster with a knife that will cut off your foot or hand if you put it over the edge of the bed? You're lucky if he just grabs it—usually it's just one whack and it's gone.

There was a wasp inside the trailer today and I don't know how he got in. On our trip home I found two small beetles on the dinette table. In the mountains of Colorado there are very few bugs, but we live lower down now (6,837') and in a warmer climate than we used to and have a lot more wildlife of the smaller type. As the climate warms, more and more paper wasps and some strange bugs I've never seen before. Tarantulas will be next along with killer bees; scorpions are already around.

Gene

[2airishuman]

i rely on the spiders to control the mice...

and the goblins to control the monsters...

but then again MOST of my encounters with things happen in route

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f161...nth-18538.html

after all it is the journey that matters not the destination,

and the neewollah celebration is just around the corner...

we are all part of the biosphere and some of us are part of the bizzaro-sphere (which is square) too.

so sometimes i wonder whom eats who on htrae...

and if they had critter issues OR airstreams here (or is it there) ?

they did have issues with expired gases, but no barking ducks...

cheers
2air'