How do rats get into trailer?

[mistermcfrug]

RE: 2006 Safari SE, front bedroom

This morning I had to go face to face with a pack rat that had his hind end clamped to an untethered rat trap that I had placed in the storage compartment underneath the bed. It wasn't easy to finish him off!

Anyway, my question is: how might a smart rat get inside my trailer model? To the best of my knowledge, the undercarriage has never been damaged. Also, I don't think the rat ran inside while we were loading or doing anything because our last camping trip was last spring. The trailer has been parked in the driveway of our mountain home since May.

I will add that our plastic A/C shroud was heavily damaged by hail the middle of August. It sat there cracked, with various pieces missing for about two weeks until I got a replacement. My wife was wondering if a rat could have somehow gotten in through the top of the trailer.

I don't see any openings on the bottom of the trailer. Other than age, it looks like a new trailer there. I thought Airstream went to a lot of trouble to stop rodent entry.

Any ideas on how that rat got in? He was a full sized pack rat. Plus, my wife is now telling me she saw some mouse droppings.

[Lumatic]

Oh, you are talking about the fuzzy ones with the tails

[idroba]

Unfortunately there are many holes in most Airstreams as they come from the factory. Possible entry points are the front frame tongue, the back bumper compartment and areas around the wheel wells, or the steps. Once inside the belly pan, the access up through the floor is from holes cut by the factory for vent pipes and drain lines which are much bigger than the pipes themselves, as well as areas around the toilet on many models. I have had somewhere in the range of 15 Airstreams and Argosys and have not ever had one that was mouse proof. I had a pack rat in the battery compartment area of my 310 motorhome. They are nasty critters.

It takes time to find all the entry points and quite frankly, you may never get them all. My Argosy, which I have had now for about 14 years, still occasionally has a mouse in it. I think they come in from the toilet area on the rig, but would have to do a lot of deconstruction to see for sure.

[Ag&Au]

WE have had 3 different travel trailers spanning the last 18 years. They have all been kept in places with substantial rodent populations. We have never had any sign whatsoever of mouse or rat entry. I am certain this is because we have always had one or more cats traveling with us. I believe their scent remains in the trailer for a long time. Try borrowing some cat bedding from someone with a cat. Maybe even better get some used litter. I will mail you some if you can't get it locally.

Ken

Scoff if you wish, however our trailer remains a rodent free zone. Not necessarily insect free however.

Ken

[Ag&Au]

Originally Posted by Lumatic

Oh, you are talking about the fuzzy ones with the tails

In fact I believe it is the fuzzy ones with fuzzy tails. There are just darling little things. They look so cuddly.

Ken

[joni78]

Originally Posted by mistermcfrug

RE: 2006 Safari SE, front bedroom

This morning I had to go face to face with a pack rat that had his hind end clamped to an untethered rat trap that I had placed in the storage compartment underneath the bed. It wasn't easy to finish him off!

Anyway, my question is: how might a smart rat get inside my trailer model? To the best of my knowledge, the undercarriage has never been damaged. Also, I don't think the rat ran inside while we were loading or doing anything because our last camping trip was last spring. The trailer has been parked in the driveway of our mountain home since May.

I will add that our plastic A/C shroud was heavily damaged by hail the middle of August. It sat there cracked, with various pieces missing for about two weeks until I got a replacement. My wife was wondering if a rat could have somehow gotten in through the top of the trailer.

I don't see any openings on the bottom of the trailer. Other than age, it looks like a new trailer there. I thought Airstream went to a lot of trouble to stop rodent entry.

Any ideas on how that rat got in? He was a full sized pack rat. Plus, my wife is now telling me she saw some mouse droppings.

To answer your first question: ANY WAY THEY CAN AND WAYS YOU NEVER THOUGHT OF! We live in the country and this is a battle in our house at certain times of the year. What I do in the Airstream is put out poison, take all bedding, towels or anything like that and store in a plastic tote in the trailer I like to add dryer sheets to the tote so everything smells nice when we get ready to go). Remove any paper products(nesting material), Open all cabinets and bins. They want to live in dark places. Leave no food in the trailer. Check often for signs of an invasion

[2vets]

I live in an old old house and have serious mouse problems spring and fall. I have given up on poison since the rodent always dies behind the wall and rots slowly over a period of weeks which smells disgusting. Rat and mouse traps are the way to go so you can dispose of the body directly. Rats and mice can squeeze through exceptionally small holes....you will not be able to find them all.

[cando]

I also live on a river and have lots of mice over the past few years in our house and in our trailer. To deal with the problem, I purchased a number of rodent repellent devices from our local Ace Hardward that you plug into an electrical socket. These devices make a noise that repel rodents apparently and, believe it or not, I haven't seen a mouse in our house or our trailer since I began using them. Good luck with your rodent problem. This worked for us.

[Lumatic]

A few years ago I bought an Overlander that was sitting up in the Manzano Mountains for a few years. The pack rats had made it their castle. The midden was knee high and higher in places. It filled up a dump truck. What made it particularly interesting was great amount of choya cactus needles.

[garry]

If they can get their head through a hole the rest of the critter will fit through.

Tractor supply sells a product called Cab Fresh that has worked for me "so far".

It is sold as a mouse repellent you might want to check it out on the Internet I tried just about everything including dryer sheets. I had mice pull insulation out of the walls to make a nest before I found Cab Fresh I would catch 2 a week starting in the fall until hot weather.

[tinyhome]

In an old trailer I had on a farm I thought I had a small rat problem. I bought some special sticky paper to catch them. Set them along several walls. Looked a few days later to see if I caught any, and was amazed with what I saw. I caught over a dozen! I spent a weekend looking for any holes they used, I was suprised at how many tiny holes I found.

[Aage]

Mebbe he got in when he were little, then gruesome.

[palmtreegirl]

I'm using one of those electric ultra-sonic repellers. I've also just received a pound of Aluminum Wool which I plan on stuffing into any hole I can see or feel. The first will be the A frame by the hitch.

I hate meeces to pieces!

[Jerry Dennis]

Originally Posted by palmtreegirl

I'm using one of those electric ultra-sonic repellers. I've also just received a pound of Aluminum Wool which I plan on stuffing into any hole I can see or feel. The first will be the A frame by the hitch.

I hate meeces to pieces!

My 91 had several entre holes in the frame when it was new.

[Ribbler]

Had the same problems, mice and last week a pack rat while on a hunting trip.

Well, it took me about two days of getting things together and then fixing all the smallest of holes. I attached additional flashing to cover larger gaps and holes, front hitch, back bumper, and under belly. My 1970 AS has some oxidized bottom holes so extra flashing was necessary to cover the larger holes. I also plugged smaller holes with stainless steel wool and even glued them in place with construction adhesive.

You really got to start by lifting your trailer as high as possible, so that working underneath is more comfortable, and then start at one end and work your way to every part of your underbody and some.

Mice are good jumpers and climbers too, so don't over look higher holes and any holes larger that a nickel.

After all was said and done, you wouldn't know that I did anything at all, everything is hidden, BUT now all my traps are empty. So far so good!!!

If you like, I can post some repair pics for you!

Good luck!!!

[Aage]

2 fined:

• a buckit
• a kote hangr
• beer can (empty it furst, yum!)
• sum p-nit budder
• stick fur mous to clime up

Lookit the foto, hook up the can, wire it on2 buckit, lean flat stick on outside of buckit so's mous kin get at can

oh ya, p-nit budder: wype it oll ovr can

U kin put aunty-freez in buckit so's it don't smel to bad

[Ribbler]

Yes this trap works great, but the mice and rats are still making a mess in your camper!

[Aage]

Only if they have no sense of smell. We did this for my sister-in-law last winter.

Results: 6 dead mice, no evidence of mouse dirt or chewed things...

[KYAirstream]

Originally Posted by Ribbler

If you like, I can post some repair pics for you!

Good luck!!!

Pics would be appreciated.

[mistermcfrug]

A couple of posters have commented about the front of the A frame. I note that at the point of the "A", the two structural components are essentially open tubes. If a rat jumps into and crawls down that tube, will he be able to enter into the trailer, or would that entire length of that "A", from the top to the bottom, so to speak, be enclosed, with no openings along the way for a rat or mouse to go through.

I could try to stick some steel wool in the huge gap, but it looks like it would take a massive amount of steel wool on my particular trailer. Any comments?