Is the body seal sufficient to keep mice out?

[DHart]

We are ordering our first Airstream and it will be stored in an open area, not garaged.

Is the Airstream body sealed enough to prevent entry by small rodents, such as mice?

If not, is it relatively easy to seal access areas under the trailer?

How do you folks deal with mice if the trailer isn't tightly sealed enough to prevent their entry?

[ckottum]

The newer Airstreams are sealed well, gobs of goop in some places, but we have never had a mouse. More importantly, we clean the galley well after use, and never store the Airstream with food inside.

cheryl

[Beaker63]

Hey D,
Don't leave any food in the trailer and put a mousetrap by each wheel. I put bounce dryer sheets inside, I don't think they do much but the trailer smells good.
Tim

[DHart]

Cheryl... that's good to know.

In the past I have experienced mice entering an RV. No food to draw them, just the safety and security of lots of small nooks and crannies, like drawers. Haven't had big issues with this, but I hope to not have ANY issues in this regard.

In our area of the desert, I've heard stories of pack rats eating wiring of vehicles (cars, trucks, motorhomes, etc) and causing MANY thousands of dollars of damage to wiring harnesses. Of course with a trailer, there is little, if any, exposed wiring as there is with a car or motorized RV.

[Glenritas]

All a mouse needs is a 1/4" gap and they are in .

[DHart]

Originally Posted by Glenritas

All a mouse needs is a 1/4" gap and they are in .

Have you have them in your Airstream?

[Tod3]

An alternative I have been using recently for a house (haven't yet tried it in a trailer) is an electronic repellent that plugs in and uses the wiring to create an ultrasonic (or some such) barrier. You can find a number of alternatives by searching on the internet for "electronic mouse repellent". You would need some charge to power it, but I don't think it takes much. I have found it to be effective for a house in the boonies where we previously had a serious mouse problem.

[Glenritas]

I found evidence of them being there. Our Airstream sat in a field for 5 years before we bought it.

As I striped out the interior I found they came in through the belly pan and entered the bathroom under the tub via the hole for the drain.

[DHart]

Originally Posted by Glenritas

I found evidence of them being there. Our Airstream sat in a field for 5 years before we bought it.

As I striped out the interior I found they came in through the belly pan and entered the bathroom under the tub via the hole for the drain.

I'm sure with 5 years time, left alone in a field... mice would definitely find some way to get into an Airstream. It would seem, though, that with a well foam-sealed underbody and a trailer that is frequently checked on, one could keep them out relatively well.

[ckottum]

Yes, pack rats. While dry camping south of Tucson about eight years ago they crawled up into our VW Poptop Camper engine compartment and ate some insulation off the wires. Everything still working, we taped them up until we returned home.

Never has a mouse in those four VW Campers either, cleaned the little galley and removed food whenever we returned home.

[DHart]

Originally Posted by Tod3

An alternative I have been using recently for a house (haven't yet tried it in a trailer) is an electronic repellent that plugs in and uses the wiring to create an ultrasonic (or some such) barrier. You can find a number of alternatives by searching on the internet for "electronic mouse repellent". You would need some charge to power it, but I don't think it takes much. I have found it to be effective for a house in the boonies where we previously had a serious mouse problem.

That sounds like a good way to do it...no need for poison or traps. I don't like the traps because birds can be injured by them. And the poisons can harm animals that might ingest the poisoned mice. Always something, isn't there.

[DHart]

Originally Posted by ckottum

Yes, pack rats. While dry camping south of Tucson about eight years ago they crawled up into our VW Poptop Camper engine compartment and ate some insulation off the wires. Everything still working, I taped them up until we returned home.

Never has a mouse in those four VW Campers either, cleaned the little galley and removed food whenever we returned home.

That takes me back to my first RVing days... when I was in my early 20's (early 1970's) I had one of those deep/bright yellow Westfalia VW pop-top campers. Had a lot of fun with that. Then in the early '80s I had one of the more updated Westfalia Camper models... they sure were fun back in the day - when I was young. No where near enough comfort and convenience for us these days, though. We're old now.

Packrats.... yikes... I hope to NEVER have to deal with them. But they are around the desert area where we live.

[idroba]

Older Airstreams were and are notorious for mice getting in. Most common entry area was the gaps around the drain and vent pipes which went through the plywood floor. The holes were cut much larger than the pipes, and no sealant was placed around them.

I will say that so far my 2014 FC 20 has been mouse free, which I am grateful for. Maybe Airstream finally learned to seal the floor pipe hole gaps.

[Tod3]

DHart, I agree with you on the traps and poisons. Another disadvantage of those options is having dead critters around in nooks and crannies where you may not find them. BTW, one other trick I have learned from life in the outback: if you do find holes, use steel wool to plug them. The rodents can't stand the feel of it on their teeth, but will chew through practically anything else.

[idroba]

Brass wool or Aluminum wool is better, as it does not rust. Harder to find though, need a good hardware store.

[paiceman]

We had a Lab mix that killed and ate them if they came in while we were camping. First time woke us up as she ran around the trailer after it, but she got it somehow. We store ours on an asphalt lot about 30' from woods and never had an issue with three AS and a motorhome, I think the big issues come when they are stored on grass or dirt.

[dznf0g]

I haven't had a mouse yet either, but I went over, under, in and out and plugged possible access holes. It has been parked next to a corn field for 4 years, when stored. No mice, but my friend (his property) has a really good mouser ferrel cat that lives in the barn next to the AS.

Now that my pad is done at the house, I'll probably be over-run with mice....

[DHart]

Aluminum wool sounds like a great material to plug holes with... then perhaps add some silicon sealant as an adhesive?

[Ahab]

We bought our '08 SS in Oct '07. It had the bottom sealed with expanding foam. It is stored in the open and has not been infested with mice or insects to date. The rattlers seem to keep the packrats under control. My neighbor who kills snakes on sight always has a problem with the rats.

[HighPlainAS]

After plugging and sealing every entryway we could find we still caught a mouse in our trap. Finally, we discovered a tiny opening in the main rail in the front of our AS. Those little legs jumped from the concrete flooring up into the rail...scrambled in and "viola" trailer access. We could not believe it! Talk about mouse Olympics.... That furry fellow would have brought home the gold!
Trust me...that hole is now plugged. No more mice...yea!