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  1. #1
    Left The Driveway
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    Mice infested first winter of storage

    We bought our 2022 Imagine 2970RL travel trailer last July 2021. Used it twice and then time to store. Spray foamed every nook and cranny underneath the rig. Had slide outs in when this was done. We have had campers travel trailers with wheels you name it for years and years and never had any mice issues. We always make sure we spray foam everything so nothing can get in. Opened up travel trailer to get ready for memorial day holiday and found it was infested with mice. Brand new trailer my heart broke. Mice poop pee everywhere. There was no food left in this camper and it was left sparkling clean. They brought their own food in pine nut shells everywhere. Had To throw the mattress away and spent a week of heavy and deep cleaning. Looking for where they got in. We noticed when the slide outs were out we could see daylight in each corner. There were holes that you could see daylight out of in the slides. Called Grand design and they said that’s how they make it so that water can escape if it happens to get behind the rubber seal on the slide out. I said well what about the mice that got in my trailer and completely destroyed it over the winter. She said she would send me some plugs for those holes but then we may end up with water in our fifth wheel. So I guess my choice is mice or water lol. We’re still trying to find a way to plug those holes. Can’t use spray foam because it’s a moving part. The mice actually chewed some of the rubber seal to make a bigger hole so they could get in easier. Any suggestions from anyone who has experience this would be so appreciated.

  2. #2
    Big Traveler
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    Many use steel wool in those slide holes. Do a search on steel wool and the threads should pop up. Good luck!

    BTW, we notice the first place they like to go in our trailer is the pass-through by the Nautilus hook up area. We always set traps there to catch them before they go further. Also we use Irish Spring soap bars in cheap plastic soap dishes where we drilled holes into to let the smell out. We then strategically place them in around the trailer like behind the toilet, under the hutch, on the pantry floor, under the sink, and lastly in the pass-thru area. Get one or two mice every now and then, but been successfull keeping them at bay.
    Jim and Annette
    2019 Reflection 150 295RL
    US Army Veteran
    Missouri (AKA Misery)

  3. #3
    Left The Driveway
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    Thank you for taking the time to post to this thread. We have heard about the steel wool and have used it in many areas as well as spray foam. We will definitely be using some stainless steel steel wool in those problem areas of the slide out. I just don’t understand why they would design it that way it really needs a better design. Disappointed because we really researched before we bought this unit thinking it was superior to some and finding that’s not the case. When you spend $50,000 you shouldn’t have to use steel wool to plug holes in a slide out because of that design issue. Lol thanks again I really appreciate it

  4. #4
    Site Team Ynot4me2's Avatar
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    We're out in the country so mice are a living fact for us. We filled the slide holes with steel wool, made sure that the underbelly didn't have any expose holes and put bounce dryer sheets every where they'd be interested in. So far so good.

    Sent from my SM-P610 using Tapatalk
    Steph & Lise
    2019 F150 Lariat 2.7 EB
    2020 Imagine XLS 22MLE

  5. #5
    Long Hauler
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    Quote Originally Posted by flourhair View Post
    We bought our 2022 Imagine 2970RL travel trailer last July 2021. Used it twice and then time to store. Spray foamed every nook and cranny underneath the rig. Had slide outs in when this was done. We have had campers travel trailers with wheels you name it for years and years and never had any mice issues. We always make sure we spray foam everything so nothing can get in. Opened up travel trailer to get ready for memorial day holiday and found it was infested with mice. Brand new trailer my heart broke. Mice poop pee everywhere. There was no food left in this camper and it was left sparkling clean. They brought their own food in pine nut shells everywhere. Had To throw the mattress away and spent a week of heavy and deep cleaning. Looking for where they got in. We noticed when the slide outs were out we could see daylight in each corner. There were holes that you could see daylight out of in the slides. Called Grand design and they said that’s how they make it so that water can escape if it happens to get behind the rubber seal on the slide out. I said well what about the mice that got in my trailer and completely destroyed it over the winter. She said she would send me some plugs for those holes but then we may end up with water in our fifth wheel. So I guess my choice is mice or water lol. We’re still trying to find a way to plug those holes. Can’t use spray foam because it’s a moving part. The mice actually chewed some of the rubber seal to make a bigger hole so they could get in easier. Any suggestions from anyone who has experience this would be so appreciated.
    I use Mouse Free and Moen's Mouse Mix. Both use peppermint oil extract to keep the critters away. You need an air compressor to spray the Mouse Free, and coat the undercarriage, and the Moen's Mouse Mix you put into the include baggies and set them out in "strategic" spots, like the basement and around the tires and landing gear. Mice and rats don't like the peppermint oil because it interfere with their sense of smell so they can't smell a predator approaching.

    It's been a good investment for preventative maintenance for me.

    I also have a small spray bottle of peppermint oil that I spray outside at the slide water drains. As of yet, no nice.

    EDIT: no nice should be no mice!
    Last edited by MoonShadow_1911; 05-21-2022 at 07:54 AM.
    Mark & Mary. Full-timing across the USA (and Canada)!
    Current Coach: 2021 Grand Design Reflection 320MKS
    Current Rig: 2019 Ford F350 SD Crew Cab, w/8' box, Lariat, SRW, 6.7l Diesel

  6. #6
    Site Team Soundsailor's Avatar
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    Yes, mice can be one of the banes of an RV owner's life. We've had battles with them over the years. As stated, plugging holes with steel wool works. For us, peppermint oil has worked the best, as have other non-toxic repellants. Also, parking where mice can't drop onto your rig from nearby trees is good.
    Stephen and Judy
    2022 Reflection 150 Series 260RD (Stella)
    2017 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD (Blue)
    Traded - 2018 Forest River Rockwood Minilite 2104S

  7. #7
    Site Sponsor
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    Ordinary steel wool can rust over time, especially in areas of high humidity. I switched to copper wool that lasts much longer. Its available on Amazon.
    John & Cindy
    2019 Reflection 303 RLS
    2018 Ford F250 6.7 PSD

  8. #8
    Rolling Along
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    I’ve used everything from Mouse Free, Moen’s, Sniff N Stop, copper mesh, Xcluder, dryer sheets, Irish Spring, Fresh Cab, pond and stone spray foam, spray foam infused with cayenne pepper, you name it.

    In my experience:

    - The physical barrrier is the only thing that works consistently, and even then, it’s nearly impossible to find every possible access point or seal them if a moving part, e.g. slide ram openings. I like the copper mesh and Xcluder best. Rats have removed stainless steel wool to gain access.
    - Mouse Free seems to help but not 100%. Plus, we live down 3 miles of a country gravel road and the dust sticks to the Mouse Free coating and makes a mess. If you get under the trailer to service something after spraying, you (meaning, “I”) get covered in Mouse Free. It doesn’t like to come out of your (meaning, “my”) hair. But at least you smell like a candy cane.
    - Don’t bait and use repellants at the same time. The bait is just an open invitation. I’ve used uncented/unbaited glue boards instead of baited traps. If you do use traps, peanut butter in the T-Rex traps works well. Just make sure a trapped but not dead mouse can’t drag the trap off to somewhere you can’t access. Ask me how I know.
    - One of the best traps I’ve used outside of the camper, placed at least 20’ away, is a trap door or plank trap on a 5-gallon bucket filled with a few inches of water. It catches mice. Rats have escaped from it though.
    - Rats and Mice apparently like the taste of Irish Spring since I find teeth marks in the bars of soap.
    - Rats and mice pay no attention to Moen’s. In fact, I’ve found the little baggies of freshly prepared mouse mix in their nests.
    - Same with Sniff-N-Stop.
    - Same with dryer sheets.
    - Same with Fresh Cab. I’ve found droppings on the sachet just a couple of days after placing a new one!
    - I did use the Sniff- N-Stop repellant under carriage paint around the slide ram openings. I don’t know if it worked or not. Wish I could figure out a way to use Xcluder in the frame openings for the slide rams.
    - I’ve also used some highly rated, but horrible smelling granules (picked up at Costco) that I poured on the ground to encircle the camper. Watered them in. Supposed to repel everything from dogs, raccoons, squirrels, rodents, other people, etc. Our dogs would lay on top of it.
    - ultrasonic pest repellers don’t work for us. Tried everything from the multi unit pack for $20 to a $100 unit. I think the devices worked more like a mirror ball to invite more rodents to the party. Rats chewed through the cord of one of the units while on super repel mode or whatever the setting was.

    Bottom line is that it’s a never ending war and apparently I’m willing to try just about anything if it has a 1-star rating or above on Amazon.
    2022 Solitude 378MBS-R
    2021 Ford F450 CC Lariat Ultimate FX4
    1966 Shasta Astroflyte (1 year restoration project that is going on year 6)

  9. #9
    Commercial Member huntr70's Avatar
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    Only thing that I have found to work consistently is peppermint oil.

    I buy it by the quart from Amazon and soak cotton balls when putting the trailer away for winter. Strategically placed (everywhere). Knock on wood, no mice since doing this several years ago.

    Bonus of having a minty fresh trailer every spring when opening back up.
    Steve- Inventory Manager at Tom Schaeffer's RV, Shoemakersville, PA www.tomschaeffers.com
    [email protected]
    2011 RAM 3500 SRW Outdoorsman Edition 4X4, 6.7 Cummins--TWEAKED!
    2021 Reflection 310RLS

  10. #10
    Long Hauler
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    Quote Originally Posted by huntr70 View Post
    Only thing that I have found to work consistently is peppermint oil.

    I buy it by the quart from Amazon and soak cotton balls when putting the trailer away for winter. Strategically placed (everywhere). Knock on wood, no mice since doing this several years ago.

    Bonus of having a minty fresh trailer every spring when opening back up.
    Do you have the link to the quart? I can only find the little bottles.
    Mark & Mary. Full-timing across the USA (and Canada)!
    Current Coach: 2021 Grand Design Reflection 320MKS
    Current Rig: 2019 Ford F350 SD Crew Cab, w/8' box, Lariat, SRW, 6.7l Diesel

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