Mouse

[TNFLineage]

This is our first trailer with slide-outs and on our third outing, we woke to a mouse in the kitchen area. Has anyone ever had this problem, either in their Solitude or any other RV with slide outs? Grand design is trying to help us figure out how this could happen and they have been very responsive. They said it is impossible to close every gap when you have a slide-out, but I just can't get used to the idea of having traps set all the time - have never heard of this problem and may not have made purchase decision if we knew slide-outs were susceptible to allowing mice to get in. As much as we love our Solitude, I am not as excited for our next outing because of this! Any comments would be greatly appreciated!

 

[el Rojo]

They make a new type of mouse trap where the mouse enters a paper housing. I think there's poison inside to kill the mouse. Anyway you don't touch or see the mouse when its caught. When we had a motor home slide repaired we got a mouse inside at the dealership. This trap got it the first night. I think Grand Design is shooting straight with you about your issue. BTW we don't store food in ours when not in use to keep mice and ants out. When we do leave something it's in the refrig.

 

[TNFLineage]

Thank you for your comments. Grand Design is doing their best to help, they are baffled by it too. We are using the no-view traps in storage but also left the bait pack out, which has now been chewed open, so the traps haven't gotten it yet. We don't ever leave food in it in storage either, but the mouse got in on the 5th night of a camping trip, while we were using it - we are just fearful it will happen again if it happened once. When we take it for winterizing, hopefully the dealer can help us find out where it could have gotten in if we haven't figured it out by then. Grand Design is contacting our dealer as well. If I sounded like I was doubtful of what they have told us, that wasn't what I meant at all - they have always been very responsive and customer focused. We had contact with them about a couple of questions while ours was being built and they couldn't have been easier to work with.

 

[Renee]

So far no mice in our Solitude.

Previously, we owned a Keystone Passport and we did have problems with mice. I would put out the boxes of green pellet poison stuff, which would rid the camper of the rodents, but not before the little rascals would carry the pellets all over the place in my camper. You would be surprised where they would stick the stuff. And I have to admit finding the dead mice was not a pleasant task. Thank goodness they either left the camper to die or expired where they were easily disposed of, and not in the walls or hard to reach places.

I would also have to make sure I put all of our paper products like tissue, paper towels, toilet paper, cotton balls, etc out of their reach. They can literally tear up rolls and rolls of stuff making nests.

I finally tried out an ultrasonic devices, and I think it actually works. It seemed to end the problem for the Passport, and (crosses fingers) no mice in the Solitude.

Renee

 

[TNFLineage]

Update, although it may not have anything to do with a mouse getting in. On our last camping trip we noticed daylight in the air return under the step. Being a cold air return this area should be sealed. I went outside and wife stayed in. I kept moving my hand until she said the area shaded. There was no foam sealant where the under-carriage cover met the side wall. This is just right of the exterior steps. I checked the opposite side of the steps and found it was foam sealed properly. This was our last camping trip this year and took it to the dealership for winterizing. I also showed them the area where daylight was entering and they sealed it. If Grand Design is monitoring this site, they might want to take note of this.

 

[Bill Fenech]

Will do!

Thanks,

Bill

 

[marmidor]

There was someone else who had the same issue several months back. Dont recall if I saw it here on on Grand Designs FB page. I agree, its rather disturbing and if I get a mouse in mine, the fun will be over for me.

 

[TNFLineage]

Update on the mice problem - dealership fixed the daylight in the air return under the step when we took camper for winterizing last fall, put camper away in storage but put out numerous traps. Checked the traps multiple times before winter set it and found nothing. Very hard winter here in Michigan - which has nothing to do with it really. This past weekend (first weekend of April) we went to the storage yard to check out the trailer and see if it looks like there are any issues (water spots on ceiling, etc.). Found no issues, EXCEPT... mice! 2 out of 5 traps had dead mice, no odor so dead a little while, but still had fur so not that long either. Mouse poop all around entry area - couldn't check out drawers, etc. because slides are in. We are soooo disappointed. Usually this time of year, we are itching real bad to get the trailer out and go camping for the first time, but I don't even want to go now. Can't imagine what we will find in drawers, towels, etc. Hopefully, no nests with infants. We are taking a tour of Grand Design in Middlebury on 4/29 on our way to our first ever 2 week camping trip (that should be a very exciting time, but not so much now). We will see if they can shed any light on the problem, but we are very curious if anyone else is having a problem. We have now had mice get in when the trailer was in two different locations, and in between these instances, an area that seemed to be open has been caulked up, so what now? I want my old $10,000 Jayco back - never had a mouse in there. Now, I have to get used to living with mice after spending all this money on a luxury RV??

 

[dloase]

This is my third big trailer. I have only have mice problems in one unit and so far not in my solitude. I don't remember the exact size, but a mouse doesn't need much room to get it to a place. If it was a hard winter, then the mice were certainly looking for anyplace to hide. Ultrasonic devices do seem to work to keep them clear of the unit however.