This may be an odd one. I have a 1978 bumper pull travel trailer that I park in my driveway. I do not keep food in it, but it is a 1978 trailer, so obviously many meals have been prepared inside it. I live in an area where many people come to camp--at almost 11,000 feet at the base of the Continental Divide in central Colorado. My house is very near the Pike/San Isabel National Forest.I bought my camper a year ago, and last year I had no troubles. However, this year, a bear decided he wanted to check out the inside of my camper--and tore the door off in the process. This happened about 5 days before I was supposed to leave on a week-long camping trip. I got if fixed and went on the trip, but then about 2 months later....he did it again: I can't afford to replace the door several times per year, but I also can't really afford off-site storage. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to dissuade a bear from trying to enter an unoccupied camper?

Try keeping a bowl of bleach outside and inside the door. Used coffee grounds around the camper.

Leave the door unlocked....:W....Dennis

I've seen wilderness cabins where the doormat is a sheet of plywood with dozens of nails sticking up.

Have you contacted fish and game? It sounds like you might have a problem bear which could cause a lot more problems then tearing up your camper. Other then that a well place bit of lead will take care of the problem.

Any ideas for keeping bears out? | Good Sam Community

58 Replies

WyoTraveler
Explorer
Nov 30, 2014
Check with Fish & Game. In WY they will trap a bear and move it to another location.
Tvov
Explorer II
Nov 30, 2014
JaxDad wrote:
You may well have had a bear in your trailer, but I assure you, that door was not opened by a bear. That door was opened by two-legged wildlife.

Bears are good at getting into things, but not very neat about it. There'd by claw and bite marks all over that door and the area around it if it was a bears handiwork.

I was wondering about that. Most bear damage I've seen has very obvious claw marks. Except... if your particular bear has learned how to just hook a claw into the lower corner of the door to pry it open - it certainly is possible.

I don't have any advice for keeping a bear out, but have you thought about setting up a "game camera" (or plain old security camera) near the trailer to watch over the area?
JaxDad
Explorer III
Nov 30, 2014
You may well have had a bear in your trailer, but I assure you, that door was not opened by a bear. That door was opened by two-legged wildlife.

Bears are good at getting into things, but not very neat about it. There'd by claw and bite marks all over that door and the area around it if it was a bears handiwork.
WishWeWereCampi
Explorer
Nov 30, 2014
Electric fence?
Muddydogs
Explorer
Nov 30, 2014
Have you contacted fish and game? It sounds like you might have a problem bear which could cause a lot more problems then tearing up your camper. Other then that a well place bit of lead will take care of the problem.
Fizz
Explorer
Nov 30, 2014
I've seen wilderness cabins where the doormat is a sheet of plywood with dozens of nails sticking up.
Executive45
Explorer III
Nov 30, 2014
Leave the door unlocked....:W....Dennis
guidry
Explorer II
Nov 30, 2014
Try keeping a bowl of bleach outside and inside the door. Used coffee grounds around the camper.

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Any ideas for keeping bears out?

58 Replies

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