Keeping Mice Out

[CarnationSailor]

Been working on sealing up any openings in the underside of the trailer that mice could use to get in. I've sealed up numerous gaps between the frame and the coroplast panel. I still have two openings in the I-beams where I'm fairly sure that mice have been getting in and I need ideas for preventing entry.

The left and right side I-beams each have one oval hole (about 3" x 1.5") where the slide-out's hydraulic actuator rod passes thru. I've been plugging up the gap with steel wool wrapped in a dryer sheet each time we put the slides out and whenever I put the unit in storage. This works, but I'm getting tired of the procedure and am looking for a permanent solution.

I've been thinking of a boot-like cover that, at one end, would attach around the hole with velcro, and have a hole in the center of the other end for the rod to pass thru. Maybe made out of rubber or leather.

I can't use a rigid plate with a hole in it because the rod's position relative to the sides of the hole is different when the slide is in compared to when it is out. (The rod needs to be able to move up/down and left/right in the opening as the slide is actuated.)

I've spoken with Crossroads as well as Lippert, but they had no ideas. I thought that maybe a higher-end trailer might come with an appropriate cover for the opening, but apparently not so.

Has anyone come up with a solution to this problem?

[Campinfan]

What about caulking some hardware cloth around the holes? I am going to get some and cut it in two, make a spot for the rod in each one and then caulk them in place and maybe use some wire ties to hold them together.

[TechWriter]

Try CAB.

[waterboy502000]

Harbor Freight has a solar rope light (9.95 w/cupon)that you can that keeps them out. Use them under the hood and all of my peach trees. Works for me.

[westend]

solderbitt1 wrote:
I had the mouse problem two years ago with my 2014 Rockwood. Imagine my chagrin when I got under the trailer and found numerous mouse entry holes. After sealing up the most obvious holes and still getting mice in the trailer, I decided to do something with the slide out driveshaft hole. The hole for mine was about the same as the "before" photo Carnation Sailor put in his posting.
I ended up cutting up a five quart oil jug and using the flattest part of the plastic jug to make a cover. I used a spade drill bit to cut a somewhat oversized hole in the plastic, cut the plastic into a rectangle that would fit up against the trailer frame and made a final cut from the round hole to one edge of the plastic. That last cut allows you to slip the plastic piece onto the drive shaft.
Once I determined my plastic cover was the size I wanted, I thoroughly cleaned the frame around the hole, applied silicone adhesive to the frame around the hole and glued my plastic cover in place.
So far so good - it's still in place. The hole in the plastic cover is large enough to allow for the movement of the slide out drive shaft but tight enough to keep out the critters.

Punch your man-card for 1. Problem solving 2. Efficiency--Using materials at no/little cost 3. craftsmanship--cutting of plastic jug to fit correctly. You can attain additional credit if the plastic jug matches the color of the frame, the color of the trailer, or the color of the Missus' eyes.

[Acdii]

Wile I haven't had issues with the trailer, I did get them in my house. I live out in the country surrounded by fields, and those buggers found a way in and embedded themselves in the wall between the kitche and den. I tried glue traps, peppermint oil, made the house smell nice, but did nothing to deter them. I finally discovered electronic mouse traps. They have 4 AA batteries, and a lid. You open the lid and there is a pathway to two metal plates and a bait area. I put some peanut butter in, closed the lid and set it where I saw a habit trail. About 90 minutes later I hear a Buzz, thump. Caught one, instant kill. Dumped it out, 10 minutes later, got another one. By the end of the night it looked like Mouseaggedon in my trash compactor. All told in a weeks time the traps got 23 mice, and haven't seen one since. It was a Mousacre.

Get one if you have mice in there, set it up where you suspect they travel and put some peanut butter in, and check it every so often. Kills them instantly, they have no idea what happens, just ZAP!

[solderbitt1]

I had the mouse problem two years ago with my 2014 Rockwood. Imagine my chagrin when I got under the trailer and found numerous mouse entry holes. After sealing up the most obvious holes and still getting mice in the trailer, I decided to do something with the slide out driveshaft hole. The hole for mine was about the same as the "before" photo Carnation Sailor put in his posting.
I ended up cutting up a five quart oil jug and using the flattest part of the plastic jug to make a cover. I used a spade drill bit to cut a somewhat oversized hole in the plastic, cut the plastic into a rectangle that would fit up against the trailer frame and made a final cut from the round hole to one edge of the plastic. That last cut allows you to slip the plastic piece onto the drive shaft.
Once I determined my plastic cover was the size I wanted, I thoroughly cleaned the frame around the hole, applied silicone adhesive to the frame around the hole and glued my plastic cover in place.
So far so good - it's still in place. The hole in the plastic cover is large enough to allow for the movement of the slide out drive shaft but tight enough to keep out the critters.

[drsteve]

CV joint boot repair kit, maybe? They are already split.

https://www.amazon.com/Automotive-Replacement-Constant-Velocity-Boot-Kits/b?ie=UTF8&node=15724231


Or a shock boot?

https://www.oreillyauto.com/shop/b/suspension---steering-16778/shocks-struts-16482/shock-boots---uni...

[ctilsie242]

Looks good, and definitely will keep the vermin out of that opening. I've been looking at the rodent resistant spray foam coupled with stainless steel wool, as well as a few layers of stainless steel screening.

[CarnationSailor]

Thanks for the ideas for blocking the openings. I made my blocks out of 3/8-inch plexiglass which I had left over from another project. The blocking element is made of two pieces screwed together, and a "T"-shaped piece holds the block against the I-beam and allows it to float up/down and left/right. Time will tell if I allowed enough room for movement.

The plexiglass pieces were epoxied together. The screws are stainless steel and I tapped threads in the plexiglass to accept the screws. (The extra horizontal piece glued at the top serves no purpose. I can't remember why I thought it was needed 6 months ago. I made the first block last fall, but didn't install it until now.)

Pictures show "before" and "after".

[sher9570]

mowermech wrote:
We got some spice packet repellent to put in the motorhome over the winter.
I don't remember the name, but I think they came from Ace Hardware.
They have worked for two winters, now, being renewed every year.
It is about time to go get new ones again...

We got something from Lowe's similar to yours, I think it was peppermint based, this time of year we start getting them even though we have tried to plug every where...
we still put the traps with cheese under the sink but we haven't had even one since using the peppermint.

Sher

[Lenny_K]

CarnationSailor wrote:

The left and right side I-beams each have one oval hole (about 3" x 1.5") where the slide-out's hydraulic actuator rod passes thru. I've been plugging up the gap with steel wool wrapped in a dryer sheet each time we put the slides out and whenever I put the unit in storage. This works, but I'm getting tired of the procedure and am looking for a permanent solution.

I've been thinking of a boot-like cover that, at one end, would attach around the hole with velcro, and have a hole in the center of the other end for the rod to pass thru. Maybe made out of rubber or leather.

I used the rubber seals that go on your slides. First I cut a length of the seal to about 6 inches and then cut a half circle on the middle edge of the seal the size of the rod. Then repeated this process for another piece. The seals have adhesive on the edge so I stuck them on each side of the rod and the rod can easily slide through the circle.
They've been on now for three years now and I've had no uninvited guests.

[mowermech]

We got some spice packet repellent to put in the motorhome over the winter.
I don't remember the name, but I think they came from Ace Hardware.
They have worked for two winters, now, being renewed every year.
It is about time to go get new ones again...

[TyroneandGladys]

Stuff any holes with steel wool. Mice and Rats can not chew through it. Growing up we used it in granaries to keep them out. If it can keep them our a granary it can keep them out of anything.

[stevennlv]

Dried snake feces if you can find it.

I've heard it's a popular repellent overseas. I have no idea where you can get it here. My ex grew up with a guy who is a herpetologist. He has a big snake farm breeding for zoos. He actually, *literally*, lives in the middle of a corn field. He collects the droppings from his farm, dries them and sprinkles it around his foundation. He swears by the stuff and says that he has never had one mouse.