Community Forums

boatnik1 · 12-09-2018, 01:49 PM

Columbus 381fl checked entire under belly for entry points had two squirrels in my electric zappers. they were first in my storage compartments in live traps now they found a way to the inside. They actually brought full size walnuts the size of small tennis balls with them and packed them behind on of our cabinets. Forest river is a joke and I will never buy another. The dealer thought they found the breach after doing thousands of dollars in damage. I found holes between frame and under belly that were about 2.5 inches that I sealed up. The next step is removing the whole plastic under belly which is going to cost around 1500 in labor. I can see mice getting in but squirrels is a different story.

dskyward · 12-09-2018, 02:19 PM

Oh my goodness, squirrels?! Mice I can understand, but squirrels? We’ve had one mouse to date (in NE) and trapped it the next day. On our 2017 377 RLBH North Point, the landing gear and middle stabilizers are like breather nostrils with frame skirts that cover the rig’s front I-beams and either varmint can enter the rig through these openings to access the basement and stairway crawl spaces.

We’ve heard how light has been successful to deter nocturnal creatures and use both red and blue light ropes 24/7 on low illumination. But squirrels are mostly daytime creatures, right? But in the underbelly, it’s pitch dark. So maybe a little of both?Hope you are able to terminate their residence and fix the damage. Keep us informed.

Bob_C · 12-09-2018, 02:21 PM

You'll find the same thing with every RV....Foam works good, along with copper scrub pads...if everything was a tight fit, during travel, things would crack due to all the flexing they do...

Cworthy · 12-09-2018, 04:13 PM

On my fiver, they jumped out of a tree, landing on the roof, and chewed through the plastic cover protecting the refrigerator vent.

Then they crawled down to the space behind the refrigerator, built a nest with the insulation, and destroyed most of the wiring.

Fortunately, my insurance covered the cost of a new refrigerator, but I had to cough up the deductible.

mobilemike · 12-10-2018, 11:59 AM

I can see how you would be upset if you are paying $1500 for 1hr of work to remove the under belly cover. Varmints are a problem with every manufacture. It is not an indicator that yours is a POS.

tuffr2 · 12-10-2018, 01:44 PM

I store my trailer on my friends property. They have a cat, I never had mice in my trailer. Last year I did because they now keep the cat in the house at night. So now I set traps. Watch Mouse Trap Monday on YouTube. The guy post 3 minute videos of lots of different traps.

He showed co2 powered traps to kill rats and squirrels (rats with the long hairy tail).

If you have easy access to your trailer I would try traps.

charliez · 12-10-2018, 01:51 PM

Squirrels need a bigger trap. Live traps area available for cheap at harbor Freight. I have the small and the medium one. Both work well. I've never seen a squirrel get in one. I had a skunk get in the bigger one. And I was able to get him put in the truck and took him down the road without being sprayed.

CountryB · 12-10-2018, 02:07 PM

Squirrels can get into a very small opening. On my father-in-law's car, they went up inside the rear bumper cover and chewed through the rubber seal and the wires where the tail light wires come out of the interior/truck to the light fixtures in the bumper. That opening is probably less then 3 inches round.

They chewed through all the wires to his tail and brake lights. I fixed the wires, sealed up the hole as best I could with tape and expanding foam, but a month later he was back with chewed up wires and no lights again. The expanding foam did not stop them.

Turns out Dad was storing a huge sack of peanuts in the trunk to feed to the birds and squirrels at his Condo. Now he keeps an open bag of moth balls in the truck. I'm not sure which is worse...

Eastham · 12-11-2018, 02:29 AM

Acworth
We must of had the same squirrel. Mine chewed through the plastic just under the screen on the roof fridge vent.He went down behind the fridge and filled it with leaves a fifty five gallon bucket full.He also ate the wires. I pulled the fridge out cleaned the mess up and fixed the wires. I also repaired the plastic and put rabbit cage wire around it and fiber glassed it to the plastic.No insurance but it has worked fine until we sold it.

jacknife · 12-11-2018, 05:23 PM

Best thing l have found outside of a cat is light. Buy a led spot light Yun a cord out get a dawn to dusk timer and the mice rats will stay away. 5 years no mice and l live in the country. Just point at your undercarriage.