Travel Trailer Totaled!
03-22-2012, 02:20 PM
#1
Registered User
Thread Starter
Travel Trailer Totaled!
I loaned my trailer to a friend to take his kids camping... He brought it back clean and they had a great time, so we parked and let it sit for the winter.
We decided to go get it ready for some Mardi Gras fun and when we went in there was Mouse Crap EVERYWHERE! So I got sticky traps and the next morning I had a sticky trap with a tail, some skin and hair on it! Put out another sticky trap and the next morning the trap was destroyed, but still no Mouse. Moved up to the snap traps, 2 to be exact, and the next morning they were snapped and no mouse to be found. Reset the traps and no signs of mouse for a week, so now I'm thinking it's dead somewhere so I begin doing some hard looking, which leads me to the damage!
For 5 months this thing lived on every piece of plastic it could find! No food in the camper at all, but it ate all the plastic and some fabric, etc... I knew the job was too big for me to repair myself when I found all the plumbing damage (looking for water I suppose) that led into the walls and cabinets! At that point I called and filed an insurance claim and brought it to a repair shop!
2 weeks later I get a call and the plumbing is worse than at first thought, and it ate through wiring as well, but when he ate through the plumbing the floor absorbed a lot of it and now there are soft spots in the floor at every location there was plumbing damage. Result? The trailer needs to be sent back to the factory where the entire box must come off, all of the under belly must be removed and the floor replaced. So basically, they need to bring it all the way down to a flat bed frame and start over! The floor replacement parts are estimated at $3500 and the labor to do the job was $9000 and this hasn't even began the quote on wiring, plumbing, cabinetry, and upholstery repairs!
So needless to say, staring at $16-$20k in repairs on a 5.5 year old trailer one little mouse has totaled a travel trailer that otherwise looks to have minor cosmetic damage!
So take notice... don't leave your camper uninspected for an entire winter because you don't know what you'll come back to!
We are sick over here about this!!!
We decided to go get it ready for some Mardi Gras fun and when we went in there was Mouse Crap EVERYWHERE! So I got sticky traps and the next morning I had a sticky trap with a tail, some skin and hair on it! Put out another sticky trap and the next morning the trap was destroyed, but still no Mouse. Moved up to the snap traps, 2 to be exact, and the next morning they were snapped and no mouse to be found. Reset the traps and no signs of mouse for a week, so now I'm thinking it's dead somewhere so I begin doing some hard looking, which leads me to the damage!
For 5 months this thing lived on every piece of plastic it could find! No food in the camper at all, but it ate all the plastic and some fabric, etc... I knew the job was too big for me to repair myself when I found all the plumbing damage (looking for water I suppose) that led into the walls and cabinets! At that point I called and filed an insurance claim and brought it to a repair shop!
2 weeks later I get a call and the plumbing is worse than at first thought, and it ate through wiring as well, but when he ate through the plumbing the floor absorbed a lot of it and now there are soft spots in the floor at every location there was plumbing damage. Result? The trailer needs to be sent back to the factory where the entire box must come off, all of the under belly must be removed and the floor replaced. So basically, they need to bring it all the way down to a flat bed frame and start over! The floor replacement parts are estimated at $3500 and the labor to do the job was $9000 and this hasn't even began the quote on wiring, plumbing, cabinetry, and upholstery repairs!
So needless to say, staring at $16-$20k in repairs on a 5.5 year old trailer one little mouse has totaled a travel trailer that otherwise looks to have minor cosmetic damage!
So take notice... don't leave your camper uninspected for an entire winter because you don't know what you'll come back to!
We are sick over here about this!!!
03-22-2012, 03:51 PM
#4
Registered User
That's crazy.. I just can't understand why the trailer manufacturers use that flexible plastic pipe when they could use PEX pipe. I converted the last trailer to full pex and have done some of the new one although most already was pex.
As for mice I have heard that dryer sheets keep mice away. Have you tried peanut butter in the traps? works great.
As for mice I have heard that dryer sheets keep mice away. Have you tried peanut butter in the traps? works great.
03-22-2012, 07:19 PM
#6
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Make sure you have enough fluid so they have to swim or drown!
03-22-2012, 08:21 PM
#7
Registered User
Thread Starter
I will tell you I don`t use traps , I use a bucket of wind shield washer fluid the winter stuff so I does not freeze . Place the bucket with the fluid in it and place a small board about 3" wide up the side at an angle (ramp). The critter will go for the sweet smell of the fluid and fall in ( they drown ). I get two or three every winter and no mess . Just scoop them out of the bucket and throw away. save bucket and cover till next year . Works great now for 10 plus years. My .02
Make sure you have enough fluid so they have to swim or drown!
Make sure you have enough fluid so they have to swim or drown!
I think I'll put a pool in, then in a few years get a new one...
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03-22-2012, 08:26 PM
#8
Registered User
Thread Starter
That's crazy.. I just can't understand why the trailer manufacturers use that flexible plastic pipe when they could use PEX pipe. I converted the last trailer to full pex and have done some of the new one although most already was pex.
As for mice I have heard that dryer sheets keep mice away. Have you tried peanut butter in the traps? works great.
As for mice I have heard that dryer sheets keep mice away. Have you tried peanut butter in the traps? works great.
It ate completely through it and the water line pulled into the wall and once wet, everything just rotted.
03-22-2012, 08:32 PM
#9
Registered User
WOW is all I can say.
I like the idea of the pail of windshield washer fluid, I'm going to file that for next year. Although we don't seem to get mice, could be it's close to the house and there are lots of neighbor cats around.
I like the idea of the pail of windshield washer fluid, I'm going to file that for next year. Although we don't seem to get mice, could be it's close to the house and there are lots of neighbor cats around.
03-22-2012, 08:34 PM
#10
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Mothballs are a campers best friend..
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk
03-23-2012, 01:12 PM
#11
Registered User
The board and pail trick works with plain water also if you have pets that you want to keep safe in the summer months.
We use it on a friends farms for the last few years with great success.
We use it on a friends farms for the last few years with great success.
03-26-2012, 05:46 AM
#12
Administrator / Severe Concussion Aficionado
Hole E Krap!
I check mine when I was home couple weeks ago. No signs of the mices.
Gonna have to have the wife check it regularly.
I check mine when I was home couple weeks ago. No signs of the mices.
Gonna have to have the wife check it regularly.
03-28-2012, 10:23 PM
#14
Registered User
Wow thats bad. I have always used Dryer sheets and never had any signs of mice and they smell way better than moth *****. I use abought 10 though out the camper around all dores and in all cubords and closets.
