Camper Storage

[jeepit]

It's almost time to store my slide in camper for the winter. I have 3 options and wish to have comments from the more expeienced members. I live in Wisconsin and winters cab be nasty...

Option 1. Leave outside with polypropelene cover over it or no cover. This is the easiest least expense option.

Option 2. Put in barn with polypropelene cover over it. Not sure it will even fit in barn and there is a mice issue. What do you use to keep mice out of camper? Should I bother with a cover? Do mice just make a nest under cover?

Option 3. Heated storage. It's nice but will cost $45 year per month year round whether I use the space or not. Camper is not readily accessible for use if I would need it.

Your thoughts...

 

[Grizzly]

I'd put it in the barn even if you have to make the door larger to make it fit. If the barn is water tight, I wouldn't put any cover over it as that will cause a mice infestation. Keep plenty of mice bate all around the camper and some inside as well. Put one inside the fridge outside access door and water heater door. Keep your fridge roof vent sealed.

I have a trailer port attached to my barn, which is enclosed on three sides. My RV before my 98 Lance was a 88 HR Alumilite, which I bought new. When not in use, it was always kept in the trailer port, as my Lance is today, and when I sold it 10 years later, it still looked brand new. You have a lot more rain then we do, but we have a lot more sun and both can be harsh on a RV. Good luck.

 

[Todd T]

I keep mine in our barn and just prepare it to help keep mice out. What I do is wrap the tires in aluminum flashing (they cant climb it) then I keep all the chains up off the ground and slip a round colar of aluminum over the power cable so they cant climb it either. also put out bait outside the camper.



never saw any evidence of mice in the camper from doing this last year.

 

[jeepit]

Grizz, What did you wrap the fridge vent with??

 

[Grizzly]

Grizz, What did you wrap the fridge vent with??

I placed a small trap over it and tied it down.

 

[jeepit]

I think one adantage I do have with the mice is the camper just stands on 4 jacks which may make it a little more difficult for them to get in. Although I know they can climb them... I was thinking about putting some kind of metal shield like an inverted bowl on the jack stands to aid this situation...

 

[Grizzly]

I think one adantage I do have with the mice is the camper just stands on 4 jacks which may make it a little more difficult for them to get in. Although I know they can climb them... I was thinking about putting some kind of metal shield like an inverted bowl on the jack stands to aid this situation...

That will work or get a ton of mice poison and get rid of the pests.

 

[Todd T]

I was thinking about putting some kind of metal shield like an inverted bowl on the jack stands to aid this situation...

That is what I use the aluminum flashing for. It's too slick for them to climb and too tall for them to jump over.

 

[Mr.Goat]

I leave mine outside with two poly tarps over it. I block it up so that one corner is much lower than the others so she drains well. We get lots of snow here and I don't shovel it off. Have had no problems with this method in the last 10 yrs. Never had a mouse in the place which is surprises me as I live in the bush and we have lots of the little fella's. (I'am being kind in my mouse descriptions as the appropriate language is not allowed) I think they have a problem climbing the metal jack poles. Besides it is much easier to go into my barn and eat the wiring out of my out board motor and lawn tractors and then use my gas BBQ as an out house so I have to replace the ceramic bricks.

Anyways that is my method and it works for me.

 

[Trophy1]

Winter storage

We put ours in a barn and just put a tarp over it to keep the bird dung off it and then we put moth balls in all the basement storage areas. Don't cheap out put in plenty and a few in the coach itself. they air out nicely in the spring with no residual odor. WE have not had any mice problems doing this. We also put out rodent bait on the floor near the fifth but not in it as we don't want to attract them varmits to the unit at all. I repeat we do not have a rodent problem of any kind in the spring and the unit is also free of bird dung! Oo.

 

[CFoskett]

My last trailer (bought new) was kept in an open graveled storage lot near a wooded area for 3 years. The 1st year no cover and lots of problems with mice. The 2nd year no cover and no mice... used steel wool around all of the small holes/vents I thought mice could enter and used lots of mice bait. It seems they don't like to nest with the s. wool!! The 3rd year had to replace the entire back wall due to dry rot, still no mice. I was very diligent in keeping up with the seals using RV silicone and roof sealant. But as most of us know almost every RV will leak at some point in its life. Moral of the storey... keep it covered when not in use. A barn with mice still better than outdoors, as long as you can mouse-proof it!! Food for thought, pardon the expression :-laf

 

[Jack in Alaska]

Don't cover it with a plastic tarp. It will cause condensation inside the rig and eventually rot. Use a "breathable" type tarp if you use any. I don't cover mine in Alaska. Keep a few windows slightly open to allow air to circulate though it.

Good luck in keeping mice out. We have weasles(ermine) that get into ours. That DECON stuff works well to kill them.