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Old 03-17-2015, 08:49 PM   #1
126whitetail
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Large Rodents in 2008 Cougar TT

Hello everyone... thanks in advance for reading. Any input is appreciated.

We purchased a new 2008 cougar travel trailer from a dealer about 7 years ago.

We would always remove food from it after every use, however within the first two months we started to get mice in it.
We tried to plug everything we could think of with steel wool, but they kept coming in. To date we have caught easily over 70 mice.

During our most recent trip in Sept. 2014, I noticed a mouse appear on the rear bumper(picture below) then jump up into the TT somehow. Once we got back home we decided to see what we could find, so we removed a wood panel below the stove(see floor plan on reply below), this it what we found... it appears that a large rodent is/was living in there. We are now thinking that the TT is defective in some way? Something seems wrong if a large rodent(much less a mouse) is able to enter?
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Old 03-17-2015, 08:51 PM   #2
126whitetail
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floor plan

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Old 03-18-2015, 02:52 AM   #3
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Interesting post with the pictures and all ......

You can search and read all the various threads as you may have done. Those hose and line CUTOUTS are always cut about 12 billion times TOO BIG.

That is likely how they are getting in. Steel wool and spray foam are your friends.

2 things - gonna keep this short as it's posted elsewhere.

Chase them out with Mothballs - CabinFresh - bounce sheets - whatever your pleasure - (I prefer moth balls to drive them OUT). BUY a TON - USE THEM GENEROUSLY.

Then pretend you are a mouse and search every crevice outside underneath. You say you have done this but it's not complete obviously ..... do it again and again. The hose and electrical lines act as ladders for mice/rats - I bet that is where they are getting in - or storage access doors. The head of a pencil will allows small mice inside.

I also suggest the green bags of poison to determine WHERE they are coming in ..... they will eat through the plastic bags which will produce evidence of them being there.

If I was there I would find the access in 10 minutes - but I have gotten good at it.

Good luck - I feel for you.

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Old 03-18-2015, 04:22 AM   #4
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This works for us

I feel your pain
Over the years we have had trouble with mice as we live in the county. I have found the best thing to do is seal every cut out for pipes and such with spray foam insulation. I put poison under our unit so they will have something to eat before they decide to take up residence inside and that way it keeps them from storing the poison inside your camper. I make sure nothing else can get to the poison like pets, birds, ECT. I also check it for mice every couple of weeks in the winter. I also have found that if you clean everything up really good at the end of the season it seems to help. We also place dryer sheets in our camper over the winter and place moth balls under it. Sometimes no matter what you do you still get one; the main thing is to get rid of them before they get started. One time they got in by chewing around a wire in the bottom of the sink vanity. These methods above have worked for me over the years and we rarely ever have a problem.

I hope this will help you out good luck.
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Old 03-18-2015, 05:04 AM   #5
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Just a side note

It says you live in NM but not where. Be aware that mice (deer) in NM have been know to carry Hantavirus. One or two not so much a big worry but cleaning up after large colonies can be dangerous. Make sure you spray down any infested areas with a good disinfectant before you try to sweep/brush up any of their droppings. The virus in contracted when you inhale it from their droppings so you can also wear a little dust mask (a good safety measure). Good luck in your efforts and be safe.
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Old 03-18-2015, 12:10 PM   #6
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if you have caught 70 already, it could be they are already in there and are breeding faster than you can catch them
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Old 03-18-2015, 03:07 PM   #7
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mice

NOW I remember why I have 3 mean cats!
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Old 03-19-2015, 06:46 PM   #8
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Thank you for all of your help, as far as the mice go each time we catch one in a trap they head to the slide out area(if the trap doesn't kill them right away) so I am assuming that is where some are getting in, but we can't see any places that they can enter via the slide? The other place we have seen mouse droppings in the the OVEN, could that be another entry point?

On a side note I am not sure if it would be safe to use the heating system, since it looks like the rats would have been throughout the "under floor" and the vents run under the floor?
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Old 03-19-2015, 06:50 PM   #9
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One last comment: we have talked to a few other Cougar owners who have never had a mouse problem, that's why I seem to think something may be defective somewhere from the factory? I wouldn't think that something as large as a chipmunk or pack rat would be able to get in the trailer at all.
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Old 03-19-2015, 07:04 PM   #10
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I don't think the Keystone model has anything to do with your rodent problem nor is there any "manufacturer's defect" that would contribute to it. You've no doubt had a thorough look at the underbelly and the interior and have found all sorts of openings. Cutouts for wiring, plumbing, propane lines and ductwork are everywhere - most of which are over-sized and need to be "plugged". The Cougar line is no worse or better than any other model - they all have openings of various sizes.

I think you would be wasting your time trying to contact Keystone with your rodent issues and pursuing a "factory defect" cause. You would, IMO, be better off trying to resolve this problem yourself and follow up on some of the suggestions here on the forum to see if any of them help to reduce or eliminate the problem.

I don't know if you have considered contacting a pest control operator to come out and have a look at your situation but it might be an option if the problem you have seems to be out of control and poses a health hazard to you and your family.
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Old 03-20-2015, 07:36 AM   #11
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Like SCTTW said, chase them out with heavily scented things such as moth balls, dryer sheets, scented soap, etc.... I used heavy scented soap and cheese grated it and spread it around our camper on paper plates and around the outside of the camper on the ground. Never had a problem. If I'm taught correct, you have to get the mouse smell out in order for other mice not to smell it and come in the same entry points. Just what I was told. I was also told not to use any traps that require food since you might be attracting them into the trailer thus furthering your problem.
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Old 03-20-2015, 04:43 PM   #12
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Seems like the under belly limits ones ability to access the floor to plug holes. While also giving the little critters a place to hide. Question is, could the under belly removed?

I have a 2007 Cougar that the under belly goes from frame rail to frame rail.

If you live in the country this is a never ending battle.
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Old 03-21-2015, 02:15 AM   #13
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There is an extensive tech article from someone who pulled theirs down.

I decided against this when I had issues last year. I just made "Anally-sure" there was no where they get into the underbelly from the terrible coraplast-held-in-place-methods. Nothing against Keystone - but they suck at being an anal as I am.

Holes for the water hoses were cut to fit 6 hoses instead of 2. Holes for electrical - same thing. Just use steel wool and spray-foam. I spray-foamed every crack - some places I used heavy duty duct tape as well.

If by chance OP really suspects they are getting in through a slide - not sure what to tell you - the slide goes right into the trailer and since they are setting up camp in the furnace room I guarantee you that's not the entrance spot.

You asked about the stove ..... Electrical entrance might be in behind the stove or gas cut-aways. Once they get in there the electrical tunnels are cut through the cupboards and they can get to the furnace room so yes, it's very possible. do you have drawers beside the stove you can pull out? You will see what I mean.

Are you 100% sure your storage doors are completely sealed? They are usually attached to the furnace room. You don't have a bottom access to the "water-room" do you?

Just keep checking - you will eventually figure it out. Listen to all the advice about cleaning it out with a mask on. Chemicals are your friend - they hate them.
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Old 03-21-2015, 02:36 PM   #14
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Is this the underbelly article you were talking about? http://www.loveyourrv.com/inside-the...we-fifth-wheel

We have the "polar pacakge" on ours; I think that is the black corrugated plastic material?

As you saw in the pictures, the pictures show that the larger rodents got in some insulation, is there a way I can get to that level? I hope they haven't got in the heating system.

Thanks Again
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Old 03-21-2015, 03:30 PM   #15
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The black material you are referring to is coroplast and is "supposed" to help keep the underbelly and its contents - tanks, pipes, etc. - protected from the winter elements and to protect the "underbelly". In a way it is part of the "Polar Package" - essentially an advertising gimmick used by Keystone and others to give the impression that these units can withstand long periods of freezing temperatures and that you will be warm and cozy while camping. For your situation, forget about the Polar Package and try to plug as many openings as you can in the coroplast.

After reading the various posts along with numerous suggestions, what steps have you taken to try to reduce or eliminate the rodent problem? Have you cleaned up their "mess" and placed traps or used any one or more of the suggested deterrents recommended by our members? If so, have you seen any reduction in droppings, etc.???

Please let us know what you have tried so far by giving us an update on what you have done to solve your rodent problem.
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Old 03-23-2015, 02:42 AM   #16
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Festus, they caught over 70 mice so far -

Problem is they can not figure out where they are getting in. I wish I lived closer, I'd go help them out.
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Old 03-23-2015, 06:22 AM   #17
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We know very little about where this Cougar has been stored during the past 8 years, nor do we know what the OP has done (other than use steel wool to plug some holes). Knowing much more about the place it's stored, how long it's been left uninhabited, what has been done to seal the access holes, and if any cleanup/actions to stop the infestation have been taken.

Right now, all we know is that a 2008 Cougar has a rodent infestation and more than 70 have been caught in the past 8 years. We don't even know if the owner has made a thorough inspection of the underside, to include a careful search for any areas where mice could have gnawed their own access through the coroplast and into the trailer.

We just don't know if this RV was parked on the edge of a cornfield and left for 3 or 4 years and "now has issues" or if it's been in a busy storage lot, used every weekend and diligently worked on to try to resolve this problem and nothing seems to be working...

Granted, it's a mess, and an unsavory, nasty one at that, but much more information is needed to make any judgment about what may be the source of entry and what might be possible solutions. Anything at this point would just be a guess as to why it happened over the past 8 years, or how to go about fixing it.

ADDED: The OP stated: "During our most recent trip in Sept. 2014, I noticed a mouse appear on the rear bumper(picture below) then jump up into the TT somehow" but he doesn't say if he found any area where this mouse gained access to the trailer or if he "just saw it on the bumper and then go into the trailer"..... Was the entry hole found? Was it sealed? Are there other entry points nearby?
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Old 03-25-2015, 06:23 PM   #18
126whitetail
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Thanks again for your time.

- We do clean up any messes they make.

-We have tried many rodent repellent products, we have tried to plug any gaps. We use the TT about 2 times a year, it is parked about 30 yards from our house. Due to job schedules we are usually extremely busy.

- We don't live near a cornfield, however we do live in rural NM. (just a side note: if RV companies know that a RV will be in a mouse populated areas ie: campgrounds, etc. why don't they make a better effort to close gaps)

- As you will see in one of the pictures that the larger rodents seem to be under the whole floor, which is to my knowledge inaccessible to clean, except for access areas here and there. Without being able to clean under there we can't eliminate rodent smell completely.

- I'll try to get some more photos posted in a few days.
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Old 03-26-2015, 04:30 AM   #19
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I think what I would do is remove the entire underbelly, surgically and as carefully as I possibly could, so it could be placed back into place. I would do this because I am one of those anal people lol, where I could not stand to have the problem reoccur. That said, I am unsure as to if there is some sort of "sub floor" underneath, or if this essentially gives you access to see any points of entry or search for any nests, etc.

I would do this with the hope that I could be 100% sure they weren't in there, and so I could try and plug all points of entry. Maybe they have a nest under the chloroplast? My only real fear would be if I was unable to find a nest or if they somehow got into the walls? At that point you could only hope to coax them out of the unreachable areas, and I am unsure how you would clean such an area.

Masks would be a definite must for such a job including eye protection.

I just thought of something. I recall when setting up insurance for our trailer that our insurance agent said we were covered if say an animal got inside and tore stuff up or whatever. Not sure if mice would be considered under that same umbrella, but it might be worth an inquiry to your insurance company? Just a thought...
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Old 03-27-2015, 10:44 AM   #20
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After 70 mice, I would probably clean it up as best I could, take it to a dealer and trade it in, then store the new one somewhere else. In town perhaps in a storage facility. I'd be worried about how much bare wiring is exposed due to mice chewing up the insulation around it.
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