jackie
Houston, Texas
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Joined: 10/01/2001
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I made a post last week about my air conditioning not coming on. I finally had to take it over to Channel View Supply, and they found the problem. RATS have gotten into the Coach and ate some of the wiring. They also chewed up some of the duct work. Gosh knows what else!! My extended warranty company is going to love this.
In the future, I guess I need to find a way to keep them out. We try not to keep food in the coach, but anything will attract them. I want to avoid poison, as I don't need a dead rat in the wall. Any body got any ideas??
jackie & marilyn schmidt
2000 38' Monaco Diplomat ISC 330
2004 Saturn Vue in tow
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sch911
Rochester Hills, MI
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Joined: 04/13/2003
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Quote:I made a post last week about my air conditioning not coming on. I finally had to take it over to Channel View Supply, and they found the problem. RATS have gotten into the Coach and ate some of the wiring. They also chewed up some of the duct work. Gosh knows what else!! My extended warranty company is going to love this.
In the future, I guess I need to find a way to keep them out. We try not to keep food in the coach, but anything will attract them. I want to avoid poison, as I don't need a dead rat in the wall. Any body got any ideas??
jackie & marilyn schmidt
2000 38' Monaco Diplomat ISC 330
2004 Saturn Vue in tow
Although I haven't used them, many others swear by the plug in ultrasonic noise emmiters to keep critters out.
Are you sure they were rats? Perhaps some other type of rodentia?
Test & System Engineer (Thermal Systems incl. towing, Detroit 3)
2003 Damon Challenger 348 Class A - F53 Triton V10
Posted by Macintosh
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jackie
Houston, Texas
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Definetlly rats. We found quite a few droppings. Also found under the sofa where they ate some carpet.
My extended warranty, The Choice, said I WAS NOT COVERED for this kind of damage. I am going to contact my insurance carrier, maybe this would be covered, but I doubt it. I know my home owners would not cover termite damage in our house........jackie
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W7APD
Keizer, OR, USA
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Joined: 08/02/2004
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Some folks seem to manage to seal every possible opening in the bottom of their RVs, and keep the critters out. If that isn't feasible, your options are pretty straigtforward:
- Make them want to stay out (ultrasonic thingies.)
- Trap them with live traps and let them go so they can come back or infest someone else's property
- Kill them with poison (understand your aversion to stinky dead rats)
- Kill them with traps
I guess you could keep a fulltime watch cat in the RV, but you'll need to supplement its diet after it gets the problem under control.
My vote is for traps, the kind that make the critters become dead. I find that I have the best success with peanut butter as the bait; they can't resist it plus it sticks to the bait holder so they can't just grab it and run away. The obvious downside to traps is that you have to monitor them every day at first, every few days to a week when the numbers decline.
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CajunAndEnglishman
Ready to Roam, LA
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Joined: 01/04/2005
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My brother discovered "rodentia" in his stick house. He did not want to use poison or glue traps, either. (IMHO Glue traps are just plain cruel). He would take paper bags (lunch size or a bit bigger), bait the trap and put it in the bag. When he would hear the "snap" all he had to do was pick up the bag, and not the yucky rat/mouse.
Keeping them out? Cover everything...Stuff steel wool in every crevice you can find. They are obviously climbing up the tires to get in, (Unless these are jumping rats LOL)...so you might want to concentrate your efforts around plugging up entryways by the wheels. They will not chew through steel wool.
If they're in your walls already...drill a hole or two and fog them. Yes, you will have dead rats in your walls from that, but you can also pump in some poison that will make them come out looking desperately for water. MAKE SURE THEY DON'T FIND ANY.
And....get a big ol' cat! (grin).
Gina (The Cajun)
1987 Georgie Boy Encounter 36 feet,
that I am in love with! Warts and all!
1989 Chevy Astro LT (camper van) toad.
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jcamp
Shreveport, Louisiana USA
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Joined: 07/18/2004
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Well glad I am not the only one. Traps are the best. Get to see the size and kind. We have ole field rats. Big uns. Caught 4 or 5.
Jim
 - Beautiful wife of 42 yrs
 - 04 DSDP - Quad slide
 - (Cat 330)(FL Chasis)(Allison Tranny 6)
 - 98 Chevy Silverado (cause I like it)
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jackie
Houston, Texas
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Well, I got the final "autopsy" from the RV dealer on the Rat damage. 4 wires chewed through, all in the attic. All were 12 volt. Also, it is apparent that they chewed a couple of holes in the duct work.
That might not sound like much, but the holes in the duct work will compromise my air conditioning. The only way to get to it is either remove the ceiling, or remove the roof, which is aluminum.
I have no way of knowing if any 110 volt wires were damaged. Everything is working. If a 110 wire is chewed into, that could be a fire hazzard if it ever lets go. But I have no way of knowing unless I just start pulling wires..
I noticed that I did not get much responce on this post. Just hope you don't have this problem. The estimate for removing the roof and installing new duct work is about $10,000......jackie
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Doin'it
Hutchinson, Kansas
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Joined: 06/29/2004
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Jackie, here's my response - "OH MY GOSH!!"
I'm sorry!!
Ann
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Lynne Leathers
Maine
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Joined: 07/04/2002
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I have heard that some people throw mothballs around the motorhome to keep them out. You can also put them inside the RV if you don't mind the smell for a few weeks after they are removed. I also read somewhere that if you use mint, it will also keep them away. My mothers vehicle had been in storage and the mice got into the trunk and made an awful mess, so I had grown spearmint and peppermint plants that summer and I simply cut a bunch of it and threw it into the trunk and they never came back.
2000 Rexhall RoseAir 36' w/2 Slides
Master Tow Dolly
1998 Plymouth Voyager Minivan Toad
Lynne, Robert & Lily (our very spoiled poodle)
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Fogs
St. Louis, MO, USA
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Joined: 11/23/2003
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Jackie,
What did the insurance company say?
Would it not be covered by your comphrensive coverage?
Fogs
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