But it seemed so small...

[DirkWill]

Thought I'd pass this story along... I was camping in some desert area for a couple days and one night heard what I assumed was a mouse in the camper. It was annoying, I heard the sound change, turned on flash light and saw the little field mouse running all around my camper, doing amazing acrobatics and showing no fear. I went to sleep, figuring I'd deal with it next morning, thinking it's only one mouse, I think we could share get along another night or two as long as he didn't invite relatives... Next night noise repeated, I threw shoes etc till I ran out of ammo. Next morning I lit my stove for coffee and there was practically an explosion! Flame came out of the second burner to about eye level. I slammed the cover on, but that did not extinguish the fire. I grabbed the fire extinguisher and was prepared to blast away, but opened the cover to check the flame. It had subsided, but was still smoldering inside. I took a deep breath to give a blast to blow it out...then thought that it wasn't probably a good idea...(!!). Lots of smoke, still a glow of smoldering. I got the fan going, opened doors, got screwdriver and took the top off of the stove. My little mouse friend had a full blown nest going under the stove lid, made entirely of toilet tissue torn into small stripes. A touch of flame set it off with a bang! I couldn't believe it!

Although I am not Buddhist, I do have some leaning in that direction, however! I trapped the sucker without too much guilt. OK, none at all. SO!! Word to the wise...those little bastards can make a heck of a problem! I envisioned my Bobcat going up in smoke!

 

[MarkBC]

Cool story -- with a a lesson.
It wouldn't surprise me if critters set up house when my camper was dormant for a long time...but to happen in just a night or two...

 

[alano]

Yikes!

At first, I thought you had the start of nice children's book about how you and your mouse buddy Wandered the West. Now I'm thinking it's more of a cookbook.

Glad you and the camper are safe. The mouse too.

Alan

 

[klahanie]

Great story ! No coffee needed after that

Did you have a mouse trap with you (prob a good idea) or did you rig something up as seen on Survivor Man or the like ?

 

[PackRat]

Maybe just one more thing to add to the Spring Maintenance List.....
# 14 - Open all drawers and doors and put your cat in the camper to see if there is any interest in hunting down some adversary. While you are at it, look behind/under the drawers and check behind your gear in the cupboards.

#15 - If you don't own a cat, try to borrow the neighbors' cat and after completing the first steps in #14 the night before, place said feline in the camper to see if there is any interest in hunting down mice.

By the way, it is a good idea to check all through-wall openings for things like propane or water hoses or electrical cables to see if the opening was made large enough for a fitting at the end of them which now leaves a quarter or 50ct sized HOLE where the mice may squeeze by that line to set up housekeeping.

Check where the seals are for the upper/lower sections of your camper are (the Pirelli seals for the Alaskan) and where insulation at the door jambs may have deteriorated or...been eaten through by Serious Mice. Expanding foam will not only plug up the access points, but seal up your camper against drafts, help prevent dust & dirt from entering when you are on those kinds of roads and help hold in the heat and keep things like mice and wasps/yellowjackets/mud-daubers from trying to move in.

Remember that mothballs are for...well MOTHS, not, MICE. Maybe one of the ultrasonic and electromagnetic devices like "PestBye" would work in the off season but you need AC power for it. I guess if you planned on having a 100 watt lightbulb burning 24/7 in there to combat humidity, you could run them both.

Or I guess you could keep a BB gun by your bunk at night and if you turned on you RED headlamp, you could probably nail that sucker...but if your Bhuddist teachings give you pause here, I fully understand. Catch & Release is OK too!

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Pretty scary moment.
Glad all worked out.
Yes another item to check.
Thanks
Frank

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Yikes, a mouse built IED. Not good at all. I’m glad your Bobcat didn’t suffer damage!

 

[takesiteasy]

Wow, exciting! Glad it was a good outcome. We had a pack rat destroy our firewall insulation making a nest on top of the battery. Didn't start a fire, but it did eat the wiring which prevented the truck from starting. Arrgh! $500 deductible got it fixed ($1200 total cost) but what a pain. Those little critters can do damage way beyond their size!

 

[JaSAn]

I am not afraid to camp in areas with big critters (bears, etc.) but am 'concerned' about the small ones. Rodents can transmit hantavirus in their excretions, and the virus is active even when the carrier has turned to dust. So I am diligent in keeping the small critters out. I remove any food attractants and put all clothing and bedding into sealed plastic bins when the camper is stored. But that doesn't work when using the camper. I have used laundry dryer sheets in storage areas and have had no mouse problem (that's not indicative that they work). Someone mentioned (on this site?) they put rubber snakes under the truck to discourage pack rats. One could use 'wolf pee' stuff gardeners use to ward off deer and rabbits, but that stuff stinks.

https://blog.epa.gov/blog/2015/06/there-are-times-when-spring-cleaning-can-be-dangerous/

jim

 

[Bseek]

I had one in the Bobcat for a while. I found little bits of paper towel chewed off the roll. I opened up the door and put dryer sheets everywhere. Next day I closed up and have had no evidence of mouse again for two years except that the next time I got the truck serviced, the cabin air filter had a mouse nest sitting on top of it sans mouse. So I can vouch for the dryer sheet thing. Get the Original scent Bounce. Fortunately no damage. Wow, I can't imagine the catastrphe that fire could have been.

 

[ski3pin]

Knock on wood. In all our travels we've not had a critter enter our camper. Thanks for sharing the tale. The best stories are the ones we survive.

 

[DirkWill]

What wonderful responses! Love it! The end of the story is that it made me appreciate my Bobcat, and understand just how much I loved it!
While I'm at it...here's some reflections after 2 years with Bob:
I bought and thought I'd be camping exclusively dispersed camping. Turns out that hasn't been the case. One of my primary goals was to use the camper as a photography asset. That has turned out to be spectacular!! At night I can sit all comfortable and process on my laptop. That is usually a cold weather passion, so if I have a choice, I'll get electric at a park or campground for the heater, recharging batteries and computer. When my wife goes with me, she feels more secure with people around, so campground is preferred. (whether that is in fact the case is debatable, but if it gets her to go with me, I'll take it!). And, since I'm still working full time, I'm limited to lots of weekend trips, and dispersed seems to take more time and preparation. If/when I do retire, I hope my patterns change...
Some time ago, I posted about putting a kayak carrier on top of Bob. It worked just fine for my 12' 28 pound Poke Boat. I bought a tandem Old Town Dirigo that weights 72 pounds and it just doesn't work for me. Although I swore I'd never do this, I'm buying a trailer for it. Getting it up and down from camper top is just too precarious. In the few times I did it, wife and I struggled, and once the wind just about capped her with the kayak! So...with reluctance I guess I'll be towing something after all...
Best to the ATC community this Memorial Day Weekend! May you all be well and not sunburn too much!

 

[Rafter C]

My wife and I recently returned from our first trip in over a year, and on our first night camped in the middle of Nevada, shortly after we opened the the top in the late afternoon, we noticed that we had a bat sort of "buzzing" us as we sat near the camper. It was weird, as it was still light out, and there were no others. I had actually seen it a few minutes before drinking from the nearby creek, but at a glance, I'd assumed it was a bird. Anyway, we determined that we had probably brought the little thing along with us from home, as our camper lives with the top up, inside my large shop building (which has a population of bats in the high peak). We think it was probably under the short flaps above the the windows, and got trapped when we lowered it to leave. We hope it was able to adapt to its new home, but I fear probably not. One more thing to check before heading out I guess...

 

[DavidO]

On our way out to Yellowstone from California we picked up this mouse. My wife sure let out a scream when she opened the glove box. We were able to put on some gloves and quickly scoop it up and remove it. Where we live it is way out in the country and I have removed many mice from my truck (parked outside under a carport) but never have I had one in our camper. The 2012 Hawk is way better sealed than the truck.

 

[PackRat]

David....before heading out to the boonies again, I would suggest a visual inspection of any hole in the firewall to see if Mouse chewed through that way. Another look at everything under the hood for chewed wire insulation and lastly, since Mouse was in the glove box I would first look behind it for an opening. You don't want any shorted out wiring burning up when you are out somewhere.

Cute lil' sucker though...

 

[ski3pin]

Cute lil' sucker though...

x2

 

[zuber]

Reminds me of a favorite poem...


The Country

I wondered about you when you told me never to leave a box of wooden, strike-anywhere matches lying around the house because the mice might get into them and start a fire. But your face was absolutely straight when you twisted the lid down on the round tin where the matches, you said, are always stowed. Who could sleep that night? Who could whisk away the thought of the one unlikely mouse padding along a cold water pipe behind the floral wallpaper gripping a single wooden match between the needles of his teeth? Who could not see him rounding a corner, the blue tip scratching against a rough-hewn beam, the sudden flare, and the creature for one bright, shining moment suddenly thrust ahead of his time— now a fire-starter, now a torchbearer in a forgotten ritual, little brown druid illuminating some ancient night. Who could fail to notice, lit up in the blazing insulation, the tiny looks of wonderment on the faces of his fellow mice, onetime inhabitants of what once was your house in the country? Billy Collins

 

[GroovyDad]

Not just mice, you have to keep an eye out for PACK RATS too. A few months ago, while I was camping at Saline Valley Hot Springs, I was told that pack rats often get inside the engine compartment and can do a ton of damage. They told me to check carefully before leaving and numerous people suggested leaving the hood open as they hate the sun light.

Here's a great article on pack rats.