How To Keep Mice Out Of Camper – A Step-By-Step Guide (2023)

We have all been there. You go to pick up your camper from storage and as soon as you open the door you know something is wrong. You inspect your camper and start to notice the tell-tale signs of a mouse infestation.

The smell is the worst. Then you notice the mouse droppings in the sink, on the counter, in your bed. Or maybe the hole they have chewed through the mattress. Then there’s the nest in the cupboard above the sink. The cereal box with the hole in the bottom of it.

And I don’t need to tell you the damage that can be done to the wiring and plastic pipes. The repairs can be costly as well as disheartening. The vacation or trip you were planning is now delayed or even canceled.

All you can think is how could this happen? And how can I stop it from happening again? Well, I am going to show you how to keep mice out of your camper. So, when you get ready to store your camper next time, if you follow these steps, you should come back to a mouse free camper.

What You’ll Need

Caulk/Sealant

Sealing off all gaps – offering mice no chance to invade your camper for harassment – and are always the first priority.

Metal Screen/Steel Wool

These help to cover and seal pipes, vents and holes in walls. You can also combine Steel Wool and sealant to make a complete gap seal indestructible to mice.

Strong Smells

Peppermint Oil & Cotton

Bounce Dryer Sheets

Mothballs (Optional)

These create strong smells keeping mice away from your camper. I prefer cotton balls soaked in peppermint oil due to its natural fragrance causing no side effects of headache, dizziness, unlike mothballs’ smell.

Step-By-Step Instructions

1. Empty The Cupboards Completely

That is right. Go through every cupboard. Every storage area. Even the closet. Remove everything. Those towels and sheets will need to be washed before you go out again anyway. And the food may expire before you get a chance to use it.

So, take it all and leave nothing behind that didn’t come with your camper. Anything left in the camper is potential food or bedding for the invading rodents.

2. Close The Gaps

This is the most important part. You will need to search on, under and all around the outside of the camper. You’re looking for gaps or holes that a mouse could get in. Pay close attention to the spots that water and electric lines enter the camper.

You can seal any gaps with spray foam or steel wool. Any vent cap can be covered with tight screen. Examine everywhere you can. You may have someone shine a bright light outside and under your camper.

Look inside cupboards, under the sink, in the bathroom, or in any storage area. Check around the plumbing, air conditioner, and the electrical wiring. If you can see the light come through, then a mouse can come in too.

3. Keep The Mice Away

The next step is to make it hard or uninviting for the mice. If parked in the grass, keep the grass mowed around your camper. You can place mothballs around the tires and landing gear.

You can also place Bounce fabric softener sheets liberally around the inside of your camper or cups with cotton balls with drops of peppermint oil on them. Both are said to create smells that mice detest.

Expert Tips

There is a product called Fresh Cab that’s advertised to keep the mice away. I know some people who swear by it but have not used it myself.

Also a product called Mouse Free that, when sprayed on the underside of your camper, is said to repel mice by smell and by making it too slippery to climb on. This has been recommended to me by quite a few RV dealerships.

If suspicious of mice in your camper, you can start the last 2 steps.

4. Turn Up The Volume

For this step, you will need a power supply running to your camper. There are many different companies that make ultrasonic rodent repellers. These have received mixed reviews, but I have had a lot of success with mine.

They put out an ultrasonic noise that causes mice extreme discomfort and convinces them to leave. Less than 24 hours after I plugged mine in the mice had decided to leave and not come back.

The only real drawback is the sound waves will not pass through walls, so you may need more than one. Also, since you already have the extension cord plugged into the camper, you may leave some low wattage bulbs burning, Mice really don’t like the light.

5. Traps and Poisons

This is the final step. There are many good products out there that will poison the mice. I leave this until last for two reasons.

First, if you have a pet cat or dog and it catches a mouse that has been poisoned, your pet may get sick and could even die. The other reason is that if the mouse eats the poison and crawls under something to die you may have a little trouble locating it. But if nothing else works, usually the poison will get the job done.

And of course, there are still many kinds of mouse traps available. I like the old-fashioned spring trap, but there are live box traps and very safe and effective glue traps available now also. Any of these will likely also bring a quick end to a mouse problem. They will also make it easy to see if you still have a mouse infestation.

Conclusion

I hope that I have mentioned something in this article that can help you have a mouse free camper.

Remember the most important step is sealing you camper tight. That is half the battle. If the mice can’t find a way in, then the battle is won. Yes, it takes a little bit of work now, but it can and will save you time and money in the future.

One other thing. It really is a good idea to check your camper regularly at least once a month. If you have poison or traps out you may need to replace the poison or empty the traps. It also doesn’t hurt to refresh the dryer sheets, moth balls or the peppermint oil.

If you can think of something I missed or have any other comments you would like to share we look forward to seeing them below. Also, if you find this article informative and/or interesting please click the link and share it with others.