Expanding foam

[Lake Huron]

I'm looking at plugging some holes in the bottom of my trailer. The factory cut holes in the coroplast to run low point drain lines down thru, electrical wiring for brakes, etc. And I want to fill those in better and fill in some other holes.

I had a red squirrel get into the front storage area and chew up some wires and make a nest. It was climbing up the landing gear and thru the hole. I'm looking at using that Great Stuff Black expanding foam. I've used the cream colored stuff they make for around the house inside and outside and that worked and has held up really well. I want to use the black so it will blend in.

Anybody use that or what have you used?

[Kahoneys]

I have used LOCTITE expanding foam but I first put down metal rodent screen to prevent them from chewing and getting in

[Lake Huron]

Oh, that's a GREAT idea! I love that! I just so happen to have some metal screen like that around here somewhere too. Now I just gotta find it. Lol!
I forgot Loctite makes expanding foam. My dad told me about that a few years ago and said the Loctite seems to expand more that the GS brand.

THANKS!!!

[Jagiven]

Lots of people use spray foam on the bottoms of their campers to plug all those small holes, usually to keep the mice out.

Personally I do not like spray foam. Most spray foams absorb water. If I was going to use any, I would look at the stuff designed for ponds. I suspect it is better around water.

Hardware cloth will do a lot. FYI, once a squirrel (grey) gets in and makes a nest, he will want back in, and will chew to get back in. Not sure about red squirrels.

One more thing to think about. Your propane tanks are probably up in that area. Propane is heavier than air, and if you get a leak, you need a low point for the gas to escape.

[stateboy]

The other item people use is steel or copper wool mixed with caulk. The caulk won't expand and the wire mesh the caulk mixes with creates a deterrent to the chewing critters.

[Bookemdanno]

Try this foam...I know it's not black, but I didn't check to see if it comes in other colors.


https://www.amazon.com/GREAT-STUFF-P...s%2C197&sr=8-3

[Lake Huron]

I saw the pond spray foam and that is definitely made for water and it comes in black.
I got fox, grey, and black squirrels here and have never had an issue with them. They stay in the back yard and the woods. The reds and chipmunks I've caught around the front of the house, running across and inside the garage and my trailer is parked right along side of the house/garage and the front gear is right in line with the front of the garage. The nest was really new but seemed like it was still in the building stages. I set a rat trap in there anchored off with some wax string so they cant run away with it if they tried. I haven't got anything and I probably won't. I have a feeling i already took care of the offender. A few days earlier i gave a dose of lead to #18 in less than 6 day. So i have to believe the offender was one of the 18. Lol!it seems like I got the herd thinned down quite a lot because now I only see 1 about every couple days. I leave alone the fox, grey and black squirrels. I just dont have issues with them, but when I start, they have some lead introduced to them as well.
Good point on the LP. Both my tanks are on the left side and the critter is coming up the right jack. I think I'm gonna try Kahoneys idea of the wire around the jacks first and foam in the rest of the holes in and around the coroplast. I'll take a look see around the bottom area of the LP tanks and keep ventilation in that area. I might throw a layer of steel wool with a chalk mixture in it on top of the screen.
Thanks everyone for the ideas!

[stateboy]

Originally Posted by Lake Huron

... I might throw a layer of steel wool with a chalk mixture in it on top of the screen.
Thanks everyone for the ideas!

Oops! I couldn't edit my post (#5 above) but it should have said CAULK and not CHALK. Maybe chalk would work if the critter wanted to taunt you with a written message before he tattered the place.

[RogerR]

I have used strips of aluminum screen wire poked into the holes held in place with silicone caulk. For bigger holes I partially fill with screen wire and then foam it in place. Last step before it gets set up is to push a pre-cut piece into the foam as it stiffens. My LP pipe is below the plastic underbelly and then goes straight up so I have never worried about it.

[Jagiven]

Originally Posted by stateboy

Oops! I couldn't edit my post (#5 above) but it should have said CAULK and not CHALK. Maybe chalk would work if the critter wanted to taunt you with a written message before he tattered the place.

Lol, I saw it written as chalk twice, figured it had to be correct. But I just could not figure out how to get a big piece, thento fit it. On top of that how water would not erode it away.

I hate autocorrect

[norty1]

They make foam with rodent repellant. Not sure about black.

[Screwby]

Originally Posted by stateboy

Oops! I couldn't edit my post (#5 above) but it should have said CAULK and not CHALK. Maybe chalk would work if the critter wanted to taunt you with a written message before he tattered the place.

I was seriously sitting there thinking “how the heck does he use chalk, mix the chalk into a plaster and make it stick?”

[JFlightRisk]

Originally Posted by stateboy

Oops! I couldn't edit my post (#5 above) but it should have said CAULK and not CHALK. Maybe chalk would work if the critter wanted to taunt you with a written message before he tattered the place.

Taken care of for you.

[stateboy]

Originally Posted by JFlightRisk

Taken care of for you.

Thanks JFR. I think I was past the set time to be able to edit it once I noticed it on the Tapatalk app I was using at the time. Either way, now I'm back to having some appearance of intelligence thanks to you, even if only in my own mind.

[JFlightRisk]

No problem, and you're very welcome!

[nickbnick]

I have found that stainless steel wool then black pond spray foam to be very effective in blocking rodent holes in both house and camper. They will go through plain foam like butter.

[Bill Johnson]

Originally Posted by Jagiven

Lots of people use spray foam on the bottoms of their campers to plug all those small holes, usually to keep the mice out.

Personally I do not like spray foam. Most spray foams absorb water. If I was going to use any, I would look at the stuff designed for ponds. I suspect it is better around water.

Hardware cloth will do a lot. FYI, once a squirrel (grey) gets in and makes a nest, he will want back in, and will chew to get back in. Not sure about red squirrels.

One more thing to think about. Your propane tanks are probably up in that area. Propane is heavier than air, and if you get a leak, you need a low point for the gas to escape.

Great stuff makes a waterproof type made for ponds, that should work great under the trailer. They make a black that is water resistant that can't be in contact with water all the time but can have water spray on it.

[Marmot]

Put some copper mesh in first, then foam.

[Bill Johnson]

Originally Posted by Marmot

Put some copper mesh in first, then foam.

Makes sense to put som metal up there. I can't believe the space around the legs in the photo in that other post. how can an rv company do such shoddy work. I guess they figure that no one would notice the two families of racoons living in there

[steveb285rks]

I’m hunting a mouse now. Got 1 with a snap trap baited with peanut butter in the kitchen sink. He came in by the spray hose. Re-baited but the next one was smarter. Snapped the trap then ate the P-Butter. Re-baited and now the trap is moved but not snapped. Maybe this time.
I am going to block the gaps around the landing legs with screen. Next I need to move the camper so I can open the slide. I’m pretty sure the rascals are getting in through the water tank gap in the floor. I will cover that with screen and foam. Can’t complain. Had the camper since ‘07 and this is the first moose problem (that I know about).
There is no food inside the camper so they must be going for take-out.