RE: CULT OF TOPO CHICHOS

[Foxyladies]

 I m probally aging myself but if you had watched the Ed Sullivan Show you know what I m talking about.
 
 I was talking to my sis today and she was telling me about a seasonal at our campground who opened his pu this weekend. Well, a family had a field day inside his pu. They think they came thru the wheel well and ate up their cushsions, canvas and alot of other stuff. He had a 1991 pu. There was actually two semi-alive when he opened it up. His site his flat but in a woody and bushy area. He has been a seasonal for awhile. What could he have done differently.....what are the best things to do[]

[kathybrj]

 Foxyladies
I m sorry, but I had to read your post several times before I figured it out.
 
 I remember Topo Gigio on the Ed Sullivan show- at least I remember the character. My dad had bought me a little toy once when I was a kid. My mom used to sing an Italian song about him. For some reason, I couldn t put it together with Topo Chichos, the way you wrote it, so I sat here and read and read until I went, " OH!"  []
 
 Anyway- gotta get in the pu with a flashlight while someone is underneath the unit, caulking all the little holes that the light shines through- every one of them. The little critters can get through anything. Also, everything and anything that can be used as nesting material needs to be removed- even chemicals (cleaners, porta potty chems), towels, sheets, pillows. If the pu is in a woody area, removing the cushions and matresses wouldn t be a bad idea, although not very convinient.

[Foxyladies]

 Foxyladies
Kathy,
 
 Thanks for the spelling.....I ll have to correct it. Actually, I had it somewhat spelled that way but then I changed it.

[mike4947]

 Foxyladies
Been there, had that happen and learned the hard way the way that critter need a hole or crack to get in and to keep critters from making their winter home is to seal up the holes. One year we opened up to find a drawer full of the dryer sheets they said to put all over to keep mice out with a nest of baby mice and momma mouse. After relocating the family we searched and found like your friend a gap around the wheel well. Three tubes of RTV silicone later we had all the crack, gaps and holes plugged. You d be amazed at how many there are.
 
 And as a seasonal I also made sure to keep vegitation under and around the camper short or gone. Makes nice hifing places newar the camper and helps attract bugs & rodents.

[Ernhrts3n8]

 Foxyladies
I have been very lucky and hope that I am not jinxing myself, but I have never had a mouse in my TT for the 7 or 8 years that I have owned it.  My tt has stone all around and under the unit.  I have a deck in front of my camper but there is stone under there also.  I do have grass but that is probably a good 10-12 feet away from my trailer.  Maybe that is why I have been lucky, I sure hope that my luck holds on longer....lol.
 
 This guy that my sister is talking about isn t sure if he is going to get a new pu or just work with what he has.  The canvas has been destroyed, the cushions are trashed and even the cabinets got eaten.  I really feel bad for him, but he says that he wants to stay seasonal in a pu.  I sure hope that he can get enough from the insurance company to keep his dream home.

[kathybrj]

 Foxyladies
WOW! That guy had feisty critters, alright!
 
 mike mentioned what I forgot to- keep the vegetation cut down from around and under the unit. I had also heard about using dryer sheets, but I didn t do it this past winter in our unit. I did take everything out of the pu, though and cut down the grass around it and under as far as I could until the snow flew.
 
 yes, there are tons of little holes in a pop up and the ones you think are too small for critters aren t- at all! They will squeeze through anything. [&:]

[g-whiz]

 Foxyladies

One year we opened up to find a drawer full of the dryer sheets they said to put all over to keep mice out with a nest of baby mice and momma mouse.

 The first popup I bought way back when (yes, I remember Topo Gigio) and got it for a song because the mice had attacked anything and everything before the owner popped it up in the Spring.  I was told by a friend to use Irish Spring soap shavings placed in cups inside the PU to keep the mice out.  I never had mice and the camper smelled great!   You never know tho, since Mike4947 ended up having soft and fluffy mice, you could end up mice that are just Irish clean and fresh. []
 
 Also, I had cushions made for the bunkends, the dinette and the small couch for about $500 at the time by a guy that did upholsery for automobiles.  I took the canvas to a tent and awning repair and they did a marvelous job at matching the fabric and making it not stand out.  If you love your PU, it is totally worth it to have the repairs made.
 
 Good luck!

[tlhdoc]

 mike4947

 

ORIGINAL:  mike4947
 
 One year we opened up to find a drawer full of the dryer sheets they said to put all over to keep mice out with a nest of baby mice and momma mouse.
 
 

 Mike maybe you need to use a certin scent for the dryer sheets to work.[]