Storing Ollie in Country

[Steve-Gwenne]

As our urban driveway is much too small for our sometime-in-May-to-be-delivered Ollie, we will be keeping it in the country on some family property. Family lives on the property so it's not like we're just leaving it out in the middle of nowhere. :)

 

However, I am concerned about critters, large & small, getting into it. Any suggestions on what we should do to prevent these guys from entering?

 

We are totally new at camping & so have no ideas at all on stuff like this.

 

Thank you.

[Mike and Carol]

Good question. I think if the door, windows and vents are closed the interior should be pretty safe.  Of more concern is insects (we have a mud dauber problem here) entering vents for the furnace, hot water and refrigerator and building nests.  We got some custom size screens (Amazon) to cover the furnace and hot water vents.  I check the refrigerator vents regularly.  Our trailer doesn't sit idle for any more than a few weeks at a time.  I'm sure there are owners that store long term who might have better advice.  Mike

[KarenLukens]

As our urban driveway is much too small for our sometime-in-May-to-be-delivered Ollie, we will be keeping it in the country on some family property. Family lives on the property so it’s not like we’re just leaving it out in the middle of nowhere. However, I am concerned about critters, large & small, getting into it. Any suggestions on what we should do to prevent these guys from entering? We are totally new at camping & so have no ideas at all on stuff like this. Thank you.

 

Then there's the Cedar Pollen... I would at least use Saran Wrap around the fridge vents and tape the heater vents before covering the trailer. You can buy custom built covers for it from Calmark covers - http://www.calmarkcovers.com/product-info/custom-made-rv-covers/

 

Or you can use tarps. We will be buying a Calmark cover for ours and this will be our second cover from them. We had one for our Casita that went with it when we sold it at Christmas. Living in the country, you would think that there's would be a mouse and rat problem, but there wasn't any problem with our Casita and we live deep in the woods down an old dirt wagon road.

 

6th attempt on this post Matt :)

[John E Davies]

Any exterior opening should have either a screen installed or a temporary (removable and highly visible) cover, like on an airplane.

 

 

Don't forget the septic vent on top of the roof. If that gets plugged up by wasps the blank tank will get smelly.

 

You could go overboard and stick plugs in the water system belly drains, but I think that would be just something a truly anal person like me might do.

 

I think it all depends on how bad the pest problem, mud daubers especially, is in your area.

 

https://www.your-rv-lifestyle.com/rv-pests.html

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

[topgun2]

I've had Twist stored in what amounts to a fenced in field (the weeds are cut) over the winter.  Prior to storage I placed insect screens as Mike and Carol above, covered the camper with a CalMark cover and placed two "sticky traps" on the floor of the interior.  If you are not familiar with sticky traps - they will "trap" anything that comes in contact with them from mouse size all the way down to knats.  Yesterday I was checking the camper and showing it to prospective new Oliver customers and I looked at both traps.  There was one mosquito!  Western North Carolina is one of the buggiest places around - our winters are simply not cold enough to kill the critters and prior to storage I had been in New Orleans.  So, just make sure that your windows and door are closed, get the screens that Mike and Carol talked about and don't worry about it.

 

Bill

[Hap]

When our trailer is in storage I use four Anderson Levers to keep all four tires off the ground. I've never had an issue with anything getting into the Oliver. I do strongly recommend the custom size screens (Amazon) to cover the furnace and hot water vents even while traveling.

 

Hap

 

Sometimes in Florida but currently in a fabulous small town of Llano, Texas. The city park "Badu Park" is 15 dollars a night for full hookups, it appears to be very safe and on the river. A city police officer just slowly drove thru. I love Texas.

[Steve-Gwenne]

This is so cool - never would have thought of it. Thank you!

[Steve-Gwenne]

Thank you so much for screen suggestion. We too are in mud dauber land --- NC. :)

[bugeyedriver]

In addition to the hot water heater and furnace vent covers, I fashioned my own screens for the refrigerator intake and exhaust vents by purchasing screening  materials from Home Depot and then cutting / molding them to fit the right shape.  Be sure not to get too fine a mesh because it will inhibit airflow which is necessary for cooling. (I speak from experience here)  They do have one that will do the job of confounding mud daubers without slowing air movement much.

[marsharini]

I think the Oliver is so well built, critter intrusion will be a non-issue.  We store our Oliver on our property under a CalMark cover and have not had any problems.

[SeaDawg]

Ours sits in the country for six months each year. We cover the vents with screen mesh. Remove it each time we return.

 

No issue so far. Six years, and some...

[STEVEnBETTY]

Mothballs work too.

[Mainiac]

We have sprinkled moth balls UNDER the campers for years. We have also put dryer sheets (Bounce) in some of the drawers and compartments. However I don't see any unsealed openings into the Oliver hull that might need them. However I might put a few of both in the rear bumper, just to keep them from 'nesting' there. We also put both ends of all hoses together so that if they do get in there, they do not soil or nest.

[STEVEnBETTY]

In addition to the hot water heater and furnace vent covers, I fashioned my own screens for the refrigerator intake and exhaust vents by purchasing screening materials from Home Depot and then cutting / molding them to fit the right shape. Be sure not to get too fine a mesh because it will inhibit airflow which is necessary for cooling. (I speak from experience here) They do have one that will do the job of confounding mud daubers without slowing air movement much.

Pete, thanks for the post. What mesh size screen did you use?

[Kgoodusav]

We recently had an invasion of ants coming up thru the area around the toilet.  We have sprayed the area around our trailer (beside our house) and all the underside of the trailer and as of yesterday I found several more ants in the bathroom and added bait traps for them.  Any other ideas for prevention?

[SeaDawg]

I've had great success with the raid clear ant gel. Better than ant traps.

For outdoor, the amdro stuff that the scouts take back to the colony works well here.

Sherry

[Try2Relax]

I would check the wire feed area, in the front under the propane tanks and then bait between the hulls under the front dinette seat

[Lambsollie]

You mentioned storing with a Cal Mark cover.  We are going through our first winter in Michigan, and are considering whether to buy a cover or a carport.  Will the snow and wind damage all the antennas, etc on top if we us a tarp/cover?

 

Thanks, Tom

[ScubaRx]

Tom,

 

Living in North Mississippi, it would be difficult for me to address the possibility of snow damage on our Oliver travel trailers. Around here an average snow fall will  probably barely cover the ground and that might not happen every year. A really big snow might drop 4 to 6 inches and that might not happen every decade. Ice is another story altogether as it regularly brings down trees, limbs and powerlines.

 

All that being said, if you can afford a carport, then by all means I can highly recommend that route. Not only does it protect from snow and wind in the wintertime,  but also the rain during the rest of the year. A carport would also afford you protection from the sun and it's damaging effects on our beautiful gecosts.

 

In addition, you do not have put forth the effort of installing the cover after each outing. All this obviously depends on whether or not you have the financial resources and room at your house for an enclosure and it assumes that there are no restrictions in your neighborhood against such.

 

I am not sure if a marriage could stand the putting on and taking off of a cover too many times!

[topgun2]

Tom - I use a CalMark cover and as ScubaRx suggests a "solid" cover would be better.  I do put on and take off my cover all by myself - it is not easy but certainly is doable.  I fashioned a protective sleeve for the WiFi antenna and use pool noodles to protect the cover from the sharp edges on the solar panels.  While we get more snow than those folks further down south, it is rare for us to get more than 6-8 inches and even then it only stays around a couple of days.  Average annual snowfall here is only 6 inches.

 

Again, if you can do it, a solid cover is better.  However, if not then I believe that the CalMark is way better than tarps.  If you need more info on the CalMark simply type that into the search area on this Forum and there are reviews, pictures, etc. there.

 

Bill

[KarenLukens]

With the carport you can go in and still use your trailer in the winter also. We had a Calmark cover for the Casita but never used it because we travel and use the trailer at home, definitely go with a carport if that's a choice.

[Moonlight Mile]

I hope this isn’t too off topic but I searched here first and this post was all that came up about storage, so ...

Can you just park an Ollie outside in spring-summer temps and have it be ok for say, a few months? Anything special needs to be done? No elec so no AC. Humidity? Not used just parked in a safe enclosure but outside and no carport. On pavement (RV parking - storage). Armed guards and angry Klingon warriors on site. To be clear. Do I need to worry about heat? The 2021 seems impervious to bugs, far as I have experienced to this point.  

[SeaDawg]

We have had ours outside 24/7/365 for 13+ years, no cover. 

Make sure you have bug screens. Make sure you keep good wax coats up. Yours is new, but I'd do at least two coats of wax before storage.

You have solar, do your batteries will be charged. Turn off all the main switches. Ventilate a bit. ( I  crack the bath fan, and the central fan.) We are in a humid climate, so I  tip up cushions, and leave a container of dry Z aire in each sink. I put ant gel on aluminum foil bits in the bath, kitchen, and by the door. 

I put some pink stuff in the drain traps, and the toilet, even in the sunmer. It evaporates more slowly than water, and keeps the seals moist in the toilet. 

Others will have other ideas. Depends on climate.

 

[jordanv]

On 5/2/2021 at 9:12 PM, SeaDawg said:

Make sure you have bug screens.

Trying to find a good set on amazon to no avail, any suggestions for vent/bug screens?

[John E Davies]

For sure, add furnace screens, because that unit is really hard to clean out if a nest forms inside the combustion chamber or the intake/ exhaust pipes.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00192JFBI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Others have made screens for the fridge and hot water heater, I have not bothered but bugs are not a problem for me. Something like this, cut and hot glued inside the openings will work - it needs to be small enough mesh to stop wasps, but you also must allow enough airflow:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N7VKM8G/?coliid=I3IGSZOIDHG93&colid=1X5H11EH41351&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

The HWH (standard type) is super easy to clean if it gets bugged, the chamber is wide open and all the gas parts are easy to get to. The Truma heater, not so much.... owners shouldn't poke around inside that one.

FYI, all those dozen little drain scuppers under the belly have wire screens bonded on top of the holes, there are no worries about bugs entering that way.

John Davies

Spokane WA