As an RV technician, I am often asked how to keep mice out of an RV. People have shared many theories with me: peppermint oil, Irish Spring soap, scented dryer sheets, mothballs, ultrasonic deterrents, ginger or garlic, stray cats, lavender-scented candles, mouse traps, you name it. (The theory being that mice generally hate strong, pungent smells). And I often must admit, “I don’t know.”

How to Keep Mice Out of Your RV

It’s not that I haven’t heard the theories. I’ve even heard some of the more outlandish ones, like dousing items in hot sauce or pepper spray, or my personal favorite, wiping down your RV floors and counters with ammonia because the strong, sour scent vaguely smells like a predator’s urine. Hey, it might work. But then again, now your RV smells like urine??

Natural wellness websites denounce traditional baits, poisons, and mouse traps as inhumane; essential oil companies trumpet the power of peppermint, garlic, and cloves. Forums have two ideas for every person. Who’s correct? I’ve read a lot of marketing material, but I haven’t seen a lot of double-blind representative sample studies. The jury is still out.

Strong smells like vinegar, lavender, or ammonia may deter a choosy mouse, but when faced with starvation or (eek!) lavender, which option do you think most hungry mice will choose? There are entire YouTube playlists surrounding mice-busting myths. 

In the meantime, here are some uncomfortable truths about mice in RVs.

How Mice Get Into Motorhomes and Campers

1. Mice are everywhere. It’s rare that I open up an RV that doesn’t have evidence of mouse activity. The living areas can be spic n’ span, but droppings are usually present around the furnace, water heater, or refrigerator – somewhere warm. Keeping mice out of your RV is far, far harder than it sounds.
2. Mice are finicky. I pulled apart one RV furnace that was in pristine condition except for the fact that a curious, lone mouse had chewed apart a single wire lead to a high-temperature limit switch, causing the furnace to malfunction. No nibbles anywhere else. Mice are like that. They’ll nibble on one type of wire insulation like it’s Vermont cheddar but avoid another type like it’s a cotton ball. Well, actually, mice kind of like cotton. They’ll masticate any kind of fabric or insulation for use as nesting material. I’ve seen mouse nests the size of basketballs.
3. Mice are the James Bonds of the natural world. Mice can wriggle through a ¼” hole about the diameter of a pencil. They can climb any vertical wall that isn’t perfectly smooth. They can climb power cords, extension cords, tires, tongue jacks, and leveling jacks. They can jump 24” horizontally with a running start and 12” vertically from a dead start. It is very, very difficult to outsmart a mouse.

Best Methods of Mouse-Proofing Your RV

It’s also very, very difficult to mouse-proof your camper. Even if you add “mouse-proof” inverted cones to your power cord, “mouse-proof” covers on your tires, and “mouse-proof” barriers around your jacks – well, a mouse will probably just leap straight onto the frame. They can jump like a flea, remember? 

Common suggestions are to spray-foam any large holes and stuff stainless steel wool into any small holes, especially in your underbelly and subfloor. Does this deter mice? Yes, absolutely. But the simple truth is that most RV underbellys, especially those with a Coroplast plastic cover, are quite difficult to seal. The more you look, the more holes you’ll find.

And once you’ve mouse-proofed the bottom – well, don’t forget about the roof! Mice and chipmunks can often invade an RV through over-large holes around sewer vent pipes, through air conditioner plenums, and through other rooftop gaps.

Oh, and don’t forget about holes in the sidewall, like cord hatches, furnace vents, water heater vents, refrigerator access doors, range hood vents, etc. Using a full-size RV cover is an excellent mouse deterrent. 

Get the picture? RVs do not come mouse-proof from the factory. Oftentimes, where you store your RV matters more than the RV itself. Storing your RV indoors, preferably in a sterile concrete environment, will make it far less attractive to your native rodent population. If you park your RV next to the woods, uncovered, with jacks down and windows closed, you’ve just offered up your RV on a sacred altar to the Mouse Gods. 

How to Get Rid of Mice in Campers & RVs 

My general advice on avoiding mice in your RV is much the same as surviving a zombie apocalypse: You only have to be faster than your neighbor. Make your RV less attractive than someone else’s.

Mice love food, you see. All food. And they will chew almost anything – paper, cardboard, plastic, cellophane, aluminum foil – to get to it. Glass containers, metal containers, and thick plastic containers are usually safe. Use tight-fitting lids. Keep food off the floor. Clean up all spills. Make Mary Poppins proud and keep the place spit-spot! 

Mice are happiest around 86 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s why they’ll often build nests near a heating source like a water heater. Cut off their supply of nesting material: paper towels, toilet paper, dish rags, etc. Make the RV spare and uninviting, and the mice may decide to move to a more hospitable residence.

The Uncomfortable Truth About Mice In Your RV

The truth is that mice have been happily living epiphytically with humans since time immemorial. You won’t be the first to get rid of them completely. But if you follow this advice, you’ll turn your RV from a 5-star AirBnB to a 1-star motel, and most mice will move on.

• Clean up all food, soaps, candles, etc.
• Store all food in thick airtight containers.
• Cover the RV with a full-size cover.
• Seal large underbelly holes with stainless steel wool and/or spray foam.
• Store the RV inside a warehouse-style building. 
• Choose your preferred anti-mice scent: lavender, ammonia, vinegar, cayenne pepper, red cedar, camphor, peppermint, cloves, garlic, eucalyptus, or cinnamon. Let me know how it goes! 
• If all else fails, adopt a hungry cat.