Keeping RV varmit free when not traveling

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Keeping RV varmit free when not traveling

April 15, 2021, 01:28:24 pm

Moving to the country- have 8 wooded acres near Lake Texoma in Texas. I have a cement pad with a permanent covered structure over the top not the sides.
I have electricity.
Questions- I want to keep the varmits out -when sitting. The RV has always been in covered storage but in the city.
Never had any rodent issues.
I would appreciate a detailed step by step process to achieving that.

Do you see any need to keep it plugged in while just sitting?
I never have before but maybe I am missing the benefits of having it charged thru the landline.
Thanks in advance for any advice

Re: Keeping RV varmit free when not traveling

Reply #1 – April 15, 2021, 01:57:06 pm

Quote from: Webebad - April 15, 2021, 01:28:24 pm

Moving to the country- have 8 wooded acres near Lake Texoma in Texas. I have a cement pad with a permanent covered structure over the top not the sides.
I have electricity.
Questions- I want to keep the varmits out -when sitting. The RV has always been in covered storage but in the city.
Never had any rodent issues.
I would appreciate a detailed step by step process to achieving that.

Do you see any need to keep it plugged in while just sitting?
I never have before but maybe I am missing the benefits of having it charged thru the landline.
Thanks in advance for any advice

Storing an LD

And searching for "rodent control" will take you to past conversations.

Chris

Re: Keeping RV varmit free when not traveling

Reply #2 – April 15, 2021, 05:17:42 pm

"Do you see any need to keep it plugged in while just sitting?"

Yes! And since you say you 'have electricity' I would recommend you keep it plugged in. First, it will keep your batteries charged, no worry about dangerously low batteries. Secondarily you will be able to maintain the fridge at it's intended temperature, no waiting before a trip. Then there is the ability to use it as a guest house or a lifeboat in case of need.

My '04, 17 years old now, has been plugged in most of it's life even though it's only a few feet from my back door.

Re: Keeping RV varmit free when not traveling

Reply #3 – April 15, 2021, 05:49:07 pm

First, if your midbath has solar power, there's probably no need to leave it plugged in. The solar charge controller will keep your batteries topped off.

Second, if you don't have solar power, plugging in can be a good strategy... but be careful that your converter doesn't overcharge your batteries. If your 1993 coach has the original converter, that's a "dumb" brute-force piece of gear that can boil your batteries dry if left running for a long period.

Replacing the converter with a modern multi-stage unit, such as those made by Progressive Dynamics, would be a good move--it'll charge your batteries faster and be gentler on them than the original almost forty-year-old converter. But if that's not in your budget or sounds like more than you want to take on right now, there are a couple of things you can do to make sure your old converter doesn't "cook" your batteries.

First, check the electrolyte level before you store the rig, and at least once a month thereafter. A ProFill system will make it easy to keep the batteries properly filled. Second, buy an inexpensive electrical timer (ten bucks or so at Walmart or any hardware store), and set it to power the rig for an hour a day. (You'll probably need a 30 A to 15 A adapter to use it, but that's a handy adapter to carry with you anyway.) That way the batteries will be topped off daily, but not boiled off by 24/7 charging.

Re: Keeping RV varmit free when not traveling

Reply #4 – April 15, 2021, 06:26:45 pm

Quote from: Andy Baird - April 15, 2021, 05:49:07 pm

Second, buy an inexpensive electrical timer (ten bucks or so at Walmart or any hardware store), and set it to power the rig for an hour a day. (You'll probably need a 30 A to 15 A adapter to use it, but that's a handy adapter to carry with you anyway.) That way the batteries will be topped off daily, but not boiled off by 24/7 charging.

I purchased this one from Amazon. Just received it today so haven't used it yet:

BESTTEN Outdoor Timer with Photocell Light Sensor and 2 Grounded Outlets,...

As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.

Re: Keeping RV varmit free when not traveling

Reply #5 – April 15, 2021, 09:18:45 pm

"I purchased this one from Amazon."

That one would work if exposed to outdoor light--you'd set it to turn on for two hours at dusk. But if you're storing your rig indoors, it doesn't seem as if it would work for this purpose, because as far as I can tell, it depends on seeing the sun rise and set.

I recommend a simple mechanical timer such as this $7 GE 24-hour unit. You program it in 30-minute intervals by pushing in tabs. It doesn't care about dawn and dusk--just turns on for the programmed period once a day.

As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.

Re: Keeping RV varmit free when not traveling

Reply #6 – April 16, 2021, 10:05:44 am

Good point, Andy. This one should work fine for my purposes.

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