winterizing

[mjg]

This is the first year we have owned a pop up and are about to winterize it. Someone suggested taking out the cushions and storing them in the house, is this something that needs to be done? How about rodent protection? We will be parking it in the driveway so it this a big concern? Thanks!

[HappiKampers!]

mjg - it's our first year too!  We removed the cushions and bedding and have them stored in a spare bedroom.  I SHOVED bounce in every crevice possible, duct taped over the outside outlets for water, gas and electric.  Once we move our PUP into the garage (after Christmas decorations come out), I will hang moth balls in knee-high pantyhose from each corner of the PUP and put a couple of decon wedges under the pup.  Though we never had mice in our garage before, I want to make sure I see no canvas damage (more than the damage it had when we bought it).

Another thing a friend (and fellow PUP owner) told us - remove ANYTHING with a scent as well as any paper products (paper plates, napkins, papertowels and handtowels) and make sure to wash every surface with a bleach mix and make sure all crumbs are off the floor and out of crevices. 

Also, make sure there are no food sources near your PUP - no garbage cans, no bird feeders, no gardens, etc.  Critters like to sleep close to a food source...don't give them any reason to take up residence!

[CampingFamily1]

If you search on the word winterize you will find 6 pages of posts and advice on the subject.

We leave our cushions in the camper but we store over winter in the garage.
We remove everything else that rodents might like: sleeping bags, blankets, paper plates, etc.
I take outdoor silicone calking and plug any and all openings I can see light coming through, from under the camper and from above, like around the holes drilled for the water pipes/lines.  It dries hard.  They can't get in.  This practice is probably the single most important practice.
We place dryer sheets (rodents don't like the scent) on the cushions and mattresses.
I stuff a big wad of steel wool in the exhaust of the heater to keep them out of there (they don't like steel wool - hard to chew through).  The wad is big enough to pull it out easily in the spring.