A good night’s sleep is essential to rejuvenating your mind and spirit and preparing yourself for the next day’s activities. But sometimes that sleep is disrupted by strange or unfamiliar noises. Here are some common scenarios and what to do in the event they happen.
A loud “crash” outside.
A jarring calamity can be quite startling, especially in the middle of the night. If you like to have a trash bin along to keep outside for cooking and picnicking and forgot to put it away, or you have the unfortunate luck of your campsite being next to the community trash disposal, you could have unwanted nocturnal visitors. Raccoons and opossums are the most likely culprits, but you could find yourself encountering a bear as well. First, look out the window to see if you can spot the animal responsible. Most creatures will run off as soon as you walk out the door, but to be on the safe side, wait until morning to assess the damage or pick up any messes.
Loud “popping noises” that seem to come from under the RV.
Your leveling system could be the problem, and there could be several ways to solve it. Even if you have an RV with an automatic leveling system, the jacks might not be fully extended. Check this first. Your RV not being level may also be the issue. Get out a building level (a nice one that you can trust) and check the level on the floor of your RV in several places. Adjust the jacks manually if necessary. You could have an internal leak in one of the jack valves, which will have to be replaced. Temporarily, silicone spray could help. If you’re in cold weather, below freezing, it could be the metal of the RV or fluids contracting and causing the noise. Choose fluids that are less likely to do this, such as a synthetic.
Scratching, scraping, and scurrying within the walls or in the ceiling.
There’s a mouse in the house! Mice can cause damage to wiring, not to mention create messes and leave little presents. You need to get rid of these rodents pronto, in the middle of the night if the noise is that bad. There are home remedies – peppermint cotton balls – and store-bought remedies. You can find more tips for preventing pests from entering your RV in this article. Check all drawers, cupboards, and small spaces where you would suspect a mouse might enjoy itself for any nests. Remove upon discovery, discard or thoroughly clean anything surrounding it that you want to keep, and disinfect the area. Once you’re back home, check the exterior of the motorhome, camper van, or trailer – even underneath – for small spaces rodents could enter through. Block anything you find.
Campground noises.
Noise around a campground, at all hours, is a fact of life. But sometimes you get those very disturbing sounds at unlikely hours – a diesel RV revving up and idling for a while at 6 a.m. as its tenants prepare to leave; pop-up trailer owners cleaning up the campsite in the early morning in anticipation of hitting the road; rowdy and inconsiderate neighbors who talk loudly or play music until three or four in the morning; a dog barking. You can’t predict a lot of these disturbances simply at a glance, but you can take measures inside your RV to help drown them out. A sound machine or fan near your sleeping space can help fade out the distractions.