Bears

I have been wondering. I know most bears are afraid of us but, there are always the few that are not. Keeping this in mind I know most of us have seen the pictures of Bears getting into someones cars and pickups. Well, how about a fifth wheel. Does anyone know of bears (and I don't mean Chicago type) getting into a 5er? I mean that is where we keep all of the food and when we cook the smell goes outside everywhere. That is a big fear of mine. Waking up to a bear in the 5er.

Well it certainly could happen. We live in Colorado and several times a year you hear of bears getting into peoples homes. I have never heard of a bear getting into a hardsided camper however. I one saw a news report where a bear basicall peeled of the door of a pickup to get to the steaks in the cooler on the front seat. The door didn't put up much of a fight.

Since I now have outside speakers, I figure if I ever hear a bear messing around outside, I'll crank up the full version of In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida at full volume. That should scare anything off!

No bear stories, but we did come home once to 3 raccoon faces poking out the canvas sides of our pop-up camper!!! What a mess they made inside! A bear visit would have to be 1000 times worse... not to mention possible danger to the occupants!

I posted this same question last year on a Winnebago Yahoo group, and got no specific replies. Like you think, with all the smells, and us out in their environment, an RV invasion would seem likely to happen.
I think that this is a great argument to have a can of the Bear Pepper Spray that sprays 35 feet. Also handy for 2 legged varmints.

Also, on the TV shows that I have watched about bear problems in National parks, loud noises had been used as an effective deterent, firecrackers being the favorite. I would think that one of those loud freon can boat horns might do the trick. They also had a special breed of dog that instinciively knew how to harass bears but not get hurt by them.

It depends on the Bear. Here in Utah, we have Brown and Black bears. The browns are generally shy and will usually ignore humans -- and/or scamper away (I've come face to face several times and can validate this statement). Black bears are more curious and will come in to see what's going on. In most cases, its doubtful they'll have much luck getting inside a 5th wheel trailer -- unless you have some really good morsels laying around camp.

I have a fifth wheel parked on land near Cripple Creek Co. Last October one broke into my fifth wheel by tearing the window frame out of the door and then jerking the door so hard that it popped open. It then went inside and jerked the overhanging cabinet off wall and made a mess all over. I was not at site when this happened and there was no food in the trailer. The year before a bear broke in one of my compartment doors outside of trailer and ate a container of decon rat poison and punched holes in a container of toilet chemical.
Hope he got a belly ache over that one.

If a bear can break into a home then yes it can break into an RV. Watched a bear documentry a while back, showed where a black bear had actually bent the rear barn doors almost in half of a Chevy Suburban. They said if the bear can get his claws into a crack or a door jam then he can usually pry it open.

As said in the firearms section, another good reason to keep some type of weapon in your rig, along with a BIG can of bear spray. Also I really don't think you would stay asleep if a bear was ripping your Rv apart.

Jim,

If you have to be in bear country just put your mean dog "Frostbite" in the bears way that should solve your problem.

Tom of Ypsi said:

Jim,

If you have to be in bear country just put your mean dog "Frostbite" in the bears way that should solve your problem.

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I will keep that in mind. We just got here back from the Vet for teeth cleaning and he pulled another 5 teeth. Pretty soon she will be toothless. But the vet said she still had her biting teeth. I don't think she likes the vet very much and the feeling is mutual. She had an ear infection but is better now and seems to be more mellow. (we hope) See ya at the rally.

We use to camp way back in the woods with out truck camper. Had some bears come by at night and we would turn on the scare lights and they would go away. Renee now calls 'em "bear" lights.

Put some "rap" on your outside speakers. That will scare anything away short of kids.