First full day in my Montana, and I had flies getting in somewhere!

[thedinobots]

Hi all, I have a 2024 Montana 3231CK that I picked up on Monday brand new. Today was my first full day in it, and in the morning when the sun was out and the windows were warm, there were about 20 flies inside, I killed most of them, and within a few hours there were a bunch more.

I’m wondering where the most common entry points might be so that I can spray some kind of bug spray, and or try to find where they are getting in.

I doubt they’re coming from the bathroom as there wouldn’t be much of anything in the black tank, considering it’s a brand new unit, and also as a test I sealed up the bathroom, and there were no flies in it after several hours, but there were flies in the living room. so I think they’re getting in from somewhere else. Unless they can get from the black tank into another entry point somewhere else in the camper.

Any tips or input would be much appreciated!

[GILAELKHUNTER]

Originally Posted by thedinobots

Hi all, I have a 2024 Montana 3231CK that I picked up on Monday brand new. Today was my first full day in it, and in the morning when the sun was out and the windows were warm, there were about 20 flies inside, I killed most of them, and within a few hours there were a bunch more.

I’m wondering where the most common entry points might be so that I can spray some kind of bug spray, and or try to find where they are getting in.

I doubt they’re coming from the bathroom as there wouldn’t be much of anything in the black tank, considering it’s a brand new unit, and also as a test I sealed up the bathroom, and there were no flies in it after several hours, but there were flies in the living room. so I think they’re getting in from somewhere else. Unless they can get from the black tank into another entry point somewhere else in the camper.

Any tips or input would be much appreciated!

Are they house flies or blow flies? You might have a dead rodent in the underbelly or in the pass through area.

[C&P RV]

If you had the exterior compartments open they can get in through the return air vent under the steps. There are other areas that are "open" as well. Look under the sinks where the water lines run. You can seal those areas with a rag. Last but less likely is the heat vents themselves. It's also possible that while the unit was on the lot flies got in when the door was left open and laid eggs that hatched with the warmer weather. You may just have to "bomb" the inside to get rid of them unfortunately. Good luck!

[thedinobots]

Originally Posted by C&P RV

If you had the exterior compartments open they can get in through the return air vent under the steps. There are other areas that are "open" as well. Look under the sinks where the water lines run. You can seal those areas with a rag. Last but less likely is the heat vents themselves. It's also possible that while the unit was on the lot flies got in when the door was left open and laid eggs that hatched with the warmer weather. You may just have to "bomb" the inside to get rid of them unfortunately. Good luck!

They look like black houseflies, it’s entirely possible that there was already a nest of them in there at the dealership, and I’m just clearing it out, I did look in the storage in the pass-through, and I didn’t see any down there, and I didn’t smell anything funky either.

[MandK]

Probably got in at some point before you took delivery, I think you will have to deal with them any way you can and then you should be in better shape. Spend some of your “ free time” plugging up all of the openings in the coroplast, areas where the hydraulic jack lines enter, propane lines, electric harnesses and frame of the pin box openings. Also Plumbing chases in the kitchen and bath, and put furnace filter material behind the furnace return air vents on the inside stairs. Fabricate a cover for the slide hydraulic cylinders openings in the frame (this can be a little tricky as the cylinder rams move around as the slides tilt and tip going in and out). Rubber works good for those. Spray pest block with stainless steel wool or chore boy copper scouring pads for most other things. I’m probably forgetting a few areas, I’ve been working on it a little at a time for 2 years. Besides keeping out the critters, this all goes a long way in helping with heating and cooling efficiency too.

[Foldbak]

We live on horse property and every once in a while a fly will lay eggs inside the house. There will be 2 dozen fly's all of the sudden. Get the swatter out!

[DutchmenSport]

If you bug bomb the camper, turn the AC on when you release them. The AC will pull the mist up into the air ducts and any cracks or openings in the ductwork will allow the mist to escape into the insulation and place a layer of protection where you cannot reach or even see.

After 10 days do it again. This kills any eggs that have hatched out and will kill the young flies before they have a chance to breed again. Then, once a year do it again.

This will also keep other bugs out too. The bomb mist will penetrate every nook, get the seams in the slide outs, and place a layer of bug killer everywhere. (IF) anything dares to come in anywhere, the bug will have to crawl through the poison and it will kill them. You may find dead bugs laying around, but they are dead, not living.

Another thing you can do is simply set out Citronella candles. You don't have to light them, just set them out around your camper. That smell will keep anything from even wanting to enter.

Good luck!

[beeje]

I don't care what you do you're not going to stop them. Whether you own a new RV and old one or a new house or an old one you're going to have bugs inside. This time of year they're looking for warmth which is inside your RV or house so every time you open a door to exit or enter they're going to get in

[mlh]

We can’t keep mice or flies out. There are too many places you can’t get to seal them all up.
Lynwood

[Donjamin]

Laurie and I do a lot of RV camping along the Central California Coast. Whenwe are camping at the beach either in at Laguna Beach, Morro Bay or Jamala campgrounds we ended up with lots of kelp flies inside our rig. I discovered they usually enter through the screen door latch slide if we leave it open. Certainly annoying, but a good fly swatter does the job of eliminating them.

[Mikendebbie]

A few years ago I posted about finding a BUNCH - maybe 50 to 75 yellow jackets in the shower in the camper March of 2020. No idea how they got in. We had not been anywhere in it for 2 months. It was still cold weather and they were very slow moving. I think I vacuumed them up.

[cgeis48]

We purchased a new Montana 3231CK and we kept having insects come inside the trailer. After a short search, I realized they were coming in around the front door because the rain gutter part at the top of the door frame was deformed. It was improperly installed at the factory, which was the source of the problem - it prevented the door from closing completely.. After replacing the rain gutter, we had far fewer bugs in the rig.
The entry door was always a bit sticky, and I could never figure out why until an RV repairman looked at the rain gutter and determined that was the problem. After that we had way less bugs and the door wasn’t sticky.

[Rick444]

Hi We also purchased a Montana fifth wheel model 3231ck. We have not been able to locate a switch to turn on the lights over the sink island. Can you tell me where your switch is located?

[cgeis48]

Originally Posted by Rick444

Hi We also purchased a Montana fifth wheel model 3231ck. We have not been able to locate a switch to turn on the lights over the sink island. Can you tell me where your switch is located?

Our 3231CK has three unmarked switches on the wall panel as you go upstairs. One of those switches turns on the lights over the sink.

[thedinobots]

Originally Posted by cgeis48

Our 3231CK has three unmarked switches on the wall panel as you go upstairs. One of those switches turns on the lights over the sink.

This is correct - the light switches are all in the panel right in front of the door. One light switch does the LEDs all around, the other one does the overhead lamps in the kitchen and living room.

[Rick444]

I guess something is miss wired as none of the switches turn on the lights thank you

[newowneroldmontana]

Originally Posted by Rick444

I guess something is miss wired as none of the switches turn on the lights thank you

Are there on/off switches on the light fixtures themselves? If so, maybe you just need to turn the individual lights on as well as the unmarked switches on the panel. I have a different year and model, but also a panel of two unmarked switches which control overhead lights--but the individual light fixtures must be switched on.

[LeftOverParts]

On our 2021 3231CK, the switch on the left of the bank shown controls the island lights.

Middle switch controls the light at the hitch and under the entry steps. Right switch controls the LEDs in the front cap.

[Rick444]

Thank you we’ve turned on every switch and nothing so I’m assuming I have a wiring issue somewhere

[dadnjesse]

Originally Posted by GILAELKHUNTER

Are they house flies or blow flies? You might have a dead rodent in the underbelly or in the pass through area.

Dead mouse then a fly lands on it and lays eggs then you get lots of flys that appear out of nowhere