Forum Discussion

FrankNJulie's avatar
FrankNJulie
Explorer
Jul 14, 2014

Traveling Companions and the RESTRICTIONS

We travel with 3 Pomeranians, and they are pretty well behaved. All dogs bark, all dogs poop, and even some will bite, when provoked. Ours do all but the biting thing... We carry a pen like enclosure. It is very neat, matches our rig, and we have done some renovations to make it comfortable for our dogs, and that fits our rv. We have made a short wall that goes along the underside of the basements, and the outside is 2 feet. We have been told at several parks that enclosures or fences are not allowed. We use this to keep from having to run 3 leads (that inevitably tangle upon hook up), but also to protect the ever running, peddling, and vocal children at play. We also clean up after them and our enclosure is not in any way going to destroy any grass or site. We have been told that the reason that some parks do not allow these enclosures is that people will leave the pets outside unattended. This is a no-no in any camp setting. I say that if these "people" do this, then that would be a reason for their immediate dismissal from the park. I personally don't think that is the reason, but if so, let us Good dog owners have our comforts of the road, and kick those non-animal lovers out of the park! I would love to get these parks to change their policies, and just pay more attention to the ones that are breaking the rules.
  • I'm going to suggest that there is also a difference between "Camping" and "RVing".

    Camping - spending a particular length of time in a natural setting to enjoy the outdoors. The reason for choosing that location is specific - because you want to enjoy that space of outdoors.

    RVing - setting up "home" in a particular location for a particular length of time. The reason for choosing that location is varied - both between different RVers and between different locations (e.g., to visit relatives in the area, to see the sights of a particular town, etc.).

    To me, putting up fencing while camping is so wrong. The concept of camping is that you are a part of a bigger thing, you are sharing the space with others for the enjoyment of that space. Putting up a fence says "this is MINE - stay out" which contradicts the idea that the space belongs to everyone.

    RVing on the other hand is more like setting up a temporary "home base" that is yours. You're homesteading - however temporary. I can see people putting up fencing, area lighting, decor, etc. as part of that homesteading.

    As a camper, I don't want to see homesteading. I'd rather someone use a portable pen to enclose a small space than to put up fencing to enclose an entire campsite. Fencing (no matter how inconsequential) just doesn't mesh with the idea of camping.