a toad that has AC that runs hours for pets

i cannot thank you enough, silvercorvette!1

burlmart wrote:

i was just looking for something to let me bring anxious-for-the-ride/adventure dogs along all year round at home in car, that's all. something new and safe and legal might come along.

i am often able to see the possibilities and probabilities of an idea/solution based on simply conjoining things already out there. this one just seemed TOO possible.

i am off to research a sign/thermometer and a volt! (turns out my neighbor's company car is a volt.)

awesome!

For those not familiar with Volts, it is and electric car that runs 30 to 50 miles on a charge then the ICE (internal combustion engine) takes over to run the A/C. The fact that the ICE runs a few minutes to charge the battery then shuts off for a few minutes and repeats the on off cycle makes it less likely for the car to over heat on a very hot day

I Have owned a lot of cars and trucks in the 7 years I have owned dogs. My two 3500 diesel trucks did not use much fuel to run the AC. I would leave the motor off if I was parked for 5 minutes or less. If I was using my truck camper it would provide enough shade to allow me eight or nine minutes, but I never parked in a location where I could not see them at all times.

Mt two Lexus hybrids were equipped with an electric AG which would allow the AC to run a long time on battery power. After the battery ran low the engine would start up and run the AC while it charged the Battery the engine would cycle on and off.

The one car that was the perfect dog car was my Chevy Volt. A few years ago I had to go to a pistol range to qualify for my SC permit, it was a warm day probably in the high to mid 90s. There was a large group of people and the size of the group made a 15 minute task take well over two hours 9three hours when you include filling out the forms and paperwork) and I had my Volt parked in the shade under a tree. Someone became worried about the dogs being locked in the car with the windows up and that’s when I told them my dogs were a lot cooler in the car with the windows up than they were outside. I drove 15 miles to the range, let the car sit for about three hours with the A/C running and drove another 15 miles for me to get home and still had about 60% of the batteries charge remaining. I probably used about two to three dollars worth of electricity.

Here is the downside. On a shopping trip to Walmart I left the dogs in the car with the temps in the high 90s. I came out to my Volt in 20 to 30 minutes and as soon as I stepped outside I saw a cop car parked next to my car and the officer was standing next to my Volt. I went into panic mode because I was worried the officer was going to break a window to “SAVE” my dogs. I waved but could not get his attention so I ran over as fast as my 65 could carry me. Fortunately the officer used common sense and observed the dogs for any signs of distress and did not break a window.

The downside of an electric car with an electric A/C is that it is quiet. A well meaning passer by may break the window to save the dogs when the fact is a open or broken window will make it worst for the dogs by letting the heat in.

After the Walmart incident I printed up two large signs to put in the windows to let any concerned citizens know the dogs are cool and safe, I also put a thermometer in a place where anyone worried about the dogs are able to see the temperature inside the car. I loved my Volt but when the new C7 Stingray came out I had to get rid of the Volt to make room for the Vette. Used Volts are pretty cheap and they would make an excellent toad.

It's common knowledge to not leave ANY valuables visible in your car. Makes it so much easier for the thieves!

too many variables: dogs, kids, laws, day-trip-toad, at-home-grocery-trip, cg shore. drycamp genset, restaurant genset, elec battery, diesel engine generator, plus all kinds of safety tech gizmos.

for newbies, these may bring up questions not already considered, but it looks like the experienced RVers posting here already know what their pets like and know what safely and comfortably works w/ their pet after years on the road.

i was just looking for something to let me bring anxious-for-the-ride/adventure dogs along all year round at home in car, that's all. something new and safe and legal might come along.

GoDogs, if theft is the issue, it seems that every locked car should be reported if merchandise is visible. I am leaving the child out of this equation, mixing apples and oranges in my opinion.

Here's my 2 cents: Yes, the rules at the campground say, 'Do not leave pets unattended in the RV'. A lot of people use their common sense, and leave their well-exercised pets (crated or not), AC and radio on, blinds down. The idea being that the dogs are comfortable, tired, and hopefully won't bark.
Dogs that travel frequently think of the RV as 'home'. They behave as if they were left home alone. When dogs get into a car, (toad) it's because they are being transported somewhere else, (the vet, park, etc.). They get excited. Much as a child, how would they like it if you drove them to Disneyworld, and told them to wait in the car while you went into the park?
IMHO: Dogs should be well-trained, time left alone should be kept at a minimum. The safest, most comfortable place for them would be safely contained in a temp. controlled RV.
I would not think leaving dogs in a car would be a wise idea. It's illegal in many places, it puts the dog at risk for being stolen, many people(me included) would call the police to report an animal or child left in a car.

If you have an Onan generator, you can install a wireless remote start that can be programmed to start the generator when shore power goes off. It can also be programmed to start the generator when the interior temp reaches a set limit. Very handy for pet owners. I think using the remote start in your toad may be problematic. On our new truck, remote start will only run 15 minutes before shutting down and can only be reset a couple of times before you must "insert" the key. Would not work if you left the dogs in the RV while site seeing. Even semi trailer trucks are no longer allowed to idle in most locales. They use onboard generators just like RVs use.

I recently bought a high top conversion van that I turned into a small camper.
It had a rooftop AC unit powered by a dedicated generator installed where the spare tire used to be. This was solely used to keep the pets cool while they were away from the van.

JAXFL wrote:
I know this is most likely a stupid comment but here goes. I know that those that full time in a RV do not take their pet every place they go and that they do on occasional leave them in the RV. So if you are vacationing and have your pet what is the difference? Rules or no rules about leaving them in the RV.

that is a good question,