Itinerary, Travel with Pets

OP if you don't mind, would ya tell us atleast which way you're headed?

You're all getting us excited to get going. Thanks for all the input. We have our first realtor in today to check out the property/house. I hate to see it go, but think this'll be an awesome adventure. It'll be a while before we're ready to leave, so if you are so inclined continue the advice. I can use any and all!

We have two dogs, a small poodle mix (19 lbs) and a young standard (70 lbs). We looked around a lot and settled on a older Lazy Daze mid bath because of the length and layout. At was going to get a 24 ft RV because it would be easier to park, but the extra two feet made a world of difference in livability.
The Dogs love the RV. We live on the east coast and often have to pay extra for the dogs in parks. I keep a copy of vet records in the RV for each dog. I put a new copy in each spring. Most places have wanted to see a copy of the rabies certification when I checked in.
Getting an RV was originally my wife's idea because she missed the dogs so much when we traveled. It did take much to convince me to start looking. Good hunting.

We have a 27 foot C with a different layout. We have twin beds in back and dinette and over cab bed. We chose this layout as there is a solid door to the back bedroom and when the kids were younger, we could put them to bed and not disturb them.

Now the kids are big, but it is nice to have a private place away from the rest of the family once in a while.

We have had up to 5 adult sized people a 70# and a 20# dog plus two cats on one trip of 3 weeks.

The adults sleep on the over cab bed, very comfortable with a memory foam topper and the 5th person (usually grandma) sleeps on the dinette.

Cat box goes between the front seats when we stop. The cats generally do most their business outside. We have never had an issue with dogs and the cat box.

Speaking of cat boxes, make sure you sit on the toilet of the RV you are thinking of buying and 'go through the motions' of getting the job done. There is not a lot of room in most. While you are at it, check out the shower. Get inside and pretend you are washing your hair, dropped the soap etc.

How exciting for you and your family!! I am a solo traveler and wish I had started RVing 5 years ago! When I bought my first RV (2012--17' class B), I camped for 2 nights with friends who taught me most everything I needed to know...electrical, plumbing, dumping, before/after a trip, driving in winds, mountains, traffic! It really is easy but you just have to be ready for anything! Last year I bought my C (Born Free--24') and it's wonderful. My dog (stays in a crate) and I traveled for one month along highway 66 from CA to Oklahoma City and then south and west...4,500 miles! It was fun researching my route. I was able to visit with friends I hadn't seen in years.

Regarding the dog: I always travel with his medical papers. He has been chipped since a puppy (he's 1-1/2 yrs. old). Having to keep him in a hot RV is a BIG concern...just relying on A/C is not smart as it's not uncommon for a campground to lose power, etc. I bought a battery powered fan (Ryobi) that is WONDERFUL!

Campgrounds: I mostly stay at KOA's...never, never stay at the one in Abilene...like a dirty trailer park! There is a KOA (Oklahoma-EAST) that is great...you get off the freeway and are all of a sudden in a pine studded forest! Go to the "Roads and Routes" forum...it's very informative.

Have fun...go slowly, get off the highways, do your research...happy trails!

bsinmich wrote:
Why a C over an A. If you have no experience look at all the options first. If you plan a lot of travel you will want more storage. With an A you get a lot more storage plus bigger tanks. Mileage is not much different with a gas A either.

However, there are many places an A can't go that a C can!

Get some "practice" in before making a major trip.

Take your pets for short runs in the RV, for example when you go get propane, etc. Make it fun. I took our Zoë on such trips when she was a puppy, and made a big happy deal out of it each time. She quickly turned into an excellent traveller, always looking forward to the next exciting place the camper takes her.

Similarly, take the pets on that first shake-down trip. A 1-2 night camp to practice how to behave around the campsite, how/where to sleep at night.

You all need to know how to work together to make the experience fun. :)

Our dog Charles is chipped and we had a similar experience to what dogfolks did.

Charles got out for about 20 minutes. Neighbor down the street called animal control and they brought him straight home with a comment about what a good dog he is. Chips just make sense.

Jose

pompomgirl wrote:
Be aware that chips don't necessarily stay where they are put. A vet told us that one of our dogs had no chip, and we knew absolutely that we had given him one. Turns out it had migrated down to the bottom of one front leg! Most people looking for one wouldn't look there! He now has two, with one where it's supposed to be, on his back.

That is true with the older chips. The newer ones do not move nearly as much, but it is possible.

Any true animal professional is trained to check the whole animal, from the foot up. Even if the chip moves, it still works.

Be aware that chips don't necessarily stay where they are put. A vet told us that one of our dogs had no chip, and we knew absolutely that we had given him one. Turns out it had migrated down to the bottom of one front leg! Most people looking for one wouldn't look there! He now has two, with one where it's supposed to be, on his back.