Keeping pets cool while you're away

[DABZ]

We will be traveling with our pets in possibly very high temperatures, and as we're total newbies, want to make sure we're taking proper steps. Is it necessary to have 2 ac units or is 1 sufficient? We know to keep the shades down and all that but we'll be away for up to 8 hrs at a time and need to make sure our pets are safe in case of a malfunction or power outage. TIA!

[jplante4]

Bumpyroad wrote:
what if the electricity goes out? since my vacation home has a land line the first link would be sufficient and would it work to plug it into an APC?
bumpy

The home sitter has a battery backup and also calls if the power goes out. Of course that does you no good if the wireless adapter can't call out, but your landline would be alive.

I have this setup at home right now (low temp at 45°) but I also have a standby propane fueled Generac. The only reason I picked up the wireless adapter is because Verizon wanted $90 a month to keep the landline alive. The adapter is only $20 a month.

[Lantley]

I don't full time But I am a frequent weekend warrior. I camp with my dog at all times. The dog can stay for 8 hours in the RV without issue. He is home alone all day while we work on a routine basis.
The dog is very much part of the family, however I really don't worry about the A/C failing.
I imagine if I full timed I might have some sort of monitor/camera. But for now I simply don't worry about the dog while we are gone. We are seldom gone for 8 hours however we are generally gone for a few hours every trip. The dog is comfortable being left alone

[Terryallan]

Allworth wrote:
Are you talking about the same dog that chooses to go out in 90 degree Florida humidity and lie in the sun for an hour at a time because he seems to enjoy supervising the backyard wildlife?

Another thought: Who turns on the A/C for the wolves at Yellowstone?

Yep Yep. Must be the same guy that turns on the heat for them in the winter.

[Naio]

I should probably mention that I don't camp in hot places or humid ones.

My hottest kitty-in-rv days were when we were at our S&B this summer and he was taking afternoon naps in the van. I checked the thermometer often, and of course he could come out if he wanted to!

It was a good chance to see how things went with the fans, though.

[GordonThree]

i keep it simple. if I'm going somewhere I'll be away from my dog for long periods of time (8 hrs is LONG), I get him a room at PetSmart Pet Hotel.

Otherwise, he goes where I go, and if pets aren't allowed, then f-them I just don't see whatever they think is so special that dogs aren't allowed and they can miss out on my entrance fee / business.

[Allworth]

Are you talking about the same dog that chooses to go out in 90 degree Florida humidity and lie in the sun for an hour at a time because he seems to enjoy supervising the backyard wildlife?

Another thought: Who turns on the A/C for the wolves at Yellowstone?

[rekoj71]

People leave dogs at home alone for 8 or more hours all the time. Leaving mine at a kennel all week where they would be locked up in a cage most of the day, away from anything familiar, with people she doesn't know, would be way more traumatizing on her than leaving her in an RV for 8 hours a couple of times a week ever would be. That said...

I have two thermostatically controlled 12v vent fans that will automatically open and vent the hot air out when the temperature gets warm in the RV. Is it the same as having the air conditioner going, of course not, but even when the RV has been in storage in the Florida heat, when even just the vent fans are running the inside temp stays cool enough to not be a problem even for me, and since I see dogs kept outside on those same days it shouldn't be a problem for her to be in there even if the power did go out.

[Dutch_12078]

Old-Biscuit wrote:

Dutch_12078 wrote:
Most RV parks with "No unattended pets" rules refer to leaving the pet tied up outside of the RV, but some do include leaving them inside as well. It's worth checking with the office to make sure you're in compliance before leaving them if the rule is not clear. Whenever we left our dog in the coach for more than an hour or so, we always made sure the park office had our cell numbers, and we usually gave them to a neighbor as well, just in case any issues came up while we were away.

Did you leave the door unlocked?

Depending on the area, the door was either left unlocked or we left a key with the office or a neighbor if we were comfortable with them. In the 16 years our dog RV'ed with us, we never had any issue with her. We were accused by a park manager last spring though, of letting her run loose and threaten people the day after we arrived at a new park. When I showed him the vet bill from just a week earlier where we had paid for her cremation, the park manager was very apologetic. Apparently someone else's off leash dog had run under our coach while we were away, so people assumed it was ours without checking first, and complained.

[darsben]

DABZ wrote:
Anyone know a ballpark price on prepping a 41 ft 5th wheel with a generator as a back up?

If the dogs need A/c to survive in the rig then they should not be alone in the rig.

If it is hot and things fail the DOGS MAY DIE and it WOULD BE YOUR FAULT.
Hope I am being plain enough

[Terryallan]

Quest. Why, IF you are planning on leaving the animals in the trailer for that long, would you want to take them with you.? I wouldn't do my dog that way. Saw it done one week. Dog was miserable all week when left in the TT for 8 hours or more at a time. Felt so sorry for Coco. got her revenge though. Destroyed the inside of the new TT.

[bukhrn]

DABZ wrote:
Anyone know a ballpark price on prepping a 41 ft 5th wheel with a generator as a back up?

They usually come prepped for a generator, but very few if any 5'ers ever come with a generator.

[azdryheat]

For starters, we try not to rv in the extreme heat but sometimes it can't be avoided. We have 3 A/C's and each room is tied to an A/C via a thermostat sensor for that room. We set each room to a temperature and let the A/C's do their thing. We have been known to be gone up to 8 hours on motorcycle rides or other excursions. Our two Malte-poos do fine while we're gone.

[DABZ]

Anyone know a ballpark price on prepping a 41 ft 5th wheel with a generator as a back up?

[Deb_and_Ed_M]

A couple of thoughts:

What color is your RV? If it's white, you might be surprised at how long it takes to get uncomfortably-hot without the A/C running. If it's a dark color, it's going to heat up quickly, unless it's heavily shaded. You can cut Reflectix insulation (like bubble-wrap, with foil faces) to fit in the windows that will be facing the sun, to help keep it cooler, too. Just sitting out in a field with the windows covered in Reflectix, our white 5er never got above the ambient temperature during a Michigan summer with temps in the 90's; and usually felt about 10 degrees cooler, IMO.

What breed/type are your pets? A short-faced dog like a Shih-Tzu will overheat before a long-nosed Poodle will.

I agree with Naio, if your pets have access to water and a cool breeze via 12v, they should be able to endure a loss of power. On a hot day, maybe have a neighbor simply listen to make sure they hear the A/C running from time to time?