Motorhome vs travel trailer for cross country with pets??

[Tortiemctortiep]

Hello!
I have been trying to research the pros and cons of each and am finding myself getting more confused!

I am planning on relocating from VA to WA next summer, and also taking the summer to explore along the way (I work in schools so have my summers free). I will be moving with my pets (two medium dogs, a cat, 4 small birds, a bunny, a tortoise, and a snake).

Safety is my biggest concern, both for my pets (needing to have climate controlled places for them to be) and myself (as a woman traveling alone), but I don’t know which option would be the safest option...

A motorhome would be climate controlled, but I can probably only afford an older one (I have seen some mid-1990s to early 2000s listed that could possibly be in my price range), and I worry about how reliable they would be going over mountain passes, and if they did break down the ease of getting them repaired (finding parts, etc.). Also if it broke down and I had no ac, how to keep the pets cool in the meantime... unless I kept my current vehicle (Nissan Rogue) to tow behind and loaded them in there.

I have read that a travel trailer could possibly be rigged up with a generator in the bed of the towing truck to be climate controlled while driving, but I would have to buy a truck capable of towing a travel trailer. With a crew cab at least some of the pets could ride with me in the tow vehicle and be transferred to the trailer at night. A newer truck would be a big stretch on my finances, but might possibly be more reliable and easier to have fixed if broken down? I was initially considering an SUV with a travel trailer, but I have been told that the transmission wouldn’t be able to handle that much towing and that a full size truck would be best.

I would appreciate any and all suggestions from experienced travelers!!

[dedmiston]

Toughts...

Travel Trailer: Definitely don't travel with your animals in the trailer. Even the most substantial trailers are bouncy nightmares for animals. Sensitive animals like birds, bunnies, and turtles won't survive this daily punishment.

RV Rental: The cost will be prohibitive. A friend of mine rented a small Class C to relocate to Orlando and between the mileage and the five days rental it cost her over $3k. I can't imagine what it would cost if you took your time and enjoyed yourself, but it would probably be cheaper to buy something.

A van with a small travel trailer sounds like the safest option for your pets and the most affordable option for you. "Car camping" out of the van would be even cheaper, but not as safe for you.

[coolmom42]

Gdetrailer wrote:

Tortiemctortiepants wrote:

I am planning on relocating from VA to WA next summer, and also taking the summer to explore along the way (I work in schools so have my summers free). I will be moving with my pets (two medium dogs, a cat, 4 small birds, a bunny, a tortoise, and a snake).

I would appreciate any and all suggestions from experienced travelers!!

I am going to sound a bit harsh, no way to make it sugar coated..

Re-Home at a min the small birds, bunny, tortoise and snake, you CAN replace them when you get to your final more permanent destination. While they can travel, it seems to me it would be a real pain to deal with.

Cat and dogs typically for the most part tend to travel OK and are less of an issue for care when traveling a long,long distance or long time provided they love being in a vehicle.

But two dogs and a cat can become a handful quickly if they are not acclimated to traveling.

When I was a kid, we did take a cat and at one point my Grandmothers dog, cat fared much better than the dog.. The cat would simply find a comfy spot behind a seat or in a dark place and sleep(once got into a lower cabinet below the stove and we thought we had lost it at a stop, took a couple of hrs to find and dig it out of the cabinet) ..

The dog, well, not so much, would fuss a lot.. Didn't like to be couped up.

As far as renting a RV, yeah, I would think that would void the rental contract and might be costly to you if the rental place decides your pets may have caused damage (they will figure out that you had pets from cat, dog, bunny fir along with bird feathers floating around).

This.

[Gdetrailer]

Tortiemctortiepants wrote:

I am planning on relocating from VA to WA next summer, and also taking the summer to explore along the way (I work in schools so have my summers free). I will be moving with my pets (two medium dogs, a cat, 4 small birds, a bunny, a tortoise, and a snake).

I would appreciate any and all suggestions from experienced travelers!!

I am going to sound a bit harsh, no way to make it sugar coated..

Re-Home at a min the small birds, bunny, tortoise and snake, you CAN replace them when you get to your final more permanent destination. While they can travel, it seems to me it would be a real pain to deal with.

Cat and dogs typically for the most part tend to travel OK and are less of an issue for care when traveling a long,long distance or long time provided they love being in a vehicle.

But two dogs and a cat can become a handful quickly if they are not acclimated to traveling.

When I was a kid, we did take a cat and at one point my Grandmothers dog, cat fared much better than the dog.. The cat would simply find a comfy spot behind a seat or in a dark place and sleep(once got into a lower cabinet below the stove and we thought we had lost it at a stop, took a couple of hrs to find and dig it out of the cabinet) ..

The dog, well, not so much, would fuss a lot.. Didn't like to be couped up.

As far as renting a RV, yeah, I would think that would void the rental contract and might be costly to you if the rental place decides your pets may have caused damage (they will figure out that you had pets from cat, dog, bunny fir along with bird feathers floating around).

[CFerguson]

I forget the name of the group but there is a female only RV club (or few?) out there. you may want to look into them re the safety aspect.

I also like the large van and rent a MH iideas previously expressed for the trip. But if you have a truck with a large enough cab, you can pull a trailer and let the pets ride in the truck, perhaps in their own crates.

[DrewE]

I agree that a van is a good option. Cargo (and passenger) vans often are quite capable tow vehicles with decent payload ratings, unlike many SUVs and some pickup trucks.

A motorhome would be another reasonable option. In the event of a breakdown, you can run the roof air conditioner from the generator without needing the vehicle to be operational. Of course, that doesn't work too well if your "breakdown" is running out of gas. A motorhome also won't heat up as quickly in the sun as a car. In terms of repair service availability, it's true that there are more auto garages around, but repair facilities for larger vehicles are not extraordinarily rare either. A class C motorhome (built on a stretched van chassis) will be a bit easier to get repaired than a class A, though probably not by a huge margin.

Chassis problems are relatively rare if you have reasonable preventative maintenance--things like making sure the brakes are in good order, etc. More common are difficulties with the house parts of an RV, most of which needn't bring a trip to an immediate halt. A malfunctioning interior light or even a dead fridge isn't the end of the world.

Some campgrounds may not permit you to camp with all your animals.

[Grit_dog]

Mickeyfan0805 wrote:

time2roll wrote:
Rent a MH for the summer. Probably a class C.

I may be mistaken, but it's hard for me to imagine that a rental contract would allow for all of those animals.

If this is truly something you want to do, I tend to think that those suggesting a van are likely most on point. Trailers bounce, a lot - I can't imagine most of those animals would do very well back there. If you can't fit them all in a crew cab, a van is your next best choice.

I wouldn't want to rent it afterwards....lol.
Besides, renting for a couple months is EXPENSIVE and sounds like OP isn't made o money, so least expensive overall is the best ROI once the trip is done.
Van (or Suburban/Expedition/Excursion, but van is best, cargo van) and a little TT. Best bang for buck vehicle and small TTs can be had very reasonably.

[Mickeyfan0805]

time2roll wrote:
Rent a MH for the summer. Probably a class C.

I may be mistaken, but it's hard for me to imagine that a rental contract would allow for all of those animals.

If this is truly something you want to do, I tend to think that those suggesting a van are likely most on point. Trailers bounce, a lot - I can't imagine most of those animals would do very well back there. If you can't fit them all in a crew cab, a van is your next best choice.

[valhalla360]

*Is the plan one trip across country with the menagerie? Or will you take them each summer when you travel?

If it's a one time trip, I wouldn't let the animals drive the RV choice.

There's a reason kids are mandated to be belted in...applies similarly to animals. Each should be in a small secure cage while traveling.

A full size van pulling a trailer would be a good option as there is plenty of space for pet crates but even a 4 door pickup could easily be outfitted.

When looking at small motorhomes, consider where you could put those crates without it being a big hassle moving around them all the time....of course with that many animals, it's always going to be a hassle regardless of RV type.

[Crowe]

time2roll wrote:
Rent a MH for the summer. Probably a class C.

I have a tendency to agree with this, unless you plan on using the unit for pleasure afterwards. If yes, I would suggest you buy what you can afford in a Class C type unit as it's not advisable to leave pets in a tow-behind unit while under travel.

[wa8yxm]

In a trailer you are going to have your pet most likely in the tow vehicle with you. This may make things a tad.. Er.. Chummy (Close)

In the motor home I built a "Cat house" eventually the cats found a house they liked better. (I have a cat. used to have two but well cats don't last forever and Alex (the one that remains) is old enough to vote. As cats go. that's old.

[bucky]

I agree with the van travel/trailer setup for your needs.

[craig7h]

I think B.O. is on the right track for you. If you get a good med. to heavy duty van a long with a med size camping trailer you should be in great shape. You should be able to find both at good prices.

[time2roll]

Rent a MH for the summer. Probably a class C.

[Grit_dog]

Lots of things to think about here.
BTW, I dont believe Rogues are flat towable.
Relocating with a gaggle of animals, including some uhhh unconventional pets? Don’t see that as fun or easy for months on the road, but idk. What do you do with a rabbit?
I kept them in pens outdoors as a kid. Dog crate?

I’d be thinking cargo van with a little camper if I had to do this.
Keep the menagerie in the van and you get to RV in the camper without it smelling like a barnyard.
Then you can hose out and air out the van when you get to your destination and the buyer won’t know it was a rolling zoo.
Better than the animals living in a RV for months.

[navigator2346]

B.O. Plenty wrote:
Full size rear wheel drive van and a trailer.

B.O.

I think BO has the right area.