RVing with Pets

[CaitySue]

Hi,
I am new to this site, and new to RVing...so new that we haven't purchased our RV yet ;). We are currently looking at various models to see what we like and don't like. We are even heading out now to check out an RV show. We know we want a gas-powered Class A, with Tiffin being high on our list (we are hoping to purchase a "gently-used" RV.) We are also going to check into Thousand Trails, KOA, and any others that might be out there (suggestions ALWAYS welcome!).

I don't know if this is the right forum in which to pose my question, but here it is:

How many of you RV with your pets? We have one large dog, 2 small dogs and 2 cats. We will be living in the RV for about 4-6 months to start. The 2 small dogs both get carsick when traveling in a car, but I'm hoping the "feel" will be different in a motorhome. Anyone experience dogs getting carsick in a car, but not in an RV? The large dog (German Shepherd) is a seasoned car traveler. The cats have not been in a car before, except when they were taken to be neutered, so I have no clue how they will behave. They will be outfitted with collars and leashes so they can be let out to stretch their legs.

Please don't flame me if I've posted something in the wrong place - I'm new to this group and don't know all the ins and outs yet.

CaitySue

[CaitySue]

Locooso wrote:
We have 2 NewFoundland dogs (150# each), who both have had major leg surgeries & cannot climb stairs into our travel trailer. I am looking for an affordable access ramp to purchase, or for my husband to build. Have any of you had similar issues? Have you come up with an answer for your beloved pets?

Our German Shepherd is beginning to have mobility/hip issues - the vet believes this is due to her being overweight (DH just can't help but overfeed them with treats - we call him the Pez dispenser!) I bought a ramp for our car, but it's probably not big enough for the motorhome. I will either build one or look online, depending on what kind of time I have.

Caity Sue

[CaitySue]

GizmosMom wrote:
We travel with just one dog. We favor state parks, National Forest Service (NFS) Campgrounds and Corp of Engineer (COE) parks. I search extensively for our campgrounds and I have found a few of those mentioned above with full hook-ups but most have water and electricity only. Most have dump stations available if no individual sewer hook-up.

I use recreation.gov for the NFS and COE and the individual state park websites for state parks.

Most COE parks just say "domestic pets" allowed. Also, if you are 62 or older you can obtain a senior pass and the cost is half price. I recently booked a full hookup site on a lake in Illinois for just $10.00 per night!

Happy and safe travels!

Thank you! At one time we had 3 Shih Tzus (they have all since passed). They are such awesome little dogs! We still miss them very much. We did get our Senior Pass (I am not old enough, but hubby is, thank goodness) on last Friday (just before the price quadrupled) so I'm excited to have that. We will have to learn all about hookups, sewer stuff, etc. We are TOTAL newbies to the RV life....and I can't wait to experience it. I have purchased several books on RVing, etc. Praying our house will sell quickly so we can start this next chapter in our lives.

Caity Sue

[CaitySue]

Old-Biscuit wrote:
5 pets..3 dogs....1 German Shepherd ----that is going to be very limiting due to the very common/typical 2 PET limit plus the 'Shepherd' being on the 'agressive breed' list that Ins. Underwriters like to include in CG owners policies.


SO that leaves State/National parks....no pet restrictions BUT limited to 2 weeks max stays AND High Capacity Use...especially if parks are near anything.
Reservations can be 6 mos/1 yr out.

Fairgrounds have RV sites......unless an event is going on
Some city parks. And if member of Elks, Moose, American Legion, VFW.......some facilities have RV spots for overnighting

Best to check ahead of time with prospective CG to what their pet policies are.

http://www.dogfriendly.com/server/travel/guides/camp/camp.shtml

https://www.bringfido.com/lodging/campgrounds/

As to the 'car sickness' issues.......MHs rock/roll just like cars.
Might be even more enhanced feeling.

Crates!


Good luck.

Thank you! I am a member of the I.O.O.F (Odd Fellows) but I don't know if we have any lodges that would have facilities for an RV...something to look into. Thanks for that tip. This is quite the educational experience, to be sure!

[CaitySue]

DutchmenSport wrote:
We have in the past traveled with all kinds of animals, many times, many at a time.

In the past we traveled with 2 pet chickens, rabbit, 3 different birds, 2 dogs, 2 cats, Iguana, Turtle, Fish, mice, hamster, and a prairie dog. 2 kids, and 2 adults. Never had a problem anywhere.

Thank goodness, we are now down to ONLY 1 dog and 1 cat and no kids any more. Traveling is so much easier now.

What a menagerie! I think 1 dog and 1 cat is the perfect number....and small dogs might be easier. Lily is getting up there in years (she will be 11 in February) and so this might be her only season to travel with us....not a happy thought. The 2 cats aren't friends with each other, so I'm sure I'll be crating one and then the other...better yet, maybe this will force them to finally get along.

Sue

[CaitySue]

Campinghoss@51 wrote:
Ours started going with us from the very beginning. They have never been car sick. You have received some good advice. I would start them on trips very close to home limiting the time they spend travelling and in the camper. I would tend to think if you take them on an extended trip from the onset it may cause them more problems getting use to travelling.
It may take several close trips but play your cards correctly and they should adapt very well.

That is what I am hoping and praying for!\

Sue

[CaitySue]

CaitySue wrote:

bukhrn wrote:

CaitySue wrote:

bukhrn wrote:
That's quite a menagerie you have there, we only have one, a long haired Dachshund, he's never been sick in car or RV, he loves to ride.
You have named two of the most expensive places to stay, but that's OK, we all camp/RV differently, as far as your extended family, Old Biscuit has it, State and Federal Parks may be your best bet, but few have hookups and as said, you are restricted to 14 day stays in most cases.

I listed those 2 because they are the only ones I've heard of. I'm open to hearing about more campgrounds, that's for sure. As I stated, we are SO new to RVing. Went to an RV show today to see what we like/don't like. Lots of research to do!

There are State Parks, National Parks, National Forests, Corp Of Engineers (COE), those are generally much cheaper than the private CG's, There are several discount clubs, We use Passport America, Good Sam, and the America The Beautiful Senior Pass. Just something else to research. Good Luck

''

Thank you for that information. I will start researching. Do you have a park# or name so I can put you down as the person who referred us to passportamerica?

We got our Senior Pass last Friday before the price quadrupled! One more thing to check off my list 🙂

Sue

[CaitySue]

JohnG3 wrote:
We travel with an undisclosed number of small rescued dogs. First with a 5th wheel RV. The furry kids see us hooking up to the 5er they find their sleeping spots and nap until we stop for fuel and/or getting rid of too much coffee. Very few campgrounds have given us any grief over the dogs.

Now we now have a Tiffin 40 footer and the dogs have adapted in short order. They seem happier as there are more places to nap than in the back seat of the truck. Saw a Tiffin in a campground with a dog and a cat. The owners made a cat balcony. Removed the screen on one window and secured a lightweight metal cage on the outside of the RV. The cat could use the outdoor "patio" at will while they were set up. They also reported no problems with the pets at campgrounds.

I have seen those "cattios" and I think it's a great idea! I have 2 cats...and unfortunately they are not friends with each other. BTW, I LOVE your tag line regarding guns! Hubby and I are gun enthusiasts 🙂

Sue

[CaitySue]

myredracer wrote:

Locooso wrote:
I am looking for an affordable access ramp to purchase, or for my husband to build.

Google "dog ramp" along with "RV" or "travel trailer" or "fifth wheel" and along with "handicapped ramp" or "wheelchair ramp". Then click on images for lots and lots of ideas and sources.

It will depend somewhat on high the floor is off the ground as that will affect the slope. Slope would depend on degree of incapacitation of the dogs. If you happened to have two entry doors, one could be just for the dogs. Would also depend on if you travel around much and need to set up and take down the ramp a lot. Weight could be a consideration too.

We used to have a plastic dog ramp that extended for use for our car. Came with an indoor/outdoor carpet for better grip. Depending on how skilled your hubby is, I'd look at making one. Aluminum would be nice but isn't for the average hobbyist (for welding) and steel could end up being rather heavy. Wood might be the way to go plus if it doesn't work quite right, it's easy to modify.

The one in this photo is from an rv.net post in 2011. Wouldn't work in CGs that have sites close together. Also, there's no handrail for humans and the ramp looks bouncy.

Lily (the GS dog) is going to be 11 years old in February, so the ramp will be a great idea. I'm the builder in the family ... DH usually takes a nap when I start a project 🙂

Sue

[CaitySue]

myredracer wrote:
We have one dog. For the first time ever, we took him on a 3 week trip and to date have only taken him one the occasional weekend trip. Worked out great and it was nice to mostly just hang out in the CGs for a change. Dogs and cats are very common at CGs all over the place. He's getting older and sleeps a LOT now and isn't hyperactive like he used to be so is much easier to have with us.

Biggest problem with a dog(s) is that you can't go sightseeing, shopping or whatever any time you want. When grocery shopping, one of stays in the truck while the other goes inside. In the past, we've used a doggy daycare on occasion which has been good but it's always been the same place and we trust them. Good excuse to drop him off for a haircut too. Many RV-ers put out a temporary fenced area outside their RV but would depend on the particular dog(s). Some cat owners use one of those long tube things connected to the entry door.

Obviously RVs have all sorts of floor plans. We have an enclosed bedroom with about 1 1/2' from foot of bed to wall and that is the only place in our TT for a dog bed. DW has to be careful not to step on him in the night. But he does invite himself onto the bed occasionally. 🙂 You might want to consider sleeping arrangements for pets when shopping for a new RV and maybe even where to store pet food and where to put down water and food bowls. I installed a sheet of lexan in the lower part of our entry door in case our dog ever decided to chase after something but he likes to sit at the door with it wide open though so he can see, sniff and here what's going on outside. There is a spot that we can tie his leash to near the door.

We are Thousand Trails members and like their CGs. They're all dog friendly that we've seen. Some California CGs might be rather hot in the summer to have dogs outside? Some Thousand Trails CGs have fenced dog runs and they strictly enforce their leash rule.

We used to be members of another CG org. in Wa. & Or. and they did not enforce their leash rule. Our dog even got attacked by an off-leash bulldog there. Someone DW knows at work got his family jewels chomped by a bulldog at the same CG and had to get stitches. We think it was the same dog. The CG did NOTHING. That was one big reason that we eventually sold the membership there.

A Thousand Trails membership is a very economical way to RV, that is if you can live with the occasional low voltage problems, lack of 50 amp pedestals and often, a lack of sewer hookups. Their CGs are usually several decades or more old and not up to "modern" standards. Doesn't bother us in the slightest. There are many high end MHs at them.

If interested in a Thousand Trails membership, forget about buying one directly from them. You can find them on CL for around $1,000 or less and can buy one from anyone in the US. We got ours from someone in Arizona for $800 (plus annual dues) and it is a top of the line membership. You need to get the membership number from a seller and then phone head office to find out what the features and benefits are because membership contracts are all different. There is usually a max stay of 2 weeks in a CG and a max. length of time you need to be out of the system unless you get one of the premium memberships. You could also buy a one-year zone pass from them to try them out (around $500). There are also other CG orgs. out there. If planning to travel much, look at where there CGs are located. Thousand Trails has none in the central area of the US. Casinos can be a good place to stay and usually have good power, water and full sewer hookups and don't cost much if at all.

We stayed in a Thousand Trails in Morgan Hill (near Gilroy) last summer. Nice CG but hotter than Hades and most folks were inside with the AC going full tilt. Awfully hot for taking a pet outside. It's shut down this year due to being flood-damaged (after years of no rain).

We stayed in a Thousand Trails in Chehalis, Wa. a couple of weeks ago and it is the nicest CG we've ever been to (except no sewer and voltage was low). About 360 acres in a beautiful forested setting with most sites spaced well apart. Lots of dogs there and great place to take them for a walk.

I think you'll find that membership CGs get RV-ers that are more respectful of others and also their pets.

Low voltage can be solved by using a Hughes autoformer. Make sure to get a Progressive Industries EMS if you plan to get around much. If you need AC to keep pets cool, you need to do what you can to make sure power won't go out on you.

Thank you for such a well written and informative response. I had NO idea you could purchase the Thousand Trails membership through a previous owner. That is SO good to know! I don't know what a Hughes autoformer is, or a Progressive Industries EMS....lol We plan to spend 4-6 months travelling in the beginning. More if we end up loving it! The plan is to travel every winter, though.

[CaitySue]

Campinghoss@51 wrote:
Ours started going with us from the very beginning. They have never been car sick. You have received some good advice. I would start them on trips very close to home limiting the time they spend travelling and in the camper. I would tend to think if you take them on an extended trip from the onset it may cause them more problems getting use to travelling.
It may take several close trips but play your cards correctly and they should adapt very well.

I think this is a very sound plan!Thank you

[FunnyCamper]

flashdrbob wrote:
And watch your water supply, for diarrhea likely when you change water on them.

So true. We finally figured this one out about 6 months ago and our dog has been traveling with us for 6 yrs so far 🙂
I always gave him bottled water on the trip, but he still 'got mushy' and hubby said, bottle up our well water and bring on the trip and we did and NO poops at all. What a nice change that has been!

[JohnG3]

We travel with an undisclosed number of small rescued dogs. First with a 5th wheel RV. The furry kids see us hooking up to the 5er they find their sleeping spots and nap until we stop for fuel and/or getting rid of too much coffee. Very few campgrounds have given us any grief over the dogs.

Now we now have a Tiffin 40 footer and the dogs have adapted in short order. They seem happier as there are more places to nap than in the back seat of the truck. Saw a Tiffin in a campground with a dog and a cat. The owners made a cat balcony. Removed the screen on one window and secured a lightweight metal cage on the outside of the RV. The cat could use the outdoor "patio" at will while they were set up. They also reported no problems with the pets at campgrounds.

[CaitySue]

flashdrbob wrote:
Strong rec for crates. Motion sickness usually less likely in a large motorhome because the dogs don't need to be looking out the windows. You want good harnesses for the cats, the figure 8 versions that tighten when the cat pulls so they won't slip off like a collar will. Microchip. The best car sick med is Cerenia tabs at your veterinarian. Up to date on Rabies vaccine and Lepto, and consider good flea/tick control for the dogs, i.e. Bravecto and heart worm prevention. Revolution on the cats. Carry plenty of food if on special diets as they may not be available in other parts of the country. Your shepherd will be more protective in a campground environment, so watch for that. The little ones will bark more. And watch your water supply, for diarrhea likely when you change water on them.

Thank you for some excellent suggestions! I ordered some natural medicine online that is supposed to help with anxiety and motion sickenss. If that doesn't work I will have the vet prescribe Cerenia.

Sue

[myredracer]

Locooso wrote:
I am looking for an affordable access ramp to purchase, or for my husband to build.

Google "dog ramp" along with "RV" or "travel trailer" or "fifth wheel" and along with "handicapped ramp" or "wheelchair ramp". Then click on images for lots and lots of ideas and sources.

It will depend somewhat on high the floor is off the ground as that will affect the slope. Slope would depend on degree of incapacitation of the dogs. If you happened to have two entry doors, one could be just for the dogs. Would also depend on if you travel around much and need to set up and take down the ramp a lot. Weight could be a consideration too.

We used to have a plastic dog ramp that extended for use for our car. Came with an indoor/outdoor carpet for better grip. Depending on how skilled your hubby is, I'd look at making one. Aluminum would be nice but isn't for the average hobbyist (for welding) and steel could end up being rather heavy. Wood might be the way to go plus if it doesn't work quite right, it's easy to modify.

The one in this photo is from an rv.net post in 2011. Wouldn't work in CGs that have sites close together. Also, there's no handrail for humans and the ramp looks bouncy.