Keeping 5th wheel cool while traveling with dogs

Ever wonder how dogsledders get their dogs and sled to a race? Check this out: truck pictures and you'll find chassis mount dog boxes, 5th wheels, etc. Note that some dog sledders live in the upper Midwest and compete in AK.

Do I really need yo find you examples of where animals are transported long distances in these types of trucks by animal welfare or control groups?

BCSnob wrote:
Miami Dade animal services and the aspca must think pets can be transported in 5th wheels with appropriate modifications/precautions.

Animal control departments all over the country have figured out how to transport pets in the back of pickup trucks; why can't RVers?

Maybe OK for them but they must not go far or fast because their schedule has them never leaving Miami.

Not a 5er and not a dog, but if we want to take our cat with us, he has to ride in the TT. I've posted before how he gets motion sickness and vomits and poos all over everything, but rides good in the TT in the shower with the glass door closed with his litter pan.

But, with Summer on right now, and today we traveled in 96 degree temperatures across Illinois, we paid very careful attention to the temperature in the camper.

First, we have an indoor out door wireless thermometer we use to monitor the temperature in the camper when in the truck.

Second, we found out if we open all the exhaust vents (3 of them) and turn on the bathroom exhaust fan, even in that 96 degree outside temperature, the inside of the camper maintained about 80 degrees. Yea it was a little stuffy, but not hot. The cat did just fine today in the shower, but was really ready to come out every time we stopped and used the potty!

We also left one of the rear windows slightly cracked to help create a bit of air flow. I think it worked, because today was the hottest day we've ever traveled with the cat in the camper since we started do this. The cat absolutely cannot ride in the truck, or in a crate. He vomits and poos and nothing worse that smelling cat poo and cleaning it off cat fur when your barrelling down the road at 60 mph and no where to pull over. It's quite smelly and unpleasant.

(FYI, our dog rides in the truck with us. He so chilled out it's pathetic!)

When I was growing up the dog always rode in the back of the truck. Heck I've rode in the back for a hundred miles with no cap.

Miami Dade animal services and the aspca must think pets can be transported in 5th wheels with appropriate modifications/precautions.

Animal control departments all over the country have figured out how to transport pets in the back of pickup trucks; why can't RVers?

X2 you never ever no what can happen.

sch911 wrote:
IMHO: It's never an acceptable solution to transport living things in the 5er!

IMHO it's also never acceptable to transport living things in the bed of a pickup without a cap and even then it is questionable. If one doesn't agree one should have a go for a couple hundred miles and see how much they enjoy it.

If the fifth wheel does not have a generator, there is no way to keep it cool. It gets extremely hot in the fivers without a/c...

IMHO: It's never an acceptable solution to transport living things in the 5er!