By Stacey Wittig
Now that we are deep into the Dog Days of Summer, you may be ready to escape the most stifling period of the season. Of course, RV camping with your favorite four-legged traveling companions is one way to get away. But, before you go, here are some road-proven tips from pet-loving RVing experts:
Invest in a collapsible impact crate that is easily stored flat when not in use.
“Some people may be apprehensive to travel, especially full time with a large dog, but our Vacationer provides us ample space to all live comfortably,” says Kristi Stevens about RVing with her family, including Ruko the Golden Re-triever. “We have a large bed for him in front of the fireplace and even have room for a 40” collapsible crate that we can put in the front or back of the coach.”
The dog-loving family lives out of a 2017 Holiday Rambler Vacationer®, 36H. In a recent media release, they also recommend double-checking that the campground where you want to stay is pet-friendly. “Most are, but some don’t allow big dogs or dogs at all,” reports Kristi of Aventurtunity Family, who blogs about their adventures at Ad-venturtunityFamily.com
Take time to train your canine traveling companions.
“Take time to train your dogs. If they’re not well-behaved at home, they definitely won’t be well behaved in new environments,” Scott and Sophia Murray advise in the same media release. They RV with two Golden Retrievers, Gaston and Sven, and their cat Holly Hox.
“If your dog is allowed on your couch or bed at home, plan for that in your motorhome,” states Scott. “Gaston and Sven love to sprawl out on the floor wherever we are, whether that’s at home or in the motorhome. Because of that, we made sure we found a motorhome with a king bed, expandable sectional couch, and opposing slide-outs. We didn’t want to feel like we were constantly walking through an obstacle course [while] traveling with them.”
The Murrays chose a 2016 Holiday Rambler Endeavor® 40DP as their mobile getaway home. Follow @GastonTheGolden on Instagram.
Identify and close any interior passageways that might tempt Kitty to explore
“We learned [that] the hard way,” says Charity DeVries, who enjoys full-time RV life with her family, Great Pyrenes, and two cats. “After a day of travel, we pulled into our campground and heard a faint meow. KitKat had found a gap at the front of the RV and had been sitting on the generator the entire time we were driving that day. She was just fine, but it was another lesson learned.”
Charity and her husband share YouTube videos about traveling in their 2004 Fleetwood RV Discovery® 39J at GratefulGlamper.com. Likewise, Charity warns you to locate your cats before putting the slides in or out.
Stomp your feet when entering your motorhome
“When entering or leaving the motorhome, stomp your feet or make some sort of noise to make sure the cats aren’t at the door waiting to bolt out,” suggests Wendy Gaynor, who travels solo with three cats, Cleocatra, Zipper, and Miranda.
The 72-year-old drives a 43’ American Eagle® luxury motorhome from American Coach. She also advocates mi-crochipping your pet in case they get out at a fuel stop or campground.
“When traveling, remember that cats are not tourists. They do not need to see the scenery and would rather be in their own small, cozy space,” advises Wendy. “Make their cat carrier warm and inviting by putting a towel or blanket in it.”
Stacey Wittig is a travel writer who calls Flagstaff home. Find more ways to simplify travel at unstoppables-taceytravel.com
SIDEBAR
TAKE SMART TECH ON RV TRIPS
Keep track of the nearest emergency veterinary hospital at vcahospitals.com
Get a Waggle RV Pet Temperature Monitor, which sends texts or email alerts about potentially unsafe condi-tions for your pet. “The best part is no Wi-Fi is needed since it uses cellular data,” says Charity and Ben DeVries.
Use the BringFido app or bringfido.com to find dog-friendly restaurants and destinations.
Filter hiking paths by “Dog Friendly” on the AllTrails app, and bring a leash.
