When we started our full-time RV journey, we knew right away that our dog and best friend Presley would be along for the ride. Having your dog with you while you RV is a great way to build memories with your fur baby. However, RVing with dogs does come with a few challenges. Our 10 tips to better RVing with dogs will hopefully help you and Fido enjoy the adventure.

In memory of Presley Nens

Before we begin, we want to pay homage and honor our dog, Presley. We lost Presley this week, tragically, suddenly leaving us with many questions. He did pass away in our RV while we ran a quick errand to the store. We were gone less than an hour. However, Presley was in good health. The temperature was only 70° inside our rig. We think it may have been a heart attack, as when we adopted Presley, most in his litter had known heart issues, but not Presley.

This loss has left a big hole in our hearts and our RV home. While we think we did everything right and couldn’t have prevented such a sudden loss, we got to thinking; we could do something in Presley’s honor. Our loss could help other dog owners learn how to RV with dogs. We could encourage others to take their furry best friend on adventures and live like the best days are always ahead of you.

RVing with Dogs — Presley Monroe Nens
(12/25/13 – 10/04/21)

Presley Monroe Nens
(12/25/13 – 10/04/21)

10 tips to better RVing with your best friend

1. Designate a place in your rig for your dog to travel.

If you have a class A or C, where will your dog sit while on the road? Some dogs freak out driving in class A as the motion is different from riding in a car. If you have a travel trailer, we recommend the dog ride in the truck versus the trailer. Riding in the trailer is not only illegal in most states but also can be sweltering and bumpy, not great conditions for a man’s best friend. Presley rode in the middle seat between the girls or would lay stretched out on the floor of our truck. Seat belts for pets are not required by law but maybe something to consider.

Wherever your dog rides, it’s a good idea to start with short trips to get the dog accustomed to RV travel.

2. Decide where your dog will sleep.

Is your dog crate trained? Some crates are significant in size and take up valuable RV square footage. Where will you keep the crates in your RV. Or if your dog prefers sleeping on a dog bed, where will the dog sleep?

We had a bed in the bottom of our closet in our master bedroom. Having a bed in the closet meant we kept the space free from clutter so Presley could have his own space. We also kept a dog bed in the main living area.

3. Don’t forget to pack for the dog.

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Remember, dogs come with stuff too. Whether you are full-time or are on shorter RV trips, dog food can take up space. You will need to find a designated area for the dog food. We recommend keeping it in an airtight container instead of a bag as you don’t want to attract unwanted rodents.

Ask your vet to recommend a pet food easily found at major retailers like Walmart. You don’t want to run out of food and hunt for a hard-to-find food brand while in remote areas of the country.

Dogs will need toys or kongs to keep them interested in things other than your socks or slippers. Presley’s favorite toys were always the kong stuffed animals.

Suggest a spillproof water bowl like this one that keeps you or the kids from kicking over the water bowl.

Consider having either a dog lead tie-off or pet fence for your dog to enjoy the outdoors campsite with you. Presley liked this outdoor dog bed to join us by the campfire. Never leave your dog unattended outdoors at the campsite. It’s not safe and not allowed at most campgrounds.

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4. Provide exercise and mental stimulation.

On travel days, you will need to plan for frequent potty stops with a bit of walk or exercise for your dog. For example, we liked to throw the ball a couple of times for Presley on long travel days. Some rest areas have off-leash exercise areas, and we’ve even found a few gas stations/truck stops with dog parks.

Most campgrounds have dog parks or dog walk areas. Some campgrounds, like KOA Kamp K-9 Bark Parks, provide dog play structures too for more agility-like exercise.

You can’t just put your dog outside at the campsite to do nightly business before going to bed. You will have to walk your dog first thing in the morning and just before bedtime at night.

Presley and Lennox playing in our RV. We were dog sitting Lennox.

5. Research the campground rules before you go

Some campgrounds have restrictions for the maximum amount of dogs. Some campgrounds charge for dogs. We recently stayed next to a couple with five dogs, the most I have ever seen at one campsite. Five dogs meant 5 times the barking when the owner left.

Also, some campgrounds prohibit certain breeds like Pit Bulls, Dobermans, Rottweilers, or Huskies or have size restraints up to a certain size.

The campground does not allow pets to be left unattended outside on a lead. If you do not take your dog with you when you leave a campground, you will need to make arrangements to be comfortable and not annoy other guests.

PSA: Please pick up after your dog. The most significant complaint at campgrounds is dog owners are not picking up after their dogs.

6. Decide what to do with the dog when going on activities

This point tends to be one of the most significant factors when deciding to go RVing with dogs. For example, perhaps you want to take a hike in a National Park that does not allow dogs or check out a local restaurant. Such outings may require you to leave your dog alone for a few hours at a time.

Most dogs should be OK with being left behind for a little while. After all, most dog owners leave their dogs alone at home whenever they work or run errands. So, your dog should be accustomed to being left alone for periods. Draw the blinds and play music or a sound machine to block out extra light and sound. A darker, calm RV will encourage your dog to spend more time napping and less time barking while you are away. In extreme cases, consider bark deterrents like bark collars.

Often, for the sake of the dog, it excludes boondocking locations as you can’t leave an AC running. Even if you have full hookups, you may want to consider investing in a temperature monitor, like Waggle, to alert you to extreme RV temps. If there was a power outage at a campground and the rig got too hot, you are alerted to rising temps. Much like a hot car, pets can die in hot RVs.

Check out the app Bring Fido for dog-friendly restaurants and activities.

If you are genuinely uncomfortable leaving your dog alone for a few hours, try to plan only dog-friendly activities. We found the whole state of Arizona to be dog-friendly. For example, dogs were allowed at many of the National and State Parks.

If leaving your dog is not possible, seek out a dog-sitter on Care.com to spend time with your dog while you are away. For example, the resort at Grand Canyon Railway had a doggie daycare Pet Resort for the day while their guests rode the train and visited the Grand Canyon.

Oh, the places Fido will go!

7. Prepare for the possibility that your dog could get lost

Make sure your dog is microchipped and has up to date contact information on the pet ID registration

Get a new color tag with phone numbers and rig type should the dog get lost in the campground.

This was Presley’s dog tag. His name “Presley Nens” is on the front of the tag. With our family name on our campsite sign, someone could find us and return a lost dog to us.

8. Have a plan in case an emergency should arise.

Much like human emergencies, it’s good to have a plan in place. For example, you may need to take your dog to an after-hours veterinarian hospital. If your campground doesn’t list a veterinarian, be sure to ask at check-in to quickly have a number to call in the event of an emergency. Also, make sure to know where an after-hours clinic is located as well, as chances are most emergencies happen in the middle of the night or on weekends.

What if you suddenly needed to evacuate a location? Can you evacuate the dog as well? If a tornado suddenly comes out of nowhere, will you be able to get the dog to safety? Make sure your emergency preparedness plan includes your pets. If an evacuation takes place, remember to grab the dog food and/or meds as well.

And if, God forbid, your dog dies on the road, you will need a plan too. We arrived moments before Presley’s last breath, so no vet could save him. We were able to find a beautiful final resting spot on the shores of Lake Michigan. It is never fun to think about and I am not sure we did the right thing, but we took the bumps in the road as a family.

About two hours before Presley passed. We had just set up camp and he was so happy.

9. Have a plan for dog grooming and vet care along the road.

For extended trips or full-time RVing with dogs, you will need to plan regular veterinary care or grooming.

After struggling to find independent groomers to groom Presley the first year, we finally discovered PetSmart grooming. PetSmart has an app to schedule grooming appointments weeks in advance of a location quickly. Having an app prevented a lot of the “sorry we are full” calls. In addition, pet Smart stores information such as cut preferences and shot records which expedites the process.

We winter in Florida and established a veterinarian for Presley’s annual shots and checkups. Still, you may want to look at PetSmart’s Banfield, as it is a chain that can share information and prescribe meds for pick up in cities along your routes.

Dropping off Presley at PetSmart for Grooming

10. Go slow when RVing with Dogs.

“Slow is Pro” applies not just to RVing with dogs but to all RVing. With dogs or kids, you will need more breaks for going potty or getting all the jiggles out.

We like to stick to a 3-3-3 rule. Drive no more than 300 miles which works out to be about 6 hours driving in an RV, about the max any dog or kid can go without significant breakdowns. We like to arrive by 3:00 pm as this gets you into your camping location before dark, giving you plenty of time to set up, squeeze in a dog walk, and make dinner. Then, we stay at least three nights, which helps with travel fatigue for the family.

Of course, we break one rule when we need to make a beeline somewhere and stay only one night, but stick to the 300 mile/3:00 pm rule religiously.

Best Places to go RVing with dogs

Now that you are already to go RVing with your dog, where should you go? We mentioned Arizona was very dog friendly. But there are so many more places to explore with your best friend.

Check out this article by Travel and Leisure with a list of the 7 Best Dog-friendly Campsites in the U.S.
Bring Fido always has a great resources for dog friendly venues including this list of 10-Most Pet Friendly Campgrounds.

Make new friends at Kamp K9. Photo by @bunkingwiththeborgens

Take your dog in the RV

We hope our 10 tips give you the confidence to go RVing with your dog. May Presley’s adventures and life help you find joy with your pet. While we are broken hearted, we wouldn’t change a day of the time we got to spend with Presley. Our RV adventures gave us the best memories with our dog.

Enjoy your dog. Hug them often. Do something bold and get out there and go RVing with Fido! We know that is what Presley would want.

Bright Dais Ahead

Live. Life. Differently.

RVing with dogs – 10 tips to better RVing with your best friend.