Recreational Vehicles and Pets

While you are out and about enjoying the use of your RV, there will frequently come times when you will stop to stay in public RV parks or public camping grounds conducive to recreational vehicle stop-overs.

While there are many, many topics up for discussion in relation to recreational vehicles and camping grounds, one that is left without discussion too often is the pet issue. This discussion is one that is very applicable to RVers due to the fact that pets are very commonly traveling in recreational vehicles with their owners. There are many American campgrounds that will welcome you with your pet and of these campgrounds/parks most will have no additional charge related to your pet beyond the regular campsite fee. In comparison, many commercial RV parks will charge an extra dollar, or two, per night for pets traveling in recreational vehicles.

While there are few formal rules about camping with pets, there are always the set of rules provided by common sense that we expect each other to remember and that more often than not, someone is going to be ignorant of, or completely forget. This set of inherent rules based on common courtesy reaches far beyond the realm of pets and campgrounds, but for this discussion we’ll rope it in. In addition to common courtesy, most recreational vehicles related campgrounds will have a requirement in place that pets remain on a leash or in some other way be contained. Smart campers and pet owners will bring along a portable pet fence that can be easily opened up at a campsite to allow a pet some freedom and fresh air without being leashed or free to roam into neighboring campsites. This designates an area that is for the pet’s use and will avoid problems with neighboring campers and recreational vehicles. Portable pet fences can be found at most major pet stores, or any major recreational vehicles supply center.

Commercial Recreational Vehicles parks that allow pets will usually set aside a plot of ground or grass for your pets’ personal bathroom use. Owners are, of course, asked to clean up after their pets. Most roadside rest areas also provide such pet areas, which may often double as an off-leash area where pets can run and act like animals without offending anyone.

Everyone knows that pets are common traveling companions and this holds especially true for RVers. Perhaps a third of all Recreational vehicles contain pets . . . owners bring along a pet or two, most often a dog, but sometimes cats or birds. Bunnies have even been apparent as occupants of recreational vehicles. One RV owner was even seen walking her bunny on a leash at a roadside rest area.

The biggest complaint from campers who are not traveling with pets about those with pets is regarding uncontrolled dog barking. Some owners leave their campsites to wander, sightsee, hike, hunt, fish, or shop, and leave their dogs alone inside their RV or tied up outside for hours on end. Fellow campers are often forced to endure barking and howling until the owners return. This is obviously a terribly frustrating and even maddening experience for those who haven’t brought pets along on their travels, but are left to endure the noise belonging to those who have.

In addition to taking care not to leave an unhappy pet at a campsite without regulation during the day, pet owners should use caution in leaving their pets outside overnight. There should be a published survey created from the tally kept by all the Park Rangers out there who keep track of just such animals who unwittingly became the midnight snack of some wily coyote.