When Lisa and I first thought about buying a motorhome, one of our biggest concerns was what full-time RVing with dogs would be like. Our chocolate labs, Sierra and Ruby, each weigh nearly 70 pounds—and they take up some serious space. Choosing the right RV meant choosing a layout with room for all four of us to live comfortably.
If we didn’t have dogs (or had smaller ones), we might have gone with a smaller rig. But we’re glad we didn’t. Sierra and Ruby absolutely love life on the road—riding shotgun, exploring new trails, and sniffing new smells in every state. They spend more time with us now than ever before, and we do our best to take them wherever we can. Full-time RVing with dogs has made our travels even more rewarding.
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Keeping Your Dogs Safe in the RV
Temperature Monitoring While You’re Away
One of the biggest concerns for RVing dog owners is heat safety. Even at 70°F, an RV can heat up to over 100°F in the sun—far too hot for your pet to survive. While our rig has dual air conditioners, we don’t take chances.
We rely on the MarCELL Pro Temperature & Humidity Monitor to keep our pets safe. It uses cellular service to send text, email, or phone alerts if the RV temperature goes beyond our safe range or if the power goes out. Whether you choose this device or another, make sure your monitor has a reliable connection (cellular or Wi-Fi) and a way to alert you.
Keep Your Pets Safe While You’re Away
We’ve trusted the MarCELL Pro for years to keep an eye on our RV’s temperature, power, and more. It’s the peace of mind every RV pet owner needs.
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Shop the MarCELL Pro NowSafe Travel Practices
No matter how tempting it is to let your dog ride on your lap (Ruby would be up on the dash in a heartbeat), it’s not safe. Use a dog seat belt harness or a secured crate to keep your pup safe and secure while you’re driving.
And always keep your pets in the same vehicle as you. Never leave them alone in a towed trailer or fifth wheel while you’re moving.
Essential Dog Gear for Full-Time RV Travel
Here are our must-haves for RVing with dogs:
- Collar with ID Tags – Keep ID current and always on.
- Leash – You’ll need it every time you stop.
- Spill-Proof Water Bowl – RVs and spills don’t mix. We use this one.
- Food & Treats – Stay consistent with feeding times.
- Comfortable Dog Beds – Our girls love lying wherever they please, but having their own beds helps.
- Toys – We use a small cloth bin that Sierra loves to empty. Still working on teaching her to put toys away!
- Medications – Bring enough for the entire trip.
- Waste Bags – Be a good neighbor and pick up.
Identification and Records
In case of emergencies, your dog should have:
- A collar with updated contact info
- A microchip (be sure your contact info is current)
- Recent printed photos
- Veterinary records for vaccinations (many campgrounds require them)
- Proof of ownership (especially in case of separation)
Be a Responsible Pet Traveler
With more campgrounds adopting pet-friendly policies, we all must act as good ambassadors:
- Obey leash laws
- Pick up after your dogs
- Avoid excessive barking
- Be honest about aggression issues
Ruby has been attacked twice by “good dogs” whose owners weren’t honest. Don’t be that person. Pet travel is a privilege, not a right—let’s not ruin it for others.
Travel Day Tips for Dogs
We always start travel days with a long walk. It helps the dogs get their energy out and take care of business. Ruby used to love travel days, but after nine months on the road, she started getting anxious.
We tried everything from prescriptions to Quiet Moments Hemp Calming Chews. The chews, plus a long walk, finally made a difference. She still gets nervous, but it’s manageable now.
Don’t forget to schedule potty breaks and short walks during long drives. Sniffing new grass and stretching legs helps everyone reset. It’s one of the joys of slow travel!
Keeping the RV Clean With Dogs
Small space, big fur. Sierra sheds like crazy, so we vacuum almost every day with our Shark ION Pet Plus Cordless Stick Vacuum. It folds up neatly, stores easily, and handles vinyl floors and rugs like a champ.
Rainy days are the worst. We keep a stash of dedicated dog towels near the door to wipe off muddy paws and bellies. Trust me, it makes a huge difference.
Vet Care on the Road
This has been one of our biggest challenges. Many veterinarians won’t see your dog unless you’re an established patient. That can be frustrating when you’re traveling.
We’ve been lucky to find great vets occasionally, but it usually takes some calling around. We’re considering signing up with Banfield Pet Hospital through PetSmart. With locations nationwide, it could streamline care and records.
Final Thoughts
RVing full-time with dogs is easier than we expected—and way more rewarding. With a little planning and the right gear, your pets can enjoy the RV lifestyle just as much as you do.
Sierra and Ruby have brought us so much joy on the road. We hope our story helps you feel confident about bringing your furry companions along.
Full-time RVing with dogs adds love, adventure, and companionship to your journey—and that’s something we wouldn’t trade for the world.
Have any questions or travel tips of your own? Drop them in the comments—we’d love to hear from you!
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I basically do not take my dogs on a travel trip because of the discomfort and stress they’ll experience. I never thought of RV travel with them. I enjoyed your article and it’s really insightful, it’s very clear that with RV travel, our pets will be able to enjoy the great outdoors all day and always sleep in the same space at night. Nice article, I will definitely try it out.
Thank you for your comments Sheddy. It can be difficult to take dogs on a normal trip. That’s one reason we love traveling in the RV. Being able to take the dogs it’s just become a normal way of life for them. They have their schedule pretty much set now. Lots of walks and sniffing all the new places they get to go. If you get the chance to take them RVing I highly recommend it.
Your dogs sound like good travelers. Sometimes there is no option but to bring the pets along. After all, they are part of the family.
When we moved back to Alaska many years ago, we had a pickup with a camper shell on it, and we filled it with a great deal of our belongings. We also pulled a 19-foot trailer that we lived in for the trip. We had two cats, so of course they moved with us. They rode in the trailer while we were on the move. I sat back there with them for a little while, and saw that they had figured things out. I’d put a rocking chair in the trailer, and both cats slept on the seat while we were moving. The rocking chair gently rocked the whole time. Must have put them to sleep.
We were not sure how they would handle evenings when we stopped, but we discovered we could just let them loose. They would explore and hunt a little, and then come back to our camp. They were great travelers.
Thank you for your comments Fran. We love being able to bring our dogs with us. They are great travelers.
It’s great you were able to take your cats with you on your trip. I can picture them on the rocking chair gently rocking back in the trailer. It amazes me that they would stay when you stopped and let them out. I always heard you had to acclimate cats to a new location before letting them out. Maybe that’s not true.
We’ve been working our way North hoping to make it to Alaska this summer. We were supposed to cross the Canadian Border on May 26th so we hope they open it up soon. We have some room to push things off a bit but we sure want to make it up there this year if we can.
Hi Rob,
Thank you for this very interesting and informative article on life on the road with the dogs in a camper van. Appears you have a lot of fun while doing it which is no wonder as you have given a lot of thought to it and making it both safe and enjoyable for both of you and the dogs. It is the responsibility of every dog owner to ensure this is so however not all dog owners are as responsible. ; How many for example will buckle up the dogs with seat belts or take the time to ensure there are vets who will accept taking on unknown dogs from unknown non customers. I believe even if you are a pet lover sometimes it is not so easy without experience to think of everything which is why you pointing it out and depicting it in such a fun way is essential help and reading to the enjoyment and safety for all on the trip. Thank you again for providing an essential guide through actually the doing of it in contrast to just a check list!!
Rami.
Hi Rami, Thank you for your comments. We do have a lot of fun with our dogs. They are our family so we try to take care of them like we would any other family member. Glad we could be of assistance to you.
Rob
Hi Rob, I would like to thank you for such an informative website. My wife and I both love travelling with our dogs Hudson and Nelly. We have hired campervans in the past and travelled throughout Europe. Unfortunately we won’t make it to the US with ours as the logistics are too great. I particularly liked your recommendations on extras to take with you. The Joseph Joseph kitchenware is excellent and something I shall be adding to my travelling kit. My only question is at what age do you believe your dogs should be when they start travelling? the reason I ask is we travelled once with a 6 month old puppy. I think she was a bit too young as whilst we slept she chewed through the door seal of the main door on the campervan. Ooops.
David
Hi David, Thank you for your great comments. I would love to explore Europe in a campervan. We traveled around Germany, Switzerland, France and England a couple years ago. We mostly went by trains and had a blast. I think in a campervan would be great fun. If we ever manage to make it back to Europe to do that I know the logistics would be too challenging as it would be for you coming to the US. We do try to take our dogs where ever we can though.
Yes the Joseph Joseph kitchenware is excellent they have something for just about every need.
I think it’s ok to travel with dogs of any age. The main thing would be if they are still in the chewing stage is to probably have a kennel of some sort when you can’t watch her or have to leave her behind for a bit.
We have been traveling full time for about 13 months now. After traveling for nine months with no issues from our dogs, our girl Ruby tore up one of the seat cushions on our dinette while we were out on Christmas day. She is 6 years old and never tore anything up as long as we’ve had her. We don’t know what happened with her. We thought it was a one time thing and left the dogs again a few days later. She tore the cushion up more that day too. So now she has to be in a kennel if we need to leave them behind.
Thanks again for your comments,
Rob
I wouldn’t dream of going on holiday without my dog. A holiday without him would not be a holiday, I’d be worrying about him the whole time and I’d really miss him. Although I’ve never been on an RV holiday, this is a useful list of tips and things to remember for any holiday with dogs. Thanks very much for sharing.
We agree with you that a holiday wouldn’t be a holiday without our dogs. They are our family and go with us as many places as we can take them. Thank you for your comments.
What a fun article to read. I am a dog lover, but I prefer small dogs. I don’t have an RV, but I do have a 6 lb. rescue dog. I know it’s not a good thing, but because she is so small, I let my dog just go back and forth from the front seat to the back seat as she pleases. Do your dogs stay in crates when you’re on the road?
I agree with everything you say about traveling with dogs. I’m sure you wouldn’t want to forget anything that your dog uses on a daily basis, from food to toys. I think it would definitely be essential to have your pet micro-chipped, just in case the unimaginable happens and he gets away from you. Or of course have a collar and tag with your information on it.
Again, great information and I hope you continue to enjoy your travels with your furry friends!
Hi Yvette, Thank you so much for your comments. We’ve had a great time traveling with our dogs. They love the life we’re living. They get to spend so much time with us now.
When we’re on the road our dogs are belted in on the couch of the RV. Our dog Ruby would love to ride on the dash if she had the chance. That’s her place when we’re in the campgrounds.
Travelling in a motorhome with a dog is something very new to me. I had not tried it before as it was not available in the country i was staying in. Nevertheless, it is a good idea with lots of advantages. Getting to travel around in a leisure way, visiting exotic and interesting places without high costs. Hotel accomodation, foods and transport can add up real fast. It take lots of preparation to have a safe and smooth trip. With backup plans, should there be any emergency or scenarios happening along the road. Travel with pets is a good option, both for the owners and your dog. At least you have your companion to keep yourself occupy and relax a bit. I am an animal lover. Had a wonderful memories with my neighbour’s dog when i was young. I will rent one of the motorhome when i get to travel in future. And travel at a leisure pace with my family. In some beautiful countries with stunning lakes and beautiful scenary. Hence, driving on the road is not easy. Taking safety into consideration consistently can be tiring.
What is one important advice for someone who is new to motorhome travellng and not familiar with the road conditions? Thanks.
Hi David, Thank you for your comments. Traveling in an RV with pets is an ideal situation. We have never ran into an RV park that doesn’t allow dogs. Unlike hotels that might not allow your pets to be with you or charge an unreasonable pet deposit or fee just to let your dog stay with you. We recently stayed at a motel that charged $35 per night per pet just to spend the night. With two pets for two nights while our RV was getting some work done on it cost us just about as much as the room per night. So thankful our we can have our dogs with us on our journey.
My best advice for someone who is new to motorhome traveling is to take your time to get familiar with the vehicle. They are much larger than a normal car. Some are hard to see out of. Be aware of the turning radius as they are long vehicles. It’s easy to hit the rear corner panel when turning into a gas pump or other places.