Where to put the dogs? - Montana Owners Club

BusyCarol · 07-08-2012, 07:22 PM

We are going to be getting a fifth wheel soon but I am not sure what to do with our 2 dogs. We have a Chesapeake Bay Retriever Mix named Coco that is around 40lb. We also have a yellow lab named Ruby (100lb) that thinks she is a big-boned chihuahua. Currently when we are using our travel trailer we put them in their crates in the bed of truck. There is no room for them inside the truck. When we get a fifth wheel we do not know what to do with them.

So I figured I would ask the experts! What do you do with your larger dogs when you are traveling with your fifth wheel? Do you put them inside the trailer? If so are they in crates and what are the crates attached to? They travel well but I want to make sure they are safe and comfortable. Any and all input would be greatly appreciated!

snfexpress · 07-08-2012, 07:56 PM

We never put Captain, our Lab, in the 5th wheel when towing. We purchased a crew cab so he could have the back seat.

BusyCarol · 07-08-2012, 07:59 PM

Thanks for the feedback.

We also have a crew cab but that is where our 6yr old and 19 year old are along with all of their traveling stuff (dvd players, etc). We may just have to leave the dogs at home. We love having them with us but at the same time I don't want to risk their safety. The one time we put our two dogs in the backseat with just our son they couldn't fit on the backseat together. My yellow lab is huge although she thinks she is a lap dog.

denandannie · 07-08-2012, 08:30 PM

I let my dog ride in the front passenger seat--with a seat belt attached and then put my wife in the dog crate. Seems to work so far.

BusyCarol · 07-08-2012, 08:54 PM

Well denandannie, since I AM the DW I take slight issue with that!

Maybe I should put the kids in the crates and let the dogs take the backseat?!

seahunter · 07-08-2012, 09:24 PM

Our girls fit in the crew cab too - but they're only about 23-24 pounds each. But I know in some states it's legal to ride in the fifth wheel, so I guess it would be safe for the furry friends. I know Bingo has said he sets the AC or heat on in the trailer for their dog and cat and they get to ride in the trailer.

HamRad · 07-08-2012, 11:20 PM

BusyCarol,
You will find that most folks have their dogs riding in the truck with them. But there are those that let them ride in the trailer. Most of the time if in the trailer they are in crates. That seems to work well. As to worrying about them heat and cold wise while riding in the trailer that is probably a non issue. It certainly is as good as having them in crates in the back of the truck! Plus some folks either heat or cool their rigs while underway. This helps keep the coach at proper temp.

It would be a shame to leave the dogs at home while you're out traveling. You know they want to be with the rest of the pack! Some people will tell you that it is too dangerous to ride in the trailer because you might have an accident and turn over and the trailer will be totaled and the dogs will die. If you do end up turning over the dogs will be just as safe in their crates inside the rig as they would be in the back of the pick up! Just do what seems right to you and dogs. Good luck. Do be aware that there are limits on numbers of dogs, breed of dog, weight of dog....Well you get the idea. You will run into a full range of pet rules and restrictions. But most of the time there is no problem. Just enjoy and be sure to PICK UP after your dogs and all will be right with the world. Dennis

bncinwv · 07-09-2012, 02:30 AM

We have a 40 pound Basenji and a 15 pound cat that ride in the rig at all times. They are both crated but the crates are not fastened down. On our previous rig, I installed a receptacle in the front battery compartment to allow me to "energize" the rig while in transit with a 3000 watt generator that would run the 13,500 btu second air conditioner. Our present rig has a built in Onan. With both rigs we would utilize a weather station with remote temperature sensor to monitor the conditions in the rig in the event we had to use the air conditioners for climate control. With our new rig, I have a remote starter where I can start and stop the generator as needed. As for location, the dog crate is placed in front of the main entry door and the cat crate rides in the separate bathroom directly in front of the second entry door. This allows for easy acres during stops etc. This post is not intended as advice on how to address your situation but rather to give an option as to what our experiences have been. When traveling at night, we do leave a light on for the furry kids.
Bingo

**DQDick** · 07-09-2012, 03:08 AM

Somewhere this spring I heard, on the news, about someone who just strapped the dog crate to the top of the car

1retired06 · 07-09-2012, 11:36 AM

our dogs ride in the back seat. We would NEVER put them in the fifth wheel. After one trip, they would be terrified to go inside the unit.

BusyCarol · 07-09-2012, 11:48 AM

Thanks to everyone for their feedback! I did NOT know that there was a way to run the air conditioner while in transit so I will have to figure out how we can do that. We are hoping to travel to Arizona and other places where that would be important. I LOVE the idea of putting the remote temperature gauge in the rig. I even happen to have one we can use. That will make me feel more comfortable that they are doing alright. They are used to be transported in a LOUD diesel truck bed in all different temps so I do not think they will have a problem with the noise. I may do a couple of test runs just to make sure though.

I truly appreciate everyone's feedback! We want our 'furry children' with us but not at the expense of their health or safety. So I will have to do my due diligence to make sure they will be okay.

To HamRad we definitely pick-up after them...but it is a good point to remind people that the CG are NOT their personal backyards! We were at a CG this weekend and when I got up at 6am there were two akita's in our campsite doing their business. I was annoyed to say the least because we do NOT allow our pets to do that and DEFINITELY do NOT allow them off leash in a CG without supervision.

seahunter · 07-09-2012, 11:57 AM

Carol,

On the same vein as the temperature monitor, if you really wanted to get fancy I thought of using either a wired or wireless back-up type camera mounted inside the rig. That way you could actually monitor your little guys while driving. I got the idea from some states' requirement that if someone is in the trailer, you have to have some way to communicate with them - I'm assuming two-way radios. I just thought even better than radios would be like a baby monitor or back-up camera system to see if they are just snoozing, look anxious, partying, or whatever.

BusyCarol · 07-09-2012, 01:25 PM

I will definitely have to look into the camera because if they are 'partying' I want to be invited!!!

That is a great idea! I had thought of the baby monitor but that was as far as I had gotten. The camera is a great idea. It would also be nice to know if something has fallen...I had a cutlery drawer that emptied all of it's contents all over the floor because a screw broke.

Where do you keep your dogs at seahunter?

Thanks again for the great ideas! I knew this would be the place to ask the questions.

seahunter · 07-09-2012, 01:53 PM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by BusyCarol

Where do you keep your dogs at seahunter?

Since it is just the two of us, ours are able to ride in the back seat of the crew cab. They're leggy, but actually only weigh about 23-24 pounds each. If we did happen to have other people along, much as I'd prefer just to put the people in the trailer so we could still be with the dogs

, I would feel comfortable with the dogs in the trailer.

As someone mentioned above, part of the fun of camping is having the pets along - ours LOVE to go camping. They are actually the reason we got our first trailer. They both used to do lure coursing, straight racing, and oval racing. This is also why we used to do mostly dry camping because we'd be out in the middle of nowhere usually at a large field for the competitions and it was much easier than staying in a hotel at a nearby town. I like to brag about Sophie - she is a Field Champion Lure Courser and also a very accomplished oval track racer. I always like to add that whippets just run for fun - no gambling like with the greyhounds.

Sophie and Carmen are twelve and ten now, so they are too old to compete. We are thinking about getting a new one or two so we can have a great excuse to go out in the trailer even more now and get them into lure coursing.

BusyCarol · 07-09-2012, 02:24 PM

WOW Seahunter! Your babies sound amazing! That is quite a feat to be the Field Champion Lure Courser! I appreciate your feedback. Our dogs love the camping too. There are only a few places we have camped that we cannot take them or it wouldn't be fair to take them because they would be stuck in the trailer.

Thanks again for your input!