Would a motorhome be right for me and my dogs?

[cigarboo]

Hello all. I know this is not a direct WDW question, but figure many of you might be able to help.

I'm interested in buying an Motor home RV because I want to be able to travel with my dogs(15yo beagle and 3yo 25lb mix). I've always used a dog sitter, but I've never found one who was reliable and had my complete trust. So maybe an RV is my solution...

What I can't figure out is how folks travel to different areas to explore when their only vehicle is hooked up at the campsite. I know it works well at Disney, but what about other places? Say, I go to Niagara Falls, but the campsite is 6 miles from the falls? How would I get from the campsite to what ever attractions that are around? I know some people tow their cars and others use a fifth wheel/trailer type, so they have their cars with them. That's not really an option for us. We're not good at hooking up and towing things.

My expectation is that if I bought a Motorhome, our family(2 kids and 2 dogs) would be able to travel anytime without worrying about a dog sitter. We would like to travel and explore different parts of the country, but I don't want to be driving all that way, only to be stuck at a campsite. We would need to be close enough to cities and attractions that I can come back to the motorhome to take care of the dogs. I feel comfortable leaving them for about 8hrs at a time. Am I being realistic? Would my only option be to tow a car? I don't want to splurge on an RV only to find out it doesn't meet our needs. Anything else I should consider?

Thank you for any advice
Happy Thanksgiving!!

 

[Judy in Texas]

Oh, this is a much debated topic and there isn't a good answer. You say you don't want to tow, but you might consider a smaller travel trailer. I never towed a thing till I got the Aliner. As long as you have a proper tow vehicle and with a bit of practice, hooking up and towing shouldn't be an issue. Now, backing is a different story. The smaller the TT the harder they are to back. I can unhook mine and push it into the site if I get frustrated. I hope whatever you decide works out well for you.

 

[Lightgician]

When we went other places besides Disney, we would rent a car. That gave us the freedom we wanted.

 

[CDNCruiser]

For our first few years RVing we rented cars whenever we stayed somewhere a few days. It worked OK for us, but just OK. You really miss a lot by not having the convenience of your own vehicle.

We now tow a Saturn Ion using a new Blue Ox hitch. It's great!

With today's modern and lightweight tow bars you can hook-up and unhook very easily. I can hook up our Saturn and be ready to drive away in under a minute. The same with unhooking, under a minute.

The time consuming part is checking the lights before we pull out, that takes a good 10 seconds! LOL

I'm sure a local RV dealer will give you a demo of a new hitch. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

 

[BradyBz12]

When shopping for an RV for camping with your dogs, don't forget to consider them when you're looking at floor plans.

In particular, consider where/how you'll keep your dogs in the RV when you're not there.

Will they need to be (or be safer) crated? If so, definitely look for floor plans that will accomodate the right sized crates for your dogs. If not, but you don't want them being able to get up into the windows while you're gone (which may lead to dogs that bark at everything that passes by), consider if there is a way to gate them into a part of the RV, or a "room" (bunk, bath, etc.) that they can be kept in when you're not there.

If your dogs will be ok loose, not as big of a concern. But if you haven't camped with them before, you might want to test that out before you decide. Really important to know your dogs well when taking them camping and definitely do shorter practice runs before your first long trip.

Otherwise you end up with unhappy dogs, frazzled owners, and really ticked off neighbors.

If you think you'll leave them crated for more than a few hours at a time (which happens here at Disney probably more than most places), you'll want crates that are a little bigger than you might use in the car so the dogs can be comfortable.

For example, we have 3 border collies that range from 35-45 lbs. They absolutely need to be crated when we're not there (yeah... um... they're border collies LOL)

When we shopped for our new TT we intentionally looked for bunk rooms/slides that would fit three 24x36 wire crates comfortably. We even took the tape measure with us.

We ended up with an Open Range TT with street-side bunk slide. We pulled out the bunks and installed 3 wire crates (mounted them to the floor) with about 2" to spare. This is what we ended up with...

Oh, um.. the bar didn't come with it. DH built that later.

Good luck and Happy Camping!!

 

[Lil' Lisa]

If you don't like towing, but want a vehicle-camper type of combination that can be used independently, you may want to consider a truck camper. They fit inside the bed of the truck and can be removed when you reach your destination. We remove ours whenever we are planning on staying for more than an overnight. They come in all sizes and prices and some even have slides.

If you decide to go that route, do a lot of research on the truck you will need to haul the camper before you buy. Also you need to be comfortable backing the truck under the camper. With practice, it can be done quite easily though.

Good luck and let us know what you end up with (we love pictures!)

 

[4mickey2]

niaggra falls- just went this summer- no tow vehicle. we were fine. we stayed at a KOA that was on the canada side. we called before our arrival and asked how we could get around. i believe we paid $6 per person (for an all day pass) to take a direct bus to the falls. you were right down town. we went back after a few hours and took care of the dogs. later we went back down to the falls. only left the dogs a short while each time. that's just how we travel. our dogs are fine for long times but, when traveling we don't know how long it will take to get back so we always head back early.

flat towing- done it and it is great. just couldn't take the g/c and the car to the fort. they do make a tandem tow dolly - the g/c goes on the front of the dolly.

we have opted for trailering since we trailer the g/c's anyways.

scooters can go on a hitch and haul-but what if it rains and the dogs can't go with you if you would like them to. you can't run to the store and buy much more than a backpack would hold.

our dogs do well in our mh. they did well in our truck camper too. we just needed more floor room in the t/c. we leave the tv on and close the blinds. there is one blind that one particular pup knows how to push out of his way to see. so, we have to stuff a cushion and a pillow in it to block his nose from the corners.

i wouldn't go anywhere i can't take my dogs. i know they are taken care of and they are happy.

 

[beagles7278]

Not sure if your beagle would like to ride in a motorhome, mine doesn't care for it, can you tell? She looks uncomfortable.

 

[cigarboo]

Thanks for all the advice. I'm considering all of them. It's such a hard decision because we've never really done much camping, but I keep thinking if we own an RV, we won't be tied down as much.

BradyBz, what a super set up you've got. My dogs have never been crazy about riding in cars, but I think they'd like what you've got going on. Your dogs are beautiful!

Beagles, I love that picture of your pup. Beagles just crack me up. That's how mine sits too.

I just read a book that said, "You should never leave your dog alone in the RV if you're not there." Is this true? I've always figured people left their dogs in the RV at the Fort. Is this just an exception? I was hoping to leave them at other campgrounds as well.

 

[rebelstand]

Our dogs stay in the TT just fine. We go out for 3-4 hours, come home spend a little time with them, then head back out. Having said that one is a 10 yr old slightly disabled blue heeler(she could do 6 hours) and the other is a 4 yr old Great Dane. The dane only get's excited about three times a day - breakfast, lunch, and dinner...with an occasional potty break zoom. We keep the curtains drawn to prevent them from "watching the neighbors" and barking.

As for the type of RV, maybe you should try renting the different classes of mh. Then find someone who has a regular trailer (lawn mower, junk hauler) to tow and test it out. Not the same as a full size, but it will give you a bit of the idea what towing/backing/hitching is about.

We have had our TT since July. It does take some time to get accustomed to the hitching/towing/unhitching routine. And yes, I can tell you some funny stories about it...but it gets easier.

 

[beagles7278]

Renting may be a good idea for you since you are not sure what would work best for you. When we were shopping I found a dealer in the area that also rented RV's. If you rented an RV and then bought from them they would give you the rental fee towards your purchase. That may be something you may look into, as well as looking at the RV shows in your area. Good luck.

 

[medic9016]

Here is the new Riverside TT with a built in kennel. It will debut the end of this year.

 

[cigarboo]

That's a pretty nice trailer, but I would miss my dogs with them down there. My dogs like to be where everyone else is. I hope the RV folks start designing more pet in mind sort of RVs. There's certainly a demand. I would love something like what BradyBz has pictured.

I think I should definitely rent a motorhome before I take the plunge. I'm still uncomfortable towing. Never know how the dogs will react until I actually take them out in an RV.

 

[pinkerbell]

We are considering getting a motorhome also. I found a site called Cruise America" that rents and sells. If you rent from the and buy in 6 months you get the credit as mentioned above. Problem is we live in W Mass and there is no local agent. Their prices are unbeatable to what I have found in the area - 1/2 of what other dealers are asking but milage is higher. Just something to consider

 

[Lyndria]

Here is the new Riverside TT with a built in kennel. It will debut the end of this year.

That looks cool!

 

[mikeymouse1]

We have a 19' TT and we will usually take one of our dogs. There is a couple that we have seen several times at the Fort that have a huge MH and they have two great danes that travel with them they stay at the Fort for six months Im told. It gets tight on a rainy day with a wife two kids and the dog but i cant imagine throwing in two huge dogs!