There’s one thing to be mentioned about waking up in a campground together with your canine snuggled in your sleeping bag with you. However ouch, your aching again!
Perhaps it’s time to improve that tent to a pop-up tent trailer.
A pop-up tent trailer is a superb introductory step into RV tenting together with your pup.
The typical pop-up trailer weighs about 2000 lbs., and they are often towed by most SUVs and pickup vans.
They are usually about 7ft. in size and may slot in campsites that many bigger camper trailers cannot.
Simply as tenting in a tent with a canine requires extra planning wanted, so does tenting in a pop-up tent trailer.
Right here is a few useful recommendation from a seasoned professional to assist make certain your first pop-up tent trailer tenting journey together with your canine goes easily.
Word: It is a visitor publish offered by my pal Kerisa, founding father of Exterior Voice Advertising, which helps RV, Tenting, and Journey manufacturers entice their dream prospects with kick ass copy, and Mother to Butters the Dachshund.
Ideas for Tenting in a Pop Up Tent Trailer with Your Canine
Make sure the campground is canine pleasant
Most campgrounds are canine pleasant, however there’s nothing worse than arriving at a campground after a protracted drive day solely to be turned away since you’re together with your furry pal.
An important useful resource for campsites is www.campendium.com.
Studying evaluations of the campsite earlier than you go is all the time as a result of they typically share necessary notes from previous guests.
Ensure you learn evaluations to see if a campsite is canine pleasant, if there could also be potential wildlife encounters, or anything to concentrate on like unfastened canines.
Plan your tenting journey round your canine
I see this far too typically: bringing the household canine alongside on the tenting journey being handled as an afterthought.
However they need to have simply as a lot enjoyable as the remainder of the household!
Examine to see if there’s canine pleasant actions close by.
Perhaps that is extra of a glamping journey and also you’re searching for a close-by brewery you’ll be able to take pleasure in collectively, or some close by sights to sight see collectively.
An important useful resource for locating canine pleasant eating and leisure is www.Bringfido.com .
Don’t depart your canine unattended in a tent trailer
A pop-up tent trailer is barely safer than a floor tent.
You wouldn’t depart valuables in an unsecured tent in a crowded campground, would you?
Additionally, many campgrounds don’t even permit canines to be left unattended at campsites resulting from security and nuisance considerations (extreme barking or escaping).
Leaving your canine alone is just not solely unsafe however not allowed in most campgrounds.
If you happen to do depart your canine alone and also you get caught, it may be grounds for being evicted from a campground with NO refunds!
Be aware of wildlife
If you happen to like tenting, you most likely take pleasure in retreating into nature to get away from all of it.
However simply since you’re away from the crowds, doesn’t imply you need to let your guard down.
Whenever you go tenting, you’re shifting into areas the place wild animals dwell.
Make sure you and your pet are protected from potential risks by realizing what to do throughout wildlife encounters.
Bears, raccoons, and so on. can break right into a pop up trailer virtually as simply as a floor tent.
Retailer your meals correctly and don’t depart your canine unattended in an space that has had latest predatory wildlife sightings.
Control the climate
A pop up journey trailer continues to be weak to the climate (rain, wind, warmth, and so on.).
It may be troublesome to control the within temperature as a result of wind, warmth, and chilly can go by means of the canvas tent partitions.
Inside temperatures are usually hotter than outdoors temperatures in camper trailers.
The climate can change shortly, so that you’ll must take that under consideration throughout your planning.
And the climate can change quickly. It could be cool and overcast one minute and sizzling the following.
Bear in mind the partitions of a tent trailer are fabricated from supplies much like floor tents and may be broken in excessive winds.
I’ve heard tales that the velcro securing some sidings in sure fashions have come unfastened in robust winds, thus leaving your tent trailer with an exit level on your pet!
Apart from following campground guidelines, these are additional causes to not depart your canine unattended within the trailer.
Know the place the closest veterinarian is
Whereas we hope to by no means have an emergency journey to the vet on our trip, it’s all the time finest to be ready.
Discover the closest veterinarian, and/or animal emergency room to your campsite, and all the time journey with a replica of your pet’s rabies certificates and necessary drugs.
Be certain meals is safely secured
I touched on this within the wildlife part above, however meals needs to be safely secured from wild animals.
It must also be safely secured in a spot that your canine can’t get to it.
Canine can might eat one thing that’s toxic to them if left with meals accessible to them.
Canine, particularly Dachshunds, are sometimes smarter than we give them credit score for!
Left to their very own gadgets, your canine may break into their meals and eat their whole week’s price in a single sitting (ask me how I do know)!
Or they may get into your meals and eat one thing that can make them sick.
Make your tent trailer a protected place on your canine
In case your canine is liable to again issues (just like the Dachshunds are), make certain they’ll’t bounce on and off couches, beds, and different excessive furnishings identical to you’d in a home.
Deliver ramps, child gates, cupboard locks, something wanted to cut back the danger of a again damage in your house away from dwelling.
Keep hydrated
Deliver extra water than you assume you’d want for each you and your pets (that is much less of a difficulty in the event you select a campground with water).
Emergencies occur, and your journey could also be prolonged.
Having additional water is all the time good so each you and your canine don’t run out.
The very last thing you wish to be anxious about in occasions of emergency is in the event you and your canine could have sufficient potable water to final till you arrive again dwelling safely.
Make your canine comfortable
Deliver some tenting chairs, their coats/jackets, beds, and favourite toys in your tenting journey.
Bringing acquainted gadgets in your journey will assist your canine really feel snug and protected of their non permanent dwelling on wheels.
In case your canine is extra relaxed, it would assist each of you benefit from the journey extra and it might probably assist your canine be higher behaved at camp.
Hold pets updated with their flea and tick medicines
Earlier than heading to the nice outdoor make certain your pup is updated on their flea and tick treatment.
If you happen to’re in a mosquito inclined space, you should utilize pet pleasant bug spray corresponding to Wondercide to forestall painful bites and blood borne illnesses carried by mosquitoes.
Hold this in your trailer or backpack always identical to you’d your personal insect repellent.
Ticks can simply get on canines, so do common checks throughout your journey.
If you happen to’re in an space the place ticks are identified to be, make sure you bodily examine your canine typically for ticks.
Ensure you have a tick comb and elimination instrument with you in case you discover one.
Get an “In case of emergency rescue us” sticker
We by no means wish to think about the worst case state of affairs, however we found a whole lot of full-timers place a sticker or decal on their home windows that tells an emergency responder (if there’s an emergency like a fireplace, flood, and so on.) what sort of animals are within the camper and what number of.
I do know if I wasn’t there to guard my infants I’d need no matter Good Samaritan who got here to their assist to be as knowledgeable as doable!
If you happen to do depart your pets at camp, safety and security first
As I mentioned, most campgrounds prohibit you from leaving your pet’s unattended in our car, tent, or trailer.
Nonetheless, I do know that it’s unavoidable generally.
For instance, possibly you’re touring alone and wish to go away your canine within the pop up tent trailer alone for five minutes when you run to the lavatory.
All the time safe your trailer earlier than leaving your canine.
If you happen to do want to go away your canine unattended for a brief interval, make certain the trailer is locked and safe.
Is the door locked? Did you make certain the range and propane weren’t left on? Deal with a house on wheels as you’d some other dwelling.
Put money into a ball hitch lock to forestall theft of your trailer when not hitched to your car.
Keep away from extra barking
Simply as you could have, your campground neighbors have gone tenting to take pleasure in somewhat peace and quiet.
In case your canine is continually barking, it’s disruptive to these round you.
In case your canine suffers from separation anxiousness and barks and howls while you’re gone, don’t depart them alone.
If they’re always barking each time a child rides by on a motorbike, or a squirrel runs up a tree, do all you’ll be able to to discourage their habits.
Having treats readily available to distract them in these circumstances is useful.
Plan for extra potty stops
Bear in mind you’ll be able to’t drive as quick while you’re pulling a trailer, and meaning longer drive occasions.
Cease accordingly for potty, stretch, and play breaks for simpler journey days.
With somewhat preparation and planning forward, tenting in a pop up tent trailer may be an satisfying expertise for each you and your journey canine. So give it a attempt!