RV tips | On The Road With Robin

You may remember that before I traveled to Kentucky for Thunder Over Louisville and stayed around for the chance to see the Kentucky Derby I made the decision not to take my usual traveling companions, Scamp and Rambler, my dogs. They instead enjoyed a vacation from me thanks to the kindness of my two favorite Nashville friends, Anne and Chet. When I got back and pulled in to their place towing Max, my Airstream, and the dogs got a glimpse of their home on the road, it was difficult to contain their enthusiasm. (I’m not sure who was most excited – the dogs or Anne and Chet. Scamp and Rambler can be a handful.) I’m thankful these separations are rare and they make me realize how important my dogs are to me. They are part of my family.

When I was in Kentucky, I told a couple I met at the campground that I had left my dogs behind with friends in Nashville and they asked me about the experience of traveling with Scamp and Rambler. They said they were considering getting a dog to join them on their travels and wanted to know about my experiences.

I talked to them for several hours and later I thought I would make it the subject of this blog. However, it’s such a broad topic I decided to confine this blog entry to things to think about while you’re actually on the road with your dogs.

Keep Your Pet Safe When Your Vehicle is Moving.

Years ago, I let my dogs sit next to me in my pickup truck while we drove but after reading about some tragic accidents in which pets had been injured, I made the important decision to fit them with restraints. I use seat belt harnesses for both of my dogs. I won’t give you a brand name because there are a lot of alternatives for how best to keep your pet safe, including harnesses and plastic or wire travel crates, and it has to be a personal choice for each pet owner. But I would urge you to research all of the possibilities and pick what’s best for your situation. Your pet will thank you.

Take Up-To-Date Records.

Make sure you take up-to-date veterinary records for each of your pets, including vaccinations, and license tags, of course. A lot of campgrounds require you to have certificates of things like rabies inoculations. It’s a good idea, if you plan your trip ahead of time, to learn of veterinary resources where you’re going and emergency numbers. It’s also a good idea to have a picture of your pet, digital or printed, in your file.

Take plenty of Rest Stops Along the Way.

This is not only for – how shall I say – the “relief of nature” but also for a little exercise. Every few hours is a good rule of thumb. Make sure you take plenty of disposal bags and clean up after your pet. Remember, you love your pets, but many others do not, and you would not want to be thought of as a nuisance.

Stay on Schedule.

Try to keep your pet’s feeding schedule as near to your home timetable as possible. Routine is important for them even when you’re all on the road.

Pack supplies.

Cleaning supplies are a must, of course, because accidents do happen and car sickness is not a problem confined only to humans.

After covering much of what I’ve written here when talking to the people who had asked me, I perceived a look on their faces of “Uh oh, this sounds like a lot of trouble.” I would be lying if I didn’t concede that taking a pet – in my case, two dogs – on the road requires a major commitment of time, patience, planning and, yes, expense, but I can tell you quite honestly it’s more than worth it. Scamp and Rambler are like my children, and I wouldn’t trade my experiences with them as an RVer for anything. There is nothing quite like taking them on a leash to walk a trail in a wilderness or to sit around after dinner in camp and listen to the night sounds.

Be awakened just once by a cold nose nudging you in the morning to get out of bed and you will know the joy that I feel when I think about Scamp and Rambler. They’re more than my pets. They’re my traveling companions.

Livin’ the love,

Robin

*Disclaimer: RV.com, which is owned by Dometic Corporation, sponsors On the Road with Robin. Neither Dometic Corporation, nor RV.com, provide this blogger with free Dometic products, and this blogger does not receive a commission on click-throughs from links on this blog to RV.com, Dometic.com, or any other site. All references made to product brands are made in an attempt to provide readers with the knowledge necessary to recreate the experiences mentioned in this blog.

Follow the signs and follow the rules!

I got the nicest response to my last blog entry from a woman named Debra, and I’m just now taking the time to acknowledge it. Because of what she asked, I thought it might be nice to share my answer through the blog since it concerns something a lot of people – well, at least the people who like to read my blog! – might wish to know.

She wrote that she and her husband were going to be renting an RV for the first time this summer and she was looking for some “rookie” tips from an old hand like me.

So here goes…

As I was thinking about what to tell Debra, it occurred to me that there is one overriding theme that seems to be common to every situation and to every interaction you’ll have. It has to do with courtesy. Since most of us RVers tend to stay in campgrounds or RV parks, that’s a good place to start.

The first tip I’d pass along is to learn the campground’s or park’s rules as soon as you get there (or even before, if they have a website). You’ll find they’re usually written to insure you enjoy your stay and to allow others to enjoy theirs.
When you get there, take a look at how others are parked. Generally, you’ll want to try to orient your RV the same as others.
Are you pulling in late at night or leaving especially early? Try to make as little noise as possible or not burn lights too late or too early that may disturb others.
Have a firepot there in the space? Use it for fire only, not as a makeshift garbage can.
Got pets? (Boy, do I have pets!) I love my dogs, Scamp and Rambler, but I realize not everyone else likes pets, so I’m always careful to keep them under control.

It’s just simple courtesy when you think about it. Try to conduct yourself so that you leave nothing behind but a good memory of your visit for those you get to know on the road. If you are looking for more tips for beginner RVers or for tips for camping on your own like I do, check out RV.com’s RV Lifestyle Tips.

I’ll conclude with one of my favorite memories about being an RVer and the whole idea of treating others as you would like to be treated.

I was spending the night in a campground in a swamp on the Louisiana-Texas border a few years back when I first started the RV life. The campground was pretty bare-bones, it was miles to the nearest grocery store and it was the middle of the week. There were only a few RVs there. The couple from the next occupied space – about four down from where I was parked- was trying to prepare their dinner. He was manning the grill, she was in their galley. A few minutes later, the wife walked over to my Airstream, Max, and, after apologizing for intruding, asked if I had any cumin (the spice) I could spare. As luck would have it, I had about two teaspoons left in a spice tin and offered it to her. She protested that she couldn’t take the last of what I had but I insisted, since I wasn’t going to use it anytime soon. She thanked me repeatedly and went back to their motor home.

About a year later, I was at a campground outside Austin, relaxing in a canvas chair under my awning one evening, when, to my great surprise, the woman I had met the year before in the swamp walked up and, with a big smile, handed me an unopened spice tin of cumin. Laughing, she said, “I was hoping we’d run into you again some day.”

Do unto others…that’s the one tip I’d pass along as essential. Keep that in mind and you’ll be fine.

Livin’ the love,

Robin

On The Road With Robin

My RV adventures with Scamp and Rambler

Tag Archives: RV tips

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