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Everything you need to know about RVing with dogs — from your first overnight in the driveway to keeping pets safe in an RV across a 7,000-mile road trip.
Waggle sat down with Jeanette — an 8-year RV veteran, former dealership buyer, and proud dog mom to Coco and Kira — for a live AMA on everything pet parents need to know before traveling with pets in an RV.
Jeanette has logged thousands of miles in a 2019 Entegra Cornerstone diesel pusher with her husband, her 13-pound service dog Coco (famous for her purple tail and zero chill), and their newest family member Kira, an 81-pound foster fail who's claimed the driver's seat as her personal throne.
Between buying RVs for a family-owned dealership and living the full-time RV life across spring, summer, and fall, Jeanette has seen every class of motorhome, survived every type of roadside breakdown, and learned the hard way what actually matters when your pets are riding shotgun.
Here's what she shared.
First-Time RVing With Dogs? Don't Book Your Trip, Stay in the Driveway
Jeanette's number one piece of advice for first-time RVers is one most people skip entirely: don't rush into a trip.
"You just left the dealership. You're towing your travel trailer home. You're so excited and you're already booking your trip. Stop right there," she said. "Take that camper home. Put it in your driveway. Stay in it overnight."
That means figuring out the basics before you're 300 miles from home — testing your slides, running your hot water, understanding whether your rig is 30-amp or 50-amp, and learning the difference between city fill (filling your onboard tank) and city water (hooking up directly to a hose). Some rigs have six knobs for the water system, and Jeanette warns that the labels aren't always accurate. "Sometimes they are labeled wrong. You don't find that out until you try it out."
The same goes for your pets. Bring them into the RV before you leave. Let them get familiar with the space, the sounds, and the movement. "Put the slides in and out while they're in there," Jeanette suggested. When Kira experienced her first slide retraction, she was visibly confused — the house was literally moving around her. Coco, after years on the road, didn't flinch.
If your dog is crate-trained, bring the crate. That familiar space becomes their anchor in a new environment.
How Far Should You Drive Each Day When RV Camping With Dogs?
It depends on your schedule, but Jeanette's general rule is no more than 300 miles per day on extended trips. That said, life doesn't always cooperate. Last summer, she and her husband had back-to-back commitments — a pet expo in Las Vegas and a family visit — and ended up driving 800 miles in a single day.
"I don't recommend doing it. It's miserable," she said. "But if you have to do it, you have to do it."
With pets, the math changes. Dogs need potty breaks, exercise, and mental stimulation, and that adds time. When Jeanette traveled out west with just Coco, a 600-mile day took significantly longer because of frequent stops. Adding Kira to the crew means even more stops now, Kira isn't as road-seasoned as Coco, and she needs the extra decompression time.
Some stops are quick rest-area breaks. Others turn into hour-long detours at a dog park Jeanette found by searching "dog park along the way" and zooming in on Google Maps to make sure the rig would fit.
Finding Pet-Friendly Campgrounds: Plan Ahead or Wing It?
Jeanette is upfront about it, she and her husband are not year-in-advance planners. But she's equally upfront that peak season at national parks demands it.
"If you want to go to a national park, you need to book that thing like a year in advance," she said. Recreation.gov handles reservations for sites at places like Glacier, Arches, and Zion.
For everything else, Jeanette's approach is more flexible. She'll often book a campground near a national park rather than inside it, then drive to the park for day trips. That way, she gets access to the attractions without needing to secure one of the most competitive campsites in the country.
When choosing a campground, she relies on three things:
Google Reviews, filtered by newest. She reads the pet-specific reviews carefully. If there are multiple mentions of aggressive dogs or constant barking complaints, she moves on.
Pet-friendliness and breed restrictions. Not every campground welcomes every breed, and some beaches restrict dogs entirely during peak season or limit hours.
Route planning with Waggle Places. Jeanette recently started using Waggle Places to plan routes between destinations. It maps campgrounds along your route, flags whether they're pet-friendly, shows breed restrictions, and surfaces nearby attractions. For RVers traveling with pets, it takes the guesswork out of "will they let my dog in?"
Our host Kaile shared a similar experience — she used Waggle Places to plan a weekend trip to Wilmington Beach and discovered that several beaches didn't allow dogs during peak hours. That kind of detail is easy to miss until you're standing on the sand being told to leave.
What to Pack for Your Dog on an RV Trip
Jeanette admits she overpacks for herself — and overpacks even more for her dogs. Here's what she considers essential:
A stationary water bowl with a rubber bottom so it doesn't slide while driving, plus a travel water bottle up front for Coco (permanent passenger-seat princess).
Plenty of food in an airtight container, stored away from the engine heat. In Jeanette's motorhome, the engine is in the back, so she stores food up front under the booth seating.
Long leashes — 30 feet. "I cannot recommend long leashes enough, especially for boondocking," she said. They give dogs room to roam at camp and double as walk leashes. Most campgrounds require a six-foot leash, but Jeanette gauges the space around her site and adjusts accordingly.
Dog shoes. She knows people laugh, but after traveling through the desert last summer — where the asphalt never cooled down — she was grateful she had them for Coco.
A dog first-aid kit and a backpack for outings stocked with a ball chucker, water bottles for each dog, and treats.
Managing Dog Anxiety and Energy While Traveling in an RV
For high-energy dogs, Jeanette swears by one thing before a long drive: a sniff walk.
"Take them on a walk and let them sniff, because sniffing actually engages their brain more than just running and playing fetch," she said. She calls it a "sniffari." Before departure days, she and her husband each take a dog on a long walk. After one five-mile outing, the dogs didn't move for six hours.
For anxious dogs, her advice is more measured — talk to your vet. If the anxiety is separation-related, crate training helps (the crate becomes a safe space), and distraction toys like peanut butter-filled Kongs can buy meaningful calm-down time.
Keeping Pets Safe in an RV: Monitoring Temperature and Activity
Jeanette runs three Waggle cameras in her motorhome, and she's the first to call herself a helicopter dog mom.
The RV 4G Mini Cam sits on her fridge and gives her a near-360 view of the living area — no WiFi required, which matters when she's boondocking with sketchy internet. A second Mini Cam is mounted on the dashboard, covering the front cab where Kira parks herself in the driver's seat. And the WaggleCam Pro lives in the bedroom with autotracking, two-way talk, and a treat dispenser that Coco figured out almost immediately.
"Coco hears the noise and immediately sits up. It's the same as if I were to say, 'Who wants cheese?'" Jeanette laughed. Kira, meanwhile, just investigates after watching Coco eat.
The temperature monitor adds another layer. When Jeanette visited Las Vegas last summer — 117°F outside — she left Coco in the motorhome while she went to the pool. Even with the AC running and the ability to adjust the thermostat remotely through her motorhome's app, she lasted 15 minutes before heading back. "I was literally panicked the entire time." The monitor gave her data; the cameras gave her a visual check. Together, they turned worry into something manageable.
When Things Go Wrong (and They Will)
Jeanette's most recent trip from Ohio to Charleston, South Carolina was supposed to be routine. It wasn't.
First, their super slide refused to extend — a grinding noise that they diagnosed as a bad motor. They ordered the part from Entegra and had it shipped ahead to their destination. Then a tire blew out on their car dolly. Luckily, they had a spare and an impact drill in the basement (a lesson learned from a previous trip when they didn't). Twenty minutes on the highway shoulder and they were moving again.
Then the entry stairs stopped retracting. They killed the power to the stairs and went without them for a few days. Finally, on departure day, the coach air suspension wouldn't inflate. A Google search solved that one.
Her biggest takeaway from years of breakdowns: "If you learn anything in the RV life, when problems arise, especially as husband and wife — just pay the money. Just have the RV repairman come."
RV Safety Checklist for Pet Owners Before Every Trip
Before every trip, Jeanette and her husband run through a full safety check:
Engine and fluids — oil, transmission fluid, generator oil, coolant levels.
Lights — headlights, blinkers, running lights, plus blinkers on any towed vehicle or trailer.
Jacks and slides — test them before you leave, not 300 miles down the road.
Towing setup — whether towing a vehicle or a trailer, double-check your hookup. Make sure trailer chains are crossed properly and hooked to the frame of the vehicle, not just the hitch. If the hitch fails and the chains are only attached to it, you've got a serious problem.
Tire pressure — critical for large rigs, especially when traveling through elevation changes. Going from sea level to 9,000 feet will shift your tire pressure, and Jeanette recommends checking it at every stop.
Emergency gear — road triangles, road flares, and a fire extinguisher, all stored where you can reach them.
The Only Way to Learn Is to Go
"That's one thing about the RV lifestyle," Jeanette said. "You will never, ever stop learning something. I learn something on every single trip."
Eight years in, she's still figuring things out. The impact drill in the basement exists because of a trip where it didn't. The shoes in Coco's travel bag exist because of a summer where the pavement was too hot. Every lesson came from experience. Not from a manual, not from a class, and definitely not from a dealership walkthrough.
If you're new to RVing with pets, start small. Stay in your driveway. Let your dog explore the rig. Test every system. Pack more than you think you need. And plan your route with tools like Waggle Places so you're not guessing about pet policies when you pull in.
The road teaches you everything else.
Frequently Asked Questions About RV Travel With Pets
How do I prepare my dog for their first RV trip?
Start by letting your dog explore the RV while it's parked at home. Run the slides in and out so they get used to the movement and noise. Stay overnight in the driveway at least once before hitting the road. If your dog is crate-trained, bring the crate into the RV — it becomes a familiar safe space in an unfamiliar environment.
What's the hardest part about traveling with dogs in an RV?
Frequent stops. Dogs need potty breaks, exercise, and mental stimulation, which adds significant time to long driving days. Jenette noted that a 600-mile day takes much longer with dogs because you're stopping every few hours. It's worth planning for shorter driving days — around 300 miles — so the stops don't feel like setbacks.
How do I find pet-friendly campgrounds for my RV?
Check Google Reviews filtered by newest, and look specifically at pet-related comments for red flags. Use a route planner like Waggle Places to see which campgrounds along your route are pet-friendly, what breed restrictions apply, and whether nearby beaches or parks allow dogs during certain hours.
How do I keep my dog safe in the RV when I'm not there?
A pet temperature monitor tracks heat, humidity, and air quality inside the RV in real time and sends alerts if conditions become unsafe. An RV pet camera — especially one with built-in 4G that works without WiFi — lets you check in visually from anywhere. Jeanette runs three Waggle cameras and a temperature monitor in her motorhome, which she considers essential when boondocking or parked in extreme heat.
What should I pack for my dog on an RV road trip?
Essentials include a non-slip water bowl, a travel water bottle, food stored in an airtight container away from engine heat, 30-foot leashes for campground freedom, dog shoes for hot pavement, a pet first-aid kit, and a backpack stocked with a ball chucker, water, and treats for outings.
How do I calm an anxious dog during RV travel?
Take your dog on a long "sniffari", a walk focused on letting them sniff — before departure. Sniffing engages their brain more than running or fetch, and a tired dog is a calm dog. For separation anxiety, crate training and distraction toys like peanut-butter-filled Kongs help. If anxiety is severe, consult your vet before your trip.
Do I need a pet monitor that works without WiFi in my RV?
If you boondock, dry camp, or park anywhere with unreliable internet — yes. WiFi-dependent monitors lose connection exactly when you need them most. A monitor with built-in 4G cellular connectivity, like Waggle's pet monitors, works anywhere with Verizon coverage, so you get real-time alerts regardless of whether your campground has WiFi.
How far in advance should I book RV campgrounds during peak season?
For national parks, book up to a year in advance through Recreation.gov. For private campgrounds during summer, a few weeks to a couple months ahead is usually sufficient. Jeanette's strategy is to book a campground near a popular national park rather than inside it, easier to secure and still close enough for day trips.
Ready to plan your next pet-friendly RV trip? Waggle Places helps you find campgrounds, check breed restrictions, and map dog-friendly stops along your route.
