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Last Updated on April 14, 2025 by Paul Clayton
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Is It Safe To Leave A Pet In An RV?
If you travel with pets, their safety becomes your number one concern. It’s essential either on the road or in an RV park.
One question particularly worries RVers is whether leaving their pet in an RV is safe. Well, it seems safe if you don’t think much about it. In reality, things are more complicated than you may think.
Let’s put it straight—if you can avoid leaving your pet in the RV alone, then you should do so. By leaving your pet in the RV, you are exposing it to hazards that aren’t controllable. If the pet is with you, you have direct control over its safety, but you can’t know what may happen if it is out of your view.
Key Takeaways:
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- Temperature Control: Temperature regulation is the primary concern when leaving a pet in an RV. Malfunctions in air conditioners or heaters due to power outages can expose pets to extreme temperatures, which can be harmful or even life-threatening.
- RV Park Rules: Some RV parks have strict rules against leaving pets unattended in RVs. Check park policies to avoid being asked to leave.
- Alternatives: Instead of leaving pets alone in an RV, consider taking them with you, having someone in the RV park watch them, or using a pet care center.
- Precautions if Leaving Pets Alone: If leaving your pet alone is unavoidable, implement safety measures such as remote temperature monitoring, backup power sources, ceiling fans, and proper insulation. Additionally, ask someone to check on your pet periodically.
Can You Rent an RV for a Year?
Temperature is the most significant hazard to your pet
A hot or cold temperature may be the most significant hazard to your pet in an RV. There are a few other things that you need to think about, but the temperature should be your number one concern.
It isn’t difficult to keep the temperature steady in the RV and ensure it is warm in the winter. However, all that convoluted equipment isn’t safeguarded from malfunctions that may occur inside or outside the RV.
You may rely on your air conditioner to keep the air cool or your furnace/heater to keep the temperature up. However, the problem here is that these appliances require a power source. What if the power goes out in the RV park or if the circuit breaker in your RV trips? Your climate control will no longer work, exposing your pet to the extreme temperatures that are so harmful to him.
Due to this, leaving your pet in the RV alone is the last thing you want to do. There are many other, safer options for taking care of your pet while you are away, which we will overview below.
However, we realize that leaving your dog or cat in the RV can be the only option in some cases, so we will also examine the steps you can take to ensure your pet’s safety when you are away.
RV Park rules may also Matter
While temperature is the biggest concern when leaving a pet in an RV, its rules may also become problematic if you stay in an RV park.
Not all RV parks are pet-friendly. Some parks forbid leaving pets in the RV unattended, and if you fail to comply with the park’s rules, you will most likely be asked to leave.
In other parks, you can leave your pet in your RV, but you must ensure that it doesn’t disturb other RVers while you are away.
Alternatives to leaving Your Pet in the RV
While leaving your pet in the RV may seem like the most obvious option, there are other, safer alternatives to leaving your pet alone while you are away. As mentioned above, you should keep leaving your pet in the RV as your last option, so you may want to consider the alternatives below first.
Take your Pet with You
Taking your pet with you is an easy way to care for him. You can watch him closely, and he will not feel lonely.
However, this option may not be suitable for all situations. If you visit a store, you won’t be able to bring your pet with you if the store doesn’t allow pets. There may be many similar situations where bringing your pet along isn’t the most reasonable option.
Have Someone at the Park look after Your Pet
The most convenient option would be to leave your pet with a trustworthy neighbor. If there is no need for every group member to go out, you should leave one adult in the RV to look after the pet. Leaving children wouldn’t be as good an idea since they may be unable to react appropriately if something goes wrong in the RV.
Leave Your Pet at a Pet Care Center
If a pet care center is nearby, leaving your pet with them is another good option. This may cost a small fee, but you can be sure that the staff can take care of your pet.
Is it safe to leave a pet in a moving RV?
Another question that bothers RVers is whether it is safe to leave a pet in a moving RV, i.e., whether or not you can leave a pet in a travel trailer that is towed behind a moving vehicle.
Leaving your pet alone in a moving RV is unsafe, even if it is closed in a crate. You won’t be able to keep an eye on your pet, and the pet may not understand what’s happening and become destructive.
If you are considering leaving your pet in the RV while towing it, it should be accompanied by an adult. But ideally, you wouldn’t want to leave a pet in a moving RV, whether there is an adult with it or not.
What if you cannot leave your pet in the RV?
Sometimes, you have no option but to leave your pet in the RV. However, before making a final decision, make sure that leaving your pet alone is your only option.
As mentioned above, the main danger to your pet in the RV is cold or hot temperatures. The problem is that you can’t ensure with 100% reliability that your AC will be powered on the entire time you are away.
Fortunately, there are ways to safeguard your pet from power outages and equipment malfunctions. Employ as many tips as possible to protect your pet from temperature changes if possible.
Remote temperature notification
Perhaps the easiest and least costly option is a remote temperature notification system. These systems allow you to set a temperature threshold, which, when exceeded, will trigger a notification on your phone.
Remote temperature monitoring systems usually operate on Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. 
Therefore, when choosing such a system, you must consider your distance from the RV.
Beyond 100 feet, Bluetooth systems usually don’t offer reliable connection, so unless you are close by, avoid a Bluetooth system.
Wi-Fi systems are arguably better since they can deliver notifications no matter where you are as long as you have an internet connection. The problem here is that you may have no access to the internet, which may be a reason big enough for you to consider other, non-internet-dependent options.
Backup power source
The biggest fear of any RVer when leaving their pet in the RV alone is that the power will go out and that the air conditioner will stop running. There’s not much you can do to prevent power outages, but there is one thing you may do to ensure that the AC stays running.
Essentially, you must ensure a power generator that kicks on when the power goes out. A generator can be a lifesaver if the AC receives no power from the RV park grid.
Your portable generator needs an automatic generator start controller that will start the generator automatically once the power goes out. Most generators do not have auto-start controllers, so you must buy one. A suitable auto generator start controller may cost a few hundred dollars, but it is worth it since it can save your pet’s life.
Aside from that, your generator itself matters a lot as well. What you should particularly care about is the runtime of your generator. If it’s a small generator with a small fuel tank, it may be unable to power up the AC unit while you are away.
When choosing an RV generator, remember that it needs sufficient runtime and power output to run the RV’s AC.
And, of course, you need to ensure that the generator’s fuel tank is full so that the generator can power the AC for a longer time.
Remember that generators can be noisy and thus bothersome for your neighbors. Therefore, leave a generator as your last option. You should also probably let your neighbors know that your power generator may kick in to keep the RV with the pet cool if the power goes out.
Ceiling fans
You probably don’t have a ceiling fan in your RV. Usually, only bigger and pricier RVs come with ceiling fans unless you’ve installed one in your RV.
Ceiling fans certainly don’t deliver the cooling capacity of air conditioners, but they do not consume as much power either. Therefore, leaving your ceiling fan on may be a good option if you are away for a long time.
Remember that a ceiling fan won’t be as effective in hot weather. For extreme heat, your RV’s AC will be the best option. Not only that, but the rotating ceiling fan may be a safety hazard to your pet, which means that leaving a ceiling fan isn’t the best option, but it should still be considered.
Extreme temperature preparation
You may and probably should prepare your RV for extreme temperatures.
In winter, your RV should be well-insulated and equipped with portable heaters to keep your pet warm. If you use any heater, you must ensure it runs even if the power goes out.
Preparing your RV for winter is essential. It won’t be easy to insulate your RV if winter has arrived, so ensure you do it before your trip.
Things may get more complicated in summer since keeping your pet warm is arguably easier than excellent.
Of course, the first thing to do is to leave your AC unit running. Remember that you may want to ensure it can run even if the power at the campground is out.
Secondly, provide your pet with plenty of cool water to hydrate. Not all pets use sweating to cool down in hot weather, but you should provide a water supply.
You can also leave the RV windows open to keep the air in, but if you do so, you may want to mount screens on the windows so that your pet doesn’t escape and get lost.
Speaking of windows, cover all openings through which light can get in with curtains. This will allow you to limit the amount of heat that enters the RV and thus keep it cool.
Asking someone to check up on your pet
If you don’t have tools to monitor the RV or Camper conditions, another option is to ask someone at the campground to check up on your dog occasionally. It should be someone trustworthy who you know will do as you ask.
You may also ask someone from the campground’s office to check up on your dog. Chances are there will be people who will be happy to do that for you.
Leave your name, phone number, and location with the person you asked for the favor. They should call you to notify you of changes with your pet or if any power problems occur at the campground while you are away.
If you liked this article, look at our other RV how-to guides.
