Leaving your pet alone in a camper van while you are away is one of the biggest concerns of pet owners. Compared to a normal home, vehicles experience greater temperature swings, especially during the summer months. So, how can you ensure your pet stays cool and comfortable when they’re alone in the van?
Keep your pet cool in a camper by ensuring a safe and comfortable living environment for them. This includes limiting direct sunlight by parking your van in the shade, ensuring sufficient interior air circulation, installing effective insulation, and providing enough water for your pet to drink.
In this post, you will learn helpful tips that you can implement to make sure your pet stays cool and comfortable while you are away.
Not what you need? Check out our “Van Life With Cats” page for more similar content.
1. Park Your RV Wisely
Sun rises from the east and sets in the west. Think about the movement of the sun when you park your RV. How the sun hits your camper van throughout the day plays a huge role in the internal temperature of your vehicle.
During the hot summer months, avoid direct sunlight by parking under a tree or next to building to create shade over your RV.
If you have no choice but to park in the sun, look to park your vehicle so that the front windshield is pointed away from the sun. And if you’re parking in the morning, think about where the sun’s travel arc will be so that you can limit your RVs exposure to the sun throughout the day.
Windshield Sun Shades Are Critical
If you haven’t bought one already, sun shades for your windshield are critical. They play a huge role in slowing down rise in temperature inside your RV.
Sun Shade (Vehicle Model) | Where To Buy? |
Mercedes Sprinter | |
Ram Promaster | |
Ford Transit |
Download our electrical eBook (with diagrams) to visualize which wire sizes you need.
2. Insulate Your RV
You already know that the inside of your car can reach extreme temperatures when parked all day in extreme temperatures. Unsurprisingly, RVs are exactly the same.
So if you happen to building your camper van from scratch, installing insulation is a must. Putting in enough insulation, especially behind your walls and ceiling, will also play a big role in reducing large temperature swings during the day.
Learn More About RV Insulation | Campervan Conversion Insulation Guide
3. Proper Air Circulation In An RV
Especially on hot days, it is important to have a system that can circulate air throughout entire RV. Pairing a ventilation fan & windows really helps to keep your RV cool during hot days.
Ideally it is best to have windows on both sides of your RV and at least one fan to promote good air flow.
Looking For The Best RV Vent Fan? | Maxxair Fan Review: The Best Vent Fan For Camper Vans
4. Leave Plenty of Water & Food
Make sure your pets have access to water and food if you plan to be absent more than half a day. Of the two options, ensuring your pet has adequate supply of water is critical during the hot summer months.
If you’re a cat owner, it’s a good idea to feed your cat wet food. This ensures that your cats are fully hydrated before you leave them. This is important because cats usually drink much less water overall than dogs.
5. Essential Items To Keep Your Pet Warm & Cool
Below are some great products that either help to control the interior temperature of your RV or help keep you updated on the current temperature of your vehicle.
We like the Waggle RV temperature sensor because it allows you to monitor your RV’s exact internal environment. No more worrying about if your pet is suffering and if need to get back to your camper early.
Enjoyed reading? Check out our “Van Life with Cats” guide page for more similar content.
RV Pets Safety Temperature & Humidity Sensor
- Monitor temperature, heat index, humidity
- Instant Alert On Your Phone
- Realtime Update
- Internal Battery
Final Thoughts About Leaving A Pet Alone In An RV
As a pet owner I’m always concerned about the well-being of my pet, and it can be stressful to just leave my cat alone in my camper while I’m out. But with proper preparation not only is it safe to leave your pets behind in an RV, both owners and pets can make the best of the situation.
It is always a good idea to plan your itinerary ahead instead of being spontaneous. Make sure to have a good parking spot where there might be some shade and less traffic, good air circulation, and plenty of food & water in the RV.
There are many things to take care of, but don’t let it discourage you from taking your best friend on your journey together with you. RVs can really provide the best way of traveling with pets.
Happy travels!
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