Keeping pets cool while touring in a B in the summer

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ceemike

ceemike

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Joined
Nov 19, 2009
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607
Location
Pennsylvania
We're thinking of buying a used Class B to do some summer touring. We will be taking our cat with us. We won't be taking a toad so we'd be driving the B to attractions during the day & the cat would be inside. On warm summer days we're afraid the temps inside the RV would get too high so I thought we could run the generator to keep the AC on.  DW thinks it's not a good idea to leave the generator running unattended.  I really don't want to drag the toad along as I think that would defeat the advantage of touring in a B.

What do some of you other B owners do in this situation?
 
Domestic cats are from the desert in Africa (Egypt) and that is why they bury their poop automatically. Cats actually love hot weather more than cold weather. I have three cats living with me and they all prefer the hotter parts of the motorhome. If I have the A/C running in the living room they generally head to the bedroom where it is ten degrees hotter. It would be possible for it to get too hot in a B van for the cats. However I don't see a problem leaving the gen and the A/C running while you are gone.
 
I wouldn't leave the generator running in my absence (unless I could check it every hour or so). Too many things can go wrong. It could just stop running for any number of reasons and I would also be concerned about carbon-monoxide.
 
If you have a Fantastic fan, leaving it running with another vent or window open might be adequate to keep the temps within a cat's tolerance.  Just make sure you have a good fully charged battery and try to park in the shade if possible.  If you have an awning and parking space permits, it can help by keeping the sun off one side.  Close curtains or blinds and put a sun block in windshield, too.  And, as already mentioned, lots of water.
 
Wavery said:
I wouldn't leave the generator running in my absence (unless I could check it every hour or so). Too many things can go wrong. It could just stop running for any number of reasons and I would also be concerned about carbon-monoxide.
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I'm with Wavery.  I know folks do it all the time, I'm just not comfortable with the idea just yet.
Just two days ago, I dropped into a store.  Parked right out front was an older class B (?), really more of a conversion van.  Had a roof top AC with what sounded like an onan running.  I assumed it was pets inside as I didn't see anyone.  I was thining about this very topic as i walked by....

Re. the CO...... has anyone ever come up with a genturi like set-up permenantly mounted?  I would like that idea myself for piece of mind.... although i have no first hand knowledge so it could very well be a dumb idea???
 
SeilerBird said:
Cats actually love hot weather more than cold weather. I have three cats living with me and they all prefer the hotter parts of the motorhome. 
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Tom, our cat also seems to prefer warmer areas for her afternoon naps. We have a screened porch on the south side of the house & she'll spend the summer afternoons out there, even lying in the sun from time to time. She's free to come into the cooler house but seldom does.

Wavery said:
I wouldn't leave the generator running in my absence (unless I could check it every hour or so). Too many things can go wrong. It could just stop running for any number of reasons and I would also be concerned about carbon-monoxide.
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These are some of our concerns too.  We're not afraid to use the generator in our Class A but we've never let it run while we're not in the coach. 

 
It may well be true that people's cats prefer the warmer parts of an RV or a house (I know ours do) but the inside of a parked RV with no AC in the middle of the summer can get to 140 F and I think that is way too hot for a cat. I would be afraid of the heat killing them and would run the generator and AC if I were someplace where the sun was high and strong and the outside temperature hot.

I live in Arizona and the inside of cars parked in garages can get too hot to breath in. I would not think leaving a cat or dog inside a closed parked vehicle in the sun in summer was a safe thing to do. You may not wish to leave the generator and AC running but it may be the only way to avoid returning to a tragedy. Added to that should be some concern about the police arresting people for cruelty to animals if they leave a cat or dog inside a parked vehicle with no AC running. I just think it is a very dangerous thing to do and see nothing but potential disaster from doing so.

My humble opinion.
 
I'll preface this with the disclaimer that we don't have pets, HOWEVER, there is no way I would leave any critter or child in a closed van/car/RV during the summer.  We're already hearing ads on TV about this very issue, and they include not just children but pets as well.  The 140 degrees previously mentioned is too conservative.  If the asphalt of the parking area is 165 degrees which is common in desert areas, then you can bet the temperature inside the vehicle will be more than 140 degrees.  Prove how hot your van gets by putting a simple thermometer inside it, close it up as you would when leaving for sightseeing, and see how hot it is when you return.  Then ask yourself whether the pet you love would survive such temperature.  Chances are, it would not.  People do leave their air conditioners running to keep their pets comfortable.

The point about being arrested is important too.  Communities are enacting laws to stop people from leaving children and pets in cars unattended because they can die from too much heat.

ArdraF
 
I want to clarify my remarks. I am not encouraging anyone to lock their RV up tighter than a drum with your pets inside. If you leave a cat you should have parked in the shade, leave plenty of vents open and run a fan. The A/C would be overkill in most situations. You don't need to keep the RV at 72 for the cats, they do well up to 90 or so.
 
A little added info.... Do cats and dogs sweat to keep cool ?

See here >>>> http://tinyurl.com/yag6vj6
 
We leave the AC on in the bedroom and keep windows open in the living area.  Our oldest cat loves sleeping in the bedroom and the AC doesn't make a difference.
 
You might think about providing a way for to get outside, but still protected.
the photos below are two views of my solution to the problem. You might be able to find a way to do something similar on your rig.

The poles are adjustable paint roller poles. The brown brackets (there is one on the other side
bolts to a similar bracket on a platform mounted to the back bumper

Joel
 

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I have this same concern. I may have to leave my dog inside when I go to work, etc. It could be 8 hours. I don't mind running the generator, but even plugged in I would be concerned if the A/C failed, or the power failed. I'm thinking something that would be nifty is a thermometer/co2 detector that could email me, or text me if it went past a threshold. Of course, I could check in on it too right? There must be such a thing.

I even thought a puppy cam with a clear view of a thermometer, and co2 detector (some even give numbers on a display) might work. One would have to be disciplined enough to check it though, may create anxiety.

I'm being reminded of a large van/truck that was carrying a full load of animals from one shelter to another. There was an A/C system special for the back, which was more than enough cooling to keep the critters comfy. However, unbeknownst to them, the A/C failed. When they got to the destination almost all, if not all the dogs were completely dead. Vehicles like this just aren't the same as a home. A failure there would create discomfort but not death. As long as someone had some form of monitoring, perhaps it would be ok.
 
bjhorton2005 said:
I have this same concern. I may have to leave my dog inside when I go to work, etc. It could be 8 hours. I don't mind running the generator, but even plugged in I would be concerned if the A/C failed, or the power failed. I'm thinking something that would be nifty is a thermometer/co2 detector that could email me, or text me if it went past a threshold. Of course, I could check in on it too right? There must be such a thing.

I even thought a puppy cam with a clear view of a thermometer, and co2 detector (some even give numbers on a display) might work. One would have to be disciplined enough to check it though, may create anxiety.

I'm being reminded of a large van/truck that was carrying a full load of animals from one shelter to another. There was an A/C system special for the back, which was more than enough cooling to keep the critters comfy. However, unbeknownst to them, the A/C failed. When they got to the destination almost all, if not all the dogs were completely dead. Vehicles like this just aren't the same as a home. A failure there would create discomfort but not death. As long as someone had some form of monitoring, perhaps it would be ok.
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We used to have a trailer that we used for camping and, considering that we live in Southern Arizona, I always worried about leaving the cats in the trailer while we were driving in the air-conditioned car during the summer. I solved the problem by buying a remote thermometer. I then placed the temperature sensor in the trailer and carried the thermometer with us in the car. If the temperature in the trailer started getting hot I stopped, took the cats, put them in the car and continued. They did not much like traveling in the car, but we were able to make sure they were safe from hot temperatures.

Something like that might work but the sending range would have to be far enough for you to get the signal. There should be something like that.
 
kccwoodworks said:
Get rid of the pets!!!!
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For some people pets are part of their family. For some of the elderly they are the only friends and companions they have. For some children the family cat or dog is a constant and reassuring companion.

If you were trying to help I suspect that your suggestion will not do so. Perhaps you were only joking?
 
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