Thinking of renting a pet-friendly campervan? Learn from one family who did the same with their four dogs. It could be a great option for you.
Any kind of vacation is unusual for us. With four large rescue dogs (one of which she was born blind, she was 2), there was always the question, “Who will look after the dogs?” So it occurred to me that renting a pet-friendly campervan might be the solution we needed. Then we can all enjoy the trip together!
Why renting a pet-friendly campervan worked for us
Our dog is no little angel. We pampered them perfectly, allowing them to run around the house and give them access to beds and couches.
On top of that, we live on land surrounded by national forests in the mountains of Colorado. Needless to say, we were a little naive in teaching them the social manners of the city. When the time comes, our dear friends will stay with our thugs at our house for a few days, but we would not be daring to ask them to stay longer.
So when the stars aligned and we had the chance to get away for a week, we knew the hounds would go with us.
read more ⇒ Rent an adventure van with your pet
Our research led us to GoPetFriendly.com. There I found some tips and insights about traveling with dogs that I never thought of. I started thinking, “I can do this…but I don’t own an RV.”
As if by magic, travel trailer rental agencies started popping up in my feed. That made our wheels spin. This was a smaller company and much more affordable than his popular RV rental company that you often find on the street. (Apparently, there are plenty of trailers, some even pet-friendly.) We already had a truck, so we selected a 30-foot bumper pull travel trailer from our inventory and started planning .
read more ⇒ Pet-friendly RV rental companies
plan a trip
Our goal was to drive less than 6 hours a day, take time to walk and hike, and see sights with our dog that we’d never been to before. We set up a loop with Utah to the west, Arizona to the south, New Mexico to the east, and back north to Colorado. This was our maiden voyage, so we didn’t want to be too ambitious. I just needed to get away from the snow and rest.
The stress of many unknowns plagued us while we were preparing for the trip. Does your dog bark at every noise on the campsite? They had no neighbors! Could it damage the trailer we rented? How much would that cost? But what worried us the most was the blind dog, the panda. How will he deal with the ever-changing environment?
We told our kids and friends about our plans, and they all said, “Oh, that sounds like a lot of fun!” But given all the things that could go wrong, I replied: “Well, it’s either going to be a lot of fun, or it’s going to be a complete disaster.”
don’t worry
After all, our little devils became angels for the entire trip. One of the reasons is that we were well prepared and responsive to their needs. Another reason is that they were just happy to be with us and him 24/7.
The panda showed a bit of difficulty in some situations, such as getting in and out of the trailer on a not-so-stable step. But we persevered, and after hearing other dogs doing it a few times, we had to quickly prove that we could do it too.
I was blown away by his ability to hike the rocky terrain. All he needed was to hear my footsteps and follow his path.
The dogs had a great time! And seeing them enjoying our adventure made the trip even more enjoyable for us too. Pandas met a real fire hydrant for the first time, saw Hoorn the Rock, and spent three nights at Golding’s Camp Park in Monument Valley. It was a beautiful area with all the amenities you could ask for, including trails just steps from the campground.
read more ⇒ Visit Monument Valley with Pets
when to go
Traveling in the off-season, finding campsites just got a whole lot easier. The temperature was much more comfortable for hiking than going in the summer.
On our way to New Mexico, we stopped at the Four Corners Memorial, which unfortunately does not allow dogs past the parking lot. However, we met Pez and I’m sure had he stayed longer he might have told us some inspiring travel stories.
That night we camped at Navajo Lake State Park in New Mexico. It was so lovely that I wanted to spend more time there! The only downside was the abundance of cacti in the lowlands. It was a hassle to keep pandas from going through there.
read more ⇒ Pets in State Parks – Guide to pet-friendly camp cabins, campgrounds, beaches, and more
Our final stop was an overnight stay at the Royal Gorge KOA near Canon City, Colorado. We visited the scenic Royal Gorge Bridge and Park before heading home the next morning. The entire park is pet-friendly, not just in restaurants, but even in the visitor center. “We understand that your pets are your family,” Ranger said.
We were told that some dogs were tired on the bridge, but our dog was a bit stiff and was fine. But Panda put her nose close to the board, trying to make sense of the gentle rocking and hollow sounds of her feet.
Returning the camper
We returned it with enough time to clean the trailer on the way back so that we could fully recover our $500 security deposit. The truck stop with car wash and vacuum worked perfectly and the company thanked us for returning our camper to great condition.
The ease of renting a trailer and the flexibility to travel with our dog was great. The joy it gave us to see them happily enjoying our adventure guaranteed us to do more trips like this. And we hope our stories inspire other pet owners.
About the author: Barbara McNally lives in the mountains of Colorado with her husband and four rescue dogs. Barbara McNary owns the rights to all photos in this post. Photo posted with her permission.
Guest post on GoPetFriendly.com: I love sharing stories of people enjoying traveling with their pets.and reading your The pet travel experience might just be the boost others need to pack up and go out with their best friends. If you’re interested in writing a guest post on Take Paws, let me know.
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