# Help/info needed re:Dogs in motorhome in summer please



## SeaAlly (Apr 17, 2010)

I am currently downsizing my motorhome due to financial reasons and the fact that I have a 6berth for just me and my dog. It has air con in the living area as when I bought it as I thought it would be good if I need to go out and leave Ruby during the day when it's hot. I'm struggling to find a 4 berth with air con and as I only got my MH in november I haven't been through summer yet and I just want some advice please from dog/motorhome owners.
Do you leave your dog inside while you go out? Does a motorhome get as hot as a car? Any info would be a great help please as I am in a quandary. I've got a job on a campsite in cornwall and am not sure if I can't find one with air con in the living space whether she'll be ok? 
Thanks


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## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*Heat*

Hi

The heat build up is not the same as a car. You can open roof vents, and windows, but how secure is that? Open windows to the "night vent" on the sunny side and close the blinds. Do not close blinds without opening the window slightly though.

I have roof aircon and the prime benefactor is the dog!

Russell


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## zulurita (May 9, 2005)

We do leave our dog in the mh. All depends on how hot the day is.

Like Russell we close the blinds. We also put the silver screens on the cab windows and that keeps things really cool.

We also bought a silver screen for the heki rooflight. We leave the heki open but if the sun is overhead then quite a bit of heat comes into the mh. Having the silver screen for the heki cuts down a lot of this heat even with the heki open.

If we are on electric, we also have the fan on as we do not have air conditioning in the habitation side.

We have a temp guage inside the mh. If it is too hot for the dog then she is outside. She likes lying under the mh but a crate for the dog is useful.


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

With ventilation and an adequate supply of water all should be fine. To be sure you could buy a min max thermometer so you can nip in and check how hot it gets from time to time, Alan.


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## greenasthegrass (Oct 27, 2007)

Depends where you are going to go if you stay in Britain you be fine do we ever get it that hot? ok for the one day a year then dog can go with you if poss.

You could also think about having one fitted I was speaking to a caravan owner last weekend and he had one fitted and had to be on hook up but it was 30 outside and inside was down to 20 degs at night they had to use a duvet!

So perhaps that might be the way forward having one fitted think Dometic do a good one.

If you subscribe you could possibly do a search about Aircon.

HTH

Greenie 

PS I have two dogs and they have stayed in van when its been warm and not suffered any distress at all - I worry about them full stop just leaving them but they seem fine.


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## Crindle (Feb 2, 2007)

*Aircon ?*

Hi all......we show dogs and leaving them in the van (max. 2 hrs) is generally okay. When we started some 20 years ago airconditioning in the habitation section to keep them cool on hot days was our no1 priority. However we very quickly became aware that being absent with the air conditioning running came with a risk we were not prepared to take. 
The majority of motorhomes need mains hook up to run the airconditioning you also require all windows vents etc. to be closed for the unit to be fully effective. What happens should the 240 volt mains fail or your mains lead is severed or unpugged in your absence ? The clossited interior of the van now becomes an oven, the very last thing you want, once we realised this we never used the air coditioning again for this purpose. Far better to arrange natural ventilation via open vents and doors and stick to secure sites, at least you can set everything up, safe in the knowledge that it won't change. So our advice would be save on the expense of the aircon. option.......Crindle.


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## SeaAlly (Apr 17, 2010)

Hi
Thanks everyone for your responses - they have put my mind at rest a bit. As I'm in the staff/storage part of the campsite it is quite secure so I'll be able to leave all the windows etc vented. As I'm on site too I can check on my breaks and thanks for the thermometer tips - it's on the shopping list  
Thanks again


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