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Do any of you own a fifth wheel or travel trailer? When driving do you let the dog stay in the trailer? How does he/she fare?

We are leaving on holidays in 3 days and I am considering letting the dogs stay in the tt while driving. Room for them to stretch out and more room for us in the truck. It wont be hot inside the tt and we will check on them every 2-3 hours. Providing they dont freak out ...what do you think?

Should I give gravol first?

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Thanks Sue! I am going to stay in with them and see. I will lay down on one of the beds with them. If I think they are going to slide around in the corners I will take them and go back in the truck. And yes, we are a stones throw from Alaska. Driving right thorugh the Stewart cut off (Hyder Alaska) definitely is not hot unless it is sunny. If it turns out sunny that day we all go in truck. (I am actually looking forward to the experiment...means I am away from the noisy kids lol)

Thank you all for your valid concerns. Dually noted. I promise you all I will not bake the dogs or let them get hurt. Thanks to the responses I will definitely be in there with them - so I can get a real feel for what is going on inside there while on route.
Yup, been that route and you're right, I don't think it ever gets that hot up there. Think about it this way, would you feel comfortable with your children back there unattended? And even if they get thier "sea-legs" and can walk around a moving RV, sudden stops are always a possibility. I can tell you are weighing your options carefully, and that's very responsible. I'm sure you'll figure out what works best for your whole family. PS. Are crates an option, inside the 5th wheel?
Yes crates are an option too. And I can actually fit Abby's huge crate in the RV but not in the truck. That is a good idea. I will do the first hour with them and see how it feels. And I think if they are happier in there I will put them in the crates and lodge them under the tables so they can be safe in the event of sudden stops. And I am glad sudden stops were mentioned because now I will hang out in the forward bedroom laying on the bed but with my feet on the headboard side.

And no! Not in a million years would I let my kids ride in there because by law they have to be in CSA approved booster seats with child restraints until the age of 9. Not to mention the fact they could open the door from the inside of the trailer. (dogs can't unlock the latch) .

And no, it may not be legal (maybe it is, havent checked) for me to go lay in there while on route - but I am going to anyways - lol.
I have thought about putting the pups in the travel trailer in their crate in the doorway or where the table is suppose to be to keep them stabilized when we travel. right now they fit in the truck with the 2 car seats and my husband and I but next year they won't so..... Put the AC on in the tt for a couple of hours, put them in thier crate in the doorway and off we will go.
Yes, the trailer disconnecting is possible but not likely. it's an hour drive to our fav camp site.
We are RV people and have been for years. Our dogs are old hands at riding in it and mostly lay around when we drive. I would not ever put a dog in a trailer - maybe it can't come undone but the ride is pretty rough. Are you familiar with how it feels to ride in an RV? If you aren't, it is not smooth like a car - it is like a boat pitching and rolling - a fifth wheel and a trailer are even more so. I think it would terrify a dog even if they were used to riding in an RV. A fifth wheel would be a bit more stable, but my first choice (and actually the only one I would make) would be for them to travel with us in the vehicle. In thirty years we have been camping, we have never noticed that dogs rode in a trailer - not that we might know. Legally, people can't ride in a trailer but can ride in a 5th wheel if there is communication.
I just have to say that I agree with not putting the dogs in the trailer. We just had an emergency stay near the Fairbanks hospital...well, I was in the hospital....and our Maizy had to sit in the camper van we were in. Even with the fan going the temperature inside got very hot. I was so nervous about the dog my poor DH had to keep running to the van for cooling off walks, then back to the hospital to calm me down. It just gets hot in a metal shell....yes, in Alaska. Also, I keep seeing that Lucille Ball movie about her riding in the long trailer that kept swinging around....think of the dogs like Lucy and it will make you smile, but probably not very comfortable for the dogs.
How many hours a day will you have to be driving? If they will stay on a bed or a couch the ride wouldn't be so uncomfortable, but they could be thrown off of those rather easily. I guess if it's an absolute must to have dogs in the back, I'd crate, pad the inside of the crate well, secure the crate really well on a bed or couch, have water in the crate, and check on them at least every hour. Being as you have some communication with the trailer you can hear them if they get upset. I agree that it will probably stay cool in the trailer, as it;s more cool as you're moving than when you're parked. But you'll have a real education riding in it yourself. Good luck.

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