By Gail Marsh
A recent conversation with fellow RVers centered around ways to transport pet fencing as you enjoy the RV lifestyle. RVers with pets, especially dogs, sometimes prefer to bring some kind of fencing with them to help corral their furry friends and allow them to spend time outside. (Note: Check with your campground host to make sure that erecting a fence is allowed. Best to ask before you put one up.)
“Fencing gives our Betsy a bit of freedom – some time off her leash,” remarked one gal. Everyone seemed to agree that bringing a fence provided even more than that. Not only will it help keep your pet from running away, but a fence can also keep other animals in the RV park from approaching and potentially harming your pet, young children, or even your outdoor belongings!
Some folks, even without pets, like to put up fences when they RV. “I like the way our fencing defines our outdoor space. It’s harder for others to tromp through our site when the fence is up,” offered Tom. (He’s a dog lover, just doesn’t have one right now. He does like his fence, though!)
How do you transport fencing in an RV?
So, how do you safely transport temporary fencing in your RV? Several folks said that they used the RV’s back bumper. I get a bit nervous about this idea, though. Most RV bumpers are not manufactured with the strength they need to support something like fencing. I’ve seen horror stories about people who tied bicycles to the bumper and “secured” them with a rope to the RV ladder. It didn’t end well. Unless your RV bumper has been manufactured or reinforced specifically to hold cargo, caution is advised.
Now if you’re talking about fastening something to the RV’s rear hitch, that’s different. There are hitch-type carriers and trays that would work very well. You just need to know the weight of the combined fencing sections and compare it with the recommended maximum weight for the cargo carrier you choose.
Many pet lovers said that they stored the fencing in the under-the-bed storage bay inside their RV. Others made room in the RV’s closet or basement. When considering potential storage or transport locations, remember that most fencing is sturdy enough to be stored in an upright position. If you line the walls of your RV basement with fence sections, they take up very little space. The same idea goes for the open area behind some RV sofas.
Our conversation ended rather abruptly. One guy who’d been silent to this point offered, “You should just train your dogs to stay near the camper like mine do. Then you won’t need a fence or some way to transport it.” His comment was met with uncomfortable silence. We all averted our eyes and slowly made our way back to our RVs. There’s one in every crowd, right?
You can find all sorts of pet fencing here.
Do you use a portable fence system? Which one? Tell us in the comments, won’t you?
##RVT1129
We put old blanket on the bed and lay them on top. Never have any problem with them moving around.
Great article! I’ve been interested in fencing since seeing it here and there for a few years now. Two labs with tie-outs is almost full time tangle management, and they’re old enough now that I think a fence might work. I’d be interested to hear some recommendations of specific brands and setups.
In almost all of the issues I have read I see all too much of me, me, me mine indications. I am getting uncomfortable with RVing if there are so many people like that out there. I’m new but a pretty old Vet. The last thing I want to be next to is some0one like that if I have to spend any amount of time in an RV park. Think folks.
We had the same problem with a fence. ie where to put it when not in use. We purchased a spare tire carrier that mounts under the RV and secured two sets of fenceing to the mount
It slides out so you have easy access and simple to load. Install is easy as well.
Find it at Amazon under Hide a spare tire storage.
Great idea, Steve. Thanks for sharing!
Travel with cats. No fencing needed. However, we have collapsing cat carriers, one per cat, that we store in the floor of the closet.
We put our fencing in our toad to transport it.
I carry my ex pens and crates on the bed in my tt. The under bed storage has a divider so they won’t fit. I love having the fencing when camping or at dog shows. So much more freedom for the dogs.
I have a very active beagle/jack russell I take camping with me. Early on I figured I needed fencing to keep everyone happy and safe. I transport it behind the drivers seat in my 2016 Highlander, bungied to the back of the seat to prevent movement. I have 16 sections of fencing. Twelve fit behind the seat. The other 4 I velco together and lay in the back of the Highlander with a piece of thick cardboard over them so I can put stuff on top. It works for me, I have a very small trailer – a T@b 320.
Our dogs are mostly leashed or inside when we’re traveling. But we carry a pair of “X-pens” we can fasten together to make enough room for 2 Lab mix dogs. The 42″ tall pens fold flat & ride behind the driver’s seat. This also keeps them from being able to circle behind the seat to get under foot
We have a year old toy poodle that we keep on a long leash. He keeps getting tangled up around the furniture. So we have been looking at other sites fencing for options. May get one soon.
I trained my 3 dogs to stay by my camper…no need for fencing.
You trust your dogs, my biggest concern is other dogs coming into my site.
I use the exact fencing pictured at the start of the article, and I bought 24 sections. My only regret is I opted for the taller version even though our dogs are smaller. So far I’ve found that laying them flat in 2 stacks of 12 each against the back of the truck bed in front of the hitch works well. I secure them with bungee cords and so far there has been very little movement. I even have room to stack some light cargo on top of them.
I store them stacked in the back of the SUV I tow behind my class A motorhome. I started putting them in the basement, but the hassles of put them in and taking them out was a pain, and I needed that space for other things. The SUV storage has been wonderful.
That is exactly why I use the SUV to transport my pens. Way too much trouble to store them in and remove from the motorhome.
We have 2 large dogs & carry 2 42″ tall X-pens hooked together. It’s not a large space for them, but we wind up in RV parks with small spaces or USFS campgrounds. Our dogs only go in the pen when we are outside with them, for their safety, and to keep them quiet
When we had three small dogs that figured out how to braid their leashes we decided to make our own fencing out of 1/2-inch PVC pipe. We made about 40 feet of it so we could sit inside the fence with the dogs. The outer rail was PCV with plastic snow fence inside the rails. Everything was held in place with zip ties. They were light weight but a little bulky. We carried them in the bed of the pickup.
DW borrowed portable, temporary fencing from her parents ahead of our second trip with her 4-month-old puppy. The fencing never left the storage bay. We quickly determined that there was too little fencing and that it was too short to contain the puppy if something drew his attention. Instead, we attached him to a 20′ lead that we anchored to the picnic table.
Is the grouch who prematurely ended the campfire discussion available to train our puppy?
We have 2 sections of the Amazon Basics pet fence. I bought a package of carabiner key rings to attach them. When I first bought them we had a Mini Pin that was a climber so I just set one set on top of the other and attached it with the carabiner clips. She’s passed on so I hook the two sets together and it makes a nice size area. I’m able to put the fence behind the steps coming out of the fifth wheel so we just open the door and let them out into the fenced dog yard. No more midnight putting on my robe and slippers to “potty the dogs.