Tent/awning idea I've been thinking about

[Bobbie Mayer]

I was looking at these:



I was thinking they would likely have something that was about the right size to fit over the back of a Campster the same way it fits over an SUV or minivan.

But then it occurred to me that I already have an essentially identical tent. It has only a front door, but a large back window. I might be able to construct the fitted part, sew it to the tent, and I'd have the same thing.

The advantage of this is that the tent is secure, itself, and the dogs could go out into it, and give us a little more space.

Although it just occurred to me that itmight not work since it would have to fit up around the pop-top area somehow.

Here's the end of the Campster:



Here's my existing tent:

Opinions?

Bobbie

[Gina D.]

They only downside I can see is that you have now blocked your easy entry and will have to zip in an out of your trailer... kinda like you have to do now with just a tent.

[Bobbie Mayer]

They only downside I can see is that you have now blocked your easy entry and will have to zip in an out of your trailer... kinda like you have to do now with just a tent.

True, but any time I had the trailer door closed I could leave the tent door open, anyway. What I don't like about a tent isn't the inconvenience of getting in and out, its the coldest in cold weather and having to pack/unpack everything every trip, blow up the mattress, etc.

Bobbie

[Donna D.]

I see the downside of using anything other than true awning material is if it gets wet! Just like a tent, ya gotta dry it out before packing it away. Isn't that the reason most of us have trailers instead of tents...is the hassle of wet canvas/nylon

[Rarebird]

Hi,
I think if I were to go through the trouble of sewing up a special attachment to my trailer, I would want to make it as useful a space as possible. A tent is just too small. Before we got our new awning, I was thinking of doing this with a Eureka Northern Breeze screenroom. One awning side of the screen room could be attached to the trailer, and all other sides would have to be made up. Too much work though. Since a screen room is floorless, the dogs may get out...depending on the dogs!
Good luck!
Marjie

[Bobbie Mayer]

Since a screen room is floorless, the dogs may get out...depending on the dogs!

That was my thinking, Marjie. A floorless room won't work. The tent does work well to keep the dogs in. On the other hand, they can't pee in it, so it doesn't work as well as an Xpen, and I can't leave Jack in it and go away as he'd chew through it in no time. (I wouldn't trust him too far away in an Xpen either, though.)

On the third hand, Gina's plastic Xpen wouldn't hold up to him either, and carrying a few Xpens gets heavy.

Donna, I'm not too worried about rain as I mostly will be in California. But that would be a downside in Oregon or Washington.

Bobbie

[Gina D.]

Traveling with dogs will make you try all kinds of alternate things, and like your tent idea, it often leads you back into some of the yukky things you were trying to avoid in the first place.

Leaving them in a tent, alone, at nite, may contain THEM, but it will have very little impact on things snooping around outside the tent. Since you are now raised up and enclosed, you are not right there to protect them, either actively, or passively. A coyote will most of the time shy away from a tent if he smells your stinky pits as well as your dogs nice manacure, but if there is no human scent around to deter them, that tent will be little more than a minor annoyance to them if they want to have a bite of the snacks contained inside. You have effectively trapped your dogs and given the wild critters all the power.

It's also quite against the rules (For good reason) to leave dogs unattended in tents at nite. They must be with you, in the car, or inside the trailer. I am not sure I would trust Xpens either.

There are many clever ideas here on doggie containment at nite for those that do not wish to share their trailers with their pets. Kurt has build special bunks for his in the back of his truck cab. I took the back seats out of my Element, and when I had it, weather permitting, mine would go in there where I placed beds and toys and they had thier own "room" when it was not appropriate for them to be among the human folks.

During the day, you can tether them IN a screen room. You can work out the tangle factor. Mine loved the screen room I had. They were outside, yet protected, and they could do their business when they wanted.

[Bobbie Mayer]

Oh, I'd never leave them in a tent at night. The idea is to have some out-of-trailer space where they don't have to be crated but can't easily escape.

At night they'd be in the trailer, in crates or loose, or crated in the car.

Bobbie

[Gina D.]

I forgot how many dogs you have, so this may not work for you..

I have 2 like sized ones. I have a tandem lead. It's a "T" that has a ring on each end for each collar, and a ring in the center to clip a straight single line onto.

I have a strong clip on my trailer steps now, before I had a drilled hole into a support that I clipped a beaner onto and clipped the lead into.

This allows them to enter and exit the trailer as they chose, and have some free space close to it outside. I block the underside of the trailer so they can't get under it.

They learn to work the tandem in turn.. sometimes one leads, sometimes they follow... they figure it out on thier own. With one younger and more aggressive, I sometimes have to put them on separate leads to keep the male from dragging the female around, but most of the time, they work it out.

[Bobbie Mayer]

I forgot how many dogs you have, so this may not work for you..

I have at least three with me at agility trials, probably will be four soon (when my ancient Labrador passes on, then the remaining corgi will come with me so that we don't need a dog-sitter at home.)

One of the four would chew through anything but a chain (and through the other dogs' tethers if they got in his way.)

He's crated if I can't be there watching but I'm thinking about ways to relax after the trial without having four dogs in the trailer with me, or them having to be crated (after being crated all day.)

Exercise pens would work, just are so much heavier and I still need shade or rain protection. But that will still probably be the way to go unless I decide the tent thing will work (modifying my own tent.) I don't mind setting up a tent; the reason for going to a trailer has more to do with safety and warmth in the winter than anything else.

Bobbie