Camping with two dogs in 16' Scamp

[gerejon]

We just purchased a 16 ft. Scamp camper and haven't used it yet.
My husband is a 6 footer and I'm 5'7" tall so we are not exactly small.
Recently Sofee, a 2 year old rat terrier, joined our family. She is a little over 20 lbs and we are thinking of getting another small terrier so we may have about 40lbs. of dog and 8 legs in the trailer with us.
Here is my question... we don't camp a whole lot and with the price of gas might be camping even less, at any rate we would appreciate comments, tips or personal experiences on camping with 2 dogs. Our camper has the side dinette. Did I mention that we are seniors.
Thanks

[Jane P.]

Originally Posted by gerejon

We just purchased a 16 ft. Scamp camper and haven't used it yet.
My husband is a 6 footer and I'm 5'7" tall so we are not exactly small.
Recently Sofee, a 2 year old rat terrier, joined our family. She is a little over 20 lbs and we are thinking of getting another small terrier so we may have about 40lbs. of dog and 8 legs in the trailer with us.
Here is my question... we don't camp a whole lot and with the price of gas might be camping even less, at any rate we would appreciate comments, tips or personal experiences on camping with 2 dogs. Our camper has the side dinette. Did I mention that we are seniors.
Thanks

Good luck with your new camper!

I camp with 2 labrador retrievers. In fact I bought my trailer to augment my dog training/competition hobby.

I bought a Bigfoot 19 over a scamp and Casita because of the extra width and height. So my dogs do very well in the camper.

Having said that. Most dogs will get on the cabin bed while you are doing things within the camper that require you to move about (dressing/eating/cooking). At night, they can easily sleep on the side dinette/bed. You can also put a dog blanket and/or bed on the floor for them to sleep on. Depending on their size, and "friendship" you may get 2 of them agreeing to sleep together on the side dinette/bed. One or both may prefer to sleep on the floor or with you.

For dogs as small as you are contemplating (you already have a 20 lb dog), you should have no trouble fitting them into your Scamp. Just be prepared to accompany your dogs outside in the middle of the night and wee hours of the AM should nature call. I NEVER JUST OPEN THE DOOR AND LET THEM DO THEIR BUSINESS UNACCOMPANIED!

Given the price of gas, you're probably well off getting a Scamp. They really don't add to your milage as much as a heavier trailer such as a Bigfoot. And you will save on hotels.

Best of luck!

[cpaharley2008]

Our 2 labs sleep under the dinette bed on their own dog beds. Take plenty of plastic doggy bags and extra set of leashes while camping and take water from home. I made the mistake of giving my dogs strange water from the cg and did I have a mess on my hands. Now I take 2 gallons from home for them. For me, the coffee maker kills anything that maybe in the water or I drink beer. One more tip, put your cell phone number vs your home number on any ID tags you put on the dogs while traveling, your cell phone is with you, not your home phone.

[Carol H]

I camped with a lab in my 16' Scamp for a number of years and I spent a very wet week on the west coast with him and his best friend a very over sized Golden in the trailer - plus 2 children and it wasn't all that bad. As you have dogs that combined weight is less than half of one of those boys you should not have any problems with them getting in the way to much - that is as long as don't have a serious need to build a very large lego space ship and working launch pad in the middle of the trailer floor :-))).

I actually designated the front bunk as my guys bed and put a removable cover on it - when up on the bunk he was out from under foot. The only problem was if a person needed to use his bunk to sleep in. Not the best sleep for the party on the bottom bunk as it got a little crowded.

I used large suction type hooks on the outside of the trailer when camping to hang wet dog towels and leashes etc.

[Maggie R.]

We camp with our 80+ pound Golden Retriever in a 13' Trillium. The back table area stays set up as a bed. The bed often becomes the go to place for one human and the dog when the other human is "wandering" around in the camper .

I use a fitted vinyl sheet covered by a cotton fitted sheet to protect the bedding. And I made bag to protect our sleeping pillows using another vinyl sheet and some leftover silk (it dries quickly!) ... and velcro to keep it snugly closed. The "system" provides easy protection for the bed.

The Molly-dawg spends the night on the floor ... awaiting the moment when a human opens his or her eye. Which, apparently, has become The Signal that she can join them on the bed. Cozy? Oh my, yes !

Because she is a wanderer, the first thing I do at a campsite is to make sure we are settled where she can be hitched to the bumper and not get into trouble (think: chicken bones in the fire circle ).

Enjoy your camping with the canine pal(s) !

[bomni]

We have a 40+ & 65+ pound husky, my hubby is 6'1 & I'm 5'8 (both thinnish luckily), we have a 13ft Boler...we bought it to have more room (from a 6 person tent that is...and a 3 man backpacking tent when we are hiking)!

[2yax2go]

We traveled with our 40 pound Boykin Spaniel, Charlie (until we had to have him put down just before Thanksgiving) and our 65+ pound Shephard/Chow mix, Skye, in our 16 foot Scamp. Charlie usually slept on his blanket under the dinette and Skye by the door. They were both good sleepers so we seldom had to make a midnight run...for them (grin). Since we tended to keep them outside until bed and out again on the first daylight run, they didn't spend a lot of time indoors unless it was too rainy to be outside.

Both the dogs enjoyed camping and Skye still loves to go and, I think, rather enjoys being "only dog".

[Karalyn]

We usually have our dogs in kennels in the camper, but have had them in bed with us. Hubby on the back bed and me on the side dinette. It works fine having them on the back bed with hubby but I can not get more than one or two on my skinny bed. You should have NO problems with your two dogs. I suggest a doggie bed either under the back bed or the side bed to keep them out of the way if necessary. I bet if you allow them they will be on the back bed and out of your way when cooking, etc. And if allowed they will be sleeping on the back bed also. You will find a way. :-)

[honda03842]

A guy I had never met walked up to me at the Texas fiberglass rally and said I know you. You're "No pets, more petting".

[john warren]

well hello!
i also have a rat terrier, and a cocker spaniel. i know exactlu where they will sleep when we camp, the cocker loves a hide a way so he will no doubt sleep under the dinette/bed. the rat terrier, as im sure you have discovered ,,, is going to be in bed,,, we have no say in this,,,after all she is the princess.

actualy my ratty is a squirrel hunter, and has won two squirrel dog association first place .

[Thomas G.]

For those that travel with dogs, what actions do you take to be able to leave the dogs alone for awhile? Obviously you need to make sure they don't get too hot or cold, don't destroy the trailer, are safe from other animals and dognappers.

[john warren]

Originally Posted by Thomas G.

For those that travel with dogs, what actions do you take to be able to leave the dogs alone for awhile? Obviously you need to make sure they don't get too hot or cold, don't destroy the trailer, are safe from other animals and dognappers.

if we take the dogs , it will be a situation where we won't have to leave them for any amount of time. for a couple hours they would be fine in the trailer. after all they are fine in the house when we go to work.

if we are going on a trip where they would be left alone the whole day , its beter to leave them with one of my kids, or take them to the doggy hotel .
theres a kennel near us that boards dogs, its more luxurious then any of the places we can afford to go to ourselves.

[Thomas G.]

Yea, I meant for a few hours. What precautions do you take?

[Carol Ann in TO]

Originally Posted by Thomas G.

Yea, I meant for a few hours. What precautions do you take?

We travel with 2 Rhodesian Ridgebacks. I make sure that they are tired, the temperature is reasonable (or set up the portable fantastic fan) and put away ALL food. I lock the door and then never leave our site for more time than it takes to have a shower. I would never leave the campgrounds without them.
They can stay alone at home for 8 hours-- the house is secure and the neighbours would notice a stranger. At the campgrounds, anyone with food could leash them up and go.
We got the trailer for the dogs-- not to leave them in it

[john warren]

Originally Posted by Thomas G.

Yea, I meant for a few hours. What precautions do you take?

i guess the "precautions" are proper obedience training. and knowing the dogs will behave alone in the trailer.

though as a wise man once said: "never trust a dog to watch your lunch"

[Thomas G.]

Originally Posted by john warren

i guess the "precautions" are proper obedience training. and knowing the dogs will behave alone in the trailer.

though as a wise man once said: "never trust a dog to watch your lunch"

Good point. My greyhound underwent a 10 week training program at Coldwater Prison in Michigan prior to her adoption. I'm concerned as to what exactly they may have taught her in addition to sit, heel and shake.

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by Carol Ann in TO

We travel with 2 Rhodesian Ridgebacks. I make sure that they are tired, the temperature is reasonable (or set up the portable fantastic fan) and put away ALL food. I lock the door and then never leave our site for more time than it takes to have a shower. I would never leave the campgrounds without them.
They can stay alone at home for 8 hours-- the house is secure and the neighbours would notice a stranger. At the campgrounds, anyone with food could leash them up and go.
We got the trailer for the dogs-- not to leave them in it

My wife and I have always had a dog . We like dogs. When our last dog passed on after 14 years we discussed whether we wanted a dog in our retirement years . We are now the proud owners of a chocolate lab.
When i read your post it seems like you are a prisoner of your dogs and that they control your schedule. Again I like dogs but we wish to be able to see the sites in an area and that means being away for more than a shower's length.
Why is it okay to leave a dog locked up at home for 8 to 10 hours but wrong to lock him in your Trailer for 4 hours . We've found most campers to be very honest.

[gerejon]

Thanks for all the good tips and replys. I think we decided to stay with one dog only. We loved to get another one but are afraid to make that kind of move since staying with one is not a mistake but the second could be a mistake. We believe in a permanent commitment. Anyway, the one writer John who owns a rat terrier is right about the dog sleeping in the bed. We can't wait to April for our first camping trip with our "new second hand" scamp and our "new second hand" dog!

[cpaharley2008]

Ah, but did you ask the dog what he/she wanted. Although Franklin was 5 years old and the first born, when we got Hershey Franklin took over as both father and mother. Now they are inseparable.

[gerejon]

We wish we knew for sure about the second dog and I'm sure if we asked our pup she would say yes as she loves to play. It just seems like it might be a little harder especially at first to travel and camp with two dogs than with only one. The jury is still out however.