Barking Embarkers

I was in college when I first had the barking aspiration of traveling in a camper. Specifically, the dream was to become a traveling occupational therapist, live in a camper, and drive a motorcycle. I’ve always had three part wishes in my life- Go to Hogwarts, wear cute clothes, meet Hermione. To be honest, I sometimes felt my college dream was just as far fetched as my childhood dream. It wasn’t. In fact, after some thorough research I learned that this dream was absolutely obtainable.

Chloe Rue the pup was not an original part of this dream. Neither was writing a blog. I always said I would write a romance novel, or participate in research for occupational therapy. That’s the beautiful thing about life though isn’t it? It is the things that are unexpected, like a puppy who needs a home and adventures that need sharing- those are sometimes the best part about chasing dreams. Cheers to the unexpected adventures.

Here is a shout out to one of my readers, Jerad, for inspiring me to write about how camper life began. If anyone runs into questions about traveling healthcare, traveling with a pet, RV life, anything at all- please leave a comment! Maybe I’ll write an entire post about your question. Because why not right?

Before Buying a Camper, you need…

To have the ability to haul it. This right here is the financial kicker- is it really worth it to purchase a nice diesel truck? On my opinion it absolutely was worth it in many ways; however it is not always the best move for everyone. In my world, I travel from one location to the next putting anywhere from 1200-1600 miles on my vehicle between locations. I wouldn’t have to travel that way; I know many people choose to stay in a certain state or a certain area. I just can’t stay in one place very long though, so the diesel works best for me. In addition to the many miles of towing, I usually work home health jobs; which involves many miles between patients. When it comes to putting miles down on a vehicle, diesel trucks know how to handle it. Sure, they require maintenance and are usually more expensive to buy, fix, and maintain; but on my opinion it is worth it to have a reliable towing vehicle. Not to mention, Chloe Rue loves all of the leg room she has sitting in the truck.

This is when it is also important to consider your Camper options. You can travel using a travel trailer, a Motorhome, or a 5^th wheel. Or a school bus or tiny house now-a-days! I use a travel trailer. It was less expensive to purchase, easier to back into when flying solo, though might have a smaller floor plan than say a 5^th wheel. I figured if I end up living my life in a camper more long term I might eventually purchase a 5^th wheel or motorhome. For now, Chloe and I like our 28 feet of space.

Then there is another consideration- how big do you want your camper? Many people crave space, and others say they will be outside all the time anyway, and don’t need much space. It is important to really think about what you will need. I decided less than 30 feet, because many places won’t fit something larger than 35-40 feet and on my opinion it is just easier to haul something less than 30 feet. I did look at a 19 foot long travel trailer; but it was too short to stand up tall while inside. Also to be considered is what amp of electricity do you want. It is sometimes difficult to find places that have 50 amp electric hook ups; so I chose 30 amp, since I have to be flexible for travel work. Consider the size of your gray and black tanks too- I take about a 10 minute shower, but that fills up the gray tank in about a week. I chose to have a larger gray tank.

I honestly recommend sitting down and brainstorming a list of what you need, and what you want. If you are someone looking for an actual home on wheels, with a dishwasher, laundry, stainless steel sink and even a full bath- don’t worry, there are RV’s with all of this to offer. If you are a minimalist, looking to live off the land; maybe you want a stove top, but eh, laundry isn’t a big deal and neither is a dishwasher- that is out there too. That is what I landed on; but I honestly have more amenities in my camper than I originally planned. I referenced one of my favorite blogs here (https://fifthwheelpt.com/2016/05/01/camper-life/ ) about a Physical Therapy couple who rock their finances and also travel in a 5th wheel. You can also find more resources in the ‘LEARN MORE!’ tab, to do some digging into how other people have gone about with camper life research.

Hunting for the Right Camper

Now you have a list of what you want. It is time to initiate the hunt. I prefer to buy used products, and when it comes to campers it makes a lot of sense. Many people purchase RV’s, believing they will use it every weekend in the summer only to find bah! They maybe used it twice in the past two years. Life gets busy, and it’s hard to keep up with everything a camper needs. Therefore, I do recommend finding a lightly used camper. I managed to find a 2014 Cherokee Grey Wolf at Recreation RV. It had only been used twice in the two years since it was purchased!

I do also recommend talking to someone who has a lot of knowledge related to camper life. I had never spent any time camping in a camper, and I spoke with my best friend’s dad about it. He gave me some awesome advice, on what to look for and how to decide if the camper was right.

When you are at an RV store, or following a craigslist listing, they will probably think you are crazy for doing everything I did. Don’t think about it twice, just check these things anyway. I attached a printable checklist for you all, to print off and bring with when examining used campers. There is a lot to check, so print it off, try it out. The people selling it to you should know how to operate everything; and it will be nice to have someone show you how to do it because every camper is a bit different.

Here is the list of what to look for in a camper:

Things You Need After Purchase

Okay; you’ve found it. The one. That moment you walk inside, you see the layout and you know that you have found the perfect fit. It has everything you need, everything you want. Guess what? You still have to purchase a lot more stuff. I mean, a lot. I am going to keep this short so I can focus on the next paragraph, but I also attached a link below (and to the Learn More!) page, if you want a more thorough guide of what to buy.

Here is what you might have with the camper: Black Water Dump Hose (It will probably be the crappy one, pun intended), whichever amp electricity cord, crappy mattress. Here is what you need: Water pressure regulator, Toilet chemical (liquid for gray tank, packet for black tank) fresh water hose, poop hose, wooden (or plastic) blocks, tire blocks, tire covers, nicer sewer hose, back wash sewer flush (maybe not immediately, but it is super nice to have), power surge protector, hitch with or without stabilizing bars, nicer mattress, nicer shower head, more secure door locks. If you will be boondocking (going without electricity/water)- a generator and a freshwater water tank filler valve are nice to have. Some people want a larger hot water tank; I was fine with mine.

What You Need for an RV When You Have A Dog

So you have a camper, you have everything you need as a human but wait- what else do you need for your dog? If you already have your dog and have been living in a house with him or her, then you have most of what you need- dog food, bowels, crates, dog towels, a mat under the food, dog bed etc. But what else do you need for RV life? Here are a couple things to consider-

Temperature control: You need a dehumidifier, an Air Conditioner and to ensure your heat system works. I also have an electric heater, because I love living places in the off-season.

Safety: What if your air conditioner goes out when you’re at work? It happens, it really does. There are a couple things you can do to make sure your dog is safe while you’re away, including setting up a camera. No, I don’t have wifi and most people don’t; but I do have what is called an ‘Arlo to Go’ and you can set it up so you can see inside your camper and another camera outside your camper all day. You can also set a control so you can track the temperature, or keep a thermometer near the camera to read. I have read about the furbo dog camera, in case you can connect to wifi- you can throw your dog treats while you’re away too 😊

Another option is to bring your dog to daycare, and just avoid leaving him or her at home on the especially hot days. I do this, and Chloe loves it. When I work home health, she usually spends a few days a week with me, and a few other days at daycare, that lucky duck.

Crate: If you have a big dog, finding a place to fit a crate can be kind of difficult. Chloe has grown more than I anticipated, so I had to finally purchase a big crate. I haven’t finished my bookshelf-crate yet. It is more of a bear than I anticipated. Basically, crate on the bottom, RV friendly bookshelf on the top. Genius right? I’ve seen people who make little shelves out of their crates, and some can even fit it next to their bed. What other ideas for large crates can you all share? Comment below!

Food: I use the bottom bunk to store Chloe’s Food, but it also fits in her ‘dog cupboard’. I made my pots and pans fit on one shelf, and designated the bottom shelf for her stuff, including halters, treats, greenies, coats, boots etc. When it comes to dog food, it is important to keep it sealed. Using 5 gallon buckets or narrow storage containers is the best way to do this to prevent mice/rats/ or other awful things that live in the South from coming into your camper.

For the Outdoors, a long leash, or an outdoor play area is super nice to have when your dog wishes to have time outside.

The Traveling Part

It’s hard to keep this part short. When you are using a camper for travel healthcare, it is always best to have a few campground options before you accept an assignment. Do I always follow that rule? Of course not. Depending on where you are at and if you are on an off season, prices are usually pretty reasonable. I am not afraid of off seasons, and I’ve paid as low as 250$ a month in Oklahoma, to as much as 650$ per month outside of Portland Oregon. In Maine I lived on the ocean for a mere 600$ per month.

I usually call the Chamber of Commerce to have a list of recommended camgrounds. I use google search, freecampsites.net, facebook pages for the town, allstaysRV app, Airbnb, Craigslist, and hipcamp to find great spots in the towns I will be living. I’ve also stayed at state parks right off the bat to explore the area and find the best spot.

I hope this blog post gives you a thorough idea of everything I considered when purchasing a camper for the first time. I didn’t know I was going to have my Chloe Rue to share this crazy life with, but I am so happy I chose to travel with her. I was so worried living in a camper and traveling all of the time would affect Chloe’s quality of life, or make it really hard for me to manage everything. I had no reason to worry. What do you all worry about when traveling with your dog? What other obstacles have popped up when starting out living the camper life? Happy Tails to you all, sending many happy barks your way.