RVing with Your Pets – Make Some Room
If you are RVing with your pets, you know that they need their space, too. When you are looking for a rig that has a floor plan that fits your lifestyle and needs, don’t forget to include the needs of your pets too.
We have two cats, who transitioned very well from a house into our motor home; as with our house, they think they own the motor home, too.
Emma and Ashley.
Some who are RVing with pets modify their rigs to accommodate such things as crates, outdoor balconies and litter boxes. Some have been able to adapt their rig to facilitate access to the basement storage area so their pets have a place for a litter box or a quiet den. This is easier done in some rigs than others. Rigs with multiple slides increase the difficulty of creating a basement access from the main living space. We looked into doing just that, but it was impossible, so we adapted to our pets needs.
Our biggest challenge and concession was keeping the cat’s litter box on the floor in one corner of the bedroom. It was frequently cleaned, yet it took up valuable real estate on the floor, space one really appreciates having when moving around in the dark or needing a place to set something, whether parked or traveling.
We dealt the best we could and the position and placement of the litter box became part of our routine until I discovered some hidden and wasted space. During the course of troubleshooting an electrical issue, I had to search out each and every power junction box in the rig, and in the process I found a vast space under the closet where the washer/dryer would sit. Since we don’t have a washer/dryer, appreciating instead the additional storage space that closet offers, my investigation led me to remove the bottom panel that the washer/dryer would have sat upon. WOW! under that removable platform was an area several cubic feet in size.
Our curious cats quickly jumped in to investigate which turned on the “I have an idea light bulb” in my head. Why not put the litter box in this space? So I did. First I removed one of the lower vented panels in the closet door to provide the felines with access. Then I positioned the shelves and base platform accordingly, so we could still have the storage space we enjoyed yet allow them access to the lower level. They can even access this area when the rear slides are in and we’re traveling down the road…no more relocating the litter box when we move!
The box itself can be easily removed for cleaning, and I added an inexpensive LED battery operated lamp above it to illuminate the area when needed. There is also enough room to store the container of fresh litter! More spaced saved elsewhere. We place a throw rug one the bottom to help catch any litter that finds its way out of the box, keeping the carpeting cleaner.
Cost of this project? About $8 for the lamp and 90 minutes of my time.
You can find more information about RVing with your pets on Facebook. One such group is Camping and RVing with Pets.
