Can you install a doggie door in your camper door?

[Wayfaring Stranger]

Our 2016 Cardinal 3825fl has two doors. We'd like to cut a hole in one of them and install a doggie door to allow the dogs to head outside into a penned area during the day or night, to take care of business. I was thinking I'd have to remove the screen door first, and then install the doggie door into the back door. I would build a platform outside for them to step out onto, so they wouldn't tumble down the steep metal stairs. Then I could make some shallow steps that they felt comfortable going up and down to get to a fenced in area they would be secure in.

I've installed doggie doors in homes a few times. Those doors are thicker, but the doggie doors come with the ability to adjust to doors of various thickness. We buy the smaller size doggie doors that shouldn't cause the existing door to become too wobbly or structurally unsound.

Has anyone ever seen a doggie door built into a camper door?

[SeaDog]

I have not seen or heard of anyone doing this. thats not to say it couldn't be done. I would give consideration to animals (not your dogs) using the door also and the impact should you decide to trade or sell the rig. Just some thoughts if you do the mod let the forum know how it working with some pics.

[phillyg]

I don't see why you can't install a doggy door. But, I question whether or not it's safe for you or your pets. If you don't look outside, you won't know what got into the pen beforehand. Here in FL, it could be easy, perhaps a racoon, or difficult, a coyote or even an alligator.

[NMWildcat]

I have seen this done before! But in the two instances I have seen it, it was in a side wall, not the door. And it led to a ramp into a fenced area as you described.
My friends put one in a small slide between their two recliners.

[TitanMike]

Dogs were put into our lives to see to it we got some exercise. Just get up and take them out when they need to. With a little luck and perhaps some training you can convince them to not wake you in the middle of the night.

[DrLewie]

Another issue might be campground regulations. Most require dogs to be leashed and have other rules re: dogs. You may want to check with a few campgrounds you're likely to use to see if the enclosure and ramp are permitted.

[Daniel.mullins4]

I once had trailer was able to open inside storage shelf to exit through outside hatch

[CGK]

DrLewie makes a good point regarding campground rules. It's a sure bet there will be complaints from other campers if the pups are barkers. The effect on resale value is another good point. But in addition, it seems like the whole set-up would be a major pain in the butt to pack up and move from one campground to the next, unless you are on a permanent or seasonal site. As is so often the case, TitanMike has the best answer in my opinion - just take them out when they need to go out or when you want them outside with you....no mods required, and much less likely to violate campground rules. Happy camping!

[MR.M]

I see the outside dog pens in use every camp ground i go to . But i don't see dogs out if owners not around . To have the Dogs out and you're gone could be an issue. if your home then just open the door and let them out . If you not home then the dogs should not be out . imo

[mtnlvr]

I would not recommend leaving, or your beloved pets having the ability to go outside when you are not there at any campground. At home ; fine, I love dog doors. Besides complaints you risk other animals getting at them or being stolen. (I had a beloved dog stolen from my yard many years ago that I’ve never forgotten.) I would not risk something happening to them. Get the leashes and walk them or plan your outings accordingly and leave them safely inside. I used to have a dog boarding/hiking business at a Mtn. Resort town. I know other competitor’s who lost a couple dogs. The owners stress of searching for days or weeks for their pets was horrible ( eventually found.)

[GeorgetownSal]

As a dog owner, I have never seen or heard of anyone doing this. In addition, keep in mind that many RV Parks do not allow pens to be set up for our fur babies, so depending on where you stay or how you travel, a doggie door may not be able to have much use.

[chriscowles]

Originally Posted by phillyg

... Here in FL, it could be easy, perhaps a racoon, or difficult, a coyote or even an alligator.

Depending on the size and mood of the coon, it might not go easy.

[NMWildcat]

Typical thread maturation. Goes from a simple question about possibility of a doggie door installation to unneeded lessons and preaching on proper animal care and rules that may or may not exist in different situations.
I'm assuming the OP knows how to properly care for his animals and will use the doggie door when appropriate without breaking any rules.
My friends who used a doggie door employed the locking panel (yes, they can be locked) when using the doggie door was against the rules or when in an area that might be dangerous for the dog. They usually always locked it at night.
So yes, it is possible to install a doggie door. Installing it in second door on your RV sounds like a good idea. I have never seen one installed in an RV door, but please let us know how it goes if you decide to do that.
Happy RVing!

[eagleof72]

Originally Posted by NMWildcat

Typical thread maturation. Goes from a simple question about possibility of a doggie door installation to unneeded lessons and preaching on proper animal care and rules that may or may not exist in different situations.
I'm assuming the OP knows how to properly care for his animals and will use the doggie door when appropriate without breaking any rules.
My friends who used a doggie door employed the locking panel (yes, they can be locked) when using the doggie door was against the rules or when in an area that might be dangerous for the dog. They usually always locked it at night.
So yes, it is possible to install a doggie door. Installing it in second door on your RV sounds like a good idea. I have never seen one installed in an RV door, but please let us know how it goes if you decide to do that.
Happy RVing!

Exactly! I show dogs so the camping is always at a site where everyone has dogs. We have been caring for dogs for 50-some years. No one goes away and leaves their dogs to come and go and carry-on like a wild pack. I think I would install it in the storm door. May need to add some heft with plexiglass, wood or FRP, but should be easy, unless you want to use when air is on.

[jimmoore13]

Going back to the OP.

Can you do it? Yes. You can do pretty much anything.
You mentioned a pen, so containment is not a violation of the leash laws.
A covered pen would be possible to keep out predators and pests. We use two types of pens for our dogs.
1) a very large "crate" for them to sleep in (they like it), and this is very secure.
2) free-standing folding pens (several end to end to make a large space) to give the dogs some freedom (no leashes) while keeping them contained. These are far less secure, and large dogs can (and have) hurdled to pen to come to visit. This would make the dog easy prey if we were not vigilant.

An alternative option...good, bad or otherwise. Perhaps a dog door in the wall of the camper...there is usually wall space under a dinette, for example. This would allow you to install the pet stair in a way that does not conflict with the human stairs...and create a hazard. You could create an oudoor "landing" at the top and then have the stairs run parallel to the wall to minimize intrusion on outdoor space.

My concern about human safety is based on personal experience. I have Morryde stairs on my rig - https://www.amazon.com/MOR-ryde-Inte...24216919&psc=1 - and I carelessly stepped on the side rail and found myself on the ground...twice. It turns out that my friction hinged door encourages (unconsciously) not opening the door all the way, and my inclination is to stay far right on the steps...too far right. Imagining an intrusion on your rig's steps to allow for both a doggie landing and secondary stairway for the pup, that would narrow your stairs--at least at the top--and make them more hazardous...especially if you are forced to use that door during an emergency exit. But locating the dog door in the wall eliminates that hazard.

We had a thru-wall dog door in our last house. It, too, had an outside landing along side our back steps, and then it turned and merged with the steps without interfering with them at all.

[boogiejack75]

Originally Posted by NMWildcat

Typical thread maturation. Goes from a simple question about possibility of a doggie door installation to unneeded lessons and preaching on proper animal care and rules that may or may not exist in different situations.
I'm assuming the OP knows how to properly care for his animals and will use the doggie door when appropriate without breaking any rules.
My friends who used a doggie door employed the locking panel (yes, they can be locked) when using the doggie door was against the rules or when in an area that might be dangerous for the dog. They usually always locked it at night.
So yes, it is possible to install a doggie door. Installing it in second door on your RV sounds like a good idea. I have never seen one installed in an RV door, but please let us know how it goes if you decide to do that.
Happy RVing!

AMEN!!!!

[Wayfaring Stranger]

Originally Posted by SeaDog

I have not seen or heard of anyone doing this. thats not to say it couldn't be done. I would give consideration to animals (not your dogs) using the door also and the impact should you decide to trade or sell the rig. Just some thoughts if you do the mod let the forum know how it working with some pics.

Thanks for the reply. I agree it would hurt the resale value of the RV. Viewing all the other responses before moving forward.

[Wayfaring Stranger]

Originally Posted by phillyg

I don't see why you can't install a doggy door. But, I question whether or not it's safe for you or your pets. If you don't look outside, you won't know what got into the pen beforehand. Here in FL, it could be easy, perhaps a racoon, or difficult, a coyote or even an alligator.

I failed to give adequate information about our particular situation. We recently became full-time RVers. We placed a large 5th wheel on the property of my wife's brothers land, right next to a slough that feeds into the Columbia River, about 40 miles east of the Ocean. We are preparing a permanent spot on his property that will allow us to place the camper right next to the slough and then construct a wooden deck at door level, that hangs out over the water. It will have two set of steps to let the dogs go down to a fenced area and do their business during the day or night. One of our dogs has a habit of taking a nature break during the night. Because our new mattress is so thick, and we keep both the dogs in bed with us at night, they can no longer let themselves out through a doggie door at night like they did in our home. So the doggie door might not be so necessary as it once was. We will have a good size dog run with grass for them to play on that will be fenced in, so we might go forward with this idea, to allow them to go in and out depending on how hot it gets or if it starts raining. This is our fist couple months of being fully retired, living in a 5th wheel RV, so we are relying on the experience of others to help guide us.

[Wayfaring Stranger]

Originally Posted by NMWildcat

I have seen this done before! But in the two instances I have seen it, it was in a side wall, not the door. And it led to a ramp into a fenced area as you described.
My friends put one in a small slide between their two recliners.

I didn't consider the idea of putting the doggie door through a wall. I'll think more about that option. The long-term plan is to set-up the 5th wheel on a relatives property in Washington for about 90 days a year, then travel to Nebraska where we will spend 30-60 days at my sisters and not be in the 5th wheel. Then we will spend a week or two in Arkansas, in the fiver, before heading to Boulder City, Nevada to stay with my wife's sister for a month, in the 5th wheel. Then we will take the 5th wheel to Phoenix and stay at an RV park from December through April, before working our way north along the Oregon coast for a month or more, then return to my wife's brothers property along the Columbia River, in Washington. So not much camping in campgrounds.

[Wayfaring Stranger]

Originally Posted by TitanMike

Dogs were put into our lives to see to it we got some exercise. Just get up and take them out when they need to. With a little luck and perhaps some training you can convince them to not wake you in the middle of the night.

I rode my bike 31 miles today and my wife ran 6 miles. When we lived in a house, we felt the doggie door prevented a lot of accidents. We are still adapting to living full-time in a 5th wheel. Currently, we are keeping the two small dogs in bed with us, so they don't really have an option to wander out a doggie door during the night. They occasionally have a bad tummy and alert us to their need to go outside during the night.

We might not need the doggie door. We left Phoenix in mid-April with three dogs. I headed up here to Washington to transport the 5th wheel south to Puget Island. I took one dog with me and my wife stayed at her sisters with the other two. My wife joined me here a couple weeks ago and her sister talked her into keeping our third dog in Boulder City. She was the dog who always went outside during the night, so now it's less of a concern.

I am certain that both of the dogs will never be able to descend the metal steps outside. The plan is to create a wooden platform the same height as the doorway, and then have 5" step drops built to get them down to the ground level, and into a fenced in play area. But we won't be staying here for more than 90 days each year. We will need to have a plan for the two months in Nebraska, out on my sisters farm, and during the five months at an RV park in north Phoenix.

I love the simplicity of your plan. By the end of the year, I'll be able to report back here and share how the dogs are doing.