How can i travel with 1 dog, 6 cats, 3 parrots?!?

[reneesontheroad]

I already sold my home and plan to travel full-time with my large dog (great pyrenees), 6 cats, and 3 parrots (2 cockatoos and a macaw) – and JUST ME (no human companion to help) for a minimum of a year...

But HOW? I'm looking for advise for safe and least hassle way to travel with a zoo.
• How to safely contain everyone while traveling while also keeping my sanity with the constant, potentially loud (ear-piercing parrot screaming) noise.
• What's the best vehicle combination – that's also economical
• And any other advise is gratefully welcomed...

1) Medium to large RV (towing separate vehicle for side trips):
• Secure the animals in the RV while traveling
> I need to create a separate, sound-controlled area for the birds while camping, and prefer to have a real bedroom for myself, which would be difficult with the floor plans of most RVs
> I also have to keep a pretty good amount of "stuff" on hand
• Moderate temperature with sensor alerts when I have to leave them alone
> How long can I leave and how far can I go with minimum risk?

Or...

2) BIG SUV (Ford Excursion) towing BIG camper:
• I'm pretty sure that I can NOT travel with them in the camper, so
• Animals travel in vehicle with me but...
> Can I leave them in the vehicle (running with temp. control) for short rest stops?
> Will people get crazy seeing them in a vehicle unattended?
> Otherwise I'd have the considerably inconvenient chore of moving them back and forth to the camper trailer.

An alternative might be...

A big, crew-cab pickup with a separated sleeper cab, towing a large camper or possibly a 5th wheel trailer:
• Still can't travel with the animals in the trailer, right? So...
> Possibly can travel with (at least) the birds in the sleeper cab (with independent temp. control)
• I suspect this option would be prohibitively expensive

Or maybe a toy camper/trailer? The separate garage would make an ideal permanent place for the birds, but can it be modified to safely house them while traveling?

I have limited finances so I can't afford anything too fancy or complicated. And I plan to resell both the tow vehicle and the camper when, and if, I find a place to settle down and buy a house (if I have any money left) – so I have to consider the vehicles' resale value and re-sale-ability.

I know these are a lot of options and a lot of questions. The more research I do, the more confused and overwhelmed I become. I'm really hoping someone out there can offer some insight.

Thanks!

[Ex-tenter]

You should have had these questions answered before you sold your house.

[Homebrew]

Welcome from south Jersey!

This sounds like a big job no matter how you do it.
My vote would be a Class A type, this way your all in the same space if anything would happen, then you could pull over.

[DougW]

Keeping that menagerie safe and secure while traveling is going to be a challenge for certain.

Another option would be a 5th wheel toy hauler just big enough to have a separate garage in it. You could use the garage area for the animals. The 5th wheel could have a generator so you could run the AC or heat pump as needed while on the road. A remote temperature sensor is easy to set up and you could put an observation camera in the garage area to keep an eye on the animals if you wanted.

It all comes down to what you are comfortable with.

[EdJunior]

I would look into nothing less than a Class A or C coach. With that many critters, you are going to need something that can be cooled/heated. Running an AC via genny in a toy hauler may sound like a good idea, but the bouncing in a trailer could make the critters sick. And you would have to be able to heat it during the cold. No, a Class A or C is what you need. We only have one dog (black Lab). He rides in the truck while traveling. Once we get to our camping place, we have a kennel for him in the trailer. We removed a couple of the dining chairs (we had 4, and it's just 2 of us), and the kennel fit in perfect there. Your 6 cats and 3 birds are a different issue. You are going to have to find some way to strap them down. Good luck. And welcome to the forums.

[rowdy boys 3]

LOL, you got all these critters and you're asking us what to do, now this is funny, LOL...

[HelG]

In the thread "Dog safety while traveling" you'll find some tips for traveling with a dog in a motorhome.

For you, I'd see some options during travel: Get a motorhome, put the cats in crates you tie down on the sofa, close the parrots into your bedroom. The Pyr tie to some post.

Get a pickup and a bumper trailer. No animals in the trailer of 5th wheel while on the road for a couple of reasons. For instance, those things don't have a lot of suspension, the resulting rattle will unnerve your dogs and cats. Buy a cover for the pickup bed and store the parrots there. Just need to be watchful for temps, so no travel in hot days and full sun.

Third and best option: find someone to care for your parrots.

Good luck!

[phillyg]

I thought from the title that a joke was going to follow. Regardless, never, did I say NEVER, put your animals in any kind of trailer. You can work it out with a Class A or C, or a big tow vehicle for a trailer.

[D W]

1 dog, 6 cats, 3 parrots?!?

You have my deepest sympathy!

[yukongold]

"How can i travel with 1 dog, 6 cats, 3 parrots?!?"

Pick five.
Awkwardly. Cumbersomely. With great effort. Painfully. With difficulty.

[U.S.ArmyVeteran]

WOW!

I would not trust that many critters in a parked trailer. Let alone one going the the road. Class A,C.

Good Luck.

[glen1971]

I'm guessing 2 cases of ear plugs and half a pallet of Febreeze. Good luck, and really good luck reselling everything with a year of your zoo in a confined space of an RV.

[ppine]

My aunt and uncle moved to Alaska in 1968 in a van with 2 dogs, 2 parrots, a macaw, and pet racoon. You have to become animal centric.

[flyflotrtim]

Class A plus a tow behind trailer or PU with shell that can house the kennels/cages/carriers as appropriate.

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by reneesontheroad

I already sold my home and plan to travel full-time with my large dog (great pyrenees), 6 cats, and 3 parrots (2 cockatoos and a macaw) – and JUST ME (no human companion to help) for a minimum of a year...

But HOW? I'm looking for advise for safe and least hassle way to travel with a zoo.
• How to safely contain everyone while traveling while also keeping my sanity with the constant, potentially loud (ear-piercing parrot screaming) noise.
• What's the best vehicle combination – that's also economical
• And any other advise is gratefully welcomed...

1) Medium to large RV (towing separate vehicle for side trips):
• Secure the animals in the RV while traveling
> I need to create a separate, sound-controlled area for the birds while camping, and prefer to have a real bedroom for myself, which would be difficult with the floor plans of most RVs
> I also have to keep a pretty good amount of "stuff" on hand
• Moderate temperature with sensor alerts when I have to leave them alone
> How long can I leave and how far can I go with minimum risk?

Or...

2) BIG SUV (Ford Excursion) towing BIG camper:
• I'm pretty sure that I can NOT travel with them in the camper, so
• Animals travel in vehicle with me but...
> Can I leave them in the vehicle (running with temp. control) for short rest stops?
> Will people get crazy seeing them in a vehicle unattended?
> Otherwise I'd have the considerably inconvenient chore of moving them back and forth to the camper trailer.

An alternative might be...

A big, crew-cab pickup with a separated sleeper cab, towing a large camper or possibly a 5th wheel trailer:
• Still can't travel with the animals in the trailer, right? So...
> Possibly can travel with (at least) the birds in the sleeper cab (with independent temp. control)
• I suspect this option would be prohibitively expensive

Or maybe a toy camper/trailer? The separate garage would make an ideal permanent place for the birds, but can it be modified to safely house them while traveling?

I have limited finances so I can't afford anything too fancy or complicated. And I plan to resell both the tow vehicle and the camper when, and if, I find a place to settle down and buy a house (if I have any money left) – so I have to consider the vehicles' resale value and re-sale-ability.

I know these are a lot of options and a lot of questions. The more research I do, the more confused and overwhelmed I become. I'm really hoping someone out there can offer some insight.

Thanks!

Just some things to consider. Some campgrounds have rules against leaving unattended pets/dogs in RV's especially if they make a lot of noise while your are away from the RV since you did state the possibility of a separate tow vehicle for side trips. Dogs barking and/or birds squawking may put you in trouble with the RV park and/or other camping neighbors.


https://www.outdoorsy.com/blog/rv-pet-safety-when-away



Since you are RV'ing alone, what happens if you are away from all the pets (aka babies) and get detained due to a wreck on the road, tow vehicle breaking down, medical emergency, etc. Who is going to tend to the kids if you are not there?


And has also been referred to, the resale could be greatly affected after traveling with the zoo.

[Sharon455]

Whatever you get, consider adding access to the basement for your litter box. Many people put these under a bench seat with a small cat door so they can go any time. I don't think any shower could handle that many cats using litter boxes without a sealed mat underneath to prevent litter from going down the drain.

You might want to use the search feature and checkout different options for each type of animal; here is one specific to cats. Check out Post #13 with the catio.
https://www.forestriverforums.com/fo...at-234984.html

[Rover Podder]

I would rent a house out in the country somewhere away from other people rather than trying to do this in any type of RV or camper.

[bikendan]

I do agree that I don't know of any RV park that would allow such a menagerie.

[ysidive]

I have seen many people travel with pets, but the one that stood out in my mind was a woman who brought her chickens with her camping. She had them roaming free in the campground. She was advised that they were not allowed in the campground. She said Pets are allowed! She was told that she would have to keep them inside, or leave the campground. Any animal can be called a pet, but chickens are farm animals.

[wmtire]

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