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Gear » Things We ♥ » 8 Products Your Pets Will Flip For

8 Products Your Pets Will Flip For

Jessica Jiron

Updated from April 7, 2022 (with fresh picks for 2026)

Pets make your home away from home feel even more… like home. They keep you company on long drives, greet you at the door enthusiastically—whether you’ve been gone for 10 minutes to visit the bathhouse or two hours to explore a nearby trail. And they always seem to find the best spot to snuggle up when it’s time to wind down for the evening.

Now it’s time to return the favor with eight products that tackle the true challenges of rolling with a fur kid: heat, safety on the road, wandering paws, and enough room to stretch out and enjoy the campsite.  

Keep your pet cool on the go.
Photo by Cierra Voelkl on Unsplash

Let Sleeping Dogs Chill

Give your dog a cool place to chill when the temps go up. The Cool Pet Pad uses pressure-activated self-cooling gel that recharges after 15 – 20 minutes of nonuse. No electricity, refrigeration, or water needed. Good to know for boondockers especially. Plus, it comes in multiple sizes to fit dogs of every size.

Quick tips: keep it out of direct sun. Mats placed in the sun don’t stay cool. You’ll also want to give your dogs a few days to try it out. Place it in one of their favorite spots, and let them get used to it. (Some dogs take a while.)

Orange tabby cat wearing a pink Jiobit GPS tracker on its collar, resting on a tree branch

The Purrfect Passenger Seat

Sure, cats make themselves right at home on every flat surface in the RV, but they especially love having a place that’s theirs and theirs alone. The minimalistic Perfuny Cat Window Perch uses suction cups to attach to just about any window, giving your kitty-cat a front-row seat for birdwatching, sunbathing, and judging your campfire techniques.

Simple but still effective, this product has a serious fan club—with one owner suggesting it’s the best cat purchase they’ve ever made. Reader’s Digest also named it the best overall window perch.

While it can hold quite a bit of weight, suction cups are more likely to give way with temperature swings, and some folks have noticed the cups loosen when the temps cool at night. To help it stick, remember to clean the glass well before mounting and press each cup firmly. Then check the cups every morning.

To keep your cat safe, take it down on travel days. The road vibration + a cat jumping up isn’t the best combination to test at 60 mph.

Carefree dog running through the woods
Photo by Majkl Velner on Unsplash

One Nice Homing Device

RVs help you escape into a wild world of carefree living. But that doesn’t mean you want your four-legged friends roaming too far and too wide. The Tractive Smart Dog GPS Collar clips onto your dog’s collar and shows their location right on your phone—whether they’re on their authorized potty break or beginning their own version of a Homeward Bound incredible journey.

The latest version adds location history, health and activity monitoring, and a risk-free trial. True, the collars aren’t cheap (especially since they come with subscription fees), but the peace of mind they give you is priceless—especially if your dog is a known escape artist. 

Adorable dog hanging out of a vehicle
Photo by Karsten Winegeart on Unsplash

Don’t Skimp on the Temp

Overheating is one of the biggest concerns your pet faces on the road—especially in the warmer months (but even in the shoulder seasons). If you need to leave your pet in the RV (it’s gonna happen sooner or later), a temperature monitoring system lets you know the moment things heat up. The key question is how it reaches you, so you can get back to the rig ASAP to protect your pet.

There are many different systems available, ranging in price. SensorPush HTw is an affordable option that tracks temperature, heat index, and dew point and sends updates straight to your phone. The water-resistant sensor is so small you can store it just about anywhere, and it’s super easy to set up. It talks to your phone over Bluetooth, so you can check it from nearby.

To get readings and alerts while you’re off hiking or sightseeing, pair it with the SensorPush G1 Wi-Fi Gateway, which is the recommended setup for RVs. Just remember the gateway needs a working Wi-Fi connection, and spotty campground Wi-Fi = spotty alerts.

If you’d rather not depend on Wi-Fi, another option is the Waggle RV Pet Monitor, which has its own cellular connection. That means it will send alerts even if the campground Wi-Fi is down. It also warns you if the RV loses power, which matters more than you’d think since park electrical systems can be unreliable, and generators can run out of fuel.

There are trade-offs: you’ll pay a monthly subscription on top of the cost of the device, and it can only reach you if you have cell signal.

Keep your animals safe in a secured crate or harness.
Photo by Aaron James on Unsplash

Buckle Up, Buddy

If your fur kid is also your co-pilot, you probably know the importance of a harness. What you may not know is that few of them have been independently crash-tested. Scary realization: a 90-pound dog can generate up to 2,700 pounds of force in a 30-mph collision.  If they’re not safely and securely in a crate, you want to make sure they’re securely buckled in.

The Sleepypod Clickit harnesses is a standout when it comes to pet protection. The nonprofit Center for Pet Safety only certifies a handful of products, and this one is on their short list, earning a 5-star rating for dogs up to 110 pounds. As a bonus, the Clickit doubles as an everyday walking harness. As RVers, we love products that do double-duty.

Enjoying the campsite with a cut puppy
Photo by anotherxlife on Unsplash

Packable Yard

When you’re at the campsite, you can’t just let your dog wander. But unlike at most homes, you can’t just let them out in the yard either. That means you’re left holding the leash. Unless, that is, you have the FXW Rollick Dog Playpen, which gives them a safe spot to sniff around while you kick back without worrying about spilling your morning coffee when they notice a nearby squirrel.

Metal panels stake into the ground and link together, and you can shape it to suit your site or add more panels for more room. The height ranges from 24 to 50 inches and can be unpacked in minutes.

While you can’t leave your dog unattended in most campgrounds, this gives you a bit more freedom at the campsite without having to always be attached to your fur kid.

Cats deserve time outside to enjoy the campsite too
Photo by Clark Young on Unsplash

A Catio on the Go

Cats deserve fresh air too, and a portable outdoor area lets them enjoy the breeze and birdsong without the risk of running up the nearest tree. The Kittywalk Outdoor Cat Enclosure is a roomy mesh enclosure that weighs around 10 pounds and folds down for easy storage.

Just remember to stake it down. It’s a lightweight enclosure that can collapse or shift if the wind picks up. And one bad experience can turn your cat off the experience for good.

Dog enjoying the campsite
Photo by JOHN SCHNICK on Unsplash

Taking our pets with us on adventures is one of the many reasons we love RVing. A few smart upgrades like the ones above can make the trips just as good for them as they are for us.

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