Looking for the best pet cameras for RV use to keep tabs on your pets in the RV while you are out and about? We have three to suggest.
Let's face it: traveling with our pets is great. But they are not welcome in all the places we may want to visit. There are many situations where you will have to leave them alone in the RV.
Why you may need a pet camera for RV use
Some examples:
- Many national and state parks prohibit pets – leashed or unleashed – from being on hiking and nature trails.
- Museums, restaurants, movie theaters, visitor centers, tourist attractions and other businesses almost all have pet prohibitions, unless the animals are certified service dogs or pets.
- It isn't practical or safe to bring your pet on a bicycle ride, unless you tow a pet trailer or have a secure spot in a basket for very small pets.
- Shopping in the quaint downtowns you visit on an RV trip is challenging, at best, with a pet, even when leashed.
- Pets are almost always not allowed on beaches where you may want to go swimming. Same with swimming pols in RV parks or community centers
Choosing a pet camera for RV use
There are several things to look for in choosing a pet camera for RV use.
Most important is how you can access it. You want to use an app that will connect with the camera in your RV so you can see your pet.
The camera should be of sufficient resolution to clearly see the interior of the RV. Look for one that is at least 1080p.
The camera should livestream, either through a subscription that accesses a cellular network or one that connects with the Internet through your RV's Wi-Fi network
A microphone that lets you monitor the sound inside the RV is important. Is your pet whining or crying? Is the air conditioner on? Is an alarm or beeping sound happening because of a malfunction in a piece of equipment? When you call up the image, you want to be able to hear all those things if they are occurring.
The audio should be two-way, meaning you should have the opportunity to push a button on the app from wherever you happen to be and be heard by your pet inside the RV.
And finally, the video should work in the dark, offering infrared vision.
Now, here are three pet cameras we suggest for your consideration.
Great Pet Camera for RV Use: The WaggleCam
This camera is made by the same people who make the $199 Waggle RV/Dog Safety Temperature and Humidity Monitor, which we use in our RV to send an alert to our smartphone if the temperature inside the RV gets too warm. It uses the Verizon 4g LTE network to connect to the Internet and requires a yearly subscription to use.
The WaggleCam, instead of having its own cellular Internet connection, it connects via whatever wifi network you already have in your RV. Thus, it needs no subscription.
It's about half the size of a basketball, which makes it way larger than other pet cameras for RV competing products.
It's big because it has a hollowed-out center part where you can dump in small treats for your pet. From the app, you can then shoot out treats with the push of a button on the app screen.
This is a wired unit. There is no battery power. It needs to be plugged into a 110-volt receptacle.
And if you are just looking for a reliable video livestream of your pet when you leave it alone in the RV, then read on.
Next Most Expensive Pet Camera for RV Use: The Furbo Dog Camera
At $159, this unit also tosses treats, has HD live video, two-way audio, and even a barking sensor that sends you an instant text message when it detects a lot of parking from your dog.
You can then call up the live image, see what's happening, talk to assure your pet all is well, and dispense him a treat. It works on your RV's wifi network. Furbo says this feature alone has saved hundreds of pets from fires and other disasters.
You can adjust the sensitivity to the bark detection.
Another really fun feature is the doggie diary. It makes a montage of clips from your dog's time alone that you can go back and review.
This unit, at much less cost than the WaggleCam (unless you use the discount codes), has a lot more useful features.
Least Expensive but Best Value Pet Camera for RV Use: the Wyze Cam v3 Pet Camera
At $59, this is one terrific pet camera for RV use. It offers 2K Video Resolution
It's mostly used as a home security camera – it can safely be used outside – but it is also very popular with RVers.
We were at the Hershey RV Show a while back and two of our followers, Mike and Clarissa Shumaker of Chesterfield, VA, pulled out their smartphones and showed me the excellent quality video they had from the Wyze camera from their RV, which was parked a half-mile away in the parking lot.
Here's a photo of the live image from their Wyze of their dog Louie, seen in the lower right corner.
It needs to be plugged into a 110-volt current but offers live streaming and recording to the cloud.
For $30, this is a Pet Camera for RV use that I'd certainly recommend.
Do you use a pet monitor in your RV?
Let us know in the comments – we'd love to hear from more pet owners!
It's time to plan your Florida adventures for this winter
Mike and Jennifer's Favorite Places in Florida – all 3 ebooks!
We RVers may wander far and wide but it’s true for most of us that we end up with some favorite “Go-To” places – places that draw us back again and again.
Florida is one of those places for us. And we know it is for many RVers looking to get away and explore during the winter.
That's why we've created three guides, covering Florida's Atlantic Coast, the Gulf Coast, and the Keys.
Each of these guides is a seven-day guided exploration of one of the coasts. And each stop is a curated view of the best things that we’ve enjoyed on this trip and want you to experience.
Altogether these guides are over 300 pages of content!
FAQ's about Florida Gulf Coast beaches of interest to RVers
What is the weather like along Florida's Gulf Coast?
The weather along Florida's Gulf Coast can vary depending on the time of year and the specific location. In general, the area experiences hot, humid summers and mild, pleasant winters.
The Panhandle region can be quite cool in January. It is seldom below freezing, but daytime highs are typically in the 50s. It warms up about 10 degrees each month.
You can also generally add about 10 degrees for every 150 miles you travel south down the Florida peninsula.
By the time you hit Naples, daytime highs in January are in the comfortable 70s.
Did Hurricane Ian destroy many beach campgrounds on the Gulf Coast?
While it severely damaged almost two dozen RV parks and campgrounds, about 8-10 campgrounds in the Naples-Ft. Myers area were completely destroyed. Most of the damaged campgrounds have been repaired and reopened.
Check with the Florida Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds if you have questions or concerns.
Are there any websites that can help me get a reservation for a Florida beach campground?
One of the best resources we can recommend is called Campnab. This service monitors parks for cancelations and sends you an alert when an opening matches your criteria. That said, it isn’t magic. The app doesn’t create availabilities.
The service works – but it is not free.
Campnab offers two ways to use the service. The first is individual pay-per-use scans. These watch for vacancies at a specific park for a specific date. These work well if you know exactly when and where you intend to camp. Pay-per-use scans cost $10 – $20, depending on how frequently you want them to check availability.
The second way to use the service is through a membership. These typically run monthly and are tailored to those who camp more frequently or are looking to maximize their chance of finding a site. Membership allows you to scan multiple parks and/or dates simultaneously. With memberships, you pay a monthly recurring fee ($10, $20, $30, or $50), depending on your needs.
Are there places in Florida where you can literally camp on the beach for free?
Not many. And they are very pricey. If you want to sleep directly on the sand in an RV, you'll have to stay at a developed commercial campground like Camp Gulf on the Emerald Coast or an RV resort like Big Pine Key Resort in the keys. Some state parks like the Gamble Rogers State Memorial Recreation Area in the Atlantic Coast or Bahia Honda State Park in the keys or Fort Desto State Park near St. Petersburg have beachside sites, too.
But are there free, unrestricted RV beach camping spots in Florida?
Sorry, none that I know of that would work for RVs.
There is unrestricted camping on wild beaches on a couple of islands, but you need a boat to get there, and it is for tent camping only. If you want to sleep directly on the sand, there is Anclote Key offshore Tarpon Springs, and Shell Key in Pinellas County. Another favorite is Keewaydin Island between Naples and Marco Island but that area remains pretty devasted from Hurricane Ian.
Curious about the gear, gadgets, accessories, and RV products Mike & Jennifer use and recommend?
On this RV Lifestyle Travel blog, our RV Podcast and our RV Lifestyle YouTube Channel, we mention all sorts of RV-related products and gear that we use, So we created a special page that links to them. We update this all the time. CLICK HERE to go to it directly.
February 25, 2022at11:56 am, Darren Brooks said:
I have a dog trailer that I use when going to vet or sometimes delivering dogs sometines 3000 miles . I have a temperature monitor but cameras inside would be nice.
October 15, 2021at10:55 am, Elizabeth said:
We’re interested in the WYZE but I’m confused with which one to buy? We both have smart phones, why do we need to have an Alexa or Google to use it? Amazon says we have to buy both with one type of camera.
September 25, 2021at2:15 pm, Kevin said:
I don’t think it’s safe to let the dog do any parking whether you have a camera or not. Unless they have their Dog Drivers License. I never leave the RV keys with my pets because of this.
Ribbing about typos aside, the Wyze cameras are fantastic for the price. You just need to make sure you have batteries in your hotspot since relying on park power for 110v isn’t the safest choice. The Wyze uses USB cables for power, so you can plug them into your normal 12v USB adaptors.
September 25, 2021at7:56 am, Ian Nix said:
With the Furbo, is it really safe to let your dog do a lot of Parking in your RV?