Traveling with pets just seems the natural thing to do. Sharing with Bowser or Fluffy the joys of the highway brings joy to both us, and our quadruped friends. But it does sometimes pose its own set of difficulties. In our case, where to put Ithmah's--the fur-balled feline's--sand box.
Our traveling research rig is presently an 11 1/2' truck camper--a far cry from the space afforded by our fulltiming fifth wheel. The idea of having a litter box underfoot in those limited few square feet of floor space was just unthinkable. There was, however, a plethora of space available outside the camper--yet still enclosed by the truck bed, in the wheel well area of the truck. The camper manufacturer had made that space available by putting access doors through the sidewall at floor level, but leaving one of those doors open to allow Ithmah in and out only stirred visions of blasts of hot or cold air, seasonally dependent. Tripping over that open portal--espcially during dark night trips to our own 'sand box' didn't sit well either.
The solution was waiting at the big box builder center: A small "pet door," installed in the already existing access door would allow our friend's access to her powder room, while the clear flap on the pet door would (generally) keep the outside and inside temperatures segregated.
What to do when the truck and the camper were separated? We've had some experience in this field--our fifth wheel is equipped with a pet door just under the dinette table; outside that pet portal lies another litter box--but this one, cleverly assigned to our "Kitty Kondo." The condo is a dismantle able (to lay flat for transport) secure "Arizona Room" with screened walls and rain-shedding roof, almost sized correctly. Actually, the condo was designed for Ithmah's predecessor who weighed in at a whopping 6 pounds wet weight; Ithmah tips the scales at 17 pounds, so the condo could stand to be a bit bigger. For our "research vessel" we'll have another, more appropriately sized condo constructed to cling to the side of the camper "box."
The Mechanics of It All
Adding a pet door to our existing access door wasn't all that difficult. It does require some careful planning, and measuring. Since walls (and doors) in many RVs are a lot thinner than in conventional land-based homes, you'll probably need to add framing around the perimeter of the "cutout" sized hole you make for the pet door. In our case, 1 x 2 lumber, laid flat against the existing door, was plenty thick enough to meet the pet door's requirements. But in haste to get the job done, the distance from the edge of the existing door wasn't taken into account. The full "width" of the 1 x 2 didn't allow original door to close. Carefully splitting the offending 1 x 2 in half solved that problem--but it goes to show the old saw is still valid: Measure twice, cut once.
When installing a pet door through anything other than the box wall, more caution needs to be exercised: Are there "vital organs" that might be in the way? Consider the possibility of water lines or electrical wiring. If in doubt, consult with an RV professional before sticking the saw tip in the wall. You'll also need to carefully apply sealant between the exterior wall and the pet door pieces to keep the weather out.
Picking out the right door is important too. Most pet doors allow for a method of securing the door to keep out (or in) your animal companion. It's also helpful to keep out stray critters--who needs a squirrel running around in their rig?
For the most part, the actual installation of a pet door is pretty straightforward, and the doors come with instructions--and usually cutting templates--from the factory. You'll likely need access to a drill and bits, plus an appropriate cutting saw. While most call for a simple saber saw, if you're cutting through fiberglass or metal siding, you may be in need of reciprocating saw--a "Sawsall" as most refer to them in the trade. Of course, when installing a pet door anywhere in the rig, keep in mind the future sale of your rig and take resale value into consideration.
The Psychology
We found that while our idea of the cat door into the wheel well seemed like a great idea to us, for some reason, Ithmah didn't initially cotton to it. We laid the brand new, freshly filled litter box in the wheel well area just inside the new cat door, and made coaxing noises to the cat. Ears went back, suspicious looks were the order of the day. After several attempts, we 'took the bull by the horns' and stuffed the reluctant feline through the new portal. A gray streak shot back out of the cat flap, and the suspicious looks turned rather murderous.
It's really amazing how long a cat can "keep her legs crossed." We finally relented and kept the original access door open. After holding out as long as she could, Ithmah crept into the new powder room, took care of business, and flew back into the camper. Finally, after a few trepidacious trips to the loo, we were able to induce her nibs to use the cat door. Since that time, it's been a lot easier on all of us.
It may take a little bit of work to adjust your pet to the new idea. In our case, it seems the confined, dark, wheel wells were the problem, not so much the actual pet door. When we get that new condo completed, I have a feeling it'll be just like home--Ithmah will never want to come back inside.
When Bigfoot Industries of Canada went down in the perfect storm of RV manufacturing disasters, it was a sad day for many camper fans. Considered by many to be perhaps one of the best made and durable campers on the market, it was a rough day when the firm hit the bankruptcy button. But earlier this week, the still-existing but long-time-static web site maintained by the new ownership group crackled with excitement:
