Leaving Your Pet in the RV - Part II

Today, there are a variety of auto generator products available that can help pet owners with this common dilemma. One of the most common new auto generator products is the Cummins Onan EC–30 control. This control is linked to the air conditioner thermostat so if the interior temperature of the RV goes above a pre–set level, the thermostat sends a signal to the EC–30 telling it to auto–start the generator. According to the website, the EC–30 will first check for shore power, and, if none is present, it will direct the generator to run for a 15 minutes, or as long as necessary to maintain the pre–set temperature. Many newer RVs have the Cummins Onan EC–30 control built–in at the factory. For those that do not come equipped with an auto–start system, a new option is the wireless EC–30W. This control functions similarly to the EC–30 except it has its own built–in thermostat, so there is no need to link it to the air conditioner thermostat. This makes for easy installation that anyone can perform in around 10 minutes. When using one of these auto–start generator products, there are no worries about wasting fuel by unnecessarily running the generator because it monitors shore power and will only start the generator when another power source is not present. Because of this "intelligence," the auto–start control can be left "on" when the RV is plugged in at a campground. For more information on these products, visit www.cumminsonan.com/rv/. Friends, Family and Campground Managers My husband (Jack) and I agree on a lot of things and we always get along really well – which is a good thing because we live inside about 20–cubic feet of motorhome (the rest is filled with dog and baby). However, we have differing opinions when it comes to the reliability of the option of having a friend, family, neighbor, or campground manager call you if the power goes out. He feels that this is the only guaranteed option for ensuring your pet's safety when you are away from your RV. I feel that it isn't as solid as some of the technology options. He says that technology can fail, but people won't. I say that technology is tested and many people aren't as reliable as we like to think. So, I guess that tells you which one of us is the optimist in life. At any rate, aside from our opinions, this is another option for keeping your pets safe when you have to leave them in an RV. Give your contact information to an RV neighbor, friend, family, and/or campground manager and ask them to call you if the power ever goes out (or if there is some kind of problem with your pets in the RV). If the person is a pet lover, it will really be a bonus for you. For example, one summer when I was a campground host in Arizona, a woman was staying at the park in an extremely dilapidated RV with a female dog and four puppies. Of course, being a pet lover, I kept a vigilant eye on the RV whenever she was away. Then, much to everyone's dismay, she didn't come back one Sunday. So, I watched the RV for about four hours until the heat just got unbearable. (There was no air conditioning on in the RV). So, I called the local sheriff and explained to him about the puppies and dog in the RV. He came and had to break into the RV to get the dogs out. (It turned out that the owner had some troubles the night before and nobody knew about the dogs and puppies in the RV). So, if it hadn't been for the fact that I am such a pet lover, the situation could have been tragic. So, if you feel that there is someone that you can trust at the campground, ask them to call you if there are any problems at the campground which could affect your pets. As you can see, there are actually a wide variety of solutions available to protect your pets while you are away. Use those that are right for you. And, of course, always have a back–up system in place; it's the best pet insurance.