Not a Duh! type question. I know it heats up fast, just when we stop for fuel or food or at a rest stop. What I'm wondering is whether one of these temperature alarms that notifies you if the power goes off and the van heats up dangerously for pets, would be practical in a class B?
It's being discussed on the pet forum with the comment that you can be ten miles away and still get the notification. I am just afraid that in some temps, ten miles would not get us back quickly enough. Does anybody have experience with one of these alarms? There have been times when we might've liked to have one, roadside museums and such. Even just going for a walk without the dogs.
Judy & Bud (Judy usually the one talking here)
2004 Pleasure-Way Excel TD
co-pilots, Rosie & Poquita
Pets die in FL every year from someone leaving them in the vehicle. Easily gets 135 to well over 155 degrees inside a vehicle here. Just recently the laws changed making it a FELONY to leave children in an unattended car for 15 minutes IIRC. Serious stuff. Also remember a cop who had his police dog die while he left it in the car. Engine quit, no A/C (obviously), soon dead.
Suggest finding another solution if you plan on camping in the South and leaving your pets.
Robert
Cocoa, FL
2007 Rockwood TT 2502
Equalizer Hitch
2010 Ford F-150 FX4 -w- Max Tow Package
Yamaha EF2400iS http://www.2manytoyz.com/
If you park facing the afternoon sun, you will feel an immediate difference when you cover the windshield with a reflective cover. Make similar covers for all the windows and the heat gain will be reduced tremendously. I suggest experimenting at home with a thermometer instead of a pet inside. Then judge for yourself how long is too long with no AC running.
Salianron --Sally and Ron
2003 Roadtrek 200 Popular
Good suggestions, thanks. I had completely forgotten about it being illegal in many states to leave a child, and yes, even a dog in a vehicle in hot weather. We have more fun with our two little dogs along on a trip than we would without them, so we're just going to need to accomodate them.
Sally, we got a roll of that silver bubble wrap type insulation last year and made templates for all our PW's windows. We liked it so much that we left it in the side windows for most of our last cross-country trip. You're right, it does do a whole lot to insulate in both hot and cold weather. We have a nice windshield insert, too. Still, I don't think we'll be leaving our pups other than long enough to run into Flying J or something like that.
CA POPPY wrote: Not a Duh! type question. I know it heats up fast, just when we stop for fuel or food or at a rest stop. What I'm wondering is whether one of these temperature alarms that notifies you if the power goes off and the van heats up dangerously for pets, would be practical in a class B?
It's being discussed on the pet forum with the comment that you can be ten miles away and still get the notification. I am just afraid that in some temps, ten miles would not get us back quickly enough. Does anybody have experience with one of these alarms? There have been times when we might've liked to have one, roadside museums and such. Even just going for a walk without the dogs.
No pets or kids to worry about but how about all that nice entertainment stuff? Anyone have any stories about TVs getting damaged due to high heat? Thought about taking the 19inch HDTV off the bracket and putting it in house to save from desert heat. No direct sunlight going into van but it still gets toasty.
We have actually "tested" our Plateau with a thermometer in several different situations. If you park in the sun and leave it all closed up, it gets very hot very fast. On a 90 degree day the interior will be about 110 in about 20 minutes.
If you put one of those metallic window shades in the front, open the windows and vent and leave the fantastic fan running it will stay the same temp inside as outside.
If you park in the shade and do the same as above, it will be 4 or 5 degree cooler in the RV than outdoors.
I made the thermal window shades for all of the windows now. I have yet to test the temp with those. I do know it really does keep it alot warmer at night with the thermals all around.
We did have to leave the dogs in the RV a couple of years ago in Las Vegas for about an hour and a half. It was at one of the little casinos out of town a ways that actually had trees in the parking lot. We parked in the shade, then cranked up the generator and ran the AC. We took turns running out the the RV every 15-20 minutes to make sure the gene was still running. That worked OK, but I would not have done it if we would not have been able to check on it frequently.
Julie
_____________________________________________________________________
A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving. ~ Lao Tzu
That is kinda like asking "how long is a piece of string?" or "how many Chinese are there now?". If you need worry about it, address it as if it will happen. I wouldn't leave my Yorkie in the van (or anything else) if I had a concern on her safety.
Dave W. AKA "Toyman"
KE5GOH - On 146.52
RV's ? What RV's ???
Apache Pop-up
Classic GMC Motorhome
07 Leisure Travel Sprinter
Do Boats Count ?
CA POPPY wrote: ..have experience with one of these alarms?..
I'm having a hard time understanding how someone might even consider putting the health and welfare of their pet(s) at risk by relying on some mechanical device.
Don't take them on your adventure if you're not willing to give them the care they deserve.
My 2 dogs were the only reason I ever started looking at a B. We take short trips with them and when using the genset and a/c we check on them every hour and never go very far way. Usually shopping. We don't take them if we don't have the time to stop frequently or know we're going to be too far away from the van to check on them. We didn't take them on our trip to the Grand Canyon, because they weren't allowed in most park areas and everything was a hike away from parking areas.
Everyone relies on mechanical devices. That's why we maintain our vehicles. I'm more concerned about a tire blow out at highway speeds than relying on my genset and a/c an hour at a time. But, each to his own. Common sense can't be legislated.
CA POPPY wrote: .... What I'm wondering is whether one of these temperature alarms that notifies you if the power goes off and the van heats up dangerously for pets, would be practical in a class B?
I'm really, really underwhelmed by the lack of technical or even solid information provided by their website. The photo is, to me, indecipherable, and contains nothing to give it scale.
Also, the website itself seems awfuly amateurish to be selling a fairly big-ticket item.
The reliance on cell service is pretty lame, too, and appears to require two phones. There appears to be a poorly explained option of using walkie-talkies.
Unless I'm missing a link to more explaination or information, or something, I'll pass, thanks.
A B is unlikely to heat up beyond the outside temp with the windows open and the vent running, _if_ parked in solid shade. But you need to get past the 'heat soak' effect first.
Jim, "Consider the Malevolent Universe Theory: It really is out to get you."
'06 Tiger CX 'C Minus' on a Silverado 2500HD 4x4, 8.1 & Allison (aka 'Loafer's Glory') www.tigervehicles.com
I know it heats up fast, just when we stop for fuel or food or at a rest stop. What I'm wondering is whether one of these temperature alarms that notifies you if the power goes off and the van heats up dangerously for pets, would be practical in a class B? 
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