othing is more stressful than worrying about your pet left alone inside an RV. Will your furry traveling buddy tear the place apart, or suffer from crippling heat because of an HVAC issue? Will your dog bark incessantly? Modern technology has made it easier to keep tabs on our pets remotely via a smartphone, and even talk to them to control bad behavior or just to say “hello.” I’ve enlisted two simple-to-use devices that have become indispensable in our fulltime RV household.
The Eyes Have It
Technology has made it possible to “spy” on our pets at a low cost. After studying the field of remote cameras and first settling on a model that just didn’t work, I found the Kamtron 1080P WiFi Pet Camera on Amazon. It has all the features needed to keep an eye on our standard poodle and at around $40, the investment was rather low for a camera packed with features. There are dozens of these cameras on the market, so doing a little homework is paramount.
The Kamtron camera takes up a tad more than six inches of space and is very easy to mount using the included plastic bracket. Finding the right location will require downloading the MIPC app and setting up the camera, which is easy and supported by voice prompts and loud chimes. You’ll have to be connected to a Wi-Fi source, however, which can be the Achilles’ heel for RVers on the go. If the RV park Wi-Fi is not suitable, you’ll have to use data from a dedicated device, smartphone or tablet — that means leaving one of these devices in the RV. Since you’ll only be connecting to the camera periodically, data usage should be minimal. This camera will not work on a modem’s 5Gz network, only 2.4GHz.
Once paired, it’s best to place the camera in locations temporarily to establish the best overall view inside the RV. Just move the camera while watching the view on the phone. When the right place is found, the bracket can be mounted in a number of ways. In our case, the camera was mounted to the decorative molding around the slideout and removed from the bracket when on the road.
The camera has been very reliable, but there were a few hiccups when downloading upgraded firmware and restarting the process. It took a few tries, but we finally got there. One more thought: If you are a little paranoid about hackers spying on you inside the RV (not good if you run around naked), the camera can be covered by using a small nylon ditty bag typically found in outdoor stores. When on the road, it’s a simple process to unscrew the camera from the base, unplug from the 120-volt AC source and store it in a safe place.
The best source for purchasing this camera is at Amazon. Just Google “kamatron dog camera.”
Watching over your pets inside an RV is just one part of the equation in providing peace of mind when they are left alone. Interiors that become too hot or cold can make it uncomfortable — and even dangerous — for pets, with emphasis on summer temperatures. Most of us have air-conditioners, but in the event of a power or unit failure, inside temperatures can soar to unsafe levels. Keeping tabs on temperature while away from our RVs with fido inside can be done with a number of devices on the market; we chose a system by Waggle called the Nimble Pet.
What sold me on the Waggle device is its connectivity via the Verizon 4G network — without the support of a cell phone or data card. It works independently, connecting to the Verizon network 24/7. The only caveat is possible service interruption when in fringe areas, but that rarely happens these days, especially when using a cell signal booster. Wi-Fi is not needed.
The device is compact and can be used as a portable or mounted on a wall with the provided bracket. It’s powered by 120-volt AC service, but in the event of a power loss, the rechargeable internal battery will keep it going for two days. Once the Waggle app is downloaded on your smartphone or tablet, the device is paired, the service is ready and the high/low thresholds (safety zones) can be set. When outside the safety zones, reporting alerts will be sent via the app, email and text. Temperature and humidity are continually displayed on the small screen in the device mounted in the RV, scrolling between the two values.
Once the temperature dips below or exceeds the threshold values, an alarm is sent to your cell phone — and it continues to send alerts until the temperature returns to the preset safe zone. Expect to see a long list of alerts, as long as the temperatures/humidity is outside the thresholds. Alerts can be turned off, if no pets are at home. The device checks in every 15 minutes and the alerts are sent instantly; it will also notify you if power is lost.
The pet monitor with the display sells for $299, while a Waggle Lite costs $199; the main differences are the display screen and the ability to track the RV via GPS in the event the rig is stolen. There’s a monthly fee to keep the service active, although it’s quite inexpensive when compared to the peace of mind it affords knowing your pets are safe. It’s only $12.50 a month when paid a year in advance, with other rates based on frequency. Utilizing auto pay prevents any lapse in service, especially for those who full time.
After three years of use, the device has proven to be reliable with very few instances where the signal was limited or lost. It’s one of those products that RVers with pets will learn to appreciate almost every day. And your pet(s) will thank you.
