Hello from N. California

[MandysMom]

Hi Kathy! I'm in Roseville, near Sacramento. I drive a Class B (built in a Sprinter van), byLeisure Travel Vans. Bought Night Owl in 2005, and had her ever since. Newly widowed, this will be my first camping season as a solo. Take your time and ask lots of questions. Take every opportunity to spend enough time in many rigs to walk around pretending to be out camping, pretend to take a shower (is the shower big enough for you), to cook a meal (where will pots and pans be stored, is there a pantry), is the bed available for a quick nap on a rest stop (some fold to close the slide), if a C class, are you comfortable climbing up to the over cab bunk? Lots to consider. As others have said, don't take credit card or checkbook to RV shows!
I'm meeting some west coast women at Cove Pallisades State Park in Oregon in June, and there may be tent spots still open though I think most of A section has rig reservations mostly from our group by now. PM me if you want more details. Dates June 21-24.
Velda
2005 FreeSpirit Leisire Travel Van -"Night Owl"

[snowball]

BTW I have two cats, not sure if I will be able to bring them along as one of them has anxiety issues and takes medication. That will be something I have to resolve.
Kathy

Talk to Sandi she introduced her cat to traveling worked out fine
there are several who have traveled with their feline chillin's
sheila

[JudyJB]

From what I have seen, cats seem to do very well in RVs. It is a little tricky to leash train them, but one man I talked to said his older cat would just sit down when he tried to walk him on a leash. That is, until one day, the cat discovered there were interesting things to sniff and look at out there. But a cat walks you--you don't walk it exactly like a dog! They even have cat tents for outside where the cat can enjoy the view and the fresh air but is contained.

Unlike a car, an RV, if it is a motorhome and the cat can ride with you in the motorhome, there are lots of cozy places for a cat to ride--like the bed.

[monik7]

As Sheila mentioned I introduced my cat Amy to RV traveling. When I first got my RV, knowing Amy I just assumed with her personality quirks that she would not travel well in the rig. So for 2 years I asked my daughter and family to take her in their home while I traveled. It became clear very early that they didn’t like doing it. There was no special care required for her, they just resented it. The last time Amy stayed there, she had no water when I picked her up. Because of those problems, I decided I had to try bringing her along. Wow! Was I surprised. We did it slowly giving her a chance to spend time in the rig and get used to the surroundings while it was parked in storage. I would just sit quietly and let her explore. It took several times before she would even venture away from where I had set her on the bed. Patience is the key. The first trip she was a champ and continued to travel with my 2 dogs and me for the next 3 years. I lost her in 2017 to old age.

Amy already relaxed in the RV on her FIRST trip

She loved to sleep on my pillow in the RV

Since being rescued at about 4 weeks as a tiny kitten, she was solely an inside cat. She took her first steps outside on one of her first trips in the RV to Oregon and you could see she was amazed at what she saw and loved it. She had never been outside or on a leash before. It was wonderful seeing her have so many new experiences.

August 2015


These pictures are to show it can be done and you may be surprised at how your cat will adapt to traveling just like Amy. It was a great experience for her and she got to do things she and I never imagined. I’m so thankful for all that time we all spent together rather than leaving her behind at my daughter’s. Just take it slow and allow enough time for your cat to become comfortable. I’m sure you will enjoy the companionship as you travel.
Sandi

[JudyJB]

I ended up taking I-5 all the way to Napa, mostly because it was shorter and snow was not expected. Also, I found out that 101 was closed near Brookings.

Anyway, if you are out and about, most of us love to get together with a new person. I remember meeting up with a large bunch in Texas when I was new and had been on the road only a few months. My kids were worried that I was meeting up with a bunch of strangers and even inviting them into my rig. They wondered how did I not know if one of them was an ax murderer! (I am not alone in kids asking that.)

We are a small group, but are close because most of us have met a lot of, if not most of, the other women who participate often on the forum. You can also join us for a get together, even if you have no RV yet because a lot of parts rent out cabins or yurts. It is getting to be spring and a lot of the ladies who travel only part-time will be out and about, so feel free to invite yourself to join them, if only for lunch.

And once you get a rig, make sure that it is the only place your cat gets super-delicious treats! She/he will think it is a wonderful place.

[MandysMom]

Judy, glad to hear you got safely south. Rain tonight in my part of Northern California. I'm glad you finally get a change of scenery.
Velda

[BarbaraRose]

I took my cat Lola, with me on my move from MN to CA. I was pulling a 21' travel trailer. I bought a calming collar for her (Petco on line) and that worked very well to keep her calm (not happy, but calm). When we were in the trailer, she would either hide behind the couch or sleep up on the top bunk in back where she could look out the window and feel safe.