Looking to take your dog RV camping and not sure which fence to bring? Should you bring a wireless setup? Should you bring a portable dog fence for your RV? How much electricity will be required for the wireless one?
In this guide we’ll cover the best portable fences to bring camping for your dog. We’ll go over the pros and cons of each. Plus we’ll help you decide whether an electric wireless fence or a portable metal fence are best for you.
Editor’s Note
When we first set out to write this article we planned on reviewing at least 11 pet pens and wireless containment systems. Sadly they were virtually almost all the same (i.e. made by the same manufacturer just with different branding).
Just go on Amazon and search for pet pens for RVs and you’ll see what we mean. Lots of different “options” but they all look the same.
We used to work with manufacturers to build our own products so we know how this game works.
Instead, we reviewed the top models for different uses and needs.
We kept the list short and gave you everything you need to make your decision fast for your specific situation.
Note: If you click some of the links in this article we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Top Pick and Best Budget – Midwest Homes Pet Pen
- Top Pick and Best Budget – Midwest Homes Pet Pen
- Best Heavy Duty Dog Pen for RVs – YaheeTech’s Heavy Duty Foldable Pen
- Best for Tall and Large Dogs – BestPet’s 40″ Pet Playpen
- Best Lightweight Plastic with Dog Door – North States Pet Yard
- Best Wireless Fence for RVs – PetSafe Stay and Play Compact Wireless Fence
- How to Choose The Ideal Portable Pet Fence For Your RV
- FAQ
- How to Train Your Dog to Stay Inside a Play Pen?
- How to Train Your Dog to Use a Wireless Dog Fence?
The Midwest Homes pet pen wins our top two categories. One for Top Pick and one for Best for the budget.
Now this pen won’t work for everyone. It’s a little small and needs more sections for larger dogs.
It set’s up easily though. If the soil is right you can stake it down with the included stakes.
Staking it down is a must. Even a 20 lb dog can push it around if it isn’t staked.
This fence compacts nicely. You can easily fold it up and store it anywhere. That makes it great for small RVs (or any RVs!).
Beware the door though. Hyper or curious/smart dogs can play with the door and make it open if you aren’t careful with the latching. For smart, curious dogs you may want to add an extra clip or locking mechanism to the door.
What We Like
- Budget friendly
- Folds down easy and can be stored anywhere
- Range of wall sizes for different sized dogs
- Doesn’t blow away in the wind – includes ground anchors
- Easy and fast to setup – no tools required
What We Don’t Like
- A little small
- Nosy dogs can get out – Dog door needs extra clips to secure it
Best Heavy Duty Dog Pen for RVs – YaheeTech’s Heavy Duty Foldable Pen
This is a great pen for your smaller pets. It’s heavy duty metal that doesn’t bend or blow over in the wind.
The stakes are long and you can install them standing up. No bending over!
You can build this into a ton of different shapes. It’s great for different campsites as you never know how much space you’ll get or what shape it’ll be.
Beware the long stakes though. They bend easily due to their length. Test them gently at new campsites first to make sure the ground isn’t too hard.
Only good for small dogs. That’s our biggest issue but know that in advance.
What We Like
- Heavy duty frames that are better for rambunctious dogs and high winds
- Huge! You can build this into many shapes
- Easy tall stakes – put these in from the top so you don’t have to bend over
What We Don’t Like
- Huge! It’s big. It folds up easily. But due to the heavy gauge metal it takes up a lot of space.
- Long stakes are easy to bend – be very careful putting this first one in at a new campsite. Test the ground hardness first.
- Only good for small dogs – 24″ high walls
Best for Tall and Large Dogs – BestPet’s 40″ Pet Playpen
The above heavy duty cage is great for little pups. What if you have a taller dog that can easily jump 24″? Then you need something a little bigger.
Enter BestPet’s 40″ tall wall playpen. It uses nearly the same materials and design as Yaheetech – thick heavy duty walls. It just makes them taller.
The basic set comes with 8 panels which might not be large enough. That makes a fairly small area.
We recommend you start with 8 and consider adding another 8 panels. That’s what the demo picture at the link below shows. Click the link to see it on Amazon and check the section picture. That’s a 16 panel setup which is absolutely huge.
The nice thing about this fence isn’t privacy but you can surround your entire camp area. It’ll feel like a nice little fence for your place. Plus your dog or dogs will get to stay in the same area as you. It’s no fun for your dog to lock them away in a separate pen area.
What We Like
- Taller panels for taller dogs
- Long easy to install stakes
- Great for walling off your camping area to keep other dogs and critters out
What We Don’t Like
- Again, long stakes bend in hard ground – test your ground first!
- Need more panels than the initial 8 to build a decent sized pen
Best Lightweight Plastic with Dog Door – North States Pet Yard
Looking for something you can use at home inside the house and then bring quickly on a RV trip? Then you need the north states pet yard.
Originally designed with soft base pieces to prevent floor scratching, this pen easily holds up outdoors as well.
The included locking dog door is great but be warned. It’s very small and there’s no easy way to get a larger dog in or out. For large dogs you need to actually separate the panels.
This lightweight pen is great for small dogs but we do not recommend it for medium or larger dogs.
What We Like
- Great for indoor at home and outdoor while camping
- Includes a lockable pet door to give your pet freedom to come and go
- Lightweight plastic that can survive long sun and weather exposure
- Good for small dogs
What We Don’t Like
- Doesn’t include stakes
- Dog door is too small for larger dogs
- No easy way to get large dogs in and out
Best Wireless Fence for RVs – PetSafe Stay and Play Compact Wireless Fence
Looking for a super simple setup that doesn’t even require a fence? Then you need the PetSafe Stay and Play Compact wireless fence.
Setup is fast and easy. Plug in the transmitter. Set the range. Put the dog collar on your dog. Done.
But not so fast. This is a wireless setup. The one thing it requires is some training. A new dog won’t fully understand this.
You’ll want to set this up at home and train your dog to use a wireless fence. Then when they fully understand how to stay in the boundaries, take it camping. See the full training video in the FAQ below.
Bring the flags you used for training. Moving to a new area could confuse your dog but seeing the flags will help them remember how the boundaries work.
Training can be completed fast. Some dogs it only takes a day. Again, do that at home under controlled conditions.
The transmitter is adjustable. You can set it up for a 22′ radius up to 105′. Keep in mind it’s a circular radius. Keep it tight to keep your pet close to your RV. That’s best for campgrounds.
When you take your RV to the woods or open areas you can open it up to the larger 105′ radius. That gives your dog up to 3/4 of an acre of play room.
What We Like
- Easy to setup
- Super compact to store in the RV
- Great for bringing your dog to a friend’s yard – You wouldn’t want to do that with your fence!
- No leash, no fence – Happy free dog!
What We Don’t Like
- Need to train your dog to use it
- Needs electricity for the transmitter
How to Choose The Ideal Portable Pet Fence For Your RV
Choosing the best setup for you requires a few questions:
- How much space do you have in your RV?
- Do you camp in the back country or mostly campgrounds?
- Do you have a wireless fence and is your dog trained to use it?
- What’s the range of your wireless fence?
- Is your dog a jumper?
Space
Not a lot of space in your RV? Then you might want to go with the non-heavy duty models above. The lighter gauge frames fold up into a smaller more compact space.
Have a bit more space in your RV? Then you might want to go with the heavy duty gauge options above. They handle high winds better even without staking.
Of course, they come with stakes. As you know though, some campsites have hard ground making stakes nearly impossible to use. In those instances it’s nice to have a heavier weight fence.
Backcountry or Campgrounds?
Do you mainly go to campgrounds? Then having a wireless fence may be tough. They have a circular boundary at all times. You can adjust the diameter but if you are closer than 22 feet to the next site you won’t be able to use the compact model we recommend above.
For small campground sites you’re better off with a fence model. With smaller sites you’ll get better wind protection by being closer to your neighbors so it shouldn’t matter as much whether you get the lightweight model or the heavy duty metal variety.
Now, do you go to the backcountry often? Then you have the space to fully take advantage of a wireless setup. This might even mean just RVing in State forests. For instances like that it’s nice to give your dog a full 3/4 acre to run around in free without constraints.
Fence vs Wireless Fence for RVs
This question comes down to space. Like we mentioned above, if you mainly camp in campgrounds with small lots you should use a fence. You can use a wireless setup but with a fence or pen you have complete control over the shape you make.
You can customize a pen or fence to fit any campground lot. You can’t do that with wireless.
Camping out in a national forest alot though? Then we recommend going wireless. Yes, there’s some training involved but once you get through that you give your dog total freedom.
And that brings us to the next topic – what about dogs that jump out of the fence?
Jumping and Escape Artist Dogs
Even with a fence your dog most likely can jump out if they want to. You still need to train them to stay in the fence.
That’s easier with some dogs than others.
See the two training videos in the FAQ below. One covers training for a wireless fence and one covers training for a pen.
FAQ
How to Train Your Dog to Stay Inside a Play Pen?
How to Train Your Dog to Use a Wireless Dog Fence?
