RVing is fantastic on so many fronts, not the least of which is the wonderful opportunity to travel with your pets. There are some things that help to make pets and pet owners more comfortable when traveling and camping. Today we’re looking at an item that can help to keep your pet safe outside your rig – the RV pet fence.
So, toss a treat over to your canine and feline besties, and let’s get right to it!
- 1) What is the Purpose of an RV Pet Fence?
- 2) Things to Consider When Buying an RV Pet Fence
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3)
Popular Pet Fences for RVers
- 3.1) New World Pet Products B550-24 Foldable Exercise Pet Playpen, Black, Small/24 Inch x 24 Inch
- 3.2) IRIS USA Puppy Playpen Dog Playpen Fence Enclosure with Dog Gate Door – 4 or 8 Panel
- 3.3) Yaheetech 40-Inch 8 Panel Heavy Duty Pet Fence or Playpen
- 3.4) FXW Indoor Outdoor Pet Fence – Eight 40-Inch-High Panels
- 3.5) PawGiant Indoor Outdoor Pet Fence 16 Panels 24-Inch
- 4) Have You Used a Pet Fence While Traveling in an RV?
What is the Purpose of an RV Pet Fence?
While there are a number of good reasons to have an RV pet fence, the primary reason is pet safety. Whether your pet needs to get a little exercise or stay cool relaxing outside of the RV on a summer day, having a safe space at the campsite isn’t just important – it’s imperative.
A portable pet fence is a great way to offer your pets a space of their own – outdoors – while keeping them safe from harm.
Inside a pet fence, your pets can be off-leash and enjoy the outdoors while remaining safe in an enclosed space.
Things to Consider When Buying an RV Pet Fence
When shopping for an RV pet fence, there are several features that are important to keep in mind. Let’s take a brief look at each of these.
Usability
Be sure that the places you plan to travel to allow the use of a pet fence (may require calling ahead). As mentioned in a comment below from Cindy, not all RV parks welcome their use… whether it’s for issues of safety (some parks require dogs to be leashed at all times when outside your RV) or cosmetics (repeated use of a dog fence in an area can trample the grass or make it difficult for park staff to maintain).
So, before spending the money to buy one, you may want to check if your planned destinations allow them at be used.
Size
Another top consideration is the size of the pet fence. You want a compact unit that, when collapsed, will store easily in your RV. But you also want a fence that, when set up, allows your pet to relax and walk around.
Height

Size is a significant consideration when choosing an RV pet fence. Make sure you’re buying a fence that is tall enough and strong enough to contain your pet, while also allowing plenty of room for comfortable movement.
An RV pet fence needs to be tall enough to keep your pets safe. If you’ve got a large, tall dog, for example, you need to make sure that the height of the pet fence you buy exceeds the height your dog is capable of scaling!
The last thing we want is an RV pet fence from which your pet can escape, because not only could there be danger in the area, your pet is very likely to become disoriented if lost because you’re in an area that is unfamiliar.
So, the height of the fence is a safety feature to which you’ll want to give strong consideration.
Weight
Weight is always a consideration for RVers, so on one hand you need to pay attention to the weight of a pet fence because it’s important to keep the weight you’re carrying down.
However, it’s incredibly important that an RV portable pet fence weighs enough that your pet can’t knock it down and escape to chase a squirrel or be subject to some unforeseen danger.
Construction/Material
The material from which a pet fence for RVers is constructed not only contributes to your pet’s safety but also ensures that the fence will last.
If your pet fence is made of material that rusts from the moisture of the morning dew, from salt in the ocean air, or from being left out in the rain, then you’ll be replacing that fence before you know it.
You want a durably constructed fence to protect your pets and to last for as long as you want to travel with them.
Popular Pet Fences for RVers
Let’s take a look at some of the most popular pet fences for RVers to carry as they travel with pets who want to enjoy the great outdoors as much as we do.
New World Pet Products B550-24 Foldable Exercise Pet Playpen, Black, Small/24 Inch x 24 Inch
With well over 25,000 excellent reviews on Amazon, this foldable pet fence from New World Pet Products is among the most popular pet fences/playpens on the market.
At 24 inches tall, with an interior space of 62 inches, the unit pictured here is for smaller dogs and cats. (Although we don’t need to tell owners of felines how high some of them can jump!)
But New World also offers a medium fence (30 inches tall), a medium-large fence (36”), a large pen (42”), and an extra-large pen (48”). Following the link below will take you to all of them.
These pet fences have 8 panels that fold together when collapsed. A rust-preventive coating protects the fence from the elements. Ground stakes are included to keep the pen anchored to the ground.
This (small) pet fence weighs just under 17 pounds.
- Each panel measures 24"W x 24"H, Exercise Pen / Pet Playpen, dog exercise pen measures 62L x 62W x 24H when assembled & folds flat for convenient...
- Exercise Pen provides 16 square feet enclosed area (1.5 meters) for your dog & other pets
IRIS USA Puppy Playpen Dog Playpen Fence Enclosure with Dog Gate Door – 4 or 8 Panel
The Iris USA Puppy Playpen is a pet fence for RVers that comes with a “doggy door” and is available in either a 4-panel (24” high) or 8-panel (34” high) version. The interior dimension is about 63” in diameter.
The interlocking panels are made from commercial-grade plastic and have non-skid rubber feet, making this RV camping pet fence also safe for indoor use.
More than 17,000 Amazon reviewers chose this pet fence with the vast majority giving it top reviews.
This pet playpen weighs 26.2 pounds.
- The IRIS 34'' Exercise 8-Panel Dog Playpen with Door can be used for dog play yards, play gate, small dog fence, and more
- The IRIS playpen is portable and provides plenty of play space for pets
Yaheetech 40-Inch 8 Panel Heavy Duty Pet Fence or Playpen
Yaheetech’s pet fences are available with 8, 16, 24, or 32 panels. The panels are 24”, 32”, or 40” tall. Obviously, for RV use, this 8-panel fence might be the ideal size, particularly if your pet is small, although it does weigh quite a bit more than those previously mentioned. All sizes come with a panel that houses a “doggy door.”
The panels are made of high-quality iron with a black or white finish. Increasing the number of panels can allow for a huge pet fence for home use as well.
The 8-panel Yaheetech pet fence weighs 43.6 pounds.
- 🐕【Great for Camping】The unique fold and carry design allows you to transfer the puppy playpen from your home to vehicle quickly if you need to...
- 🐕【Not Just for Dogs】This interactive and expandable pet fence is suitable for small or medium pets, such as toy poodles, corgis, puppies,...
FXW Indoor Outdoor Pet Fence – Eight 40-Inch-High Panels
This 8-panel pet fence is made of heavy-duty metal and is 40 inches tall. However, with the FXW pet fences, you can also opt for many more panels to increase the overall size significantly.
These panels have small floor protector caps making them suitable for indoor use. Stakes and a stake bag are included for outdoor use.
You can get up to 48 panels, and you can also choose the height of the panels, at 24”, 32”, or 40”.
This 8-panel version weighs 44 pounds.
- 🐶【A win-win solution】The FXW Dog Playpen is designed to bring a win-win solution to you and your lovely dog. Different from a narrow enclosure...
- 🐶【Unlock your freedom, savor the moment】The stakes are designed with rounded ball tops to protect the dog's claws from injury. The rods are...
PawGiant Indoor Outdoor Pet Fence 16 Panels 24-Inch
This is a 16-panel pet fence with panels that are 24 inches high, though you can also opt for 32”-high panels.
This pet fence is made of heavy-duty metal and weighs 55 pounds. The 16 panels allow for multiple configurations, depending on the space available. The panels have rubber gaskets on the bottom.
This 16-panel pet fence for RVing allows your pets 110 square feet of safe outdoor/exercise space.
- 【Stable Heavy & Safety】 PawGiant dog fence use up to 55 pounds of heavy metals. Heavy-duty thickened iron metal tube design is more stable and...
- 【Prevention of escape】PawGiant dog pen is an excellent caretaker. The 24"H height is high enough to prevent escapes. The gravity automatic...
If you’re also looking for an easy way for your pet to access your RV, check out our post on RV dog ramps.
Have You Used a Pet Fence While Traveling in an RV?
If you’ve traveled with an RV pet fence, we’d love to hear about your experience. Drop us a comment and let us know what pet fence is your favorite, and how you like to use it when you’re camping.
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Richard
Monday 5th of June 2023
We have two little ankle biters and last year when we went threw 5 states all the RV parks we stayed in private and state parks have a seperate doggie park specially designated with fence area water and waste bags including benches or chairs to stay while they roam so no need for fencing.....
Cindy
Monday 5th of June 2023
In you article on pet fences you didn't make one thing clear: Many parks now to NOT allow pet fences. The reasons are understandable. Pets are supposed to be on 6' leashes held by their owners, NOT loose in a pen. There have been several incidents of unleashed pets jumping the fence and attacking or biting pets/people. Also, people are supposed to be with and supervise their pets, but many people use the fence as a babysitter and go inside while their pets are alone outside. And lastly, confining pets to one area tramples down the grass in that area and can cause damage from pet waste as well. There are major considerations for parks these days. No campground owner wants to be sued because people do not use the fences properly. None of the public campgrounds around us allow them, nor do many private. So please give the other side of the story. It would be sad to see someone spend a lot of money on something they can't use because the parks do not allow it.
TheRVgeeks
Monday 5th of June 2023
Excellent point, Cindy... thanks for providing that additional info. We've gone ahead and updated the article (crediting your comment, of course!) to reflect that the VERY FIRST THING to consider when looking at pet fences is whether or not they're even allowed at the places you plan to travel to.
Postiecat
Monday 6th of June 2022
Unfortunately I see more and more RV parks not letting you use these. I don't understand why. Guess I should ask. I think it's a great idea. :(:(
TheRVgeeks
Tuesday 7th of June 2022
That's a bummer! Probably has to do with not wanting things staked into the ground... either because of damage to the soil/grass... or because it could puncture/damage something not far under the soil. Or just because have a rule that says "No" is easier than setting up requirements (only so large, only so tall, etc) and enforcing them. ????????
Pat Parker
Monday 6th of June 2022
Jake says thanks for making our pets part of rving.
Judy Bowen
Monday 6th of June 2022
Having done the dog show routines, we have used X-pens…..try PetEdge or Ryan’s. These are wholesalers and you might find a better product.
TheRVgeeks
Tuesday 7th of June 2022
Thanks for that info, Judy!