People ask me what a day in the RV looks like. Here is a complete, accurate account.
I’m Jasper, and I’ve been doing this RV thing long enough to have a real routine. Summer RV days have a specific rhythm that I’ve come to love. Here’s what one looks like.
6:00 AM: The Morning
The RV is parked at a campsite. There are sounds outside. Birds. Wind in trees. Maybe another camper’s coffee situation. It’s early but I’m awake because I’m always awake early.
I do a small movement to signal that I’m conscious and ready. My humans know this signal. One of them stirs. I wait approximately three minutes before escalating.
We go outside. This is the best part of camping mornings — stepping out of the RV into wherever we parked. Every campsite is different. This morning’s site has a pine smell and dew on the grass. I need approximately fifteen minutes to take in what happened overnight in this area before I’m ready to move on.
7:00 AM: The Morning Walk
We walk the campground or hit a trail depending on what’s around us. Summer RV walks are longer than home walks because we’re in new territory and I need the full picture.
New territory means new smells. New smells mean information. Information takes time to process. My humans have learned to allow for this. “Sniff walks” are a thing we do, where the goal is me getting to smell everything thoroughly rather than covering maximum distance.
I’m very in favor of sniff walks.
9:00 AM: Breakfast + Settled Time
Back in the RV. Breakfast. My humans have coffee. I have kibble and whatever high-quality additions are happening today. I eat, they eat, everyone exists in the RV for a while.
This is a calm part of the day. Sometimes I nap. Sometimes I watch out the front window from my co-pilot position. Sometimes one of my humans is planning the day out loud and I listen to hear if any good words come up (walk, swim, trail, park).
11:00 AM: Mid-Morning Activity
This depends entirely on where we are. If there’s water, we’re going to the water. A lake, a river, a swimming hole. We drive, we hike, we find it. I go in immediately. This is not up for discussion.
If there’s no water but there’s a trail, we hike. If neither, we find a dog-friendly town area. I’ve had good experiences at outdoor farmers markets, brewery patios, and park benches in small New England towns.
1:00 PM: Peak Heat Nap
This is mandatory. Peak summer heat in the early afternoon is not hiking time. We’re back in the RV with the AC running (see last month’s post about dog heat safety) and I’m in full nap mode.
The air conditioner in the RV is one of the greatest things that exists. I have strong feelings about it.
4:00 PM: Second Wind
The temperature drops a few degrees. I’m back. Ready. My humans usually go for another walk or explore the area when things cool down. This is the golden hour window — the light is good, the heat is manageable, and everything smells like late afternoon, which is a specific and excellent smell.
7:00 PM: Campfire Time
This is the event of the evening. My humans build a fire. I take my campfire position — specific corner, specific distance, same every time. The fire sounds different than anything else. The fire smells like no other smell. Sitting near a campfire at dusk in the summer is among the best experiences available to me.
I stay there until it’s clearly bedtime. I don’t want to go inside. I go inside.
9:30 PM: Sleep
In the RV, on my bed, with the sounds of the campground outside.
Tomorrow we do it again. 🚐🌙