2024 Best Pet Temperature Monitor For RV and Vanlife (+ How To Keep Pets Safe Without Waggle)

Being able to travel in your campervan or RV with your pet is incredible and comes with many benefits – like added security, companionship, and it’s definitely far less expensive than staying in pet-friendly hotels. But what happens when you have to leave your pet alone for short periods of time to run errands?

Even though I try really hard not to leave my dog for more than a few minutes, I live on the road full-time and sometimes it happens. I use my pet temperature monitor to ensure he’s safe.

It’s inevitable that at some points you will have to go grocery shopping, stop at a laundromat, find a place to shower, etc. Your pets are typically not allowed in these places. This is why it’s so important to have a pet temperature monitor for your RV or van which can alert you to temperature changes that become too hot or too cold for your pets.

I’ve found two great solutions for pet temperature monitors for RVs and vans. Depending on your set up, one might be a better fit for you than the other.

What Is The Difference Between SimpliSafe And Waggle Pet Temperature Monitors For RVs and Vans?

Most people are familiar with Waggle – a pet temperature monitor that sends alerts to your phone when the temperature in your RV or van exceeds your set range. Did you know SimpliSafe can do the same thing? AND instead of paying $30/month for Waggle, SimpliSafe is FREE??? AND the upfront cost for the system is similar to Waggle?

You might be familiar with SimpliSafe as a home security system. I found a way to modify this system to work in my van. My kit cost about the same as the Waggle, but it also includes additional features like a smoke alarm, carbon monoxide alarm, video cameras, glass break sensor and door/window alarms. My favorite components of the SimpliSafe security system are the optional temperature monitor and water monitor. I’ve placed both of these in my van (along with all the other bells and whistles) so I get alerts directly to my cell phone whenever:

So, what’s the catch? The SimpliSafe system has to connect to a wifi system in order to work. If you already have Wifi in your van then this is the ultimate solution.

If you do not have wifi in your van, then you have two options: pay $10 a month for service with SimpliSafe (one of their pro monitored plans), or pay $30 a month for Waggle. Both paid services activate the SIM card in the device which allows it to work over the cell network and without a wifi connection.

Want to know more about the SimpliSafe system I have? Check out this comprehensive article outlining what is included in my system, and how I adapted the base station to run off of 12v batteries instead of having to operate on 120v with my inverter on 24/7.

What is Waggle pet monitor?

Waggle pet monitor is a campervan and RV temperature monitor system that tracks temperature, humidity and power loss. Alerts are sent to your phone in real-time when one of these risk events happens.

How Does Waggle Pet Monitor Work?

The Waggle pet monitoring system works by communicating over the Verizon cellular network. Don’t worry – it doesn’t matter which cell provider you have, the Waggle system works regardless. An app on your phone connects to the Waggle pet temperature monitor installed in your van or RV.

Once the pet temperature monitor system detects the temperature or humidity is out of your safe range, or if it detects a power or service outage, it immediately sends an alert to your phone.

If you need to check-in on the temperature you can open your app to see real-time temperature, humidity and heat index inside your van or RV.

If the temperature range exceeds the safe range then an alert is immediately sent to your phone, letting you know which risk event happened – temperature, humidity or power loss.

If you have the Waggle Pro you can also configure alerts for geo-fencing. Once enabled, you determine a radius of .5 miles to 10 miles. If your RV or van moves outside of that range you’ll receive an alert on your phone!

Waggle Pet Temperature Monitor Subscription

The Waggle pet monitor comes in two models: Waggle Pro and Waggle Lite.

Waggle Pet Temperature Monitor Lite

Waggle Pet Monitor Lite comes with pet temperature monitoring, power loss monitoring, heat and humidity index reporting and a rechargeable battery.

It does not include GPS tracking, geofencing or a digital display.

Waggle Pet Temperature Monitor Pro

Waggle Pet Monitor Pro comes with everything the Lite version comes with (temperature and power loss monitoring, heat and humidity index report and a rechargeable battery).

In addition, it also includes GPS tracking, geofence alerts and a digital display.

Waggle Pet Temperature Monitor Price

The subscription cost for a Waggle pet temperature monitor ranges from $14/month to $29/month, depending on how far in advance you prepay.

For month-to-month billing the plan costs $29/month. If you pay for two years in advance then the cost works out to be $14 per month – but fully paid up front.

Other payment terms offered are prepaid for 6 months, $25 a month, and prepaid for one year, which works out to be $21 a month.

Note: Waggle subscriptions cannot be paused, so only prepay if you’ll need to use your pet temperature monitor for consecutive months.

Waggle Pet Temperature Monitor Review

I traveled with my dog and the Waggle Pro pet temperature monitor last summer. It gave me great peace of mind to know that my dog is safe while I run quick errands.

For example, I needed to shower and the only times available were during the heat of the day. I took all my typical precautions to keep the van cool and then left my dog and headed into shower. It gave me so much peace of mind knowing I could constantly check the temperature in the van from my phone app and get back to my dog in seconds if anything went wrong. Without having a pet temperature monitor I would not take risks like these, so my ability to run errands would be extremely limited.

Installing A Pet Temperature Monitor

Installation was quick and easy. It took me about 5 minutes to stick the device to the wall of my van, plug the device into charge (a USB charger and wall plug is provided) and download the Waggle app on my phone.

Waggle has a built-in battery, so no hard wiring to your electrical system is needed! It can be charged with a USB or 120V household outlet. In my experience, the battery life is not fantastic. In areas where my cell signal is low, and the battery is working harder, I have to recharge every 1-3 days. For this reason, I relocated my waggle so that it’s close enough to my wall plug that I can leave it permanently plugged in.

To get alerts on your phone just download their app, scan the QR code on your device and activate! Within the app you’re able to choose which types of alerts you want to receive and the frequency of reminder notifications. The entire process took only minutes to complete.

Benefits and Disadvantages of Waggle Pet Temperature Monitor

Pet Temperature Monitor Conclusion

If you plan to travel with your pets a pet temperature monitor is a necessity. You only need to be alerted about a risk event once to see the value in a pet temperature monitoring device.

If you already have a wifi network in your van, then I highly recommend using the SimpliSafe security system with add-on temperature sensor. You get all the same great features included with Waggle – but for free ($0 monthly cost). Or, if you don’t have wifi, you can upgrade to a monitored plan ($10+/month) which activates the cellular SIM in the base station so you still have access to SimpliSafe functionality without wifi.

Alternatively, Waggle is a great option with super easy set-up. The upfront cost for hardware is comparable to SimpliSafe, but the monthly subscription fee is $29 (or less, if you’re willing to prepay).

For a more detailed overview of my SimpliSafe security system for my van, check out this article.