Best RV Pet Temperature Monitor (Hint: NOT Waggle)

One of the primary reasons I chose vanlife was to be able to travel with my dog (he’s too big for planes). However, it’s unavoidable that occasionally I have to leave him while I go grocery shopping, stop at a laundromat, find a place to shower, etc.

Having a reliable pet temperature monitor was crucial to keep my dog safe. I’ve tried a few, and I’ll tell you what’s worth it, and what isn’t.

Originally, I had a Waggle Pet Monitor subscription. It was alright, but the battery life was awful and the cell connection wasn’t reliable. Not to mention, $25 a month is pricy for a device that only sends you alerts about temperature, humidity and power outages.

Ultimately, I settled on a better RV temperature monitor that’s less expensive and more reliable. It also has more features – like alerting me to smoke or poisonous gas in my camper.

I’m going to give you the details about my RV pet monitor and compare the best alternatives in this blog post!

In this article:

• My recommendation for the best RV pet temperature monitor
• Comparison chart of RV temperature monitor options
• Waggle alternatives – Necto, MarCELL & SimpliSafe

Disclaimer: This article features some affiliate links. I only endorse things I’ve personally used or that come highly recommended by trusted peers. If you purchase anything I mention using my referral links from Amazon, REI or other retailers I may receive a small commission. However, there is never extra cost to you. You can read more here. Thank you for your support.

Overview Of The Best RV Pet Temperature Monitors

Pets aren’t allowed everywhere, so the reality of RV travel is that you’ll occasionally have to leave them unattended for a short time.

It’s important to have an RV temperature monitor for your camper which can alert you to temperature changes that become too hot or too cold for your pets.

While Waggle pet monitor is one of the most well-known options, in my opinion it isn’t the best RV temperature monitor for pets (they just have a really big marketing budget).

There are several alternative options to consider:

An RV temperature monitor is one of my top essentials for van life with a dog, I share a full list and tips for traveling with pets here.

Best RV Temperature Monitor Options

There are several options when it comes to the best RV temperature monitor – the best one for you will depend on how you plan to use it.

#1 Best RV Pet Monitor: Necto

Necto is a great pet temperature monitor alternative for Waggle. It costs less upfront – approximately $190 (you can buy it on amazon), and includes two years of free subscription service.

Two years of Waggle service will cost between $299 and $600, so Necto is a great deal. You can read more about Waggle Vs Necto here.

Even better, after your first two years the service is only $30 per year. Waggle charges that for just one month!

I recently switched to Necto (previously I used Waggle, and then SimpliSafe) to monitor the temperature in my vehicle on road trips with my dog. It’s the most reliable RV temperature monitor I’ve tested to date, and I’ve found that it maintains connectivity in places the others don’t.

Another thing I really like about Necto is that it operates on the T-Mobile, AT&T and Cellular One networks. For every other RV temperature monitor on this list you’ll need to decide when you purchase which network you want to use.

Not the case with Necto! It seamlessly runs on all 3 networks depending on which one has the stronger signal. This alone makes Necto the best RV pet monitor – you get so much more coverage and peace of mind knowing you’ll *actually* receive alerts.

Lastly, Necto updates data in the app every 10 minutes. However, if the temperature hits an unsafe range you’ll get an alert immediately (you don’t have to wait the full 10-minutes.)

Read my detailed Necto pet monitor review here.

NOTE: Necto recently released an app, but some online sources are a bit outdated and indicate it does not have a mobile app.

#2 Best RV Pet Monitor: MarCELL

Like Waggle and Necto, MarCELL will send real-time alerts for temperature, humidity and power loss.

While Necto & Waggle notify up to 5 people about a risk event, MarCELL can notify up to 9.

MarCELLs monthly subscription fees are $15 per month, but discounts for prepaid plans are available.

One nice feature of the MarCELL RV temperature monitor is that you can choose whether to connect to Verizon or AT&T cellular networks, depending on which device you buy.

Both options are available on Amazon (Verizon version) (AT&T version)

#3 Best RV Pet Monitor With Camera: SimpliSafe

Personally, I have found that SimpliSafe is one of the best RV pet temperature monitor! There are several reasons why I switched from a Waggle pet monitor subscription to SimpliSafe to keep my pet safe while traveling in my campervan.

✓ Upfront costs are about the same as Waggle
✓ More safety alerts than a Waggle pet monitor subscription – temperature, smoke, carbon monoxide, intruder alerts
✓ You can add multiple temperature sensors to monitor different areas in your camper
✓ Option to add cameras if you have wifi

One of the biggest benefits to SimpliSafe are the additional hazards it can alert for (for example, smoke or fire). This gives me huge peace of mind, but it comes with a drawback.

SimpliSafes temperature monitor only updates once every hour. This means I’m constantly manually refreshing the app to get a current reading, because it won’t happen automatically in the intervals I need. Can you still get real-time temperature readings? Yes. But you’ll need to remember to check.

TIP: I also added water sensors to my SimpliSafe system, which alert me if I develop a leak. This is handy for cabinets I don’t use often, where a leak could go unnoticed for a long time.

I get alerts from SimpliSafe directly to my cell phone whenever:

Want to know more about the SimpliSafe system I have in my van? Check out my van security system article here.

SimpliSafe Monitoring

There are two options for RV temperature monitoring alerts with SimpliSafe.

Option 1 – WiFi (Free)
If you already have 24/7 wifi in your camper, you can connect your SimpliSafe system and get alerts for free.

This is the way I have mine set up and it works great.

Option 2 – Monthly Monitoring ($10)
There are several monitoring plans with SimpliSafe, but the base plan is all you need. It’s $10 a month and activates the SIM card in the unit so alerts can be sent over the cellular network.

There are more expensive monthly plans, but they include active monitoring – which is essentially useless when you don’t have a permanent address because dispatch won’t know where to send emergency services. These plans are meant for home monitoring.

All you need in order to unlock the SIM card is the base $10/month plan.

TIP: SimpliSafe uses a Verizon SIM by default, but if you’d prefer an AT&T SIM you can request one when you buy your system. I recommend getting AT&T because it works better in more remote areas.

What’s The Catch? Electricity

There is one catch, however.

Out of the box, SimpliSafe runs on 110v household outlets. This means it won’t work on your 12v system unless you modify it or turn on your inverter.

NOTE: You *could* power up your inverter for a few minutes each day to recharge the base station backup battery, but that’s a hassle to remember if you don’t usually run your inverter.

The modification to run on 12v is very simple. With about $10 in parts, a pair of wire cutters/crimpers, and 15 minutes you can plug the base station into your existing 12v system and never worry about it again.

Read my step-by-step instructions (with photos!) to see how I converted my SimpliSafe system to run off my 12v batteries – no inverter needed!

#4 Waggle Pet Monitor For RV & Campers

Waggle pet monitor for RV and campervans tracks temperature, humidity and power loss.

Alerts are sent to your phone in real-time when one of these risk events happens. Like Necto, Waggle has the capability to send alerts to 5 users.

How much Waggle costs per month depends on how far in advance you pay.

Month-to-month billing costs $25/month.

If you pay for two years then the cost works out to be $12.50 per month (fully paid upfront).

NOTE: Waggle does not allow you to cancel or suspend your prepaid service. Only pay for longer-term packages if you know for certain you will need them!

TIP: Waggle subscriptions are set to AUTO RENEW. Keep an eye on your renewal date and cancel ahead of time if you don’t need the service. Prorated refunds are issued within 7 days, otherwise you won’t receive a refund.

Waggle Lite Vs Waggle Pro

There are a few differences in features between Waggle Lite Vs Waggle Pro, and about a $100 difference in price.

Geofencing alerts allow you to set a radius of 0.5 – 10 miles. If your RV or van moves outside of that range you’ll receive an alert!

NOTE: Subscription costs are the same for Waggle Lite and Waggle Pro.

What To Consider When Choosing An RV Temperature Monitor

There are a few key ways in which these popular pet temperature monitors differ. It’s important to know which features they have, because depending on your use case some of these will work better than others.

Cell Network

This is where I see the majority of confusion when buying an RV pet monitor. You do not need to buy an RV temperature monitor that works on the same network as your current phone or internet plan. They are unrelated.

All of these RV temperature monitors come with an internal SIM card that connects to a specific cellular network (this is part of the reason for the monthly subscription fee – it’s just like activating a new line on your phone plan.)

Cell networks are not equal. Each network is licensed to run on specific cellular bands. That means the bands Verizon uses are not the same as the bands AT&T uses, as an example. This is why sometimes you have coverage in an area where others on a different network don’t.

Verizon service works best in cities and populated areas. They have powerful bands, but not good long-distance bands, so signal drops when you get farther away from cell towers.

TMobile and AT&T are known for their long-distance bands and tend to work best in more remote areas.

TIP: If you plan to camp in remote areas, pick an RV pet monitor that operates on TMobile or AT&T. In my experience, Necto is the best option for off-grid use.

Backup Battery Life

If the power in your camper goes out, each of these RV temperature monitors is equipped with backup batteries which ensure safety alerts are still sent to your phone.

Battery life ranges from one to three days across these temperature monitors, but actual use will vary depending on a few factors – like low signal, which eats up battery life faster.

TIP: Read reviews to find out what the *actual* battery life is. I’ve found that sometimes advertised battery life is drastically higher than the real battery life I see. For example, Waggle says their battery lasts up to 5 days but I rarely had mine last more than 2.

Best RV & Car Temperature Monitor For Dogs

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

If you need a portable, affordable, easy to install pet monitor:
Go with Necto – it’s the cheapest RV pet monitor by a mile in terms of lifetime cost, and it also has the most robust cell connection for reliable risk alerts.

Best of all, your Necto subscription is free for the first two years, and only $30 per year after.

If you already have a wifi network in your camper:
I highly recommend using the SimpliSafe security system with an add-on temperature sensor device.

Even without wifi, SimpliSafe is still a great option but you’ll need to pay $10 a month to activate the cellular SIM so you can get alerts without wifi.

With SimpliSafe, you get all the same great features included with a Waggle pet monitor subscription – but without the $25 monthly fee.

As a reminder, if you use the SimpliSafe links on this page you’ll get 50% off your new system!