One of concerns while we travel is, of course, the welfare of our pets. We have, and will continue to take them along on side trips as much as possible, since they enjoy it as much as we do. But there are times when they are too tuckered out, or we want to go someplace that doesn't allow dogs. If we intend on going for a full daylong sightseeing adventure, like in Washington, DC we plan on finding a good pet resort somewhere close by for the day or even overnight.
But if it will just be for a few hours or so, we want to know they are safe and comfy in the rig, so we tested out a few things and settled (for now) on an iPad/iPhone app called 'Presence'. It allows you to use the iPhone to remotely view the iPads cameras, like a security camera system. You can also hear what is going on through the iPads microphone (incessant barking or growling)
We have two iPhones and two iPads, so we have the app on all of them. We set up the iPads in strategic places in the rig so we can see the dogs from different angles. We also have a dial thermometer viewable from one of the iPads so we know what the temp is in the rig (in case power goes out or there is some other problem and we lose the A/C or heat)
We tested it out in Bakersfield last week and it worked perfectly. The temp was 94 degrees outside. We went out to lunch and were able to open the app on our iPhone, see the dogs playing and the thermometer read 74 degrees in the rig. We were even able to talk to them, which was kind of funny....they looked over at the iPad and cocked their heads from side to side, so we knew they could hear us.
The app can use cell or wifi, and we tried both. They both worked flawlessly, although I would be leary of using wifi in most places unless the signal was very reliable. Bakersfield RV Resort has an outrageously fantastic wifi set up, with towers throughout the park and the ability to stream without a hitch or dropout. The live video only streams when you are logged into the app, so you don't use up your data plan continuously.
The app is used for many things, and has features like motion detection, remote control of appliances or lights, etc. The best part is that it's free!! We highly recommend it (and we are not affiliated in any way with the company or product)
Here is where you can read more:
http://www.peoplepowerco.com/products/ - Mike
