Recently while walking our dog in a Texas RV park, we couldn’t help but notice a unique pet-friendly motorhome called “The ACE.” It wasn’t easy to miss the three German Shepherds ferociously barking at us from the cute little passenger side cockpit window.
This little portal was our first clue that the ACE was really pet-friendly and we later found out that it was the first RV designed specifically with pets in mind. Here’s what makes it such a great pet-friendly motorhome for the open road.
No Mods Required with this Pet-Friendly Motorhome
If you’re a pet parent like me, odds are you’ve made some mods to your rig, especially for the comfort of your pets. But let’s say that you don’t have the time or skills to make your own mods – now, you don’t have to. A few years ago Thor Motorcoach created the ACE, the first pet-friendly motorhome to roll off the assembly line, and it’s been a hit ever since.
ACE isn’t just a cool name, the letters A-C-E stand for the rig’s meaning; it’s a hybrid between a Class A and a Class C rig. The ACE’s pet-friendly features stand out but it’s also unique because the ingenious designers at Thor included the best of two RV styles, like a drop-down bunk bed over the cockpit area and a walk-around queen bed and dual wardrobe closets in the bedroom – all in a rig that’s less than 30′ long.
You and your pets will feel comfy inside this pet-friendly design.
But what makes the ACE really cool for RVers who travel with pets are features like:
The Bird’s Eye™ window, located near the passenger’s feet. Thor says it’s there so you can see if someone is on your right side while driving, but we all know why they included this feature: to give your pets a view of the open road, and to keep an eye out for visitors.
A Pet-Link™ Multi-Purpose Tie-Down. What family-friendly motorhome would be complete without a tie-down for your pet’s leash? While we don’t recommend leaving your pets tethered without supervision, it’s perfect for those moments when you’re attempting to contain your barking dog as a visitor approaches your rig.
An extra-wide entrance with a “Mud Room” and coat closet.
While this can be useful for stashing your wet jackets and shoes, any pet owner knows that it would work just as well to hang wet leashes and store towels for cleaning muddy paws. The extra-wide entrance must have been especially designed to allow our dogs to bolt past us on the way to the feeding station!
A “Kibble Station” for instant roadside dining.
This is a cute little dining station feature for the smaller dogs of the RVing world. Although bigger canines can only get a quick sip and nibble from it, the Kibble Station is a ready meal-on-wheels for typical small-breed dogs commonly found in RV parks.
Now that the ACE has been on the road for a few years, you’ll have your choice of new or used models to buy. But if you’re looking for a brand-new pet-friendly motorhome, you might be tempted to splurge on 2016 model with added features – like a touchscreen dash radio that allows you to use your own GPS navigation from your tablet or smart phone – and a fold-out dash workstation that has 12-volt and 110-volt outlets nearby.
Sure, we can think of at least a few more pet-friendly motorhome features that would be handy, like a pop-out x-pen in the basement area and a fur-resistant sofa cover, but until that happens, Thor’s ACE is definitely the best pet-friendly motorhome on the market.
