Last Updated on 04/20/2024 by Glynn Willard
What’s the best way to travel with a bearded dragon?
As far as we’re concerned traveling with a bearded dragon in an RV is the best!
Believe it or not, it’s easier than you might think.
Anyone with a beardie knows well that they are a part of the family and the small sacrifices while traveling are worth the effort.
What if you don’t travel in an RV?
No problem. Traveling with a beardie in a car or truck is also easy.
Here’s our approach.
It’s only appropriate that I fashion a disclaimer. There’s no doubt a lot of moving, different scenery and different temperatures will stress your beardie.
This will potentially shorten their lives. That said, it’s a better life than sitting in a cage. Max was super happy!
Transporting A Bearded Dragon
Can a bearded dragon live in an RV? You bet!
Read on to learn how to RV with a bearded dragon. We initially thought it would be really difficult.
After some adjustment and practice, it became a real treat to have Max, our beardie with us living on the road.
No doubt, you will be concerned for your beardie, but regardless of your situation, where there’s a will, there’s a way.
If you live part-time in an RV, it’s easy to transport your gear between your two “homes.”
Or if you end up fulltiming, most gear and moderately sized terrariums will work in an RV.
Car Travel With Bearded Dragon
What length of time is ideal to travel in a car with a bearded dragon?
Totally a subjective question, but we found Max was tolerant of five to six hours most of the time, before getting antsy.
On sunny days, he loved to go on the dash when we stopped for a break.
Then during drive time, he rode on the console, Rose’s shoulder, on the arm rest looking out the window or in his carrier.
As soon as he became agitated, he would climb into his carrier to “de-stress.”
On cooler days, it’s important to use hand warmers in his bedding in the carrier.
Also, and this is important, keep poop pads within reach in your vehicle. A few minutes basking on the dash and next thing you know, he’s ready to poop.
We made it a rule to skip morning feeding on travel days. It seemed to work better that way.
Bearded Dragon Cage In An RV
Max’s cage stayed close to the family.
Our beardie cage resided in front of the dinette in our travel trailer.
It kept Max close to the action. I mean, he’s part of the family, right?
Everything functioned just like it did in a “sticks and bricks” house. Electricity was a little different.
When we boondocked, we ran the generators twice a day to heat the cage. We didn’t need any more since he spent most of his time out of the cage.
He couldn’t get enough of staring out the window. He would also scratch at the door when he wanted to go outside.
We did have to barricade the “nooks and crannies” in the rig.
At night, we used a 200 Amp hour lithium Bluetti to power his heat emitter if it was cool out.
We also used the same Bluetti to heat his cage while we were off playing if we were boondocked.
Since we spent most of our time in 70+ degree weather, temperature management was easy for his cage.
What About A Bearded Dragon’s Cage On Moving Day
Initially, this is what made us the most uncomfortable.
But we found a great solution. We secured the interior of the cage and packed the lights with towels in a box.
The lights rode under the table in the dinette.
And the cage was picked up and placed on our bed toward the end that flipped up to expose storage.
We then used two ratchet based tie downs. They slipped under the “lid” of the bed and wrapped over the cage.
I would ratchet it down just enough to hold it secure. Every time we stopped, I would check on it (initially).
It never failed.
When we arrived to our next boondocking location and got leveled, the first thing we did was put the slide out and place Max’s cage back on the floor.
He was always ready to jump back in.
Yeah, and then five minutes later, he’s out of his cage and staring out the window.
Max loved to reside on the dinette window!
We left the cage doors cracked, so he could come and go.
Covering Bearded Dragon Cage At Night
Do you need to cover a bearded dragon’s cage at night?
The answer comes down to ambient temperature and the activity level around the cage.
We placed a towel over Max’s cage for both of those reasons. Cold nights in the desert required cautiously placing the towel around the heat emitter.
We never had an issue.
Finding Food For Bearded Dragon Living Fulltime In An RV
It’s funny, when you leave for the first time on a long or fulltime RV trip, you try to pack everything.
Then after a few weeks, you realize that most everything is available on the road.
This makes it easy to swing by a PetSmart, PetCo or a local pet store while moving or stationary.
Most of the stores have big RV friendly parking lots. Of course you have to plan accordingly if you’re passing a PetSmart on your way to a remote location.
We stored our insects for Max in a cricket keeper in one of the travel trailers “nooks.”
In our sticks and bricks home, we used a small tote bin with holes drilled into the top.
Nonetheless, the cricket keeper is a great solution for mobile living.
Keeping Bearded Dragon Safe While Camping
Happy Max!
We spend a lot of time in remote locations where wildlife is abundant. This presents a danger to our bearded dragon.
The most dangerous wildlife to our beardie are birds of prey.
They are less prevalent and can appear without warning. Larger land based animals are easier to spot or hear.
So we take the necessary precautions. If Max isn’t perched on us or on a leash next to us, he goes in a mesh sided “hamper.”
Max safely enjoying the Sedona sunshine!
It lets plenty of light in and allows us to let him enjoy the sunlight while we attend to other needs.
Not Sure What You Need For Your RV?
Bearded Dragon Gear For The Road
Yes, some of the pictures are affiliate links, but it makes it easier for us to show you great solutions.
I only want to showcase some of the more heavily used bearded dragon gear.
You can find all the specific gear we use on our Traveling Bearded Dragon gear page.
- A sturdy cage with front doors is crucial since it will undergo a lot more movement.
- A pet carrier for your beardie in the vehicle is absolutely necessary if things get stressful for your beardie.
- Rechargeable hand warmers under their bedding will keep your beardie warm if the ambient temperature in the vehicle is cool.
- Poop pads are a necessity in the vehicle for obvious reasons.
- “In car” treats help keep your beardie happy on long rides and can satiate any hunger temporarily.
- Keeping your insects in a sturdy carrier makes it easy to stash them in a “nook” and have them available when you’re in remote locations.
Again, the rest of our beardie travel gear can be found on our Traveling Bearded Dragon gear page.
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