Traveling with dogs: Where do they stay in your RV?

Traveling with dogs: Where do they stay in your RV? 1

We've traveled a lot in our RV this year with Tai, our 70-pound Norwegian Elkhound.

Our Roadtrek eTrek is 24 feet long. He has two favorite places, on the floor up front beween the driver's seat and the passenger's seat while we are on the move, and back on the floor by the rear sofa when we are stopped.

At night, he sleeps up front on his bed- which we bring form home –  or, until we wake him up using the bathroom at night, sprawled on the floor in front of the refrigerator.

dogs
Top to bottom: Tai, Sequoia and Charley

During an extended family vacation out west this summer, Tai was joined by his “cousins,” my son's 120 pound dog, Sequoia, a St. Bernard and Alaskan Malamute mix; and Charley, my daughter's 75-pound Goldendoodle.

That's them in the photo at the left, chillin' in the Roadtrek's air conditioning with me while everyone was swimming somewhere in Colorado.

mwendlandandtailakesuperior
It's great fun to travel with your dog

That was 275 pounds of dog…. and they stretched out in a straight line pretty much from one end of the Roadtrek to another.

Granted, most of the Class B RVers I've seen with dogs have itty bitty ones, about the size of my dog's head.

But since Tai sincerely seems to enjoy traveling with us, it got me wondering how others do it.

Do you use restraints? Harnesses? Cages as you travel? Seems those things will work well with little dogs. But what about big ones?

taipillow
Where Tai prefers to sleep, when we're not looking

While we're on the road driving, Tai stays on the floor. I think he'd like being able to look out the windows. How could that be managed with a dog his size?

Do you allow your dog up on the sofa? If so, what do you put on top of the material to keep it clean and avoid being ripped by doggy toes? Tai will sometimes sneak up there if we're not looking, or if we're sitting outside at our campsite.  But we shoo him down if we catch him there. We don't let him on the furniture at home and we don't in our Roadtrek. But he makes me feel guilty with those sad puppy looks that Dogs are so great at calling up.

Use comments below. I'd like to hear how you travel with your dogs. Or cats, as the case may be.

 

194 Comments

  1. Buffy The Mosquito Slayer says:

    I haven’t purchased my RV yet as I need to sell my house first. I have used a seatbelt harness for my canine companions for 16 years or so now, while driving. They used to run free in the back of my car or truck, but I am now more concerned about their safety if I have to hit the brakes or get in an accident. Dogs can crash through windshields just as people can. When I do find my home on wheels I plan on setting up a secure bracket to clip her in. I will also have two cats that I adore that will pass the time in a crate while the vehicle is in motion. When stopped they will have the freedom to find their comfort space within the vehicle. I like Kathy Roseman Barefoot’s idea for the litter box.

  2. Ann Plourde Jennings says:

    We travel with two labs between 50 & 60 lbs each. We tow a travel trailer so the dogs ride in the truck with us. There is space on both sides of the bed that fits a dog bed which is where they sleep at night & perch whenever we are inside. They aren’t allowed on the furniture at home and we haven’t allowed that in our camper. They are with us when we are outside and are not left alone inside. This works well for us.

  3. Auntie_Social says:

    The dog in front, the one who looks like a dwarf Norwegian Elkhound, loves to travel in the trailer with us. She’s small, though, only 16 lbs. so we have to bring dog steps along so she can get up on the bed when she wants! (She is actually a rescued pug/chihuahua mix. But she looks so much like an elkhound, that we sometimes call her that.)

  4. captainmike says:

    my wife and I are thinking of buying a 19 foot RV and driving cross country for several months. we have two Dachshunds (that are not that well behaved barking wise)
    what I have not figured out is if we want to go visit a museum in Chicago as an example, what do we do with them. if we leave them in the RV and park in a lot we don’t trust them not to bark at every noise outside the RV and the police constantly being called out to the RV.
    I would love to figure this out before we even buy the RV.
    what do others do ?

    1. Cathy Harding Lube says:

      I would try “Richards Organic pet calm” they sell on Amazon or pet stores. It calms anxiety and stress.They lick it right out of your hand or you can mix it with a dab of peanut butter half an hour before you leave them. They will sleep an stay relaxed and quiet. I love this and am not a seller.
      http://www.amazon.com/SynergyLabs-Richards-Organics-Calm-fl-oz/dp/B000FOV1OA/ref=sr_1_1/185-8159876-3989051?ie=UTF8&qid=1450410199&sr=8-1&keywords=richards+organics+pet+calm

      1. captainmike says:

        thanks for the lead on the pet calm. we never wanted to give our doggies drugs but this is natural so I think we will get this to have handy !

        1. KikiUnhinged says:

          That’s just paranoid, really. Dogs at daycares must be vaccinated, especially kennel cough. Same with kennels. My dog has been going to daycares off and on for many years and dog parks also. She has a blast and it’s what has socialized her from an early age. I keep her vaccinated and the worst thing she’s ever gotten is environmental problems from playing ball like a wild child (eye goop from a piece of grass in it or “digestive indiscretion” (basically grass in her poop). If your dogs don’t have manners, then dope ’em up or leave ’em home. There’s few things that ruin someone’s trip, or even a walk, more than other people’s yippee yipey dogs and sadly, Dachsunds are top on the offender list. Sorry to be blunt but I know a LOT of Dachsunds. They all go crazy at other dogs especially and if you’re camping there WILL be other dogs. Good luck.

          1. captainmike says:

            thanks for calling me paranoid
            you must be both a Psychologist and a Vet !!

          2. KikiUnhinged says:

            I wasn’t “calling you” paranoid. Rather, the assumption that daycares are prone to servicing diseased dogs is paranoid thinking and not a reasonable criticism of daycare businesses as a whole. This accusation is not a problem with doggie day care. It is your fearful thinking.

          3. KikiUnhinged says:

            Oh brother. Please tell me you didn’t seek that out for my benefit. Daycares are not dog parks. They are licensed businesses, just like boarding kennels, that require medical records of the appropriate vaccinations. I hope you didn’t raise your children in the same glass cage your dog must be in. Dogs are social animals and it is more unhealthy to keep them isolated from other dogs just because you worry about the unlikely possibility of killer germs. Just relax and so will your dog.

  5. Carey Aydelotte says:

    My two Great Danes use the dinette bed, covered with two Costco round dog beds. It’s a perfect fit. When we’re driving, one of them is usually between the front driver and passenger seats (sometimes sitting, sometimes standing) and she watches the road as if she’s driving. Sometimes the other will lay down in the passenger foot area, but she’s usually on her dinette bed sleeping or staring at the windshield.

    I have a 2008 Winnebago View 24J. I travel with a friend who gets the overhead bunk, I get the rear bunk, and the dogs get the dinette. It’d be perfect if there was a place to put the food and water so it’s out of the way. And if the dogs would stay on their bed when the slide is in, so I can get past them.

    Great Danes sleep 99% of the time, so oddly enough they are great dogs for small spaces.

  6. Cindy Jackso says:

    We bought our RV so we can travel easier with our 20 lb. Schnoodle. She rides in her large car seat/bed with her halter hooked to the seat belt. We got the 4 seated B-Class, so she has her own seat and can watch outside, as we drive. She sleeps with us or up between the front seats, in her bed. We let her on the furniture. Our rear couch is covered with a double bed comforter & sheet. It’s part of our bedding, that we leave on all the time. It works great to have it as a couch or part of our bed at night. It’s also more comfortable for us to sit on vs. the leather.

  7. Bear has hiked mountains in Colorado and Wyoming..swam in rivers all over the country..and jumps to get into the camper:)

  8. Our German Shepard sleeps in her pen which we put in the slide out

  9. Traveled back and forth from Midwest to Florida with 2 100+ pounds labs in an SUV. Laid down back seat, put down thick horse blankets, luggage at back, dogs entered and exited vehicle by back seat doors. Never had a problem.

  10. Orvis has great sofa covers that protect. I got a ring anchored to the floor between front seats. I put dog in harness and attach to the ring. Orvis also has a harness with a flexible “leash” that allows more movement

  11. We have a Teardrop trailer and share it with our Collie and Chihuahua.

    1. I’ve not seen another dog that so closely resembles our’s. He’s the perfect dog at home or away. Our Dusty loves to camp with us.

    2. Tess can be a bit talkative at home but she loves to travel and is very good in the RT. She made a new best buddy at Acadia last week!

  12. I would like to thank each and every one of you for your kind and thoughtful posts and remarks, as they are very much appreciated. ..Thank You!

  13. Sue Dicus Ferguson thank you for sharing thiss. We found Bailey in a shelter right after Hurricane Katrina. She was about 6 months old. We were out this past Saturday, and when we got home , we noticed that she had developed a cough as if she was choking on something. We also noticed that her belly was distended and had no appetite, which was not like her. We took her Monday afternoon and at that time after showing us the x-rays they told us she had cancer. We took her home and made her comfortable, and sometime Tuesday morning she passed.

  14. At night or when we leave for a few, Razzle is in his crate. Otherwise, he usually likes to be on the back of the couch looking out.

  15. What do you do about busy bodies who complain about leaving your dog in the Roadtrek. I had someone call the police on me in a state that it isn’t against the law to leave a dog in the car. It was in the shade, ventilated and only 76 degrees outside. The police didnt do anything, but its still embarrassing. I take every precaution but still get nasty notes on the vehicle every so often. My little dog loves traveling and only fusses when someone comes up to the vehicle. Sigh. Any ideas?

  16. It’s fun to see your Elkhound. I have rescued them for 15 years (also Huskies and Malamutes). Right now, we have 3 Siberian Huskies in our RV and they sleep (and shed) wherever they want. Here are two of them (Shannon and Kody).

  17. That’s exactly where mine sleep. We had to get a bigger RV for more seating.

  18. I travel with my 160# wolfhound/Mastiff mix. She sleeps on the floor, unless we stop, then she wants to get up in the passenger seat so she can watch for me.

  19. This picture is about a year old. We lost the one under the sheet this past week to cancer.

    1. Sorry to hear that, our dogs are like kids to us. Our vet told us that the most of the amputees he does is from cancer. We have 3 Chi,s that take over the sofa. But that’s ok, cuz we have our recliners, but they want in our laps when ever we sit down. LoL.

    2. Sorry for your loss. My boxer/lab died April 15th of aggressive cancer. Once it was diagnosed he went fast. 10 yrs old. Had him since 5 1/2 wks. :(.

  20. Anywhere she wants but usually up on the table looking out the window. She is such a sweetie.

  21. I can vouch for that our Beagles take over when we leave them

  22. While on the road, Diva our 80 lb. Lab has all the floor space in front of the passenger seat. My feet go where there is space. She likes to be in front of the windows so she can see what is happening at the campground .

  23. Have 3 little traveling companions, the have taken over the couch, totally. We have to sit in our recliners. 🙁

  24. We bought our RV with the dogs and cats in mind. Just hubster and me but we do travel with dogs and cats so bought an RV with bunks. Dogs get the lower berth and cats get upper. Works great, and, oh yeah, the cargo area under the bunks? We put a pass door in for the litter box – can be cleaned from the outside access door and keeps the litter out of sight.

  25. Mine get to stay pretty much any where they like, Just like at home.

  26. Our Cash and Cabela after a long day at the campground. Being a dog is hard work. Jay J Harless

  27. Same place.our cat stays, unless ot is too rough on the road then he is in my lap.

  28. Sweet pic! We roadtreked & boondocked with 3 Rottweilers, they stayed everywhere they wanted to! Also served as excellent *Car Alarms* (even though they’re exceptionally sweet dogs.) Nobody messed withour rig! ^_^

  29. Our dog was up at the front by our feet the entire time we were driving. He didn’t like the motion of sitting in the back and the one time he did venture back there was when the cabinet locks were not closed and the drawers opening scared him lol

  30. Mine love to be anywhere they can see me, they love RVing!

  31. Our 15 yrs old shepherd cross likes to sit in the third seat behind the passenger seat while driving and sleeps between the two fronts sleeps at night on his bed that we bring with us. We open the bathroom door at night and it wedges against the third seat this way we can go to the bathroom in the middle of the night without waking Spirit. If he wakes he usually decides he should go pee also.

  32. Our big old Class A doesn’t stop that fast. And no air bag and a huge wide dash with a doggy mat I think we’re ok

  33. our two have their own special places to be while we’re on the road.

  34. Our olde English bulldog sleep wherever they choose depending on the weather if its chilli they’ll snuggle in front of fireplace.(pug) also follows .

  35. My Standard Poodle was very curious and had to be looking out a window when traveling, I bought her a harness which had a wide fabric front and clipped into the seat belt. She travelled happily sitting up in what ever vehicle we were in, without concern about what would happen in an emergency stop. Remember a dog who is not seat belted in is a projectile in an accident just a a child would be!

  36. @Michael Bush, try Benadryl (1mg per lb of body weight). So if he weighs 80 lbs, he could receive about 75mg (3, 25mg tablets). It may make him drowsy, so find the dose that works for the nausea without making him too sleepy. The are also great new drugs available from your veterinarian that work for nausea/motion sickness.
    Crates are best when traveling, but a harness that is attached to a seat or other stationary object is safer than the alternative, too. If you were in an accident, your pet is contained and not flying thru the vehicle or worse.
    Everyone traveling with pets: be sure to have IDs on your fur babies and/or have them micro-chipped in case they are lost while on the road. Also keep copies of their health/vaccine records and regular veterinarian’s contact info.
    My children have paws and I’m a licensed veterinary technician, so I may be a little overcautious, but at least I’m prepared in case of emergency. Safe travels! 😉

  37. Mac loves the front window to watch and sleep(we covered with carpet) , to travel and sleep at night he is crate trained, has traveled since he was 8 weeks old, now 2 1/2 yrs

  38. My Great Pyrenees puppy cries for hours when we first start our trips then finally falls asleep. Once he wakes up he’s fine and seems to love the road. What’s with that?

  39. If your sofa’s are made of Italian leather dog nails will not go through it. We’ve had this leather for over 30 years and not a mark on it! Our dog likes to lie on the back seat…

  40. Snoring Bulldog sleeps anywhere in the RV during our daytime adventures! At night she snuggles in her kennel in the back of our Tahoe!

  41. HE probably sleeps wherever he wants to sleep!!! Beautiful dog..

  42. Having had the unpleasant experience of having both of my 70 lb. rescue dogs hitting the back of my car seats during an emergency stop; I don’t want them going through the windshield of my AClass. So I use harnesses with 6 foot leashes that are hooked into the sofa’s seat belts….they spend their time either lying on the sofa while moving or on the floor between the driving seats.

  43. Our Melinda love to travel in our 5th wheel. She’s been on the road with us since she’s been 7wks old. And she just turned 1 in July. She stay’s in her our crate in the living room.

  44. One likes to travel in a crate and the other one likes to be in an enclosed cat tent bed. They are chihuahuas.

  45. Any ideas on what to do with a slobbering kangaroo Black lab ? He only does this the whole time he’s on the road. ..

  46. Our Razzle is in his car seat when we travel in the truck. When we are all set up in the 5th wheel, he sleeps in his crate or if we leave the 5th wheel to go to the store etc, he is in the crate. Otherwise he is with us, outside, walking, on the patio.

  47. This is my dream. I can retire in seven months. My Brutus is a130lbs of pure slobber.

  48. My lab likes to lay between the front seats .Although she has the hold coach to lay down.

  49. When we traveled with our two huskies they slept wherever they wanted. Seriously!

    1. Sadly .. If you hit the brake you break your dog’s neck … Also on your lap and air bag goes off and you have a dead dog also ,.. Please keep them where they belong .. I’m notorious for pulling people over and writing a ticket for that!!

    2. RVs don’t have severe sudden-stop emergency braking ability… but we do keep dogs out of the front cab area. How about writing tickets to the reckless drivers cutting us off, racing in & out among traffic? Even their middle-of-nowhere freeway stunt driving is unbelievable – over a ‘gain’ of 3 seconds?! Lock ’em up!

  50. those seat protectors from home hard ware are about $20 and water proof for seats, but In BC and alberta you may want to tether your (big) dogs to the seats with the vest hook-up or harness that fits into the seat belt. as you can be fined for an untethered animal -costly fine up wards of $300.. Then they can see out the windows too.

  51. Joyce Fowler says:

    Our 60 lb dog Patches has found the best place for her is in our shower. I have her bed and blanket in there and she knows she is safe from being stepped on by grandkids or having to move out of the way. When travelling she will lay for a bit between up front, then move to the shower, unless we stop, then she has to check to see if it is a McDonalds for her hamburger (a special travel treat.) We have a 30′ Class C.

  52. Jeff Bushnell says:

    Our Poodle mix rescue loves traveling with us. Betty is between the Captain’s chairs up front when driving and sleeps in the “cave” formed when we lower the dinette table to make the king size bed in our 190P. One of the reasons we got the RT was so we could bring dogs with us. My cat, on the other hand, likes to stay at home. He does not like cars!

  53. I used to travel with two cairn terriers. One rode between the driver and passenger seat and the other in her bed. Now, I have just one and he travels in on the passenger seat with a harness that hooks into the human seat belt lock. I like it because it moves easily to my car when necessary – just move the connector strap and hook the dog into the car instead of the RV. I keep throw rugs or blankets on the seats to protect them. Don’t have a couch.

  54. Well, after all these comments, I’ve decided when I’m coming back it will be as a dog and I hope to be able to choose a Roadtrekker for my people.

  55. Our Aussie goes about 55 lbs, I flatten out the seat behind the driver in our RS Adventurous and strap his soft sided kennel there. He can see and hear us there and is happy to ride in the security of his elevated home on wheels.

  56. Our lab/beagle mix travels behind the drivers seat on the floor. At night she tries each of the 4 seats up front plus her doggy bed on the floor but by 6am she’s nagging to get under our duvet!

  57. I travel with an almost 3 year old Schnauzer he lays between the front seats or he likes to sit on the couch. I leave the couch in the down position all the time and open the side curtains so he can look out. If he wants to see where we are going he sits on the bed looking forward. I travel in a 190 Versatile Roadtrek

  58. John Campbell says:

    We have two black Pugs,and when we travel, they like to either stay behind my wife’s seat, between it and the barrel chair behind it, otherwise my baby will sleep underneath my captain’s chair. At night, we kennel both dogs. We have a fat, lazy tomcat that we will need to start taking with us when we leave for an extended period, however, I don’t have the slightest clue on where to put a litter box. We have a 30′ Pace Arrow, and there is just no space to put one that will not be under foot, or where the dogs won’t eat Kitty Roca.

  59. Christine Ducey says:

    We have 3 small dogs and we purchased our 210 Popular specifically to travel easily with them. They wear harnesses that plug into the seat belts and they sit on the back bench. I cover the bench with a fleece cover; the fleece fabric is easy to cut to size with no hemming required. In camp the dogs have a wire fence the size of our outdoor mat; we set up our chairs in the fence with the dogs. They also have collapsible, small fabric crates that we set up within the fence area. At night they sleep in bed with us–there’s no changing that! A few times we have planned ahead at our destination for doggie daycare so we can have a day out on our own. We rarely leave them alone in the vehicle. If we do (to go to a restaurant, for example) we turn on the A/C and check on them frequently.

  60. We have a 170 Versatile with four seats in front. For our 70 pound dog, the bucket style seat behind the driver was too small. So we easily removed the seat cushions and replaced them with a plywood platform with legs. It is secured with Velcro to the seat’s wooden base and is topped with her dog bed. It lets her see out and gives her a place to call her own that is not in the aisle or in our bed.

  61. Mike Wendland says:

    I would not leave a dog alone in warm weather with just the windows open. Run the AC (not the engine AC but the Roadtrek’s roof mounted AC) and it should be fine. At least it is with our dog it is. He’s fine left alone. But we would never do that for extended periods of time. And if it is really hot, we check him every 15 minutes or so to make sure the AC is still working.

    1. Brenda Shannon Adam says:

      I am new to this world having just purchased my first E-trek a month ago. I have a 75 goldendoodle who comes with me everywhere I go. With respect to the roof mounted AC in the E-trek, I too check on him every 15 minutes as I worry that it may stop working but a musician friend who keeps his guitar in his camper told me he uses a remote thermometer to keep tabs on the inside temperature. Of course there is a limit as to the distance but if you are in a local restaurant or in my case, at a music festival, that sounds like a great tool.

  62. Greetings,

    I am thinking of purchasing the ss agile this year.

    What about leaving the dog inside – windows opened – in the heat – when you do grocery shopping etc.

    Does the roadtrek stay cool enough for the dog ?

  63. Barb Mahoney says:

    I travel with my two large golden retrievers in a Roadtrek SS Agile. I keep the couch in the bed position, and will tether the dogs there with harnesses to the seat belts when on the interstate highways. The rest of the time, they are not restrained. Arre, my male always wants to be on his bed between the front seats, and Sadie stretches out on the couch/bed. I have made a custom fitted cover for the couch/benches that is easy to wash, which sits on top of a waterproof mattress pad. I have microfiber mats on the floor which do a great job of collecting water and mud from paws (they are water dogs, after all!) The hounds and I have crossed the U.S. 3 times, gone to Alaska twice and countless “shorter” trips (under 1500 miles) in the Roadtrek in the past four years of ownership. I wouldn’t consider traveling without them!

  64. Mike, I have heard people putting hangers on the couch. You might try putting a low curtain across the aisle using a tension rod and tuck under the cushions. Out of sight, out of mind? Our little Pickles likes to ride on my lap. We are hoping she’ll find a new place in our RS when it arrives.

  65. Mike Wendland says:

    I should also point out that all the pictures on this post were taken by Jennifer.

  66. Carolyn Willis says:

    Our 1st motor coach was a 2002 chinook. 21 feet long with the couch and dinnette made the bed. We traveled with our 55 pound Samoyed, Misha. Misha loved to sit on the couch behind the drivers seat while traveling. She slept on my side of the bed area around my feet. Bathroom runs were fun as she had to climb over both of us. We had a camp chair that was Misha’s chair. We also used a woven rug outside as the pavement would be hot at times. I did have a travel harness but did not use it very often.

  67. Thanks, Mike, for not forgetting cats . We always travel with our cat (she’s the reason we purchased the Sprinter in the first place!), and she loves to go RVing. Her favorite spot is in her Sleepypod (a carrier with a removable top that becomes her bed). We keep the top off when we’re on the road, and the “pod” sits on the cabinet adjacent to the sliding door. She always has a great view of where we’re going. When she gets bored, she hops down and makes her way to my lap. Oh, the life of a cat! We also carry a small bed that we place on the driver’s seat when we are parked. Although she’s an indoor cat, she loves to go outside, and we walk her on a leash. She also likes to hang out in a long, mesh “tunnel” that we stake into the ground. This enclosure collapses for easy storage.

  68. We have an RS Adventurous and we have always traveled with our dogs, a small standard poodle and a miniature poodle. They are always restrained while we are underway to prevent them–and us–from being injured in a sudden stop. The standard rides in a collapsible crate secured behind the driver’s seat and the mini rides in a smaller crate secured to the rear seat behind the passenger seat. On occasion we have taken a foster tog with us, and that crate is secured in the back between the ottoman and the sofa. I have seen too many dogs escape from vehicles in accidents and become lost, or become injured when a vehicle stops suddenly, to allow my dogs to travel unrestrained.

  69. My medium-sized rescued, D’Asher, and my Havanese/Maltese cross, Izzie, always travel in their individual collapsible crates with no objection. The crates are their private dens and all is calm when travelling despite the fact that Izzie is an escape artist.These crates are belted to the vehicle when in use for safety. Izzie has that six sense and knows when we are at a destination and then lets me know it is time for a walk….otherwise they travel very quietly and safely. I am thinking about safety belts for extended travels and wonder if anybody has installed special connections to their RVs for this use. By the way, when I rescued D’Asher he was prone to travel sickness but Cerenia did the trick and no problems since then.

  70. Judi Darin says:

    My dog Koka’s favorite spots are the same as Tai’s, but I do let her on the sofa when we are moving, but not in camp. I cover the sofa with one of those quilted blankets that movers use to protect furniture. It tucks in neatly between the back of the sofa and the back door, but someday I will attempt to customize it to slip over the back of the sofa. It works well, protects the sofa, and is easy to put on and take off. Koka knows that when the cover is not there she is not allowed on the sofa. When we’re on the road I leave one of the back windows cranked open and she loves the fresh air. I always take her with me when camping!

  71. We have a 75 pound goldendoodle and a fawn pug and a black pug. We have a 24 foot class b+ our dogs sleeo in bed with us till Buddy 75 lbs desides there isnt enough room and sleeps on the couch which is covered with a waterproof mattress protector. We put soft bath room cushionny rugs on floor and carry a wire adjustable pen with us. They like to sit in driver seat when we arent home and pugs like to lay on flooor between driver seats when we drive while Buddy couches it. We use the pen inside when we leave for pugs and again Buddy gets couch!

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