Dogs riding in camper shell

I searched and didn’t see any threads specifically on dogs riding in camper shells. I have a 1 yr old Rottie that will be 140lbs full grown and a 2 yr old Border Collie.
We love taking our dogs with us but they are too big for the back seat so I am considering purchasing a camper shell so they can ride in the camper with the windows down.
Questions:
* what are dog screens some campers offer
* Do you have a bed rug so they don’t slip around

Can you guys send some ideas and pics, the wife says she is not so sure about them riding back there.

 

Just my opinion, but put your dog in a good crate that is anchored down in some way (tie down straps etc). If you get in a wreck it could save the dogs life.

I use this for my dog, back seat or back of the truck.

https://dakota283.com/collections/kennels/products/g3-framed-door-signature-kennel

 

My dogs ride in the bed. There was a screen option for my Leer side windows. Gets too hot even with them open with the standard screen. ( very fine, no airflow) I ride with the back window down and they are happy. Be careful when parked gets hot very fast. Don’t have a rug they seem to get good traction on the bed liner.

 

That would be very dangerous for them to be back in the bed in case of an accident. I wouldn't put my dog back there without a kennel. I have this from Amazon, which is good for my 50 lb labradoodle, but its nice because it has a seatbelt attachment for his harness.

$33 iBuddy Dog Car Seat Covers 100% Waterproof, Dog Seat Cover with Side Flaps from Scratching, Pet Seat Cover for Back Seat of Car/SUV/Truck Machine Washable…

https://www.amazon.com/iBuddy-Prote...934850&sprefix=ibuddy+dog,aps,168&sr=8-4&th=1

If I were you, I'd look into something like this, pricey, but worth it in case of an accident.

https://gunner.com/pages/shop?gclid...eGBAzT4bH1e0rxKTxHxoCQ90QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

I think my truck is built for this thread haha. So I will go through the details.

I purchased a Century Ultra Sport (Leer) with sliding windoors, removable front window and a bedrug. The windoors have pet screens and slide open for good air flow. In the summer I roll down the rear window and remove the front window from the cap. Hard to beat the air flow from that.

I put both dogs (german shepherd & golden retriever) in the back everyday for roughly 80miles. I purchased two Gunner kennels based on the recommendations from this site. I forget who posted it but he had two American Stafford Terriors. You can see the below photo of how we transport them. The dogs absolutely love it back there and those crates get strapped down. The bedrug probably isnt needed but because of the camper shell it makes cleaning easier. You can just take it out and spray it.

 

I am so torn about this subject, What’s a better sight than seeing your dog with his head out the window going for a ride. When we had smaller dogs they would be on a platform in the rear seat of the truck and they would go everywhere with us.

My brother has the other perspective about a dog is a tool he uses for hunting (labs) he has a toolbox in the bed of his truck with a kennel built in underneath and that’s how he transports his dogs. He says it’s unsafe for the dog to ride anywhere without being crated.

I know the possibilities of driving around with the dog loose in a camper shell, hit the brakes and they could hurt themselves so maybe the taking your dogs for a drive with you are over for us???

My thought was the area is small 5’ x 5.5’ bed and with some type of flooring they could grip well with and we could take them with us. We live in rural area and love to go into the mountains and our other dogs loved the ride.

 

Dynamite your brakes and your dog can impact the front of the bed hard enough to cause a spinal injury.

Agree, when I was young and foolish my dog rode unrestrained the bed of my pickup. The dog doesn’t care he’s in a crate, and he’s safer.

 

I had a retriever that would ride in the truck without the crate and a guy pulled out in front of me. I was going 30 and slammed on the brakes. My dog hit the front of the truck bed so hard I thought I killed him. From that point on I told myself that I need to put my feelings aside about "freedom" in the car and make sure he is safe. I look at it like this now. Would you put a 3 year in the back seat unbuckled?

 

I can 3rd a crate strapped down in the bed of your truck.

 

So this thread motivated me to join up and stop lurking in the shadows! So hello everyone. This forum is awesome and full of a lot of great people it appears. Coming from the Silverado diesel world which became overrun by ‘bro’s’ and ‘dudes’ when the Whole rolling coal thing became cool and turned me off to the whole diesel thing....

Anyways, I became very much addicted to working dogs as of the last few years. So much so that I bought my tundra for the very reason for the roll down back window and being able to transport them comfortably and keep the ‘mess’ contained and no in the cab of my truck/vehicle (big deal for me as my dogs shed like crazy and I’m a neat freak).

I found a few people that had set up their trucks like I wanted to, but found very little about the back window to cab ‘configuring’ to reduce wind noise and also didn’t get many reviews on how well the setup worked. So I decided to roll the dice and get the truck and set it up like I thought would work well.

I have a 2019 Platnium with a leer 100XL and a bed rug. On the leer I have a regular window on one side (large slider) and on the other side I have a windoor(flips open and has a small slider). Both I optioned to have pet screens. I have a sliding and fold down front window. I got it that way in case I couldn’t get the cap to seal to the cab. My experiment is EPIC! It works exactly as I hoped, and maybe even better!!!

My dogs absolutely love it in the back. So much so that when we are at home they go and stand by the back of my truck and wait for me to open it up so they can go hang out in there while I work on whatever it is I’m doing outside. I found a member here that put some rubber plumbers pipe insulation in between the cap and cab to make the ‘seal’, which works awesome! Doing 80mph down the road with the rear window down, you would never know as it is that quiet!

I live in northern NH and have some big temperature extremes. -30 to 90 so having climate control is a must in my opinion. I’ve only had the cap for about a month and the weather has been pretty mild, but the heat seems to go back there very well. I’m assuming I’ll be able to cool the cap in the summer as well with this theory. I can report back on that this summer. I’m very happy with the results, and think a cap on a tundra is the ultimate dog transport vehicle! You get my vote. I’ll withhold my opinion of securing the dog while driving....as I do both depending on where I’m driving too and how far I’m going and I’ll leave it at that. Anyways, hope this helps.

Kris

 

I bought my Tundra with the exact purpose of putting a cap on it and keeping my dogs in the back. I went with a Leer 100xr. I got a crewmax so I could roll the back window down to get air back there as well as check on them. I put a remote thermometer back there so I can monitor the temperature back there up front. I took out the front window of the shell and replaced it with a rubber boot that I modified to work. I took the screens out of the slider windows so they can put their head out and they love it. Also put down a bed rug so they don't slide around and also it looks nice when you have a cap that is also carpet lined.

 

For those saying it's not safe in the event of a crash. I'm sure you're right but how is it any more dangerous than being in the back seat or being in the cargo area of an SUV? Either way, they are going to go flying.

 

It’s not. That’s why mine is crated all the time. I had to jam on the brakes once and he bounced off the dash. Fortunately the only thing broken was the stereo, but after that it was crate every time, all the time. I love my dog. He was expensive and I’ve put a lot of time into training him. Last thing I want to do is cripple or kill him.

 

Please, please, please harness your dogs in any vehicle you are taking them in. A bed rug isn't going to help, a seat hammock isn't going to help, anything short of clipping them in to a dog crate, harness/seat belt secured system is not going to provide them, (or you and your passengers), with any protection in case of a collision, and IMHO is pretty irresponsible. Imagine traveling at highway speeds with a sack of concrete in the back seat and you hit another car at 55 MPH. Providing the safety features work - seat belt keeps you in place, airbags deploy, and crumple zones do their jobs, you're initially OK, but that 80 pound sack of concrete is now hitting you in the back of the head with roughly 61,600 force-pounds. Probably lethal for you, but imagine if the sack was your dog? Imagine being killed by your dog after he becomes an airborne projectile in your vehicle? Or your passenger?
Harness and secure your pets in a moving car. I won't even preach about letting them ride untethered in the back of an open truck...

Sorry to come off so preachy. Just my 2 cents FWIW.

 

Joe,

You’re posts actually gave me the whole idea when I was looking into the whole idea and what to do in the back of the truck so thank you! Also, your pipe insulation idea was ingenious and works great. I think you also gave a link in a previous thread about the custom ‘boot’ which I ordered up and awaiting it coming in. Great looking pups you got there!

 

You're not sorry to come off preachy, since that's exactly what you did lol. I wouldn't go and tell you that your dogs would be much happier hanging their heads out the window, don't tell others that they should put theirs in crates. Do what makes you happy but don't shame others into doing what you want to do.

Thanks! Glade I could help someone out, I ended up ordering a second boot same as the first that I'm going to try maybe using Velcro to connect it but for the time being the one I have on there has worked great at keeping water out of the bed and getting air back there. If I could only figured out the damn squeaking noise I have coming from the bed it would be perfect.

 

That’s annoying. I know you said you thought it was the piping causing it. I know when I got the stuff I used it was more rubber texture tan the harder styrofoam type stuff. They were right next to each other at Home Depot. Maybe try the runner stuff if that’s not what you already using? Just a thought. If it’s sonething else, is start doing some searches about the infamous ‘bed squeak’. That’s an actual thing if you haven’t seen the threads. Hopefully you get it squared away. Good luck

 

I actually ended up taking out the foam tubes after putting in the rubber boot. They definitely helped more with wind noise but they did move around around sometimes and would have to readjust them. I know the ones your talking about, maybe I will try those. My bed squeak is definitely from the bed somewhere or more likely underneath the bed. I posted a video of it and others have said they have the same squeak but no one has figured out where it's coming from. I can only reproduce it going over bumps so I need someone to ride in the back or stand next to the truck while going over something.
https://youtu.be/xcOENtmChak

 

Oh damn....that’s kind of insane actually! I love on a dirt road and a lot of northern NH’s road get frost heaved in the winter and turn to crap and if I had to deal with that I’d go nuts! Hope you figure that one out. At least the dogs don’t seam to mind.

 

Welcome! Glad to hear the Tundra is working out for you switching from a 3/4 ton, and creating the ultimate dog limo.

 

No one has mentioned the dog boxes that fit like a toolbox. They can be purchased with ventilation options. I had one in my first gen ,but it was mostly used in non -summer temps.

 

I do worry about them in the bed but I can’t do two big crates and gear for four. You’d flip if you saw how many folks around here have multiple dogs riding on their flat bed pickups.

 

I sign up just for this thread, so thank you! Hopefully y’all don’t mind me showing up late.
For the last few weeks I’ve been searching for the best options when it comes to safety and comfort for my 170 lb Saint Bernard. After all we got the tundra for him but now he’s out grown even the inside of the truck. After dragging our feet we are now waiting for our Leer 100xR with removable front window, 50/50 side slide and pet safe screens.

I’ve heard the crate opinions for in the bed loud and clear but to buy one large enough for our moose of a dog is not practical. So, I’m planning on tethering him in with his harness. He will be secure but able to move.
He will be back there with another pup soon so I’ll have to accommodate both.

I have two main concerns:

1. sealing the cap to the cab so we can be connected with out crazy wind noise.
(I read above that a few of you did it and more details would be helpful.)

2. my truck has been rhino lined and I’m wondering if anyone’s thrown down a rug or carpet piece instead of spending money on BedRug.

 

Or... ya know...just remove the back seats and put down a good platform. Tons of room in the crewmax. I fit 3 large labs in mine perfectly. New rescued lab not in this picture. Need to update that.

 

Removing the seats isn’t an option. According to seat belt laws my kid needs one. So she gets to stay in the cab.

it’s a nice set up though!

 

I fixed that. Ha.
Longevity is just not with the carpet. I know it. But with the rhino liner I don’t want to adhere anything to it.
It’s hot here to. So maybe it’s not the coolest option.

 

Welcome from NY.

 

Beautiful Pup!

I'm looking into a topper for ours and I definitely agree, a crate for my 190# saint isn't practical.