truck toppers

[NVgsp]

Just curious if anyone here has or has used truck toppers for transporting their dogs...i have been looking at the Crow River toppers and really like them. Pros/ Cons...anybody feel that trailers are better then the truck toppers. any advice would be appreciated.
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[Ryan]

I would buy a kenel and strap it in or buy a dog box. I have friends that use toppers but if you get into an accident there is 65 pounds of animal coming through your back window coming at the back of your head.

[SwitchGrassWPG]

Here's a picture of how I have my Dakota set up, with a standard topper. You could fit an Intermediate size plastic crate beside the wire crate and possibly two large plastics.

It's a whole lot cheaper than a dog specific topper or a trailer. Though I did build my own trailer. Hope this helps.

[/list]

[Adam]

jay how do you get the crate out?

[NVgsp]

no guys, i am looking at a dog-hauling, tough-as-nails, all-in-one topper. on my truck now i have a Leer shell, but i made a dog box shelf which is elevated above the bed rails. located at the back of the bed it is only about 36" wide...big enough for two "pet porters." i like the set up, but not that convenient with a four inch lift. :roll:

[Ruffshooter]

One thing I would ask, is: How many dogs you Haulin? If you are hauling just a couple of dogs then It makes sense to by a Dog Box with a built in Drawer. These boxes like Sharmrock from Maine, Deer creek in the midwest, Ainley in the mid west, are fairly rugged and a lot safer in an accident than your plastic crate. If you are hauling more than 3 dogs a topper or trailer makes sense.

I know Shamrock makes custom toppers, trailers, and dog boxes. They are insulated, lockable, can have water tanks and fans as well as automatic shutting vents when it starts to rain. They will also set your topper up with an alternate battery that can charge off your truck charger. I saw one that was a four dog box that had all the bells and whistles. The back section was full height to one could have better storage options.

With a four wheel drive truck it would be advisable to get a ramp also. Hefting 4, 65 pound dog gets old.

I like the trailers as a matter of convience but have always wondered about the fumes while traveling through the cities. They sure are set up nice and have wicked easy access. You also don't limit the use of your Truck. I like the Jones company trailers. I think those are very well made. and you can get all the bells and whistles or the plain jane.

I have been going through the same thoughts as I get ready to upgrade.

I had built my own insulated lockable 2 dog box and put under my Jerrico cap. It works good but is a pain crawiling in and out to let the dogs out. Mine also had a built in duct with a fan and light.

I think I am going with the four dog Topper from Shamrock.

I know they ship all over the US and many come to have them fitted. and installed The Lab folks in California love these things.

[GsPJustin]

jay how do you get the crate out?

If you would want or need to get the crate out. you could turn it on its side, Or fold it down :/

[SwitchGrassWPG]

Not that it comes out often, but I just take the topper off. Really, I fold it down.

[gunner]

3 crates are the med. sized Vari-kennels. They're strapped down by a rope ratchet to an crate-sized plywood sheet atop an aluminum bench (used to hold shelving or displays off grocery floors)
The bedslider (mfg. Bedslider) iependently beneath the bench and crates, and can be pulled out the full length of the truck's bed.
Not shown is another piece of 3/4" plywood that stretches across the front of the truck's bed between the top of the truck's bed and the bottom of the cap. This additional area can be accessed from the cap's lifting side windows or from the cap's front window by way of the truck's crewcab sliding window.
I have 3 top loading plastic storage containers (available at Lowe's or Home Depot that sit atop the sliding bedliner but beneath and independent of the crate bench. They are easy to get to and hold just about everything I use when travelling with the dogs. Bigger and taller stuff goes on the front raised plywood area or between the back of the crates and the plywood area and accessed by the lifting side door/windows.
Everthing can be removed quickly once the roperatchet holding the crates down is loosened.
The medium sized Vari-kennels will house indivdually most pointers/setters and sometimes double up the dogs in cold weather. More crates if needed can be fitted inside atop a rizer, above the sliding bedliner and accessed to by the door windows. The side screened windows, help with venilation in hot weather, sometimes I'll open the trucks back cab window and the cap's front window to help cool or heat the cap area as needed. I have a large fan on an independent battery to help move air when needed.
The screened doorwindows and sliding front cap window (removable as well) are add-ons available through the cap's manufacturer (A.R.E) and I suspect most other better cap mfgrs. The cap is carpeted lined as well which I think may help with insulation values.
Here's a couple of photos of the bedslider and it's extension.
A dog groomer's table arm that attaches to the edge of the Bedslider works well when you have to "doctor" the dogs in the field.

[Ryan]

DAAAAAAM thats cool.

[rschuster54303`]

I envy your rig gunner, I just fear your gas bill....

I gave up on a truck and bought x-over vehicle that gets 25mpg and I pull a 6 hole jones trailer. It is the best solution I could find and still afford to actually go hunting.

Regards,

Rob

[NVgsp]

Ruffshooter: i travel w/ a min. of two shorthairs but have had and will most likely continue to have up to four dogs. becomes quite the rodeo when we need to bail out and chase chukar. not that we use all dogs at once, but wouldnt you know: the dogs you need would be the ones that are behind everything in the pickup. not too convenient.

i like gunner's set up but i dont have the lifting side windows. one way access. here is a photo of what i do, but again, with multiple dog kennels, coolers and gear it can become quite the cluster. thats why i was wondering if anyone had experience with the toppers. i have seen the trailers but i would be conserned about some of the hellish roads we are on in the back country

[NVgsp]

does anyone else see my photo?!?!?! i cant...did i do something wrong.

[Ryan]

I tried to upload for you but the picture looks to be too small.

[Chaingang]

Ruffshooter: i travel w/ a min. of two shorthairs but have had and will most likely continue to have up to four dogs. becomes quite the rodeo when we need to bail out and chase chukar. not that we use all dogs at once, but wouldnt you know: the dogs you need would be the ones that are behind everything in the pickup. not too convenient.

i like gunner's set up but i dont have the lifting side windows. one way access. here is a photo of what i do, but again, with multiple dog kennels, coolers and gear it can become quite the cluster. thats why i was wondering if anyone had experience with the toppers. i have seen the trailers but i would be conserned about some of the hellish roads we are on in the back country

There is something wrong with that URL. I tried copying it and hosting it with imageshack and It doesn't like it. How are you trying to download it to this site? If you already know this disregard it. If you want to post a pic from a file on your computer, you must go to a hosting site to download the picture from your computer, to the site which will host your picture. Once the picture is downloaded it will give you a URL or address. You then copy the address, go back and paste this address in your post. But if the URL is no good it will not work. I use a free picture hosting site. http://www.imageshack.us/

[Ruffshooter]

Chris, NV Gsp:
I was at a NSTRA Trial in VA this spring and a fella had a Aluminum unisulated trailer. ( Diamond Plate ). Not a top of the line but it went pretty good. Most of them have torsion bar axels.. I have that on my snowmoblile trailer. It makes for a pretty good ride.

[Ayres]

I saw a setup that I really liked: it was a lot like gunner's, except that it had three large PetPorters in it. All three were turned sideways and lined up from the front of the bed to the back of the bed, and pushed over to the passenger side. This created a little hallway up the driver's side. With the fold-up side glass, you could reach in the side of the topper and open any crate. The dog(s) inside walk down the "hallway" and out the back.

Just makes more use of the available space in the bed I think.