Dogs under a truck topper

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Makintrax73
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Dogs under a truck topper

Post by Makintrax73 » Wed Jul 03, 2019 10:59 am

Just purchased an F-150 extended cab for my hunting rig. The Highlander was not getting me into all the places I wanted to go - many times alone and outside of cell coverage. Frankly got tired of the Highlander smelling like a wet, dirty dog too. I have two dogs - pointer and setter.

So the next purchase is going to be a topper. To transport dogs, guns, camping gear, and fishing gear under.

But obviously I'm concerned about the dogs health too. My dogs travel with me year round. Often traveling multiple hour trips to Wisconsin etc in summer.

Any thoughts or experiences from the group on truck topper transport? The local dealer I like sells Leer. I have the choice between the XQ which looks awesome, but only has small crank out rear vent, or the XR which has ugly looking but large sliding windows (probably easier to break in to).

I don't foresee cold being a huge issue. I'll get good bedding and insulated kennel covers. I doubt the truck bed is any colder than the SUV is over night, and that always was fine. Hot weather I see as a big problem. My only thought right now is get a remote thermostat to monitor temps and put the dogs on the jump seat behind me in hot weather. I'd rather not have paw scratches and hair all over a new truck, but obviously their safety comes first.

So what has the group done to make under truck topper transport comfortable for their dogs?

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DougB
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Re: Dogs under a truck topper

Post by DougB » Wed Jul 03, 2019 1:15 pm

There are a number of good hammock style seat protectors available.

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AZ Brittany Guy
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Re: Dogs under a truck topper

Post by AZ Brittany Guy » Wed Jul 03, 2019 2:32 pm

I have a "Snug Top" on my Tundra and a Truck bed slide. I like the set up. If its hot I slide my back cab window open and share my AC with the dogs the same with the heater if is cold.

shags
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Re: Dogs under a truck topper

Post by shags » Wed Jul 03, 2019 2:48 pm

I have an ARE topper on my 2500 chevy. The topper has a drop down window with screen on the front ( my truck's back window doesn't open). and side sliders with screens. The sliders also flip up for access. I had a 12V plug added to the bed so I can run a Fantasic Fan back there when it's hot and rainy and wide open windows aren't a good option.

One of my best purchases has been a Bed Rug for the truck. It insulates some, and makes crawling around in there very easy on the knees. It can be vacuumed or hosed down and dries easily.

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Featherfinder
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Re: Dogs under a truck topper

Post by Featherfinder » Thu Jul 04, 2019 4:38 am

I have a similar setup as Shags. I've been transporting up to 4 dogs at a time in the summer with the Leer topper for years. As Shags mentioned the front of the topper has a slider as well. This is key as it allows air to flow from the front and out through both side windows. I also have a Cargo Ease sliding bedliner in my truck so that I no longer have to crawl into the truck bed to get dogs/items at the back. It also allows me to access all 4 of the crated dogs out of the truck box when we get where we're training which provides them with open air. http://cargo-ease.com/homepage/cargo-slides/
Here is something I have discovered the hard way. I have had a number of trucks in the past with this or a similar set-ups. My current truck is a 2017 RAM. I LOVE it....except for the color! I will NEVER EVER again buy a vehicle - car or truck - in black! It is my first and last. Black is a very poor choice if you are transporting dogs in warm weather. It really draws the heat from the sun!
Also, I can wash it on any given morning and by noon, it looks like it's never been washed. Black looks great, for about 3 hours.
To be fair, I haven't bought a "new" vehicle for many years. I simply can't justify the depreciation so I typically buy a loaded version of what I like that might be 1-3 years old. I bought this truck for one heck of a deal but....it was black. Like I said, "Never again...!"
A white truck with a matching topper is ideal on a number of levels. Just ensure it has that front sliding window along with the side windows.
You used to be able to buy what looks like a bicycle inner tube but it was square. You could slide it in between the back sliding window of your truck and the topper slider. This provided decent insulation while keeping rain/water out. You could run your truck's air cond./heating into the truck box somewhat more efficiently too. I don't like doing this because acclimation is a BIG part of your dog's ability to perform whether it's heat or cold....within reason, of course. Pulling a dog from a cool air cond. environ out to run on a hot sunny day could be a huge mistake.
*On REALLY hot days, I simply leave the glass rear topper window wide open along with the other 3 sliders. Again, my dogs get crated.

Makintrax73
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Re: Dogs under a truck topper

Post by Makintrax73 » Thu Jul 04, 2019 9:05 am

Thanks for the advice guys. Unfortunately my truck is dark grey. It looked lighter in the pictures I ordered it from, but I'm stuck with dark now. No slider window. F150 doesn't offer a manual slider, and the power version requires an XLT package plus the power slider option - at this point it's multiple thousands of dollars to get a back window that opens. But the guy at the topper place said exactly what you're saying about airflow - advised getting a slider on the topper anyway because air will flow between the cab and out the rear vents.

One thing I saw looking at some truck forums - some guys were discussing putting an RV power vent in the top of their topper. Man that sounds awesome for when you hunt one dog and have the other in the truck - or stopping for lunch whatever. But the thought of cutting an unrepairable hole in a new topper scares the heck out of me. Maybe a 12v box fan of some sort could be rigged to push air out of the rear Windows.

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Re: Dogs under a truck topper

Post by shags » Thu Jul 04, 2019 9:49 am

This is the fan I use, it moves so much air you'll have to hang on to your hat
https://www.etrailer.com/12V-Power-Acce ... 100WH.html

If you have a 12V outlet in your truck bed you're all set but you might want to think about using a marine/rv/golf cart battery if you want to run it while the truck is not running. IDK how much time you'd get off the truck's battery.

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Re: Dogs under a truck topper

Post by setterpoint » Thu Jul 04, 2019 11:51 am

I'm sure the make cooling devises for a camper top and heaters
my frind hauls his dog in the back with a camper he has an inflatable boot that goes between the truck and the sliding glass window in the back and shares the account and heater his dogs does fine in summer and winter
do some research I bet there's a number of things they have that will work for you

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gonehuntin'
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Re: Dogs under a truck topper

Post by gonehuntin' » Sat Jul 06, 2019 8:34 am

I have a 16 year old Tundra with a 16 year old ARE cap. Great cap. To bad you don't have a slider in your PU. Get the ARE with a slider in front and fully opening side windows. It'll run around 2600 from Toys For Trucks. If you had a slider that opens in the PU, you could run an air conditioner hose to the back. In WI. during hunting season heat won't be a huge issue. If you put a fan in the topper, run it off it's OWN battery.

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Featherfinder
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Re: Dogs under a truck topper

Post by Featherfinder » Sun Jul 07, 2019 5:18 am

Shags, thanks for sharing. That fan looks interesting. Good point Gonehuntin. A separate battery is a good idea. You might need the fan the most when the truck is not moving/running - therefore no natural air flow - so a dedicated battery will serve your fan without putting too much draw on your idle-truck battery. A dead truck battery where I hunt could be a SERIOUS mistake! And....a back-up battery is never a bad idea!

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Re: Dogs under a truck topper

Post by cjhills » Sun Jul 07, 2019 7:34 am

I wonder if you can get a after market sliding rear window. I have haul dogs in ll kinds of weather in that setup with a bicycle tube between the topper an the cab. Had the tube blow out once. That was freaky.....Cj

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gonehuntin'
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Re: Dogs under a truck topper

Post by gonehuntin' » Sun Jul 07, 2019 8:06 am

cjhills wrote:
Sun Jul 07, 2019 7:34 am
I wonder if you can get a after market sliding rear window. I have haul dogs in ll kinds of weather in that setup with a bicycle tube between the topper an the cab. Had the tube blow out once. That was freaky.....Cj
Bicycle tube is genius. I've used the ones you buy for sealing that area and I don't think I get more than a year out of them. Bicycle or motorcycle tube?

Makintrax73
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Re: Dogs under a truck topper

Post by Makintrax73 » Sun Jul 07, 2019 8:42 am

I was able to find an aftermarket manual slider online. Something I will need to research. I don't want leaks or other problems. The inner tube idea is indeed a genius idea.

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Featherfinder
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Re: Dogs under a truck topper

Post by Featherfinder » Mon Jul 08, 2019 2:23 pm

CJ...you had me howling! So, did it sound like a 20 gauge or 12 gauge? :lol:
You can look up a manufacturer of a product called "Truk-boot". Not what I used back in the day but it looks pretty dedicated.

https://www.amazon.com/TRAIL-FX-30000-C ... way&sr=8-1

Big Doe Hunter
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Re: Dogs under a truck topper

Post by Big Doe Hunter » Fri Jul 12, 2019 3:26 pm

If it’s real hot I will put a block of ice in the dog kennels or split a block between two. Otherwise I crack the windows and run a battery operated fan.

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Re: Dogs under a truck topper

Post by Big Doe Hunter » Fri Jul 12, 2019 3:28 pm

Split a block of ice and put a chunk in each kennel while traveling.

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