Feedback on window donut

Is anyone using one of these inflatable donut things between their rear window and the cap window? Would like to get some air/heat back there for the dogs. These look cheap, but maybe they work ok?

https://www.custompickup.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=178

 

No personal experience but I have seen several posts where they say it rubs the paint off.

 

Off the truck or off the topper?

 

Have heard that too.
Try putting some 3M tape on it before adding the boot.
OP, I have one that I have never used, if you want it. PM me if you do.

 

I looked into them and talked with the guys at my local truck supply shop about them. They didn’t even sell them, and I agree with why. The truck’s heat and AC are nowhere near powerful enough to change the temp back there, especially through the tiny sliding window. The truck bed with a shell on is at least double the space of the cab of the truck, so you’d be asking your hvac to handle double the space it was made for. Plus, you’d need a fan in the window just to move any air back there. You might can get some heat back there in the winter, but it would be useless to try to get AC back there in the summer.

My dogs ride in the back year around. In the summer, I leave the back window flipped up and they get plenty of ventilation. In the winter, they put off enough body heat to stay plenty warm. I have a German Shepherd and a chocolate lab for reference. I keep a thermometer on their kennel and I’ve never seen it go below 65. But you absolutely must keep the windows open and air circulating in the summer. I also keep a cheap box fan strapped to the kennel and use the power outlet in the bed to run it.

 

I used one of those on my old Tundra. It was nice to be able to leave the truck and cap windows open without worrying about wind noise or weather. My dogs usually ride in back and it was nice to be able to hear and talk to them.

Cons: There's the issue of scuffing the contact surfaces (truck and cap paint and glass). Another problem was that it would frequently need to be reinflated which required folding down the cap window and crawling in there with a bicycle pump. And as stated above, you can't expect the truck's climate control to reach the cap.

All and all it wasn't worth the hassle and I haven't bought one for my Taco. It seems like someone would be able to come up with a better design. I've thought about stuffing the gap with open cell, soft foam to see how it would perform. Haven't gotten around to it yet.

 

Thanks for the feedback guys. Looks like I’ll pass on wasting that money then.

 

Luckily the solution is cheap.

For summer, opening the back window and a cheap box fan.
For winter, a cover for the kennel (hopefully they're in a kennel and not just sliding around back there) and they'll stay plenty warm.

 

Noticed you’re in AL. Our winters here in Michigan are a tad different. Had the dogs in a kennel with an insulated hunting cover on it and they were still cold. That was a 4 degree day though. Typically we can avoid traveling like that, but that day has got me on a mission to figure out how to keep them warm back there - kind of a fun puzzle.

 

Yeah we definitely don’t get down that cold. I’ve gotten a few days in the teens over the years but that’s about it.

Keeping it warm back there is no doubt a puzzle. Truck heat passed through the window wouldn’t do anything. A little propane heater would suck all the oxygen out of the cap and need ventilation. Electric heaters draw way too much power.

Look into a dog-rated electric blanket / floor mat.
My dogs are chewers so I haven’t been able to try one, but I’ve seen them online with good reviews. Something like this might keep them warm inside the insulated kennel. The large size says it only pulls 80 watts so the inverter outlet in the bed could power it.

$116 K&H Pet Products Original Lectro-Kennel Outdoor Heated Dog Pad with Free Cover Black Large 22½” x 28½”, Waterproof Dog Cat Heating Pad Warming Mat Anti Chewy Cord for Outside Animals

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000...eating+pad&dpPl=1&dpID=41mJhhyZ8QL&ref=plSrch

 

This is perfect! I’ve been looking for a twin bed electric blanket. But finding one that pulls less than 100w has been a challenge since most don’t list wattage online, and stores don’t carry very many. Thanks!

 

I would probably do the 400w anytime mod just in case. At 100w, I’ve overloaded it with my box fan and a small floor blower. Haven’t checked their power consumption but I didn’t picture it being over 100w but apparently it was