Looking for some dog transport/comfort ideas for my new to me Tacoma.

It is a 2014 Limited came all loaded with extra warranty, rust proofing, a Toyota bed divider and a Leer Legend cap. I was particularly interested in the cap as I train working dogs as a hobby and travel a lot with them to trials and training. I wanted to keep them out of the elements and separate from the cab. The Legend cap didn't come with a rear window slider but the dealer threw one in the deal and am waiting for delivery/installation on it from the Leer dealer that they deal with.

I am going to install a donut seal between the cap and cab so I can ventilate the box some what with the A/C and use Ryobi fans https://www.ryobitools.com/products/details/18v-one-plus-hybrid-fan on the crates themselves to draw the A/C to the dogs when needed.

Winter my idea is to do the 400 watt always mod and run two hound heaters http://shop.houndheater.com/Hound-Heater-Deluxe-HHD1001.htm in their boxes when it gets below freezing.

Question about the 400 watt always mod - for guys who have done it. Can it still be switched to 100 watt? Basically for not taxing the alternator more than needed when it is not cold to run battery chargers or low draw fans. I know it's what equipment that I run which draws the power, but is that something to worry about?


I've installed my ruff tough dog boxes https://rufftoughkennels.com using ratcheting tie downs. While it is a solid install and the dogs are separate from the passenger cab vs the Sienna van we had previously. I've lost a lot of the front of the box for accessibility for tools etc. Even with the front slider it's still going to be a pain to access big stuff and to put big stuff in front of the dog boxes is just as inconvenient.

I was very excited to see Win-Doors but after the trip to my local Leer dealer he says Win-Doors can't retrofit to my cap, says "the angle is wrong and there will be a gap and the wind noise will be significant".

Is there any type of solution to install win-doors or the like? Or some way to access the front of the box easier? Or am I forced to look at a bedslide or sell this cap and order a new cap with win-doors?

Appreciate any feedback.