Keeping dogs cool

Carting dogs around in a bed with a topper is impossible in Texas. Too freaking hot.

It’s my opinion dog owners should treat their dogs like you would children. If the Tacoma cab doesn’t have sufficient room, get a vehicle that does. Lack of AC isn’t an option here.

The Icybreeze cooler thing looks interesting.

 

those work but only as long as your ice lasts. I wouldn’t trust these to keep the shell cool enough or for very long, definitely not for extended trips. I think the only reliable way to keep the shell cold enough would be to use the truck AC and a ventilation fan setup to get cold air into the back. Either that or install a second commercial air conditioner system for RV’s in the shell.

The ice cooler system actually does work, but not for very long. When I was a kid I made one for my room. If you’re really interested in it, try one out by making a less expensive one - this DIY one works just the same as the more expensive cooler model:
https://youtu.be/D3YvF4eVQO0

 

It was the first thing I saw in a 5 second search that looked viable. Feel free to engineer a solution.

Trying to shoehorn your family into something that wasn’t designed to keep them cool is a bad idea. Get a Suburban or a motorhome.

 

..4Runner with rear seats removed and a camping platform… That’s what I had with my ‘95. It was pretty sweet and it’s A/C could easily keep the entire interior cold.

 

Yea, I also have a 4runner and was going to suggest that, but it sounded like several German Shepards or something might be the challenge. There really isn’t much info from the original poster. Lots of gear and dogs might be too much for a 4runner.

 

12v AC isn't cheap, but it is available.
https://www.vanlifeoutfitters.com/category/appliances/12-volt-air-conditioners-for-vans/

 

Thank you. For context I have four dogs. Two German shepherds, one Belgian malinois and one husky. I used to be able to squeeze three into the cab, but now they don’t all fit.. I bought a camper for the comfort of transporting them all. My camper has windows, but yesterday for example, going to Crestline it was 105 on the way back. There was a decent cross breeze through the cab but it was still pretty warm.

I do have an outlet back there. Has anyone mounted a small fan between the cab and bed to pull in the AC air to the bed/shell?

 

I will give the DIY icebox a try for now until I can look into a more commercial AC system.

For day trips I’ll take two at a time. But for multi day trips I take all four.. Usually we travel during cooler months so this hasn’t been an issue, we are doing a mammoth trip in about a week and it should be pretty warm.

I’m in southern CA. They don’t get left in the truck. When we travel they have water and they’re all pretty comfortable drinking during the drive.

My shell is not insulated. Just carpeted roofing. It has the pet windows with the thicker tear resistant screens.

Longest drive is about 5 hours.

 

extra ice and get a fan to rig up yourself between the windows. Get thick foam pipe insulation tubes and make a rectangular seal between the windows, keep a/c on fresh air -not recirculating or max- and it will force air into the shell also. The foam will also cut out road noise better too.

Have a nice time, beautiful country on the east side!

 

And get a Goose Gear rear seat delete.

 

How about installing some type of misting system? These systems provide a lot of cooling relief without getting everything wet. I think there’s a solution to be found in this.

 

My dog gets hot just being in the back seats with the window down and will come up to my passenger seat to cool off for a bit when we're out cruising around. I couldn't imagine having her back in the bed with a shell and no direct AC!

I'd try a big cooler full of brick ice and a fan....if you wanna get more expensive try this. It says you can charge from the car outlet so you can probably set the max wattage it will pull via the app so you dont trip anything. Edit: you need a battery bank for that. Either the add on battery or a different ecoflow battery bank

https://us.ecoflow.com/products/wave-portable-air-conditioner

 

I'm curious how 4 big dogs and gear fit in the bed to begin with. No way my one dog could be in the bed along with my cooler, camping gear, possibly that AC thing, etc. A mini van would probably be better just like the soccer moms use.

 

How about a tonneau cover for K9 road trips (just so one of your best buddies can use the rear window)? The other 3 dogs would get a side window. Sorry for the expensive idea, but being on TW is all about spending money on our trucks.

 

Because she has a Leer topper?

 

Lots of poo-pooing here. The little 12v roof ACs, perhaps with a dual battery setup, look perfect, though a few inches of headroom would be lost.

 

the problem with those types of portable A/C’s like the one above is there’s no heat vent pipe so it blows hot air out the back, giving no cooling in an enclosed space. That’s why RV type a/c’s have their condenser units (heat coils) on the roof, and why some portable A/C’s have a heat vent hose to blow hot air outside.

 

I made a platform for mine inside my MX shell with a drawer underneath. The platform covers the entire bed with access panels to get to stuff underneath when the tailgate is up and the drawer and everything is also accessible when it’s down. It’s strong enough that we can lay on it - but it would be really tight without that added headroom of the ARE MX shell. I’d think her Leer, if it’s a standard one, would be a tight fit for those dogs on a platform under the shell too.

 

Hunting dogs ride inside with me. the seat delete feature of the utility package allows me to say to people, "I only have room for one passenger" sorry, not sorry
Chicks who object to lab hair?! good riddance to bad rubbish
priorities

 

Current attempt at keeping things cool in the back for the pups. I had white vinyl in the roof before but didn't do a ton. I'm hoping the panel keeps the shell itself from getting hot and conducting the heat inside. Will report back after a few weeks.