Trying to fit dog crates in backseat- Taco is 2" too narrow door to door

Maybe this has been suggested and I missed it, but how about some crash tested dog harnesses that tie into the rear seatbelts or attach like a car seat?

https://www.autoanything.com/pet-travel/kurgo-impact-harness

edit: I should mention that I don’t have the above-linked harness just linking for concept.

 

I really think your best option is to just leave the doors and crates alone and put in a riser. People drive trucks all the time with no view through a rear window, you get used to using your side mirrors.

I personally use good harnesses and cables attached to the LATCH hooks behind the seats. It's very secure, and probably as protective as a crate in a crash.

 

I did a little research of the claims on this site and none of the standards mentioned involve dogs. They are about securing cargo so it doesn’t get free and hurt the occupants and about seats and restraints for humans.

https://4x4northamerica.com/crash-tested-dog-crates-canada/

I have a vague memory of my wife researching dog safety restraint systems many years ago and determining they don’t really exist in the same way they do for humans. Things might have changed since then, but I’m still skeptical about the term “crash tested”.

These are the certifications mentioned on the website.

https://www.iso.org/standard/44441.html

https://unece.org/DAM/trans/main/wp29/wp29regs/2015/R017r5e.pdf

https://www.maxi-cosi.com/c/interna...ules-explained-what-does-ece-r4404-label-mean

 

https://ruffwear.com/products/load-up-dog-car-harness

I use this one from Ruffwear for my two.

They were rescues though. The dogs only cost a couple hundred each so not fancy-pants expensive dogs. /s

 

Thank you.
Yeah this harness or a cargo net is sort of what 'gwiz' and a few others have said. It is protective for sure. I'm not sure how these hyperactive hunting dogs would deal with that. We don't really want them to be able to see out the windows. They go nuts every time they see another dog, squirrel, etc. They'd be wrestling with each other and raising hell. When a dog goes into a crate they kind of shut down and mostly just go to sleep. It's pretty great and it's what they are used to in a car. It's a good suggestion though, much appreciated.

 

People remove the seats create a platform that is slightly higher than the arms rest and hard mount the kennels inside the vehicle. There is a thread on here somewhere called show us your dogs and platforms is an offshoot of it.

 

Ah, OK, I see what you mean. Yeah that would work. Thanks.

 

Dogs should not be transported in the passenger compartment of a vehicle, for several reasons.

You have a truck.

It can be avoided.

 

well, maybe not ‘exactly’…

 

Wow…

 

Simple solution.

Dogs in crates.
Crates in truck bed against front wall
Secure crates with ratchet straps.
Done.

 

Oh... "expensive" dogs... well THAT changes everything... (sarcasm)

If you really cared about your expensive dogs you would have just bought a minivan.

 

It’s not his truck, or crates, or dogs.

 

Expensive ‘hunting’ dogs…


I have NEVER seen a real working dog in anything but a quality, bed mounted or custom box(es), or SUV with a rear cage wall…

 

So this, "Recently purchased a 2022 TRD Off-Road 4x4 double cab 6' bed." is someone else buying the truck for him to use?
It's still a ridiculous amount of trouble for a couple of dogs that could be easily accomodated.

 

It sounds like he is just along to handle the crates.

 

Clearly not for the jar opening or bathroom spider killing…

 

shoot fire box matches. so much ado over a little thing.

FWIW, I imported my dog when I returned from China. The dog was required to have a specific travel crate defined by airlines. The flight is a 15+ hour flight.....just from wheel off the runway to touchdown. Including all the transport, handling, pre-flight, Customs, Immigration.......he was in the crate for nearly 28 hours.

The airline, Cathay Pacific, simply used ratchet straps to secure the crate in the heated, pressurized cargo hold.

So. OP, @Patapsco Mike, find crates that comply with airline regulations. Put the dogs in the crate, then secure the crate in the bed with ratchet straps. I'm sure your expensive dogs will survive a few hours.

 

Where do you live? In Texas it is very common to transport dogs in air conditioning.

 

As noted above… then get a vehicle with a divider.