IMO, it will be much cooler in the bed of the p/u while traveling down the highway. But the dog should be in a crate with plenty of room to stand up and turn around. Put a comfortable pad in the bottom or several towels. Secure the crate up near the cab. Check on it often and take it for walks on a leash when you stop for breaks and give plenty of water as necessary.
We have a lab and he has always rides in the travel trailer. Well I should say at least for the past 4 years if we take just one vehicle. It wasn't until I witnessed other people doing it that I gave it a try. Lots of room for him to move around if he wanted to but he usually sleeps on the back bunk. He has water and is very content back there. Never too hot as we stop if we travel more than an hour. would never leave him at home as he is part of the family. We feel everyone is much safer this way. I love my dog dearly but I love my kids more and If there ever was an accident he would be a projectile in the truck and would most likely hurt someone. Works great for us.
* This post was
edited 07/22/08 10:28pm by kimomjtb *
KIm
03 Ram ctd 3500 Larrimie 4x4 quad cab, bullydog
06 salem 30BHBS,Prodigy, Hensley,Mckesh mirrors
97 F150club cab customized (his toy)
03 ford expy (my gas hog)
DH 28 yrs
Justin(21)at home doing his own thing,Ty(16)Brad(11)Zeus the lab(7)
Test it out your self first...in other words, experience a ride in your trailer firsthand--then decide. I had my wife drive on a side road--bumpy and paved--and my little 20 footer TT wiggled and vibrated sooo much that I think my 2 fur-kids would be soooooo stresssed ooouuuuttt!
I would NOT want to be back here for 4 hours or so. Maybe a kennel in the bed of your truck might be an option.
Tim & Sue
Gerry (GSD) & Jammer (Sheltie)
2005 F150 4x4 Lariat 5.4L 3.73 Please buy a Hybrid...I need your gas for my 37 gallon tank!
2000 Nash 19B...comfortably pimped with a real Queen Size Bed Red Wine anyone?
TV: Mint 1972 Ford F-250 XLT
TT: 1969 19' Excel; entertains 6, feeds 4, sleeps 2 You don't shoot to kill, you shoot to stay alive.
I don't carry because I have to, I carry because I get to. My pictures
a. Put a canopy on the truck and a donut around the truck's slider rear window. The dog gets most of the canopy and you get more storage room for the inevitable paraphernalia that comes with an infant.
b. Trade the truck for an SUV and the dog gets the rear of the SUV. Suburbans are fabulous for this. Our Rottie just loved to ride in the 3rd seat. In fact, it was her favorite & she'd leave the 2nd seat empty.
Sure, a Suburban might sound a bit whacko with fuel prices, but a Tundra isn't an economy car and a Suburban can tow that larger trailer that you'll be looking at shortly.
As for a dog being a part of the family, BUT being just a pet? I'm sorry, but if you're like us and the dogs are a part of the family, they aren't just pets. I'm not saying they have the same status as the wife and kids, but they sure aren't JUST pets.
Steve & C. J.
"Gracie" the Rough Collie & "Bo'sun" the Bichon Frise
I have ridden in my TT...I must be fortunate. I did balance the tires, maybe that makes the difference, but, my FunFinder rides better than the Jeep pulling it (and the Jeep Commander is heavy and rides quite nice). I do not pull for any length on "bumpy" rough roads. Most of my pulling is on fairly nice roads up until we get close to the CG and then my speed is well down and it is no rougher in the TT than the car. At 6000 lbs loaded and with AirFlex suspension, the TT is stable and quite comfortable.
We used to have a boat...33' and along with the boat we, at that time, had a dog, as opposed to cats. A Siberian Husky. Lovely animal, but, she wandered around loose on the boat and the boat was far more "rough" riding and unstable than the TT ever would be. She was just fine, in fact she loved being on that thing more than we did
I can understand some people's aversion to animals riding in the TT. I also see no reason for them not to. The vents and windows are open, plenty of ventilation (in fact more than the Jeep; they'll jump out of those windows if the back is open). We stop every hour or so to check on them, but, usually they are sprawled all over the bed sound asleep. If it gets really hot (we have a 90 degree rule), we pull them out of the trailer and put them in the Jeep with the A/C on. They aren't penned (we call it Kitty Jail), they can wander as they will. I, personally, never considered penning an animal up, anywhere, as doing them any favor. Prisoners are kept in pens and I would imagine most of them would like to be out, no matter how "used to being in it" they are. A pen is a pen, and that's why they call it being in the "Pen" I find the risk to my pets to be far less of a factor than the trama they suffer when we put them in their Kitty Jails. In kitty jail, all they do is complain. Wandering around in the Jeep where they stumble all over the place and can't find good spot to sprawl is second best (to them). Lounging in the TT, on the couch, on the bed, drinking water, eating food, using the kitty pan, looking out the windows - what's not to like? It is also far safer for us than having 3 bored cats getting up in your face while you are trying to drive to let you know they are bored from being cooped up in the Jeep...
Don
DW
3 Cats
2008 FunFinder X 210WBS
2008 Jeep Hemi Commander Limited
This is the reason that we two with a Chevy Tahoe. With two kids and two dogs, the suv is a must. The two shelties go in their kennels in the back of the Tahoe for the trip. They ALWAYS go with us and we love it that way. Knowing how hot the trailer gets, you would most likely be putting your dogs at great risk placing them in the trailer. I wish I could say, go for it, but I really feel it would be a mistake and in some state illegal.
We do leave our vents open with air maxx too....but it's still far to hot.
Hugsfamily
(DH-Phil, DW-Mindy, DD-Amanda, DS-Spencer and our Shelties-Polly and Spirit)
SUV was really never an option for me because we like to take a lot of firewood because we cook pretty much 95% of our meals on open fire...SUV we would be limited, plus it would allow ants, bugs etc, to get into the vehicle...we used to have an SUV, but that was the reason I got rid of it.
We travel with our two fox terriers. We had to get two of the collapsible carriers because they fought over the one carrier we had to start with. They have their bedding inside them and that is the first place they head for when we open the truck. They spend most of the travel time curled up and sleeping in the carrier. When we get to the camp ground we set them out under the awning and they use them like screened in tents.
Use the TT, the doggie will be fine. I've seen people do it and have never heard a dog complain.
We have room for our dog in the truck because she is small, but if we had our lab like we did in the old days, I would ride back there with her for a couple of blocks to see how she reacted. I'm sure it would be just fine.
Deb
Steve and myself
our 4 kidlets, Justin-15, Rachel-12, Michelle-10, Kellie-8 yrs old and
our Yorkie Tiffany-3
2002 Black 1500 Avalanche 4X4
2007 Sun Valley Road Runner 210 bunkhouse
Offline
I find the risk to my pets to be far less of a factor than the trama they suffer when we put them in their Kitty Jails. In kitty jail, all they do is complain. Wandering around in the Jeep where they stumble all over the place and can't find good spot to sprawl is second best (to them). Lounging in the TT, on the couch, on the bed, drinking water, eating food, using the kitty pan, looking out the windows - what's not to like? It is also far safer for us than having 3 bored cats getting up in your face while you are trying to drive to let you know they are bored from being cooped up in the Jeep...
