Storage options with dogs

[vonhanson]

I have a pretty much stock ford explorer, looking at getting some storage options but they need to work around my two dogs.

Wondering if theres any good ideas out there.

I've thought about making a slim drawer system, i'll be making a custom roof rack for a RTT and right now the back seat area is empty, but i would like to retain the seating options back there.

 

[java]

They eat storage. I have 2 100lb ones. Say goodbye to the entire back of my truck. I also have a daughter in a car seat still too, which also takes a lot of room in the back seat.

For quick trips I can get everything in the truck, more than a couple days or want to bring all the luxury stuff I bring the trailer.

My back sea was a 2/3 1/3 folding like yours. I took the 1/3 side out, and put a shelf in its place. I can still carry 2 people with belts, if I need to. And with the back removed I can fit the cooler long ways fron to back, which makes for more efficient packing. With the shelf only, no foam seat, I can just squeeze two medium action packers on top of the cooler. One for dry food one for kitchen.
Clothes and sleeping bags etc get packed into the space between the car seat and the cooler. The footwell on the drivers side gets the annex for the RTT, and the pass side gets filled as much as possible. Dogs usually ride with camp chairs or a duffel bag, sometimes another small cooler.

heres a pic:

I also have a set of drawers that are ~9" total tall in the back.

 

[stioc]

I have a 55lbs dog who used to ride in the storage section of the truck on top of the diy storage platform. However, I've since moved his place to the back seat with a proper seat belt harness for him. It seems like now there's more room for our stuff in the back, he's up with my kid and he can even do his favorite car activity - yep...sticking his head out the window.

 

[vonhanson]

I picked up a box today after thinking and doing some measuring. has a o ring top so it seals, so I can always put it on the roof if need be. I could always stack another on top as well.

I think a platform for the back just above the wheel wells will work fine. it might not have very deep drawers but it should hold enough yet.

obviously i'm not committed to anything yet so i'd like to see more ideas!

 

[doug720]

We travel with 3 dogs in our 60 all the time and I made mount in the back where they ride. The 2 bigger dogs - GSP and a Vizsla ride in the back area, while a the Jack Russel moves about some.


The storage is made from aluminum and includes 2 trays and holds an ice chest, 5 gallons of water and other misc. items.

We have sliding windows for the dogs with bars so they can not get out. The area is an "L" shape with carpet and has worked well for us. The dogs love to travel in this area.

Doug

 

[MotoDave]

Traveling with the dog is one of the reasons I really like my truck (Double Cab Tundra)

I have a 'hammock' that clips onto the front and back headrests and covers the back seat, this is where she usually rides (with a harness connected to the kid seat anchor). This leaves quite a bit of storage in the back seat foot well that can be accessed by the passsenger while driving.

If the pup is dirty or we have more people along, I usually strap her crate in the back, and she rides in there. I'm not a big fan of having an unsecured 75 lb dog loose in the bed, but have done it when I know I won't be going near any highways. She likes it back there, my wife calls it her play pen.

I've found if I keep the slider open between the cab and camper shell with the AC going, it stays reasonably cool back there (verified by thermometer), but I won't leave her back there if we stop and its hot, even with the side vent windoors.

 

[Chili]

Traveling with the dog is one of the reasons I really like my truck (Double Cab Tundra)

Sorry for the off topic post, but those are some good looking dogs!

 

[86tuning]

Not an explorer, but this is how I've done it on my 80-series Landcruiser. Platform with 1" square tube steel frame and legs. 1/2" plywood.

I installed nuts thru the side trim panels at the rear edge of the platform to bolt the frame in place, yet make it completely removable so I can re-install my 3rd row seating when needed. You might be able to see how it bolts up, the bolt is just visible above the extinguisher on the far right.

My current itineration has an ARB fridge on the right side and the platform is slightly redesigned with a different leg setup.



With my split tailgate, the dogs easily hop up the gate and then up onto the platform.

 

[Ryanmb21]

Man, that is cool @86tuning! Can you post a few more pics? I'd like to see how how it's bolted if possible.

 

[86tuning]

Thanks for the kudos. The first build was years before I got the fridge. I made a removable bracket to mount the legs. It was hidden under the carpet, and allowed use of the 3rd row seating with the bracket in place.



The frame was all welded in one piece and was very rigid. One of my friends is an engineer and looked at my napkin sketch and called it 'plenty strong.'



When I got the fridge I cut a notch in it and took the legs off and made a single leg hidden behind the fridge. This resulted in a much flexier platform. Still sufficiently strong, just bouncier than before.



I may add another leg in the left front corner, and that will restore all the stiffness and remove the bounce. But for now it works fine.

 

[86tuning]

A nut, welded to a plate welded to the body, with a hole in the trim panel to let it poke thru.

I drilled a hole in the 1"x3"x1/8" plate first to allow a longer screw to fit. I used an existing trim hole in the car body, but you could easily make a hole in the body before welding the nut plate in place.

 

[UK4X4]

We travelled extensively in our explorer, we found by folding the seats down we had more room, we had two large storage boxes which we put his bed on when we travelled long range and left half the seat free for him when travelling for shorter time. with a soft bag stuffed down to fill the front seat rear seat gap

We lifted the front by torque tube and added 2 more leafs to the rear to support all the weight, doubling the longest and adding a mid length as well, extended mount on the front and extended shackle on the rear of the leaf spring

We also had a 8" low storage in the back

and a large bin behind the RTT which carried the fuel and water, not the best place for it, but workable with care, I think we changed the water etc to behind front seats and used it for firewood and chairs later on

Not storage put protection we added the set of bars underneath to protect the lower part of radiator which you can see here.

 

[vonhanson]

Cool explorer, do you have a thread of it at all?

also i'd like to see any more dog options.

 

[DirtAddictLC80]

I needed a crate solution for my dogs when my truck is bouncing down dirt trails, going over rocks and running windy mountain roads. I like a box because they keep the dogs grounded, and it protects the dogs from being slammed into the wall of the vehicle from severe off-road terrain or in the event of an accident.

Dog crates are expensive, and the size I needed wasn't standard, so I built one myself to my specific dimensions. The box is strong enough to stand up to being banged around on and off the truck, but also light enough for me to move it around on my own.

I made a removable divider to give me more flexibility in how I load the dogs.

Here are a few pics before I painted it "expo white". :ylsmoke:


20140119_143209



20140119_143026



20140119_143007

 

[86tuning]

I like that! Looks good.