Dog Crate for hatchback area ?

Instead of a crate, how about utilizing the entire cargo area?


WeatherTech Pet Barriers - Custom Car Dividers | WeatherTech


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WeatherTech typically makes/offer good quality products.
Imho, they massively missed the mark on that pet barrier.

If anyone has done any looking at pet carriers, they often find out that "for general use" nothing else comes anywhere close to a Gunner Kennel. There are a number of special use cases, and cases where the large Gunner crate is just too massive.

Imho, if someone hasn't had the chance to see and touch a Gunner Kennel, I strongly suggest they try to first.
And, yes, Gunner Kennels are expensive.


Why people buy Gunner Kennels:

A Cow and a GMC Denali Dually versus Crash Proof Dog Crate | GUNNER
Aug 20, 2020
GUNNER

ROAD WARRIORS FT. POWER | GUNNER
Feb 22, 2022
GUNNER

 

I see people do this I never knew it was that big of a thing My 85 pounder rode in the car all the time before he wasn't anymore. I never had a crate I didn't know I should have He slept on the front seat till he got too big then he went to the backseat and rarely would he get in the hatch area of my Corollas too much sun the angle was bad on the back glass even with louvers on it. But that's pretty cool so I guess the dog is safer in the crate because he won't get thrown like a little kid. That's kind of funny because as a kid I walked the backseat of the car till I was about 7 No safety seats back then

 

You can't pet the dogs through the divider right your hand can't fit through there it's a little bit smaller squares?

 

Fingers make for tasty morsels/snacks.

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I think that the height may be the limiting factor.
I'm not sure of the height of the cargo/hatch area in a Gen3.
My guess is that a medium may be the max size.
Note, check the Gunner dog fit guide.
I think a medium may be more Beagle-size, verses Springer(~50lb) size?
I definitely suggest double checking with Gunner about breed, weight, and recommended kennel size.
Gunner Kennels have bigger exteriors than typical kennels.
That's for better hot/cold insulation, better impact absorption, and so on.

I know that when I had my Springer, I was surprised by just how bad the kennels were.
Imho, they all looked like they were made to be cheap, designed to mainly to do "some fancy function" (like folding), or by someone that didn't have any experience/clue transporting a dog.

My friends have bigger dogs. And, just about all of them have SUVs, trucks with caps, etc. For them, kennel size isn't as much of an issue.

Imho, Gunner showed there was a market and desire for better kennels.
Since Gunner came on the market, many of the higher cost kennels have been making improvements.

I know one kennel had a hack method for securing the kennel to the vehicle - instead of the molded-in attachments points. After Gunner came on the market, that other kennel, did a few updates. Iirc, their latest model, has molded-in attachment points, improved doors, and other improvements. I forget the name of that kennel. However, for an inside vehicle transport (non plane, non bed of truck in heat/cold), their latest kennel is very respectable.


For the Gunner Kennels.

Interior Exterior Empty Weight
G1™ SMALL
21.75" (L - Floor) x 14.5" (W - Floor) x 15.5" (H) / 16.5" (W) at kennel's widest interior point
24.5" (L) x 18.625" (W) x 19" (H) / 20.5" (H) with carry handles 27 lb.

G1™ MEDIUM
25" (L - Floor) x 18" (W - Floor) x 19.75" (H) / 19" (W) at kennel's widest interior point
29.5" (L) x 20.5" (W) x 23.5" (H) / 25" (H) with carry handles 38 lb.

G1™ INTERMEDIATE
30" (L - Floor) x 18" (W - Floor) x 25" (H) / 19" (W) at kennel's widest interior point
34" (L) x 23" (W) x 28.5" (H) / 30" (H) with carry handles 48 lb.

G1™ LARGE
33.25" (L - Floor) x 21" (W - Floor) x 29" (H) / 23" (W) at kennel's widest interior point 40.25"
(L) x 28" (W) x 33.25" (H) / 34.5" (H) with carry handles 72 lb.


GUNNER Dog Crate | GUNNER Kennels

 

Exactly, an 80 pound dog is going to be way happier in an enclosed rear space rather than a much smaller crate.

 

If hands or fingers getting through is a problem, I got much bigger concerns about your dog than what size crate you stuff 'em in.

 

Can people in the back of your Prius pet the dog with the gate or partition up I don't think your hand'll fit through there to fet the dog your finger might but I don't think the whole hand will and if people are dumb enough to ride in your taxi and stick a finger in a strange animals cage they deserve to be bit and I would imagine a judge would see it that way too you see an animal in the cage and you go stick in your hand in there just because you can unless you're a minor child and or a moron it's your fault

 

You can get a divider and buy some hardware cloth/metal mesh separately. You'll need to cut the mesh material to fit closely the dimensions of your car and secure it somehow with wire or zipties, etc to the divider.

Amazon sells metal mesh in a variety of sizes and mesh sizes/gauges, in stainless steel, if you wish. If you get stainless steel, you have to use a heavy duty wire cutter with hardened cutting jaws.

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I just fashioned a catalytic converter shield out of 1/2 inch stainless steel mesh, bent over triple layer, bolted to the exhaust pipes using stainless U-clamps. The whole thing is bolted on with red loctite nuts and bolts.

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