TrulyReady Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 Being that for me Agility season is fast approching and I FINALLY got a new SUV for traveling to trials I was wonder what everyone prefers for dog crates inside of there vehicles? I have used regular wire crates in the past but I can't think of anything worse then listening to crates rattle on a 5 hour drive. We have bungee'd them in the past which helps and I have a feeling my new SUV rides smoother then past vehicles so I'm thinking that will help too, but I was wondering if anyone had any alternatives? I am currently using a soft crate in the car but I have noticed they tend to retain smells even after wiping down the insides, pair this with leaving them in a hot vehicle 24/7 and I've quickly decided it was not a great plan. I've never been a huge fan of airline kennels but recently looking into Ruff Tough Kennels any experience/opinions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donald McCaig Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 Dear Doggers, Dunno. I don't want to buy two crates when one will suffice. Airline crates are - er - usable on airlines. Will you ever need to fly your dogs? I like the marichiro clipper http://www.petstore.com/Marchioro_USA-Dog_Crates_Kennels-MR-DGCK-ct.html which disassembles easier than the verikennel and has (optional) wheels. When you're flying you'll have dog/checked bag (where else to carry your dog bowl and 1st two days of food?) carryon and maybe a laptop(purse?) jacket. That dog crate can carry luggage to the rental car. The marchioro plastic isn't as thick or rigid as the verikennel but in ten years I've not had problems with cracks or misshaping and in July I picked up a workshop full of tools (planes, wrenches,files,chisels, etct) and loaded them in my camper. To keep everything contained I broke down my clippers and loaded maybe 150 pounds of sharp objects into the disassembled crate. No harm done. Donald McCaig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 Robin is in Canada at the moment, but she recently bought some of the Rough Tough kennels and really likes them. I have seen hers, and they look sturdy and well ventilated. The only concern I might have had was with the plastic door, but I imagine it's sturdier than it looks. J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz P Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 Dear Doggers, Dunno. I don't want to buy two crates when one will suffice. Airline crates are - er - usable on airlines. Will you ever need to fly your dogs? Donald, is that crate airline approved? Generally they say so in the product description. I know when I have shipped dogs they want to see 1) metal bolts holding it together (plastic not allowed) and 2) holes in order to add zip ties for extra security. It doesn't look like those crates meet either requirement. Maybe that was an airline specific thing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloria Atwater Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 Hi Christine ~ I've thought about this a lot, and there are a couple things I won't do, when crating dogs for travel. I will not use a soft crate, because they offer no protection at all, in the event of an accident. And I won't use a wire crate, because I've heard too many stories, and seen a few scary photos, of wire crates just crumpling and becoming a forest of twisted, pointy metal after impact. So, I now use a set of new, plastic Vari Kennel Ultra crates, with metal fittings. I need to figure out how to also tie them down, in the back of my camper shell. The very *toughest* crates out there are reported to be the RuffTough kennels that Julie mentions. Here's their website: http://www.rufftoughkennels.com/ The RuffTough crates are spendy, however. Yet I've seen them and for those with the budget, they are of very sturdy plastic, are molded in one piece so nothing to come apart, and the manufacturer say it's fine to drill extra ventilation holes. I just can't afford these! But at the least, I'd recommend good new Vari Kennels and if possible, find a way to fasten them down in your vehicle. (I'm still stuck on that part.) Also, try to avoid putting any crate at the back end of the vehicle, as the safest place is between the axles. Anything behind the rear wheels is "crumple-zone" in the event of an impact. Hope this helps! ~ Gloria Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gcv-border Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 I agree with Gloria about using a soft crate for travel. About a month or two ago, we had another topic discussing crates. I posted a link to crates that have actually been crash-tested.. Here is the link: http://safedog.co.uk/ I would consider that crate to be the safest one on the market for transporting your dogs in the car, but it is very $$$$$$$$$$$. It is not in my budget. There are a couple of companies that are now importing them. Just do a Google search on Variocage. Jovi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gideon's girl Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 I love my kennel-Airs. The newest one is almost 20 yrs old. The oldest I got second hand and well used thirty years ago. They are ridiculously heavy, very pricy, and you have to get a special kit to make them airline approved. But mine have been through everything with flying colors. I have five different types of crates sitting around mostly unused, my Kennel-Airs are always in use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maralynn Posted August 10, 2012 Report Share Posted August 10, 2012 Donald, is that crate airline approved? Generally they say so in the product description. I know when I have shipped dogs they want to see 1) metal bolts holding it together (plastic not allowed) and 2) holes in order to add zip ties for extra security. It doesn't look like those crates meet either requirement. Maybe that was an airline specific thing? I've got one and it says it's airline approved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
songsparrow Posted August 10, 2012 Report Share Posted August 10, 2012 Being that for me Agility season is fast approching and I FINALLY got a new SUV for traveling to trials I was wonder what everyone prefers for dog crates inside of there vehicles? I have used regular wire crates in the past but I can't think of anything worse then listening to crates rattle on a 5 hour drive. We have bungee'd them in the past which helps and I have a feeling my new SUV rides smoother then past vehicles so I'm thinking that will help too, but I was wondering if anyone had any alternatives? If noise is your primary consideration, I used one of these crates with a plastic frame and wire inserts in my last car, and it was significantly less noisy than an all-wire crate (although it wasn't completely noise free). I strapped it down with tie downs, to try to keep it immobile in case of a crash. When we got a new car, there were no suitable spots to secure a crate. After doing a ton of research, I decided to go with a seat belt instead of a crate for riding in the car. I have a soft-sided crate to take along to use at our destination, if needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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