[GR8WHITE]

Hey there guys I have an 07 titan crew cab and have never liked shells however I believe I am in need of one now. I am about to have my first child any day now and my wife and I go to my parents alot up in the Havasu area and head out to the river and always take our two mastiffs with us everywhere. However with my little girl coming I am not gonna have the dogs in the cab any longer (won't fit) but would like to still take them with us and it looks like a shell is in my future. The reason I want the shell is sometimes when we go up in the winter its cold but in the summer when we go alot there is no way they are staying in the bed in the sun when its 120 degrees out. My question is are there any shells that seal to the back cab of the truck where my rear window rolls down so I can get some cool air back there to try and keep them somewhat cool? Any suggestions that won't kill my wallet? Thanks for the help.:cheers:

 

[bills1974]

Do you have the power socket in the bed? You could always put a power inverter on that and plug in a decent size fan...

 

[jdmartin]

The shell doesn't seal to the window but you get an inflatable seal that goes between the shell and the rear window and you can keep it somewhat climate controlled. It's not going to be as cool as in the cab of the truck - there's no insulation in the bed - but it would probably be reasonably bearable. I used to travel with my dogs in the back of my trucks with caps on the back all the time.

You can mount a little fan in the window opening and pull cool air from the cab into the bed area, and that will help the dogs even more.

 

[bestatchess]

You can get seal boots for a shell, but when I bought my shell I was told they will rub the paint off.

 

[GR8WHITE]

Do you guys have any other options to keep them cool? Not too keen on the rubbing the paint off:huh: I usually load them in their kennels and strap them in. I also have and XE so no power port. Also try not to travel during the hottest times of the day. Maybe I can rig something up for them to maybe mist them and get a fan to blow air on them.

 

[bills1974]

What about a camper shell and running a positive and ground from the battery to hardwire a power inverter in the bed? Then set up a fan and a mister...get a camper shell with sliding windows and screens to leave them open so they get good airflow. Also, throw a couple damp towels back there for them to lay on, dogs love airflow and being damp! :lol:

 

[TITANsmurf]

Any suggestions that won't kill my wallet? Thanks for the help.:cheers:

Go camping at a place with a lake, go swimming instead of 'camping just to sit in air conditioning'.


???

 

[jdmartin]

Do you guys have any other options to keep them cool? Not too keen on the rubbing the paint off:huh: I usually load them in their kennels and strap them in. I also have and XE so no power port. Also try not to travel during the hottest times of the day. Maybe I can rig something up for them to maybe mist them and get a fan to blow air on them.

Without a camper top they're gonna bake in the kennels. If you're worried about the paint rubbing, you can put a thin layer of vaseline on the camper top and the cab - this will cut the friction when the cab/bed move independent of each other. OR, you can put camper tape on the cab and the bed - this is the same tape they put on your bed before they put the camper top on to keep the paint from rubbing off the bed. Either way will protect your paint.

If you're going to travel with dogs in the bed, I would highly recommend you either get the camper top & cab boot, plus a little fan, or not travel with them in the summer. You're in a hot-*** place and your dogs will really suffer if not become ill/die in the heat. I drove through Kansas, Missouri & Kentucky one year in June with my dogs in the bed (two big labs), with a camper top but no boot so the AC couldn't go back there, and going it was OK because temperatures stayed in the high 70's/low 80's. On the way back a couple weeks later temperatures climbed into the mid 90's and they were suffering so bad I had to cram them both into the extended cab portion of my Frontier, so they could get the AC on them. I got in the back myself just to check the heat and it was freaking hot.

 

[FishnAlaska]

Go camping at a place with a lake, go swimming instead of 'camping just to sit in air conditioning'.


???

I think he's talking about while driving to go camping, not leaving the dogs in there while he's camping.

3M puts out a tape you can put on your cab where the boot fits on, this way it will rub with on the tape rather than on your paint.

 

[smiller51283]

You could always buy a trailer and have the dogs ride in there with the generator and A/C running. Of course it will be a lot larger expence. But with a new family after awhile the old lady will not want to sleep in a tent anyway.

I lived in havasu for 8 years. Greatest place ever if you like to offroad and go boating. But be carefull with leaving the dogs in your truck, even for a couple minutes to run in a store. There are alot of people that will call the cops on you for leaving the dogs in the heat.

 

[greytitan]

I would consider myself an expert for your situation!!!

My son was born last May so I bought a leer cap used and put a futon mattress in the back for my female mastiff and ****er spaniel. They loved it back there though I put a thermometer back there and found out it was 125 + back there if it was over 100 degree's outside.

I ended up buying the following and I now feel comfortable with them back there no matter how hot it is in Las Vegas that day.

!MightyKool Personal Coolers by Swampy

Let me know if you have any questions. Oh and the AC on 4 and max cool will not even drop the temp in the cap at all. You will simply have your baby cooked by the heat coming through the window and being soaked by mastiff drool.

I'm glad i can help since this was my exact situation last year

 

[Farley]

I dont know what your price range is but what about something like this Pickup Truck Soft Top Canvas Camper Bed Shell With a canvas tops you can roll the sides up so there is air flow but the top can be covered to keep the sun from beating straight down. I bet you could even find a way to only partly roll the sides up too so there is more shade in the bed