Best dog Barriers for 4Runner
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Swarty
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Thanks man..pricey yes but don't want to tear up my headliner...
So you have this and installed on your 2015 4Runner?
Doc_Fry
New member
No one is willing to make a quality one due to thr side airbags. In order to fully protect them the best solution that I hve found is to install a kennel in the back tattached to the vehicle so it would not move in case of an accident you can look at my fridge install in my build thread to get a bette idea, link below in signature. I have been extensively down this road to no avail, ie talkd t all manufactures even ones who have in the past made one for the 4-Runner.
Vrrooom
New member
I went through all types of options and didn't find any that I liked. If we're offroad or making a small run around town, the dog is in the back. If we're doing anything more extensive then that, I have a seat cover and a harness and he hangs out in the back seat. At first he wasn't a fan, but now he prefers it as he is closer to us. The harness actually attaches to the back, this was just to keep him in there while I loaded stuff up to give him some more walking room.
This is how he rides now
My wife runs dogs so she will have medium to big dogs. Primarily keep them off the seat. Saw a $350 option for back but IT WILL protect the rear area. To-date see. O satisfactory cage/barrier.
Swarty
New member
Hopefully soon
Nope, but it's the way I'm going. I've seen it in person on another guys rig. The 2010 - current all have the same interior in the rear so don't get too hung up on the year.
Nope, but it's the way I'm going. I've seen it in person on another guys rig. The 2010 - current all have the same interior in the rear so don't get too hung up on the year.
BlacknTan
New member
I've run gundogs my entire adult life, and the safest place for them is in a crate or crates, unless it's just a short trip around town ..
Here's the best solution I've found, although, they're a bit pricey.
NorthStar Plastics & Manufacturing, LLC | Home
Here's the best solution I've found, although, they're a bit pricey.
NorthStar Plastics & Manufacturing, LLC | Home
4RnR Grl
New member
I am not an expert, but I do have a lot of experience with traveling with dogs.... I have traveled tens of thousands of miles with my dogs over the last fifteen years. I have Rhodesian Ridgebacks (70-100lbs), and compete in conformation, performance, and field events. I have traveled from Florida to New York, Tennessee to Michigan, all while driving with dogs in the back of my truck.
Couple things... first off, I do have to agree with having them crated or harnessed. If you get into an accident, they will be gone or could prevent someone from helping you in a life threatening situation. I hear of stories on an almost daily basis where someone is involved in an accident and their dog is now running at large, or is hit after being ejected from the vehicle. An accident is out of our control (most times), and our simple errands around town, could turn deadly for our beloved pets. Please be smart.
CRATES:
You can fit a 42" long crate snugly between the rear wheel wells while still having full use of the rear seat and the tie down points. A two door crate has a side exit door which makes it easy for you to get them out. It actually was the determining factor for the 4Runner for me.
You can also fit two side by side "SUV" crates facing the rear of the vehicle... without use of the rear seat. Bear in mind though with this option, you will need some support under them as the rear seat hump gets in the way. Wire crates are safe for the dog to travel in and prevents them from distracting you, jumping out when you open the rear hatch, have plenty of ventilation and gives them their own space. If you use a crate... please tie them down well with ratchet straps. The downside.... if you are rear ended or broadsided in a serious accident, the welds on the crate will come loose and likely seriously injure your dog (or you). There's no getting around it, they're not made for accidents.
Many people use the enclosed plastic crates, you know the two halves that fasten together.... but they are bulky and hard to tie down. They also do not afford very good ventilation, and your dog will get hot all the way in the back. They also are not squarely shaped and tend to not fit into a lot of spaces due to the center attachment point to assemble the kennel.
Now... that being said... a couple of companies have since emerged recently designing their plastic roto-molded kennels to be very good. RoughLand Kennels (previously Rough Tuff or RTK). I actually really like these but sadly my dogs are too big to fit in them. I also really wanted to use the Gunner Kennels as they passed the crash testing for a single roto-molded kennel, and they are excellent. There are also a couple other companies that also make similar kennels.... Dakota 283, Lucky Duck, among others if you dig.
I have tried many versions of nets, and barriers. They all have the same flaw in that your dog is still loose when you open the rear hatch and can get out of his own accord. He will also slosh around during turns and quick stops. The metal tension barriers DO NOT stay in place, especially for spirited drivers. When the vehicle flexes during turns or vibrates during a trip it can come loose and will crash down on top of your dog (ask me how I know) in turn scaring the crap out of him. Again you have the issue of the dog being loose.
Harnesses:
I condone the use of a properly fitted harness that is correctly tethered to the child seat loop (you know that metal loop behind the seat intended for baby seats to be fastened to). The key is that it is used correctly. There is a company that did a crash test of a dog in a harness. Watch it. It's an eye opener. Crash Test Videos.
Double Kennels:
The only way to safely travel with your dog and almost guarantee that he will be unharmed, has ventilation, and cannot escape is a crash tested crate. I used to own the Variocage, but found it to be very noisy after a few months. They are not cheap, but they have been proven to work.They are made in Switzerland, but are available here in the US from several different places. Clean Run, Amazon, 4X4 North America, etc. MIM Variocage. Another somewhat similar version which I am currently running in my Sequoia, is the Trans K9 Kennel. These kennels are really well made,and are completely silent while traveling. They are manufactured in Scotland and shipped to the US. If you send the company an email they are more than happy to give you shipping quotes and which sizes will work in the 4Runner.
There's my two cents.... or twenty.
Couple things... first off, I do have to agree with having them crated or harnessed. If you get into an accident, they will be gone or could prevent someone from helping you in a life threatening situation. I hear of stories on an almost daily basis where someone is involved in an accident and their dog is now running at large, or is hit after being ejected from the vehicle. An accident is out of our control (most times), and our simple errands around town, could turn deadly for our beloved pets. Please be smart.
CRATES:
You can fit a 42" long crate snugly between the rear wheel wells while still having full use of the rear seat and the tie down points. A two door crate has a side exit door which makes it easy for you to get them out. It actually was the determining factor for the 4Runner for me.
You can also fit two side by side "SUV" crates facing the rear of the vehicle... without use of the rear seat. Bear in mind though with this option, you will need some support under them as the rear seat hump gets in the way. Wire crates are safe for the dog to travel in and prevents them from distracting you, jumping out when you open the rear hatch, have plenty of ventilation and gives them their own space. If you use a crate... please tie them down well with ratchet straps. The downside.... if you are rear ended or broadsided in a serious accident, the welds on the crate will come loose and likely seriously injure your dog (or you). There's no getting around it, they're not made for accidents.
Many people use the enclosed plastic crates, you know the two halves that fasten together.... but they are bulky and hard to tie down. They also do not afford very good ventilation, and your dog will get hot all the way in the back. They also are not squarely shaped and tend to not fit into a lot of spaces due to the center attachment point to assemble the kennel.
Now... that being said... a couple of companies have since emerged recently designing their plastic roto-molded kennels to be very good. RoughLand Kennels (previously Rough Tuff or RTK). I actually really like these but sadly my dogs are too big to fit in them. I also really wanted to use the Gunner Kennels as they passed the crash testing for a single roto-molded kennel, and they are excellent. There are also a couple other companies that also make similar kennels.... Dakota 283, Lucky Duck, among others if you dig.
I have tried many versions of nets, and barriers. They all have the same flaw in that your dog is still loose when you open the rear hatch and can get out of his own accord. He will also slosh around during turns and quick stops. The metal tension barriers DO NOT stay in place, especially for spirited drivers. When the vehicle flexes during turns or vibrates during a trip it can come loose and will crash down on top of your dog (ask me how I know) in turn scaring the crap out of him. Again you have the issue of the dog being loose.
Harnesses:
I condone the use of a properly fitted harness that is correctly tethered to the child seat loop (you know that metal loop behind the seat intended for baby seats to be fastened to). The key is that it is used correctly. There is a company that did a crash test of a dog in a harness. Watch it. It's an eye opener. Crash Test Videos.
Double Kennels:
The only way to safely travel with your dog and almost guarantee that he will be unharmed, has ventilation, and cannot escape is a crash tested crate. I used to own the Variocage, but found it to be very noisy after a few months. They are not cheap, but they have been proven to work.They are made in Switzerland, but are available here in the US from several different places. Clean Run, Amazon, 4X4 North America, etc. MIM Variocage. Another somewhat similar version which I am currently running in my Sequoia, is the Trans K9 Kennel. These kennels are really well made,and are completely silent while traveling. They are manufactured in Scotland and shipped to the US. If you send the company an email they are more than happy to give you shipping quotes and which sizes will work in the 4Runner.
There's my two cents.... or twenty.
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Vrrooom
New member
Thanks! You have some beautiful Ridgebacks there yourself! Thanks for the links and info on dog transporting.
Doc_Fry
New member
Here are the pictures of what I have done. I am using an Extra Large Kennel. I The best kennel I have seen is Ruff Kennel. I plan on replacing my current kennel with there intermediate kennel. I also attached a 12V fan to the kennel. The problem with wire kennels is that they can rattle, that drives me nuts. Here is a link to the Ruff Tough Kennels.
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blacksheep4
New member
Here are the pictures of what I have done. I am using an Extra Large Kennel. I The best kennel I have seen is Ruff Kennel. I plan on replacing my current kennel with there intermediate kennel. I also attached a 12V fan to the kennel. The problem with wire kennels is that they can rattle, that drives me nuts. Here is a link to the Ruff Tough Kennels.
Hey Doc, I like your set up. Do you mind explaining what you used as an anchor to 550 chord the kennel down to your sliding tray? I don't have a sliding cargo tray, does it have existing point or did you screw in some kind of bar? Nice knots by the way.:yo:
4RnR Grl
New member
Nice set up [MENTION=117975]Doc_Fry[/MENTION] I like how nicely it fits in there.
I did regret to mention fans as well. I have a couple of fans made by "O2" that have a regular plug, lighter adaptor, or will run off 8 D batteries. I have run one of these all day at a trial and the next day off the batteries and it still had some juice left. I think I paid $20 a piece for them.
I took a couple more pictures of my current setup as I will be on the road every weekend with dogs from now until May. Pictured are the SUV crates. 21" wide X 36" long. They are strapped down tight and do not move at all.
I built the platform so they would clear the seat hump and for storage. I'm still working on bins or drawers for under there... maybe I'll have some time in May.
I did regret to mention fans as well. I have a couple of fans made by "O2" that have a regular plug, lighter adaptor, or will run off 8 D batteries. I have run one of these all day at a trial and the next day off the batteries and it still had some juice left. I think I paid $20 a piece for them.
I took a couple more pictures of my current setup as I will be on the road every weekend with dogs from now until May. Pictured are the SUV crates. 21" wide X 36" long. They are strapped down tight and do not move at all.
I built the platform so they would clear the seat hump and for storage. I'm still working on bins or drawers for under there... maybe I'll have some time in May.
Doc_Fry
New member
I used 550 cord drilled through the slide out, then tied a monkey fist on the bottom. I did this as I want to upgrade the kennel. I will eventually upgrade to an adjusting type of anchor. I used this type when I installed my drawer system in my FJ. You can use something like this or even straps or like I did 550 cord. I like it cause it is easy to work with very strong and easy to change if you want to. Just make sure that the kennel is secure front to red side to side etc there is a knot called a truckers hitch which will help tighten it up enough to keep tension on all sides.
The fan I am using right now is a $20 12V fan from Walmart. I removed the base and zip tied it to the side of the kennel then plugged in the the 12v outlet. Is it the best solution no. It does work though. I will keep it this way until I get a better kennel then I will fork out the dough and go with a purpose built fan.
On another note as far as kennels. There are companies out there that do these types of things for a living. Or making kennel solutions for transporting canines in vehicles. All the way up to separate climate control systems for the dogs. They usually make them for Police and Military Canines but also off some very nice purposely built systems. They do cost a little lore coin IE around $1000 USD. Compared to a Ruff Tough Kennel around $250, or a regular transport kennel $100. Find which one works best. Get one that allows them to fit in there ckmfortably but not too large. Smaller is better here as it will protect them in an accident. IE in the ruff tuff my 80 pound English Lab will fit in an intermediate while now I keep her in a large/Xtra large kennel. The purposely built fans run $150+ with options all the way to seperate climate control.
Doc_Fry
New member
I like it for how i use it. Works great and is an elegant solution. I esepcially like how they integrated the latch into the system. I would not have it if I where to have drawers in this build.
Now if you do not have it already installed it is not the cheapest to retrofit. It is not a port option and is instlled at the factory. The parts are difficult toget and exoensive. Some have removed theres and have sold the parts outright for cheaper. That would b one way to get it. Otherwise look at a high quality drawer system with top panel slide outs. It would be in the same neighborhood of cost on your end and allow for better storage. Some manufactures are Adventure Trailers, and ARB. There are may more out there mostly made in Australia and South Africa so they can get expensive in shipping, look for the Alumium ones with ball bearing rollers.
A few threads:
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/193036-beyond-cargo-aftermarket-living-cargo-tray.html
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/112467-storage-box-mod.html
I hope this gives you a heads up.
Doc
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Mike135802
New member
I found this dog barrier that attached to the back of the headrest. It took a little manipulating but it works.
http://www.amazon.com/Walky-Adjusta...d=1427891685&sr=8-15&keywords=dog+car+barrier
You can see a pic here...
http://www.amazon.com/Walky-Adjusta...d=1427891685&sr=8-15&keywords=dog+car+barrier
You can see a pic here...
