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Temp in truck topper

12K views 25 replies 15 participants last post by  Lee Nelson 
#1 ·
I have a truck topper and haul my dog in it in a crate. I have a sliding front and side windows for air circulation but it still gets hot back there. Has anyone put a thermometer with a remote receiver in the back and the display up in the cab so you can monitor the temp back there while traveling. If so does it work and what type do you use.
 
#3 ·
Yes .... Use a Lacrosse thermometer with remote sensor. Can be found on Amazon.com
 
#4 ·
I've used the remote with success. Seems like the cheaper ones don't last long, however. You will find them on clearance this time of year. I did add a 1 1/2" thick sheet of building insulation foam to the ceiling of my cap. It made a HUGE difference in temperature. I can park in the sun and it will be as cool as under a shade tree inside.
 
#6 ·
Fiberglass absorbs heat so yes on insulating the topper. I used the bubble wrap type sandwiched between reflective AL. Easy to glue in place.
Now have a sst 4 hole topper and put in an inexpensive remote read thermometer. You can find them for less than $25.
 
#8 ·
Same as outside temps. You're not going to air condition a topper or dog box with just a fan. But a well insulated topper will not turn into an oven. When the temp hits 90 I put frozen water bottles or bags of ice in the boxes. Keeps pups very comfortable.
 
#24 ·
Yes, that's what I meant. There are many ways of doing it, I like the five gallon pail with an insulated minnow bucket inside, a frozen 1 gallon milk jug fits inside.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxSLbpAwibg
Doesn't work trust me, if your pulling in 90 deg. air and blowing it past a block of ice it only lowers the temp coming out by about 10 deg. 90/80 80/70 ect.. waste of time and money..
 
#12 ·
I attached a 4inch flexible AC duct to the back of the console in my F150 with Velcro and ran it through the sliding back window to the crate in the bed of my truck under the topper. I monitor the temp with a wireless Walmart thermometer - sensor zip tied to the crate and readout velcroed to the dash. When driving through Texas the temp in the crate quickly exceeds the outdoor temperature and with this setup I can maintain the temp below 90 deg. I just drove from Colorado to Houston in 100+ temperatures. I use a piece of plexiglass cut to fit in the window around the duct to reduce noise and stop hot air from leaking into the cab. I use Velcro on the console so I can detach the duct and throw it in back when I don't need to control the temperature for my dog. This also works well in the winter if you need to warm things up. I close all the vents in the topper when using this system but it doesn't make much difference.
 
#14 ·
I attached a 4inch flexible AC duct to the back of the console in my F150 with Velcro and ran it through the sliding back window to the crate in the bed of my truck under the topper. I monitor the temp with a wireless Walmart thermometer - sensor zip tied to the crate and readout velcroed to the dash. When driving through Texas the temp in the crate quickly exceeds the outdoor temperature and with this setup I can maintain the temp below 90 deg. I just drove from Colorado to Houston in 100+ temperatures. I use a piece of plexiglass cut to fit in the window around the du
ct to reduce noise and stop hot air from leaking into the cab. I use Velcro on the console so I can detach the duct and throw it in back when I don't need to control the temperature for my dog. This also works well in the winter if you need to warm things up. I close all the vents in the topper when using this system but it doesn't make much difference.
Will this set up work the truck AC too hard?
 
#13 ·
An additional item to help keep the crate area of your vehicle cool is a shade cloth.

The manufacturer states that "these cloths provide a 70% shade factor and are made from Aluminet—a knitted, highly reflective, aluminized fabric that reflects out unwanted heat, radiation, and light, and that does not absorb any heat itself. In addition, the open-knit construction allows excellent air flow. 70% Aluminet acts like a mirror during summer months, providing 55% light reflection; the result is a cooler climate by up to 14°".
 
#15 ·
I've done that so I can monitor temps back there while driving... Works well
 
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