I use a simple ratchet strap to hold my crate in my truck.

 

From a safety stand point your best bet would be an Ainley SS crate. Seems situation and only one dog and the price of a Ruff Kennel there are too many bells and whistles for you thus making a standard Vari kennel the best choice for $60-70. If you are in a cold area, then getting a crate cover for protection from the elements would be another choice.

 

I'm in the market myself needing to replace current Veri-style. Take a look at these guys Goggle "Alumilene" (you may have) I'm looking at their 30 Series. Some $$ but a well thought out product. Watch the vid's.

 

Ok, im a big fan of those new ruff tough kennels they are great for replacing your piece of crap pet porters and just like that. I Have a buddy that purchased an alumilene kennel a couple years ago, and he loved it at first until he went down a gravel road. He said he even the guy that makes these kennels said they should either be in a suburban or under a topper. So in my opinion i would choose the ruff tough over that and save some money.

 

ruff tough makes a good crate more durable then a pet porter.

When they were $99 they were worth it. At $149.99 I don't think so. I know a guy that is already replacing the door on his where it is worn.

 

I've heard good things about these:

http://www.truckvault.com/OtherProducts_RuffToughKennels.aspx
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HHjqv0Hm-c

They're a little pricey for a plastic kennel but if you have it for 20+ years, less than $5-$10 a year is not that big a deal.

 

shutting the tailgate is the most fundamental secuity measure, whatever box you buy.

 

I was just wondering for those that are using the Rough Tuff kennels how the ventilation is in the hot weather? With only two rows of holes I was thinking that cross-ventilation was not very effective.

 

I use a vari-kennel for my 1 dog. I also have a FA cover for it to use during the winter. Bearing in mind that my girl is somewhat spoiled and normally gets to ride in the truck to training and hunting and goes into crate once we get to the traininng grounds and when she is dirty following a hunt or training. I use a rachet strap to secure the crate in the bed of the truck and when I add a topper to the truck I am going to build a deck that I can slide wingers etc under and install eye bolts to the deck that will allow the use of turn buckles to secure the crate to the deck. I have looked at dog boxes and gone back and forth but for now until I have more than one hunting dog the crate is easier and takes up less bed space.

 

These are good for the F-150 because you can fit two in the bed at this size(the 42"x 21" one) and if you need one in a hotel room,they fold up in one piece for carrying.Amazon was the cheapest when I just bought new crates.No shipping costs made a big difference.They are just held in place with bungee cords.

http://www.amazon.com/Midwest-Side-...tic-Inches/dp/B000ZLY0KU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1290446394&sr=8-2

 

Before i bought my aluminum box i had a vari-kennel that held up ok but i bought the Mud River cover for it and that was the best thing i did.The cover comes with tie down rings on each side to secure it very easy in the bed of the truck.

Brian

 

I have two XL vari-kennels in the back of my Tundra. They fit tight together and never slide but I do use a ratchet strap for long trips. Best deal I found on insulated camo covers was from sportsmansguide.com, $65. I also use rubber door mats on the crate floor to allow for wet dog drainage, two offer more elevation and I figure the rubber helps cushion the ride. They worst thing about these crates is clean out, you have to take it apart to clean it well.

 

Its good to meet a new member to RTF like me.I use two cinch straps to secure my plastic kennel in the bed of my F-150, each one is hooked to the tie downs under my toolbox. I just put a mud river kennel cover on it and its worth the extra money over other covers ,tough built with plenty of storage areas and it has two D-rings per side to make securing it much easier and safer. Check out Gun Dog Supply before you buy.
Dan
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Dans ZipnDee HotRodin HANK