Gunner Kennels

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mooneywa

mooneywa

Joined
Mar 10, 2012
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Location
Kingwood, TX
Does anyone have one in their 200? Looking for not only protection and management of the dog, but a better ability to store bags in around and above.

They're pricey - read where someone called them the Yeti of kennels (eye roll) - but it's something I'm looking and curious if anyone has any experience with it? 2017 Cruiser, 65 lb labradoodle.
 
I have a 40 pound labradoodle in a ruff tough kennels that I got at cabela's. Seems sturdy and safe in the back of the 200.
 
I've had PetMate* kennels for over a decade. Two 50+ lb dogs. Never tied them down (bad human); did have my 4-door 2002 Vitara (Duratracs) slide off loose gravel @ 35 mph & right-hand tires into the ditch. With little room, side to side, for the 2 kennels to jostle, one did slide upwards when that dog's weight shifted. Dogs were remarkably calm about it.

For 18 years, we hauled dogs in our FJ62 with a Milford cargo barrier. this results in a thick layer of dried drool on all 3 back windows. Contemplating a return to that in the 200.

*Never dropped 1600 lbs on one. Not going to show my dogs that Gunner Kennels video . . .

I see Gunner sells insulated covers for their kennels. PSA: Friend put insulated covers over 2 of Petmate's largest kennels in the back of his pickup, under a topper. Left the dogs inside on a cold night. The dogs were soaked the next a.m. from the condensation of their respiration & lack of sufficient ventilation.
 
kennel

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  • Media owner Jebbud
  • Date added
@mooneywa that's a great looking kennel. just as an option, I run a Rough Tough Kennels crate. It is rotomolded. Fits just perfect with my drawers. Before that, I ran an Impact kennel in my 100 series. My lab is 85lbs for a reference
 
No experience with Gunner kennels, just intermediate sized Ruff Tough kennels. Two of them will fit side by side in the back of our 2013 LC with 3rd row seats in the stowed position so nice it’s like they were a Toyota factory option. Not loose. Not tight. I actually took the kennels along on my first dealer test drive. If they hadn’t fit so well we might be driving something else.

The carpet on the tailgate give the dogs toenails something to grip when they jump up or down. The tailgate gives me a spot to inspect the dogs after hunting. I like the LC better than our old 2017 4Runner as a upland hunting vehicle for these reasons.

Don’t be afraid of the plastic kennel door. They don’t rattle like my old metal pet porter door did. I’d pay the extra money for the Ruff Tough over the Pet Porter just for the peace and quite.

I see Ruff Tough has a new SUV version of the intermediate sized kennel. The kennel back is angled to better match the angled of the back of the second row seats and use all of the available space for the dog. I don’t have those, but looks like a good idea if you’re buying new. Not worth it as an upgrade.
 
All-

Thanks for the replies. Haven’t done much research on Rough Tough, but 1/3 of the cost is certainly appealing. I’ll also check out Petmate. I know I’m late to the game since Bear is over 7 years old, but I’m thinking for the driving we do, it’s good for him to be in something so he wouldn’t become a missile in a wreck... both for him and us.

@Jebbud - pic is worth a thousand words, thanks for the pic for size.
 
@mooneywa of course. if you need any else, let me know
 
I mentioned the Gunner Kennels to my wife (dogs' best friend) & she'd balked at their sheer weight:

The G1™ Small Kennel weighs around 28 pounds. The G1™ Medium weighs around 39 pounds. The G1™ Intermediate Kennel weighs approximately 55 pounds. The G1™ Large is around 75 pounds. All come standard with kayak-grade handles for easy lifting, and the G1™ Large includes wheels for easy transport. She came to the conclusion they were meant to be semi-permanent, rather than remove to go the grocery type use.

No matter which kennel you get, be particular about the door release handle. Gunner, has a Paddle-latch includes a key-in-the-hole lock, with easy 2-finger operation. PetMate has an easy twist knob; or a style where you have to grasp 2 spring-loaded bars opposite each other, squeeze together to retract the top & bottom latch pins, & then pull open.

 
@4xoddic - yeah those are heavy, but I don't know that the difference between the G1 Intermediate at 55lbs and the Petmate 2nd largest at 39lbs is going to be a serious game changer. Likely, if the dog is going in the cruiser, I'll be driving it and thusly lifting it. My Pelican 65qt is 48lbs (and notably heavier than it's Yeti counterpart) so it's a good frame of reference, but not unmanageable. My wife can handle the Pelican, but it has to be unloaded. Lots to think about here.

I probably should go and do some measuring too.
 
Jebbud said:
kennel

kennel

  • Media owner Jebbud
  • Date added
@mooneywa that's a great looking kennel. just as an option, I run a Rough Tough Kennels crate. It is rotomolded. Fits just perfect with my drawers. Before that, I ran an Impact kennel in my 100 series. My lab is 85lbs for a reference
Click to expand...
What size is this kennel, large or intermediate? I have a 55lb golden and she stands 23" at the shoulder.
 
rufftuff said:
What size is this kennel, large or intermediate? I have a 55lb golden and she stands 23" at the shoulder.
Click to expand...

The kennel in the picture is not an intermediate. I just measured the distance from the underside of the door flange to the kennel floor. On both of my Ruff Tuff intermediate kennels it measures 2-1/8". In the photo that distance is much more, maybe 4-6 inches. The kennel in the photo is at least a large sized kennel.

My English Setters are 40 lbs and 22" at the shoulders. The Intermediate is plenty of kennel for them. We take 3-8 hour trips during hunting season without a peep from the dogs. I think your dog would be happy with an intermediate too.
 
GunnerKennels are the best there are. If they had a size that could comfortably fit my GSD, I'd have one. My buddy got one for his BlueHeeler and really likes the crate.

I have a ZingerWinger DX5000 which I used in my Tacoma. An excellent crate, but cannot hold a candle to GunnerKennels on the safety aspect. The previously-mentioned Rough Tough Kennels are similarly not in the same league.
 
@eatSleepWoof - that's about what I figured for the Gunner Kennels. The sticking point for me is probably sizing. I guess I'll have to measure out for my 60lb labradoodle. Ideal setup is a Yeti to stay on one side and the kennel on the other, but I just don't know if it's big enough back there.

Update: Measured and it looks like a GK Intermediate and a Yeti 65 can coexist back there IF at least one but maybe both of the seats are taken out. It also looks like the regular back seats can recline some, but perhaps not all the way.
 
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mooneywa said:
@eatSleepWoof - that's about what I figured for the Gunner Kennels. The sticking point for me is probably sizing. I guess I'll have to measure out for my 60lb labradoodle. Ideal setup is a Yeti to stay on one side and the kennel on the other, but I just don't know if it's big enough back there.

Update: Measured and it looks like a GK Intermediate and a Yeti 65 can coexist back there IF at least one but maybe both of the seats are taken out. It also looks like the regular back seats can recline some, but perhaps not all the way.
Click to expand...

I suggest making a cardboard mock up of the kennel and sliding it and the yeti in place to be really sure. Also consider how you will tie down the crate, and how the crate door will swing open.
 
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