Ventilation For Car Canopy

[ravenau1]

Hi everyone!

Hoping someone can give me some ideas. My parents just bought a new car, and are having it fitted with a canopy much like this one:-

But without a window. It will be all especially decked out for camping. Now, we want borrow it on occasion to do some camping ourselves and we want to be able to take the dog with us. Can anyone suggest ways to provide some ventilation for the dog while traveling (The car is only single cab with bucket seats, so no room for the dog up front). I have seen dog trailers with spinning things on the top, presumably to let warm air out, but have no idea what they are called or where to get such a thing fitted. We're prepared to fit whatever we need to to the car, just don't know where to start so any advice will be appreciated.

thanks! It may not be possible to make it useable, but I thought I'd try and find out.

[WoofnHoof]

I've always called the spinning things whirlybirds but there are heaps of names for them. They are good if the car is moving and if the air being brought in is cool enough but IMO you need more. When I had a canopy it had windows and steel mesh had been screwed onto the inside so you could open the window right up and let air in but the dogs couldn't jump out. That combined wIth the whirlybirds would be your best bet.

[mokhahouse]

I dont know if its possible but could you have the airconditioning (assuming the vehicle has it) vented to rear as well. I know in my crew cab ute the air con is freezing and would easily cool the back as well and my ute is 16 years old.

[ravenau1]

Thanks WoofnHoof and mokhahouse

Unfortunately windows are a no go, an the canopy is a separate structure from the cab and I can't figure out a way to get air through. But we have about a year before we want to use it so will keep trying

[MolassesLass]

The whirlybirds are an ok option but really only work when the vehicle is moving. I prefer the ones at the top of this list. I'm not sure if this type of thing can be added to a canopy like the one you've shown.

[ravenau1]

Thanks Molasseslass

We ended up going for a couple of these, which can also be opened and closed from the inside. When everything is fitted we will do some temperature tests etc to make sure it's all ok

[Verdant Amphibian]

I would love to know how the temperature test goes. We're got a ute with a canopy and one dog at the moment who fits in the twin cab with us, we want to get another dog in a year or two and whether we get another medium breed or a toy breed instead depends on whether we can transport our dogs safely under the canopy or not. So being able to learn from your experience would be great.

[MolassesLass]

Oh they look spiff.

My dogs love to poke their noses up into the stream of air that comes in. Main-lining all the smells as we blast down the highway

[Sue Brown]

They look great were they expensive?

[ravenau1]

Verdant Amphibian, They have to wait about 6 weeks for the car to be delivered, then a couple of days for the canopy to be fitted etc. As soon as that's all done I shall post what we manage to find out.

molasseslass, that's sounds funny , we'll have to mount a camera inside to have a look!

Sue Brown, they are $140 each, they're getting put on the same time the canopy is getting made.

[D4DOGZ]

Who installs them? I assume by the looks that they are waterproof?