Dog Trailer

[Gumnut]

I have a very handy hubby that is going to build me a dog trailer.

I was wondering if anyone would be kind enough to post or email me some pics of the inside of your trailer.

What is the best/worst thing in your trailer and what could you not do without.

I appreciate any feedback.

Thanks in advance

[Rysup]

The inside of my trailer is lined with a thin veneer type material which has either rotted in some spots and been chewed in others. Next trailer I get will be lined with something much more sturdy. The floor is timber and that has also rotted in some places. I would much prefer some sort of drainage hole in there. When I hose it out, the water has no way to escape, so its very hard to clean. If the floors had a central drain, that could be opened and closed, or covered over when not in use, it would be so much better.

They are the things I dont like about mine. I can take some photos for you soonish, I am going to clean it up and sell it soon, as I want a smaller one.

[oakway]

I have had mine lined with aluminum as the dogs chewed the 3 ply it was lined with.

As much as we all like to put the hose in the dog trailer and clean it out, dog trailers are not meant to be hosed out.

Think of them as caravans, would you put the hose in your caravan ?.

Yes, I put the hose in mine to, but we shouldn't.

A lot of the time this can cause rotting of the floorboards. Mine has rotted to.

I always like wooden floors as they don't pick the heat of the road as much as a metal floor.

[Gumnut]

Thankyou Rysup & Oakway for your feedback. I would love to see some pics when it is convenient for you Rysup

[Rebanne]

I have a little old trailer that actually holds all my junk, the dogs travel in the car but what is a godsend is the little hole between one berth and the next that means I can slide my gazebo right on in. It runs the length of the trailer. I can never seeing me having a big trailer that would have a wardrobe crosswise that would fit the gazebo. So if I was getting one built I would have the wardrobe along the length.

[Rysup]

I know they are not meant to be hosed out, but sometimes accidents *have* to be hosed out! Especially when you are carting young puppies around.

They are really awkward to sit in, and clean by hand, so I think accommodation should be made for easier cleaning.

Mine has a wardrobe, would never be without it! It holds everything!

[indigirl]

I mop mine out instead of hosing it with the 'doggie mop' which is used for gross animal stuff LOL. I then rub it down with a doggie towel to partially dry it. As yet I've no signs of rot and ive had the trailer i think 3 or 4 yrs now. Has wooden floors. I have marine carpeting on the floors with Dry bed on that then D1000 snooza beds on top. Seems to work ok! In summer i put bags of ice from the servo in there with the dogs - it works like an aircon and they stay lovely and cool. The dogs lick the ice as it melts too so they have a constant supply of water. They also have cool coats they wear. When they get home i empty the trailer and mop out any water as stated before. Even in very hot weather it stays cool enough in the dog trailer. When its very hot (38deg+) i dont attend shows anyway, though i sometimes travel with dogs for other reasons on hot days. I got a bigger door fitted to the bay where my golden goes, makes it easier to clean etc.

If buying another trailer I would get different mesh doors, security mesh ones with keyed locks so I could leave the dogs in the trailer with the doors open and never have to worry about them escaping etc. My inner doors are jsut weldmesh with slide bolt thingies. I jsut have a small trailer, a 2 berth one. My dogs like to travel/sleep together and the rest of the stuff inc gazebo fits in the car.

[marinapoint]

Hey Gumnut,

Just going through a similar process with my OH (handy to have a handy OH isnt it??!) we bought an OLD toledo on ebay which had a rusted out chassis, so he has completely rebuilt the chassis and most of the "lid" if that makes sense. He also fully designed the thing on as cadd graphics progam at home so got all of the measurements "just so". Hes a bit of a perfectionist! LOL

Ask your man to put some rust proffing paint on the steel sections, or use galvanised steel which will stop corosion. Also do take into regard the size of your trailer remembering that 6x4's dont have to be registered in VIC, and those which do I wonder if you'd need a compliance cert? Though if your man is an engineer this probably wouldnt be hard to get??

Theres like a million thinsg that we've discussed regarding the "rebuild" (or should I say, start from scratch! LOL). We're going to purchase new flooring and paint everything down this weekend. The frame is ready to rock and roll. You will need a supply shop like Carac (I think its called!! LOL) for all of the metal skin etc etc. I think you could consider things like checker plate flooring if you're not concerned about heat as already mentioned??

Also, on purchase of the trailer the front panel (you know right behind your car) was all dented from stones, so perhaps ask him to put aluminium checkplate there to prevent damage from stones? We will be You could probably do that for the rear too.

Things like placement of the spare tyre too could be a factor if you're short for space. Ours was originally on the A frame of the trailer, but I think hes decided to bolt it to the rear giving more room for a large tak box on the front.

Hope this is kinda helpful If youd like I can take some photos of it in the state its in now?

[Rysup]

Should point out that my trailer with a bit of rotten wood, is over 12 years old now. Its only a tiny bit in one part of the floor.

[atua]

My trailer is a Trek and it has a metal floor with drain holes which makes hosing out easy. I dont like the lift up lids because at times they can be hard to get up especially with winds and you have to remember rope to be able to pull them back down. The external doors on the Treks I have been told can come undone so I have replaced the locks on doors just for a little extra safety as I did have one door fly open whilst driving. I like the size of the tack box because it is deep and big. However one thing I would like is a rack on the back so I could store a Gazebo and trolleys. The reverse lights also are not the best on the trailer. However I like the internal doors as I can leave the external doors open and happily leave my dogs for a period of time without the worry of someone poking fingers in or even baiting them as they have many tiny holes. Also the internal doors have 2 locks instead of one which I really like as well.

However we are all different and prefer different things. I personally wouldnt ever opt for a wooden floor as dogs do have accidents and not just that if you leave water in with the dogs it can be spilt which will cause damage.

Other than that just make sure the berth sizes suit your breed or chosen dogs at full size.

Hope this helps

[Gumnut]

Wow, thanks for the responses from everyone, you have all been very helpful.

We were just talking about the flooring and he has decided to go with a metal floor with rubber on it the same as in the horsefloat, he also has an idea of putting a thin door along the very bottom at the back of the trailer so it can be hosed out and the water can escape through the open door ( I hope that makes sense).

What exactly are wardrobes? Are they more like storage compartments?

Marinapoint, thanks for the tips

[periannath]

The partitions in my trailer are half marine ply and half mesh .Love the marine ply it gives some privacy for the dogs for eating &sleeping on away trips.After having given a ride home to someone else's dog and finding my dog had his nose bitten we have replaced the original mesh with 1/2" x1/2" so it can't happen again.If you have white dogs think about powder coating the mesh so grey gunk that comes off mesh doesn't dirty your dog.We also got some locks for the internal doors that are flat, keyed the same and nearly adult proof let alone kiddie proof.Internal lights are a real bonus as well but need fixing so bored dogs can't eat them.

[auto]

Gumnut, a wardrobe, is were your crates and gabzebo and what ever else you feel like putting in there.

[Gumnut]

Thanks auto, I thought that was the case but I just wanted to make sure

[oakway]

I know they are not meant to be hosed out, but sometimes accidents *have* to be hosed out! Especially when you are carting young puppies around.

They are really awkward to sit in, and clean by hand, so I think accommodation should be made for easier cleaning.

Mine has a wardrobe, would never be without it! It holds everything!

Totally agree with you.

[Nevafollo]

Im slightly in love with our trailer in fact I dont ever want to up grade...Id prefer just to extend it some how? Do know if its possible thou.

Ours is made from the same stuff cool rooms are made of and its brilliant in summer its very cool and in winter it holds the warmth. A few things Id like to change that might be worth thinking about. Id like the wire inside that devides the trailer into 4 berths to be able to open and shut so i could be a 2, 3 or 4 berth. We are putting roof racks on soon to hold gazebos and trolleys and stuff. We also have a BIG tack box up front that holds a spare gazebo and our chairs ect. One thing we looked for in a trailer when we bought one was one with the tyre mounted on the back I know it sounds silly but i guess if someone runs up our bums they are gona hit the tyre and not slam straight into the dogs!

[Bisart Dobes]

Maybe go to a show with your partner and ask to have a look at some trailers. Most people wouldn't mind showing you and pointing out good and bad points.

For me the biggest thing is safety and comfort for the dogs and the next is storage. We have just got our near perfect trailer - aluminium lined, storage compartment at front and xlarge wardrobe, great sized berths for the dogs, air con fan, lighting etc etc. But there are still some little things we are doing to it to 'finish it'.

Things to seriously consider are : long drawbar - makes backing easier and they tow better as well - rear bumper bar - make chassis one full piece from drawbar to bumperbar (he will understand why), ventilation and insulation (vital), secure doors - internal and external lockable, berth size (obviously), storage (for your benefit), movable internal dividers are great as well (so you can sleep in it if need be ).

I'd go and look at other trailers first and make a list.

I like his idea of the drainage flap - though you can just put in drainage points like in boats - 2 little holes at the rear one on each side with plugs in them when dogs are in there - they work like a dream.

Good luck.

[ashka1]

My hubby builds dog trailers,to big motor homes, off raod vans etc. He built me the best trailer. As I have Newf I needed large berths and good insulation. Outside is fully fibrglass and looks a bit like a caravan style trailer.the internal walls and ceiling are insulated fiberglass, floor is a product called filmed ply. My internal mesh walls can change from 2 or 4 berth with a large wardrobe to fit gazebo and lots of stuff (this can be used as 1 lmedium or 2 smaller additional berths but entry doors are smaller)I also have a large build in frount storage boot that also has a side door that you can slide crates in. Open one wardrobe door a sink and small bench, water pump and undercariage water tank, In the frount boot is a battery set up that runs internal lights and water pump and ready for an aircon to be added. Outer doors have a solid opening panel with a security mesh inner door inside.

I will take some photos soon

[angelsun]

We have a new trailer and will make a few slight changes. In between the bays, we will put a bit of metal sheeting (about 10cm or so) to prevent dogs from pulling bedding through to their side.

When we hose out the large trailer (8 berth) it's jacked up to slope backward and the water runs right out.

[jellybean]

Hi Gumnut

My OH made me a trailer a couple of years ago. I really liked the Icecube trailers (made from cool room panelling) so he made one similar. The panelling was very reasonable, we purchesed it from Retracom here in Qld, and they will cut it to your specs even the door holes. It stays very cool and the dogs travel well in it.