Rileys mum Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 (edited) Ok so heres the situation..... I have 2 dogs. Both of which will be trialling/competing in the future. I currently have a small getz hatch which i have a soft crate in. The crate takes up the boot and back seat so its not practical and only fits one dog in. I Can take the crate out and put the two in the back seat but it leaves me no room for any other gear like crates etc. I plan to take them away camping and on trips as well as to competitions/training. So my dilema is do i trade in the getz and get something bigger like a stationwagon or keep the getz and get a small 2 birth trailer (from my research the tare weight of the small standard 2 births should be fine for my getz to tow...and if not, i would get another small car but one that can safely and legally tow the trailer) If i got a stationwagon, its petrol/upkeep costs are huge compared to my small runabout. I could get one on gas but that would reduce the room i have in the boot for the dogs thus defeating the purpose of having the car with bigger space. I dont need the bigger car other than to simply have room for dogs etc. I like the idea of having the trailer as it can also double as a crate/sleeping area for the dogs when im away etc but is it a practical thing for me to buy? Id love to hear what others do and what their set up is. Edited December 4, 2011 by Rileys mum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esky the husky Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 I totally feel your pain. I have a large husky and a large racing scooter and a tiny suzuki swift. So impractical! and not very efficient either :/ It uses more fuel than my OH's commodore wagon My dream car is a ute -specifically a hilux I'd have a dog box on the back and plenty of room for racing gear. And it would be so easy to clean post race. *sigh* :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetpoint GSP Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 All I can say is thank god I have a landcruiser - and even that isn't big enough some days! Main use is to tow horses but it sure comes in handy with two dogs, crates, gazebos etc. etc. Fill Up day at the petrol station is painful though! I don't have a dog trailer so I don't think I can really offer much advice on what they're like sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flick_Mac Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 I'm thinking the same thing for my next car - My boys take up the back seat and I can fit most things in there but when going away for a few days or more there is SO MUCH STUFF! I'm thinking of going the trailer route - because I'll spend less on petrol when I'm not using it. Won't have to buy a whole new car, and will still be able to take the dogs for short trips to the park, beach etc without the trailer if I don't want the bother. Then when I'm going away for longer or on trips that need lots of gear I'll use the trailer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vehs Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 Owning a station wagon atm - I would say the running costs (esp petrol) would put me off getting another. I only move the D around 3/7 days as week, and even then he could fit in a smaller car quite easily. I am keeping the wagon because everyone else in the family has a small car and it has been handy for moving large items. what are the prices of the wagons compared to the smaller cars that can tow a trailer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rileys mum Posted December 4, 2011 Author Share Posted December 4, 2011 Prices of the cars are probably similar i guess...give or take. Its more the cost of running the larger car that is making me a bit iffy about it. Ive had a stationwagon in the past to tow the horse float and it was so expensive in comparison to my small car. If i needed the bigger car for its towing ability i wouldnt think twice about getting one but the smaller cars can easily tow a 2 birth dog trailer too so im unsure about its use....that being said, the extra room in the stationwagon would be fabulous. I think the trailer might be a good way to go. Can still use the runabout cheap car during the week and use the trailer when i need to take both dogs to training or shows etc. Those with stationwagons on gas, do you find the room in the boot is significantly reduced. I do really like to travel my dogs in crates in the car for their own safety and mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gayle. Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 If you get a trailer, the fuel costs only go up when you're actually using it. If you get a larger car, your fuel costs go up all the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greytmate Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 The costs of running our diesel wagon are very comparable to that of running a small petrol car. I would always prefer to have my own dogs in the car rather than in a trailer for safety reasons. But you can always use a trailer for all the gear and have the dogs in the car with you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
voloclydes Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 if you get a station wagaon make sure the gas tank is a doughnut or scuba tanks one which goes in the spare tyre hole. the tyre then goes in the back. the tyre takes up less room. i liked my wagon so did the dogs as they got to travel in ac comfort. i had a cargo barrier and did not use crates. no we did not show... but dogs travel alot with us. the question really is more a money one which is less in purchase and up keep. my falcon sw on gas used less than a 4 cylinder on trips... like about $30 for 400km to sydney. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rainy Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 We had this problem too, we had an AU falcon i looked around at trailers and stuff but there was nothing that suited the way we wanted. So we purchased a pajero yes the cost price of running and matinace went up but it has opened up so many more options of what we can do with the dogs i dont regret it at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J... Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 I'd get a dedicated LPG Ford Falcon wagon, which is what I've got now. I do a lot of kms but only fill it probably twice a week @ $60 for country Vic gas prices. (I've put 120,000 kms on this car in two years). Plenty of room in the back for the two dogs, including the spare tyre against one side of the cargo area. Heaps of space in the back seat for trialling gear - crates, gazebo, chairs etc, or for bigger weekends away for camping etc with the dogs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rileys mum Posted December 4, 2011 Author Share Posted December 4, 2011 Thats a thought...getting a dedicated LPG. Gahhh i hate this. it really is hard to know what to do. Time to look into the cost of the two options and compare i think. Thanks for all the input guys. Much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freckles Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 (edited) When I got my show dog I upgraded to a stationwagon from a sedan. With hubby and 2 skin kids in the car the cargo area soon became over crowed when the second dog joined us and we started doing camp out shows so we bought a 6 birth trailer. We packed ALL the show and camping gear in 2 births and I used the other births for not only my 2 dogs but the extra 1 or 2 I would take away to show for the breeder aswell. When it was only me and the dogs for a weekend away I could lay down the back seats and sleep in the back of the car during the cooler months or if it rained and the dogs were all safe and warm in the trailer overnight. After our last wet weekend away my hubby refused to camp out again until our accommodation was more water proof. We now own a caravan and the dogs are back in the back of the stationwagon. But I still have the trailer for 1 day only shows or camp outs where only I go. ETA: My show team has also just grown to 4 so the trailer is a definite must have for local shows for now Edited December 4, 2011 by Freckles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bull Arab Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 Here is a thought.... We have a very nice dog trailer yet we don't let the dogs travel in it. We drive with the dogs in the back of the wagon (we have a liberty and a Sante-fe) and travel with all of the gear in the trailer. When we get where we are going we unpack the trailer and let the dogs sleep in it!!! works well for the dogs as they get the AC on the drive and the comfy trailer to sleep in!! So if you are deciding between them i say get one of each!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowanbree Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 Here is a thought.... We have a very nice dog trailer yet we don't let the dogs travel in it. We drive with the dogs in the back of the wagon (we have a liberty and a Sante-fe) and travel with all of the gear in the trailer. When we get where we are going we unpack the trailer and let the dogs sleep in it!!! works well for the dogs as they get the AC on the drive and the comfy trailer to sleep in!! So if you are deciding between them i say get one of each!! This is what I did and it was great as the safety of dogs in a trailer in an accident isn't great but it is so handy. In then end the disadvantages of towing a trailer got the better of me and I traded for a Van. Love it but don't love the cost at the pump station. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandgrubber Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 If you don't often carry human passengers, you can make a great dog car by taking out the back seat of a hatchback. I gutted a 4-door Ford Festiva, including the passenger seat, and had a welder do up some cages. Worked great and I could easily and comfortably transport four or five dogs. I'm pretty incompetent backing up a trailer . . . and in WA markets it's cheaper to buy an old hatchback than a dog trailer. I also did the LPG Ford Falcon Wagon . . . another good solution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murve Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 I own a dedicated gas Ford AU3 wagon, it is great we recently got a 3 berth dog trailer, did some cosmtic changes to it, had the maiden run yesterday with all 4 dogs, & all our gear in it, absolutely heaven more room in the wagon for bodies keeping all the gear in the trailer means we dont have to load/unload evey outing we do Just load dogs, hook up & off we go Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ness Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 The other thing to consider I would have thought is all the situations you wish to have both dogs where a dog trailer may not be practical as far as parking is concerned. A few people trialling have dog trailers but a number of the suburban obedience clubs aren't really dog trailer friendly. I know people who have them who have to get there really early to ensure they have somewhere to park them for example. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaar Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 We have a station wagon, and with one toy dog we have trouble fitting everything in! By the time I pack the trolley, grooming box, esky, chairs, gazeebo, floor mat, travel crate... It gets squishy. We are trading it in for a 4WD plus looking at getting a trailer down the track so my OH can take the 4WD to work on weekends and I can zip down to shows in my little 2 seater towing the trailer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RubyBlue Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 I would always prefer to have my own dogs in the car rather than in a trailer for safety reasons. But you can always use a trailer for all the gear and have the dogs in the car with you. Ditto - I came to this realisation in my old car which was not very good with the a/c. It was a long drive on a day where the temp was in the high 30s and I had a very old dog in the back of the wagon. The car wasn't coping with the drive but with the a/c off and windows down it was way too hot for the dogs. It made me glad that they were in the car and not on the back of a ute or in a trailer where I wouldn't have even been able to make a dent in the temperature. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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