If you have a pickup, do you keep your dog in the bed with a canopy on top? I know it needs to be vented. I need to make this decision in the next couple of weeks on whether to introduce the dogs to the pickup and use a harness for the back seats (double cab) or if I should put them in the back. It’s pretty cold at the moment and don’t really want to find frozen dogs in the back 🙂

brrrrr… sheepdogs seem to do it all year round..

I thought by the title this was going down the dogging route

Depends on the dog.
Alsations and sheepdogs will love it in the back, no matter how cold it is.
My Alsation would still lean out to look where we were going when it was below freezing. Only when the rain got too heavy would she shelter behind the cab.

A trucktop will be vented enough that you could pretty much close the side windows. We have 3 in a cage in the back – all together might create enough warmth but would not leave one in there on it’s own unless it was used to sleeping outside anyway.

Ours plus friends’ in warmer weather

Our 4 plus friends’ by CaptainMainwaring1, on Flickr

The dogs are wire haired lurchers, so have coats but not thick ones. I’m not so worried about spring to autumn, more winter. I guess it will just be a case of sticking them in the cab for long journeys and in the bed on local trips.

Brilliant photo Captain! How do you find the Navara double cabs for bikes? I looked at one the other day but thought I might have to go for the kingcab as the back seems quite short.

Double cab is fine. Need to take the front wheel off but that’s OK – easily takes 3 plus kit leant against the back. My medium LT2 also just fits inside with the front wheel off if it’s going to be left anywhere. The double cab just give you so many more options and seats 5 in reasonable comfort

IME with the double cab you can fit a bike in with front wheel on fairly easily, just put the saddle down. Both HT and FS – I guess it depends on the wheelbase.

Slightly off topic hijack 🙂

Thanks. I’m still torn between the Navara, Hilux and the Ranger even after test drives.

Is the dog on a lead? Is it under control? Has it any rights? Is it bothering anyone? Is it on the trail?
All dogs should be banished from this earth! 😉

Rear bed should be fine unless it’ll be in there for a while, mine normally sits in the rear footwell of the cab though.

Navara double cab takes HT, FS and 29ers no problem. I cobbled together a piece of decking across the front part of the floor with a couple of front fork clamps bolted onto then so front wheel off and seat post removed provides a solid base for them.

Cheers flatfish. Gives me a lot more confidence as it looked like the Navara Double Cab had the shortest bed. I don’t mind taking the front wheel off if i have to.

Bikes will have to go forwards if you’ve got a hardtop for the rear though as the back windows of them are sloped, had a minor flap on that I’d managed to talk the wife into a pick up saying “don’t worry the bikes will fit fine” then finding I couldn’t close the rear window. Turned them round and you’ve got about 3 inches to play with. PHEW.

My bikes have fit in fine backwards too (front wheel facing out of the bed). They have to fit in at an angle though, so you would struggle to fit more than one in like that. I’ve found that by resting the saddle on the sill of the side you have a good few inches of room for manoevure. Diff hardtops have different shapes though too, mine has a fairly vertical back window.