Ideas for homemade dog crate

dunnin21

Active Member
I’m wanting to make my own dog crate for the back of my hilux as he’s out grown the one I bought. I don’t want to buy a pre made one as out of my price range and wanted some inspiration if any had any photos of designs they had would appreciate it thanks
 
I’m wanting to make my own dog crate for the back of my hilux as he’s out grown the one I bought. I don’t want to buy a pre made one as out of my price range and wanted some inspiration if any had any photos of designs they had would appreciate it thanks
Make a template from cardboard and gaffa tape then transfer it to face ply.
 
I used the bases from half a dozen bread crates wired together for years. Sorry, no photos and I’m using a DT box now.
 
I’m wanting to make my own dog crate for the back of my hilux as he’s out grown the one I bought. I don’t want to buy a pre made one as out of my price range and wanted some inspiration if any had any photos of designs they had would appreciate it thanks
Why not take the one you have & extend it? Not sure what you’ve got at the moment but if you could remove the ends you could maybe add a panel in to make it wider, for example? That way you have all the access doors, locks, catches etc in the right place & only need to do the basic mechanical stuff to increase the size which you could so with plywood or aluminium sheet, etc.
 
Cage type kennels in local auctions and Facebook market place as cheap as you like.
I used one years ago in my Fourtrack for my labrador after coming off the marsh.
 
Why not take the one you have & extend it? Not sure what you’ve got at the moment but if you could remove the ends you could maybe add a panel in to make it wider, for example? That way you have all the access doors, locks, catches etc in the right place & only need to do the basic mechanical stuff to increase the size which you could so with plywood or aluminium sheet, etc.
Good idea but the one I have it just a cheap on and wanted to make something better and more substantial. I already have the mesh so don’t think it would cost me that much to do
 
Good idea but the one I have it just a cheap on and wanted to make something better and more substantial. I already have the mesh so don’t think it would cost me that much to do
In that case, the worlds your oyster - in your shoes I’d be looking at what was available commercially & making something that used the best features from all of them. Little things like the TransK9 ones having a tray on the top to keep leads, etc in & which hand handle slots in the side that allowed a ratchet strap to pass through to secure it. Not to mention the rear ‘escape hatch’ etc. If the base is going to be waterproof, how about fitting a compression type drain plug in one corner so when it’s outside the car it can be easily hosed out etc. (would need to be sat on runners underneath to give clearance but if you’re raising it up, why not stick some foam insulation under it to help keep the dog(s) warm? Conversely, how about fitting a pair of computer cooling fans at each end to circulate cool air through in the summer - blowing air on one side & sucking air the other? If you’re going to use a mesh construction, think about using some heavy duty plastic matting attached to the sides & top using zip ties so that when Fido gets in & shakes he doesn’t spray mud all over the inside of the car - or you… You don’t say what the vehicle is, when I had a Defender I had a raised platform for the dogs which was supported by a couple of wooden cross beams sat on the tub sides - this allowed me plenty of room underneath for carcass tray etc & utilised space (as per a mezzanine in a building) that would otherwise not be used. Hopefully some ideas that might help you 👍
 
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In that case, the worlds your oyster - in your shoes I’d be looking at what was available commercially & making something that used the best features from all of them. Little things like the TransK9 ones having a tray on the top to keep leads, etc in & which hand handle slots in the side that allowed a ratchet strap to pass through to secure it. Not to mention the rear ‘escape hatch’ etc. If the base is going to be waterproof, how about fitting a compression type drain plug in one corner so when it’s outside the car it can be easily hosed out etc. (would need to be sat on runners underneath to give clearance but if you’re raising it up, why not stick some foam insulation under it to help keep the dog(s) warm? Conversely, how about fitting a pair of computer cooling fans at each end to circulate cool air through in the summer - blowing air on one side & sucking air the other? If you’re going to use a mesh construction, think about using some heavy duty plastic matting attached to the sides & top using zip ties so that when Fido gets in & shakes he doesn’t spray mud all over the inside of the car - or you… You don’t say what the vehicle is, when I had a Defender I had a raised platform for the dogs which was supported by a couple of wooden cross beams sat on the tub sides - this allowed me plenty of room underneath for carcass tray etc & utilised space (as per a mezzanine in a building) that would otherwise not be used. Hopefully some ideas that might help you 👍
Great tips there, I was thinking of raising it up and have a lockable tray on runners for ammo maybe rifle etc.

It’s a hilux pickup with a ifor style canopy on the back
 
Great tips there, I was thinking of raising it up and have a lockable tray on runners for ammo maybe rifle etc.

It’s a hilux pickup with a ifor style canopy on the back
Sounds like an ideal candidate for the mezzanine approach then - had this in my 110DCPU. Does depend what dogs you’ve got & how old/agile they are, but if they can get into the back of the truck to start with then they should be able to jump up the height of the tub sides. I didn’t have a separate cage fitted, just had the mesh door above the tailgate - meant I didn’t have to get in/reach in to open or close another door. If you want to have a cage inside then a good starting point might be to get an old fold flat cage with a door in the front panel, remove that whole panel & then trim to follow the contour of the Ifor canopy. Look forward to seeing some pics - or maybe pics of some sketches of your thoughts 👍
 
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