Locking/securing Ruffland Kennel

K

KEOutdoors

Well-known member
I am going to pick up a ruffland for my new dog, now that I know his approx max size and what size i need (large). Now i have a concern, when riding with buddies that do not have toppers on their trucks is there a way to lock them down to the bed? They have permanent boxes, and mine would be able to slide in and ratchet strap down no problem if I want to bring my dog. I am just concerned that i wont have a $300 kennel when i return after hunting, with some of the backwoods methy areas in Iowa. Ive been using a cheapo that I don't care about this year, and have a topper personally.

I was thinking bike cable lock to a D ring in the bed? I realize locks only keep honest people honest, but these meth heads wont break locks... They just cut straps and grab what they easily can.
 
I've dealt with this issue on two trips already this year. i've got the less expensive petmate carrier with insualted cover. my vehicles are mid-size suvs, so I usuaully leave the kennel in the cargo area during the night.

but when i went to SD both times this year, we took a buddy's pickup truck without a cap. we were able to ratchet strap the kennels down in the bed during transport, but we worried about whether the kennels would still be in the back of the truck when we went out the next morning to load up for the day's hunt. we ended up hauling the kennels inside the motel rooms each night. it is tiresome, especially if the rooms open to the inside hallway, or you get a second floor at the motel.

i suspect the petmate kennel is not sturdy enough for a through cable or bolt on anchor points, and the kennel cover would have to be cut to allow a through cable. thru-bolts through the bottom of the kennel floor and truck bed could be an option for the heavier duty molded kennels or the alluminum truck boxes.
 
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I think a large would fit in the cab an intermediate fits no problem. They do have threaded inserts on them on the low front and on the top. You could just bolt a piece of cable to the the low inserts with a short piece of garden hose over it and slam it in the bottom of the locking tailgate and see if you could pull it . I bet that would do it.
 
While living in Iowa I had a three dog aluminum dog box. I drilled a hole thru the two back corners, and put in two eye bolts. Next I drilled two holes thru bed of pickup, and inserted two more eye bolts. Put the box back in, and the eye bolts were very close to each other. Then just use a padlock to connect the eyebolts. Sounds like a pain, but was really easy.
 
all newer Fords have tie down cleats in the corners of the bed. Cable from the dog box to cleat with a padlock is about as safe as you are going to able to get. I have no experience with other brands of trucks
 
Is it that bad now where people are stealing dog kennels? Very sad but in today's society anything possible.
 
jensen said:
Is it that bad now where people are stealing dog kennels? Very sad but in today's society anything possible.
Click to expand...
They'll steal anything that they can have their girlfriend sell on Facebook for more than a dollar. They used to cut off your cat and exhaust pipes and even sign poles from parking lots but the scrap yards now require ID and an account that tracks what you have sold in order to be paid. So now its stealing any item that isnt locked up, to sell on facebook/craigslist.

USUALLY you are good if its hard for them to take, they dont break into vehicles or cut locks. They just pull into the parking lots and check all your doors and grab anything loose that is in the bed of your truck.
 
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