Travel with kids and dogs, looking for thoughts

Cpl_Punishment · February 13, 2019

On 13/09/2017 at 6:48 PM, Penguin VII said:

Appreciate all the info everyone. A new vehicle is not going to happen, at least not a family/dog hauler At the moment it seems like I can probably attempt to keep the lab and lapdog in the cab of the truck and any camping/travel supplies in the bed. From the sound of it I should be ok.

Good info here everyone, so thanks.

Most guys I know looking for extra cargo space go for the truck cap because it effectively doubles the size of your bed (as long as you don't regularly haul really tall stuff, I guess). Can't do much about the looks but, if style was the only thing that mattered, you would have bought a Camaro.

Penguin VII · February 13, 2019

1 hour ago, Cpl_Punishment said:

Most guys I know looking for extra cargo space go for the truck cap because it effectively doubles the size of your bed (as long as you don't regularly haul really tall stuff, I guess). Can't do much about the looks but, if style was the only thing that mattered, you would have bought a ~~Camaro~~ Challenger.

Fixed that for you ;)

But agreed. I ended up with a Diamondback cover as I felt at the time it was a solid compromise between cost/durability/safety. I haul some expensive guns including NFA items that would be expensive/impossible to replace without a long wait and lot of quality time talking to feds. I'd rather not deal with that and didn't want to spring for a truckvault + cap.

I also wanted the ability to carry tall loads, but at this point I haven't pulled the diamondback off. I do wish I had the full kit with the truckvault+cargoglide+cap but the cost was insane.

Cpl_Punishment · February 13, 2019

56 minutes ago, Penguin VII said:

Fixed that for you ;)

But agreed. I ended up with a Diamondback cover as I felt at the time it was a solid compromise between cost/durability/safety. I haul some expensive guns including NFA items that would be expensive/impossible to replace without a long wait and lot of quality time talking to feds. I'd rather not deal with that and didn't want to spring for a truckvault + cap.

I also wanted the ability to carry tall loads, but at this point I haven't pulled the diamondback off. I do wish I had the full kit with the truckvault+cargoglide+cap but the cost was insane.

No Fiats.

I have a buddy with an extended cab with a folding tonneau cover but I don't think he and his wife are planning to have kids, or certainly not any time soon.

i82much · February 13, 2019

Call me cheap, but instead of using a cargoglide under my cap i just keep a metal rake under the cap. Whatever slides forward, I pull back with the rake when I need it. Could be tire chains, recycling, a pet, a child, whatever - the rake works for me!

Penguin VII · February 13, 2019

2 hours ago, Cpl_Punishment said:

No Fiats.

I have a buddy with an extended cab with a folding tonneau cover but I don't think he and his wife are planning to have kids, or certainly not any time soon.

They look great and drive awesome. I don't know that I'll own one but hey. We are getting ready to start shortly here so it was a must for us.

1 hour ago, i82much said:

Call me cheap, but instead of using a cargoglide under my cap i just keep a metal rake under the cap. Whatever slides forward, I pull back with the rake when I need it. Could be tire chains, recycling, a pet, a child, whatever - the rake works for me!

I keep some wood stakes in the back for shooting but normally use them to fish stuff out. Gonna just tie a rope to the front and pull/push with that.

rjpoog1989 · February 13, 2019

On 9/15/2017 at 5:20 PM, rjpoog1989 said:

I'm in a similar situation two 60lb dogs. One is a springer spaniel and the other a black lab. I'm probably getting a cap for the truck so the dogs can be in crates in the bed. I get tired of cleaning dog slobber off my windows. If we have kids in the near future, room in the truck will be at a premium.

Wife got knocked up 2 months after this post.... I did get a cap shortly after that, and now a trailer to do all the things my bed used to do.

On 9/15/2017 at 6:52 PM, RyanbabZ71 said:

It doesn't end you will clean up kids hand prints and slobber off windows. My daughter swears she doesn't touch the window even when I catch her

Ryan B.

So far my daughter can’t reach the windows, so they are clean.

7 hours ago, Cpl_Punishment said:

Most guys I know looking for extra cargo space go for the truck cap because it effectively doubles the size of your bed (as long as you don't regularly haul really tall stuff, I guess). Can't do much about the looks but, if style was the only thing that mattered, you would have bought a Camaro.

I DD A Camaro when there’s no salt on the roads, so I don’t mind my old man truck so much. It sure beats a mini-van, plus I doubt a mini-van is pulling my new dump trailer.

Nick The Great · February 14, 2019

23 hours ago, Cpl_Punishment said:

Most guys I know looking for extra cargo space go for the truck cap because it effectively doubles the size of your bed (as long as you don't regularly haul really tall stuff, I guess). Can't do much about the looks but, if style was the only thing that mattered, you would have bought a Camaro.

Every so often, I joke with my wife about getting a topper (that's what we call them in the US-Midwest).

She is very against it for some reason. She thinks I'm way too young for something like that. Whatever that means.

Edited February 14, 2019 by Nick The Great

Cpl_Punishment · February 14, 2019

1 hour ago, Nick The Great said:

Every so often, I joke with my wife about getting a topper (that's what we call them in the US-Midwest).

She is very against it for some reason. She thinks I'm way too young for something like that. Whatever that means.

My wife has no issues with a cap/topper, maybe because that's what her parents have and it's great for camping, especially before we get a trailer.

ForestryGuy · March 18, 2019

SO, I've got two kids (3 year old and a 5 mo old) and two dogs (blue heeler and border collie). This is why i traded my 4 door Wrangler for the Sierra.

My initial plan was a camper shell with a roof rack. Soon found those have gotten pretty pricey since the last one i bought ($2,500-3,000). So I'm on the look out for a used one.

We have a roof top tent and do a lot of camping and traveling in the warmer months.

Current plan is the Thule Xsporter Pro for the roof top tent and rod vault (fly rod storage) and a 46" chest tool box mounted in the bed for camping equipment tools and such.

Haven't figured out the dog situation yet. They may get tied down in the bed or put in covered kennels in the bed sure as hell not riding in the truck. Otherwise we take our Outback.