Dog stair for passenger access to LC
- Thread starter evillinux
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I settled on a Rubbermaid Action Packer 8 Gallon Lockable Storage Box as a step for our 70-pound golden to get in and out of the back seat. The top and bottom surfaces were a bit too slippery so I attached pieces of outdoor carpet to both surfaces. She is a happy girl now.
An additional benefit is that the box holds all of her outing gear inside. I sit the box either on the back seat next to her bed/platform or slip it through the lift gate window. The box is a simple solution that has worked well for us, both for the Land Cruiser and my 4x4 crew cab pickup.
An additional benefit is that the box holds all of her outing gear inside. I sit the box either on the back seat next to her bed/platform or slip it through the lift gate window. The box is a simple solution that has worked well for us, both for the Land Cruiser and my 4x4 crew cab pickup.
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- #23
I absolutely love this idea and I think I will give it a whirl with Sunny! She might like something like this a bit more as she seems to still be open to a small step like system. Unfortunately she hated the last steps I had posted on and also they were massively bulky and didn't work out unfortunately so this seems like a great idea! Thank you so much for sharing!
I was happy to find this thread because my German Shepard dog travels with me almost every weekend! I also haul multiple grand dogs back and forth as I am the official dog babysitter if anyone is taking a trip! BUT, it has been a huge issue since swapping to the LC from multiple suburbans bc I didn't realize the door opening was sooooo small until after I had bought it! My GSD is not happy with the narrow door opening and additional height (she is 7) but was not happy the one time we had her ride in the back as she couldn't access us like she was used to in the suburbans with captains chairs. I kept the back seats folded down and had a weathertech mat that went to the second row seats - her own dogbed back there or multiples if I was hauling several. Even though she road in the back most of the time on her bed, she liked having the ability to come to the front to check on us and then go back. I also have a senior Rottweiler that was mine until I let him go live with my daughter when she moved to the city alone - and Mom couldn't handle it so I sent my watch dog to take care of her. He did exactly what I asked, but now almost 9 yrs later she has laid claim to him as being hers! 
BUT, he still gets to come "home" for visits. Except that I have not found a safe way to load and unload him out of the LC. I had a ladder similar to some posted here where he would load in the back of my suburban, but then last year as he got older (he is now 11) I bought a wider ladder because I could tell he was uncomfortable going down the narrow steps. BUT my wider ladder is not tall enough to reach due to the hybrid batteries raising the back height. I didn't think about this until we went on vacation and were traveling in 2 vehicles - and we were going to take him and go on to the Air BNB bc they were making some stops. We loaded him at a Loves where I was backed up to a curb with grass (probably a 6-8 height gain) and so it worked fine loading him, but when we got to our vacation "home" for the week, we had an extremely difficult time getting him out because the ladder wouldn't reach to the top. Tried just putting it on the back door jam and holding it good, but he was putting his feet in the space in between and we were getting into a mess. He weighs about 85 lbs and doesn't like being picked up- but as a last resort I finally picked him up after he started partially down the ladder and got his rear foot in the wrong spot and put him down. BUT, I had promised him a few weeks back he could come for a visit - but for the life of me I could not come up with a solution on how to get him in and out safely. The hitch is a great idea - but there again, it would probably need to be much wider for him, as well as possibly more steps. I need to find a welder to see if he can make me something that will work. I noticed the ramp shown was 72" so I would need to look but that MIGHT work. I think it would be too steep for him................
Thanks for the ideas!
BUT, he still gets to come "home" for visits. Except that I have not found a safe way to load and unload him out of the LC. I had a ladder similar to some posted here where he would load in the back of my suburban, but then last year as he got older (he is now 11) I bought a wider ladder because I could tell he was uncomfortable going down the narrow steps. BUT my wider ladder is not tall enough to reach due to the hybrid batteries raising the back height. I didn't think about this until we went on vacation and were traveling in 2 vehicles - and we were going to take him and go on to the Air BNB bc they were making some stops. We loaded him at a Loves where I was backed up to a curb with grass (probably a 6-8 height gain) and so it worked fine loading him, but when we got to our vacation "home" for the week, we had an extremely difficult time getting him out because the ladder wouldn't reach to the top. Tried just putting it on the back door jam and holding it good, but he was putting his feet in the space in between and we were getting into a mess. He weighs about 85 lbs and doesn't like being picked up- but as a last resort I finally picked him up after he started partially down the ladder and got his rear foot in the wrong spot and put him down. BUT, I had promised him a few weeks back he could come for a visit - but for the life of me I could not come up with a solution on how to get him in and out safely. The hitch is a great idea - but there again, it would probably need to be much wider for him, as well as possibly more steps. I need to find a welder to see if he can make me something that will work. I noticed the ramp shown was 72" so I would need to look but that MIGHT work. I think it would be too steep for him................ Thanks for the ideas!
I use this:
It's stable, lightweight and folds. And most importantly, its the perfect height for my dogs to step up and into their crates in the back without even thinking about it.
They aren't huge dogs and can still can easily jump in and out. But one of them is 10 and I just prefer they don't do that constantly.
It's stable, lightweight and folds. And most importantly, its the perfect height for my dogs to step up and into their crates in the back without even thinking about it.
They aren't huge dogs and can still can easily jump in and out. But one of them is 10 and I just prefer they don't do that constantly.
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- #28
I haven't tried with my dog yet, but I found some Plano boxes that are lengthy rectangular size that I have been meaning to try with Sunny to see if she'd be willing to step up on that and then be able to hop into the passenger section of the chair since the height would be much easier.
Also I checked out my local Toyota dealer and noted the new 4Runner have their doors that open wider. My curious has slowly gotten the better of me about if their door arms would work to allow the LC passenger doors to open wider haha. Haven't gone down that rabbit hole, but maybe someday.
Also I checked out my local Toyota dealer and noted the new 4Runner have their doors that open wider. My curious has slowly gotten the better of me about if their door arms would work to allow the LC passenger doors to open wider haha. Haven't gone down that rabbit hole, but maybe someday.
Interesting that the doors open wider on the 4Runner............... I can see my salesman now with me measuring doors - I was already measuring height in the back (length and height), checking placements of air vents, noting if rear air was separate, etc. NEVER thought about the doors. My dog can currently hop in the back with no problem (which is where she was used to riding) but she was used to bucket seats in the second row and she is not crazy about being isolated in the back by herself without the ability to come up to where we are - so now she is in a hammock type thing with a base to extend the bottom...... I think she likes being closer but she does not like getting in and out there. She is already 7.5 so I worry she won't be able to jump high enough to load either place in a couple of years. Crazy what all you try to think of and then still miss things while picking out a vehicle!
