FAO someone with a SE and a tape measure :)

rippers · Mar 26, 2015

We are looking for a soft dog carrier but not got my Cali yet to measure. Can someone with an SE tell me how much space there is between the back of the front seats and the front of the rear bed folded down.

Looking at a Trixie Vario and they are presently on offer so wanted get one whilst I can

Thanks in advance!

18hunts · Mar 26, 2015

I think the base of the seat will be your limiting factor, with bed made you have approx 410mm with the seat slid forwards.
Hope this helps.

motacyclist · Mar 26, 2015

18hunts said:
I think the base of the seat will be your limiting factor, with bed made you have approx 410mm with the seat slid forwards.
Hope this helps.

That's not a lot of room for a dog (even if it's a soft dog

),especially if the portapotti is there!

One thing I've been playing about with is a shorter replacement rear bed section so that the seat does not have to be slid as far forward; I'm only 5'10" and think I could make do with 4 - 6" less, which would make a lot more room.

Skylark2.0 · Mar 26, 2015

Can it sleep in the foot well infront of the passenger seat?

motacyclist · Mar 26, 2015

Skylark2.0 said:
Can it sleep in the foot well infront of the passenger seat?

I think it would need to be a small dog; there are plenty of Cali owners with dogs but I'm not sure where they put them.

You could post up on the "Cali Dogs" topic, you will get loads of responses on there!

Or start a new thread "Where do you put your dog at night"

teeboy · Mar 26, 2015

Skylark2.0 said:
Can it sleep in the foot well infront of the passenger seat?

We have a medium sized Labrador, and that is where he sleeps - it is a small place, but it is where he is most comfortable - even when at home he likes to sleep in small places (like in the gap between sofa and wall). It will depend on the dog - some like to stretch out.

rippers · Mar 26, 2015

My dog is a Black Lab and he quite big at 5 months old so imagine he will be a big boy. Maybe we'll just have to see where he finds his own place to be comfortable.. as long as thats not on me

motacyclist · Mar 26, 2015

rippers said:
My dog is a Black Lab and he quite big at 5 months old so imagine he will be a big boy. Maybe we'll just have to see where he finds his own place to be comfortable.. as long as thats not on me

You could always sleep on him, save getting a mattress topper

Hotel California · Mar 26, 2015

Rippers , what's the reason you want your dog in a soft cage...
When driving a soft cage has absoloute not any safety for dog or passengers , if it is just to prevent him to sit on the seat , ok...
There are safety harnasses and belts , benches in the booth , ...
When you sleep at night downstaires , you don't have room to spare for a bench or cage , if the dog will not lay down either between the front seats and the folded down bechseat or in the front footwell , ....
Ours sleeps at the footend of the bed sometimes...

Zebedee · Mar 26, 2015

We put our dog carrier on the front seat when I am in bed downstairs and my daughter upstairs. We used to have a soft carrier but our cheeky little mut ate through it so now we have a Ferraplast plastic one and he travels in it on the ferry to France in the carrier.

rippers · Mar 26, 2015

We are a family of four so there will be no seat for him to sit on with a belt. He is crate trained and loves his crate at home and he relaxes in it a lot (with the door open or closed) When the car moves he generally curls up and goes to sleep so just wanted his own space like he has at home. There will also be occasions when he will be on his own in the van (with ventilation, water etc) and I don't want him chewing up my 50 grand van's interior lol

I'm 6'1 so there won't be any room at the foot of my bed

sidepod · Mar 27, 2015

You could always buy a T4 Cali. :thumb

I've done the exact same size comparison (we took our dog and a tape measure into a showroom). Much more room in the T4 due to better overhang on the sliding bench seat.

Just think how many dog beds you could buy with the £45k left over…….. :bananadance

alstevens · Mar 27, 2015

Having struggled with all of the above possibilities and issues ( new Cali and old smelly, restless canine ) am currently compromising with a customised metal travelling cage that I have insulated inside . I have a waterproof cover with breathable door and blocks underneath to raise from the ground for outdoor use . Milo travels in the cage with the seat up and sleeps outside under the awning with the cover on. He seems happy and in fact tended to get too hot in the van at night and became very restless. During the day he likes to doze in/ out of the cage/kennel after his ( increasingly brief with age) assorted perambulations. We now use this as his permanent accommodation at home so he is totally accustomed to it and associates his evening retirement with a final biscuit in the cage / kennel ..... It has a wide front doorway that I leave uncovered in the warmer weather ( soon ??) for additional ventilation.

So far so good...

al, put