Keeping Dogs Cool In Vehicles

533 Views 9 Replies 6 Participants Last post by Nancy Jocoy, Jul 8, 2006

Mike Schoonbrood

Discussion Starter · Jul 7, 2006

OK I need some suggestions here....

I had the ChillyDog installed into my GMC Yukon, but it was causing problems because the installer was incompetent, so I had them pull out the system. Now I have no way to keep the engine running without a key in the ignition and I'll be in Miami all day tomorrow with the dogs. I need to figure out a way to keep them cool in the vehicle when left unattended. Being Miami, I don't have much faith in leaving my key in the ignition n locking the doors, and I have just as little faith leaving the tailgate glass up, not that that'll keep the truck cool anyway.

I have the rest of today to figure this out, so any suggestions on keeping the vehicle secure and keeping the dogs cool would be much appreciated. Somehow I think the only way to do it is to leave a key in the ignition, but I'm just really reluctant to do this when it's probably pretty simple to bust open a door n drive away with both dogs in the back! Especially in Miami.

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Kristen Cabe

· #2 · Jul 7, 2006

Are you able to park in the shade? DEFINATELY do that, and crack the windows (course that's a no-brainer). You can also get two rabbit water bottles and fill them up almost all the way and freeze them. Then hang one on each crate door in the morning, so the dogs will have water all day and hopefully since it was frozen to begin with, it will stay semi-cool longer. I've heard mixed reviews about giving them a damp towel to lie on. Check on them as frequently as you can throughout the day, so if either of them starts showing signs of heat exhaustion or whatever, you can get them taken care of immediately.

Would it be at all possible to take them indoors with you at any time during the day??

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Connie Sutherland

· #3 · Jul 7, 2006

Who posted with the fan you use with the cooler?

I can't find it.

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Mike Schoonbrood

Discussion Starter · #4 · Jul 7, 2006

I think I'll just stay close to the truck, most of the day will be spent driving around checking out different areas and neighborhoods anyway, I'll just do drive-thrus for food I guess. Then next week a competent installer can put in the Chilly Dog system so I can go back to worry-free dog travel lol.

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Maren Bell Jones

· #5 · Jul 7, 2006

Good question, Connie and Mike. Been meaning to ask something similar. Our club usually finishes up at about 10 AM or so, but protection is last and it's already getting in the mid eighties by 9:30. He's got a bucket of partially frozen water clipped in his crate, but can anyone recommend a crate fan? My Impala doesn't quite fit the crate in the backseat, so one that would run off batteries or with a long cigarette lighter adapter would be good.

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Connie Sutherland

· #6 · Jul 7, 2006

Connie Sutherland said:
Who posted with the fan you use with the cooler?

I can't find it.

Aha:

http://www.kooleraire.com/12 Volt Fan.htm

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Connie Sutherland

· #7 · Jul 7, 2006

A quote from the link above:

"Simply fill your Igloo 25 quart or Coleman 28 Quart cooler with ice, insert KoolerAire just inside the top, plug in the car adapter plug and enjoy cool, crisp, refreshing air for hours without altering your coolers capacity!"

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Patrick Cheatham

· #8 · Jul 7, 2006

Hey Mike! Nancy Jocoy has a pretty nice setup using fans also. Maybe she can offer some tips as well. She uses hers in an SUV also.

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Kristen Cabe

· #9 · Jul 7, 2006

That cooler fan thing is pretty interesting. ... It says it doesn't drain your battery, operating at 0.39 amps, but I'm a bit skeptical about that. Anything that is on and plugged into the cig lighter or 12V plug is going to pull juice from the battery. I wonder how long it would work before you had to add ice?

Is it really worth $40??

Edited to post reviews of the KoolerAire (I have seen several reviews from this "Geri" person on several sites, and none of the stories coincide, so I'm inclined to believe that "Geri" may be a marketer or someone affiliated with the company that makes KoolerAire):

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000TX7DI/103-0298963-6691040?v=glance&n=3375251

http://www.greatoutdoors.com/kooleraire/boatingequipment/12voltportableairconditioner.html

I was unable to find any other reviews on the product.

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Nancy Jocoy

· #10 · Jul 8, 2006

My set up uses 2 --02Cool fans from WalMart - designed to run A/C or D cells but I noticed the A/C adapter was 12volt - viola! I wired those things to my 12 volt auxillary battery. Cheap fans at $12 each and moves a LOT more air than most 12 volt fans. The $80 box fans for use on boats do move more air and are better built.

I use a 12 volt Glass Mat (AGM) DEEP CYCLE battery. Your car battery (unless you have a deep cycle because you have monster stereo equipment) is NOT going to be happy with being drained regularly and will die an early death if you run too much off of it.

....and you really don't want a regular lead acid battery in the compartment. ..

Some folks charge these off of the alterantor but unless you have a heavy duty alternator it will eat it up.

The glass mat batteries are also more vibration resistant than most others and do not release hydrogen gas to the air (dangerous in an enclosed space) I charge it by way of wall outlet/charger...may add some solar cells later.

I can easily run both fans on high all day and not have the voltage drop below 12 volts..I have not pushed them to see just how far they will go..but the math says probably about 30 hours. (battery is 55AH). another team mate is looking at connecting 6V golf cart betteries together in series.

Right now, the dogs are fine in air temperatures up to 93 / 40% humidity (in the car) with the air blowing and start panting around 95 -- I am thinking about the ice cooler thing but going to finish out this summer...I don't have room for a big cooler right now.

Of course we move our cars around a lot to be in the shade during all day trainings and everyone is watching everyone else's dogs.

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