Dog trains man

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Hovawart Travel Upgrade: We're Cruisin' !

Bye bye Hovie mobile, and welcome Hovi Cruiser! Kenzo & Viva are the happy new owners of a genuine Hovi Cruiser. Finally they have some wheels that match their size and all their travel needs.

We did quite some remodeling with the former Hovi mobile, but knew it was only temporarily. We needed something else to really travel comfy and safe.

First and foremost we needed more space. And something that could bring us to exciting off-road tracking places despite weather and terrain. Also something that could keep those big bodies cool at all times, while they are patiently awaiting arrival in the rear.

The best of the old from the former Hovi mobile and our wish list have now all come together in the new - used - Hovi Cruiser. As you can see above, plenty of space to turn and especially above their heads there is enough room. No more bumping into the roof. They have their own windows that can also be opened. Nothing like some fresh air while you're cruisin'.

They love a flow of fresh air. Especially Viva. And so do we. Farewell odor of two dogs that have just returned from a walk with ample opportunity for a swim and rolling around in fox poo. 

And if it would get really hot, they also got their own AC. It can be regulated separately from the rest of the climate in the Cruiser. Keeping them cool is now guaranteed.

You might wonder why we would need this in cold Scandinavia? True, 99 times out of a 100 we don't. But there was that one time where I freaked out when we got stuck in a traffic jam on a very hot day. And no matter how much I turned the AC down, the rear of the car was still like an oven. You could simply feel the hot air coming in from their two damping bodies.

I did some really stupid and dangerous things to get us out of there. And driving safe, also means having a calm driver. Now that they have their own AC in place, I can keep the temperature, as well as my temper, at the desired level.

We also have all the features from before in the Hovi mobile: A steel safety grill, a steel compartment divider - not in the picture - , rear windows from tainted glass, a load compartment mat in plastic, etc. Maybe you noticed that our doors are missing? They were too small! Thankfully we found a place that can custom build it for our Cruiser and the doors will soon be re-introduced.

On the picture you'll see all the stuff we stripped out of the old Hovi mobile. We did travel good and safe in it and we will miss it. So do we have nothing more to wish for?

Well, how it usually goes with these things, there is always something left to wish for. First of all, after this disappointing news not all seat belts can be trusted, we are on the lookout for some that are up to the task.

The Hovi Cruiser also has a higher step and seeing Viva jump in and out, it would be better if we could get a ramp for her ... so I am afraid it kinda seems our travel posts are a never-ending story. But in the meantime, we're cruisin'!
Share:

11 comments

  1. Happy cruisin and Have a great Tuesday.
    Best wishes Molly

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow, congrats on your new wheels. You've got every angle covered there, it's great!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Congratulations on the new car! I am so jealous of the separate air conditioner for the dogs. I don't have A/C in the truck and it so hot in Canada right now that if I am going somewhere I know there will be traffic, I leave the dogs at home.

    Thanks for the link to the doggie seat belt safety videos. It was certainly an eye-opener for me when I saw it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah that was pretty schocking. When I was investigating crates, I did see a lot of video's of manufacturers crash-testing their crates. But never with a "dummy dog" inside the crate, they only seem to measure the damage to the crate themselves and what it does to the rest of the car. Maybe crates are not a lot better too then to protect your dog. I mean, that's what it should be for as well !

      Delete
  4. Wow, the Hovi Cruiser is even cooler than the Batmobile!

    Good luck finding something to help Viva make the higher step. There are all kinds of cool ramps out there now--some roll up and others fold.

    Happy Adventuring!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh say. Thanks for this tip. We're looking for one now that G has a baddish neck and leg.

      Delete
    2. A lot cooler than the batmobile! LOL
      Thanks for the tip!

      Delete
  5. Congratulations! Lucky Kenzo and Viva. Separate air conditioners sound great. Georgia isn't a fan of aircon. We tried to get a 4WD with back window that could be wound down but there were none we could find (back then). I'm amazed you have plans to keep your 2 belted and contained in one space. After 3 years of trying all sorts of belts and barriers, we've given up with our mongrel! She likes being navigator ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We dropped the belts after we got the "gates", that let the rear function as a crate system. There was no room enough for them to turn, without getting entagled. We are still struggling, as it also doesn't seem to work in the new wheels. More room, but they would still get entangled... It is hard to see this work for large dogs, sigh.

      Delete
  6. It's wonderful that you could find the features you need to make your pals comfy and keep them safe.

    ReplyDelete
  7. The new ride looks great! I love how much thought you put into your dogs' comfort and safety. I admit, we can be a bit lazy in that area. All we have is a divider that prevents Shiva from moving up to the front. Your customized doors sound impressive!

    ReplyDelete

Blogger Template Created by pipdig