Favorite Rotomolded Dog Kennel

[MR5X5]

Help me out, not trying to be a nay sayer, but damn these things are expensive! I transport a couple setters a lot for upland. Back of the truck, couple $40 kennels with a Mud Bay covers. I get the crash rating stuff but I'm not sure how much I buy into it considering how the kennel would need to be scured and having a loose dog rattling around within it. I'm sure it is better than what I have, but I don't think it likely changes the outcome of an incident.

So what other cool benefits am I missing?

Thank you.

 

[Buzby]

Yes the kennel needs to be secured, and your dog is safer rattling around in a kennel instead of being ejected from one. The dogs that were in the pictured gunners survived. I doubt they would have faired well in a $40 kennel. I have way too much time and money invested into my dog for a $500 kennel to not make sense.

 

[MR5X5]

Something to think about. I too have loads of time and money in my pups.

Thanks

 

[twall13]

Help me out, not trying to be a nay sayer, but damn these things are expensive! I transport a couple setters a lot for upland. Back of the truck, couple $40 kennels with a Mud Bay covers. I get the crash rating stuff but I'm not sure how much I buy into it considering how the kennel would need to be scured and having a loose dog rattling around within it. I'm sure it is better than what I have, but I don't think it likely changes the outcome of an incident.

So what other cool benefits am I missing?

Thank you.

The crash safety is a big one for me, but even without that aspect there are several bonuses to me. The doors are nicer/easier to use/more secure, most have reversible/lockable doors, they are more stout for sitting on/stacking, they are more durable and should literally last your lifetime which will likely be the lifetime of multiple dogs. Those features may or may not be worth it to you, but I like a lot of those features, and if I'm likely to spend close to that much beating up and replacing cheaper kennels over my lifetime I'd rather pay it up front and have a more user friendly kennel to use during that time. Everyone has to do their own research/analysis and see if it makes sense for them. Based on the poll, most guys think the Ruffland is sufficient as it will provide a lot more durability and does have reversible doors.

 

[PA Hunter]

I have the Largest Gunner and it is a heavy beast but it stays strapped in my enclosed hard top truck all upland season. I wouldnt want to take it in and out much but it is a tank and lifetime warranty.

I dont like the fact aftermarket covers wont fit it because it is so large.

 

[Buzby]

I have the Largest Gunner and it is a heavy beast but it stays strapped in my enclosed hard top truck all upland season. I wouldnt want to take it in and out much but it is a tank and lifetime warranty.

I dont like the fact aftermarket covers wont fit it because it is so large.

What size dog you got? Those are for a big dogs! I haven’t had a need for a cover on my gunner. With a top on my truck, the insulation the kennel already has, my dog’s body heat has been enough to keep it warm in his gunner.

 

[PA Hunter]

My first lab was 124 lbs big body had to put him down thought this lab would be same but not even close. I go to South Dakota late season had a high of negative 13 so I am gonna try rig a large Mud River cover somehow. That gunner cover looks cheap to me and very expensive for what you get.

 

[Blockcaver]

I just sat on the Ruffland/Ruff Tuff kennel. 185#s and it holds me just fine. The top depresses down a little in the center is all. Ours is 3 years old and a great kennel, way better than the previous cheapo we had.

 

[FreshAir]

Another vote for the RuffLand kennel. After researching Gunner, Dakota 283, and Ruff Land, I settled on Ruff Land's intermediate model for several reasons. The Ruff Land is considerably lighter than a comparable Gunner model, making its portability easier for everyone in my family to move between vehicles, etc. When traveling, the Ruff Land can be strapped down easily and securely for transport just like the others. So far, there seems to be plenty of ventilation and it is easy to clean.

 

[Redwing]

My first lab was 124 lbs big body had to put him down thought this lab would be same but not even close. I go to South Dakota late season had a high of negative 13 so I am gonna try rig a large Mud River cover somehow. That gunner cover looks cheap to me and very expensive for what you get.

Buy three or four cheap fleece blankets from Target or Amazon or wherever. Arrange them over the kennel and cut air holes in the appropriate places if necessary. Cheaper and more effective than an ill-fitting cover.

Sent from my moto g(7) power using Tapatalk

 

[tops911]

my only experience with the Gunner kennel left me unimpressed. My daughter bought one and the door would not stay latched. For the cost you'd think there was better quality control and better customer service. The people at Gunner said "that happens, send it back" (at my daughter's expense). My daughter was so frustrated she just returned it for a refund, she had to tell them she would drive it to them rather than pay shipping and Gunner finally relented and paid the shipping.
I went with a Ruff Land based on her experience with Gunner

 

[5pac]

I've spent more time than is reasonable scouring for information and comparing these different brands. Hopefully my research can help someone else in the future. Going into this I felt like the Gunner was the one to beat, and I still think they probably make the absolute best Kennel out there, but it may not fit everyone's budget or needs. I ended up ordering a Lucky Duck, which looks like it arrived today while I'm away from home. I'll be happy to answer any questions about it now that I have it in hand as I know there is a lot less information out there for it than some of the other more established brands. I wanted to share the reasons I went with it over some of the other options.

• Solid rotomolded design that I can sit/stand on without noticing any flex
• Similar to the Gunner, it is 5 Star Crash Rated.
• Similar to the Gunner, it is made in the USA
• Similar to the Gunner, it has a Lifetime Warranty (Hopefully never needed)
• It is not double walled, but this also means that for a similar sized interior compared to the Gunner, the exterior dimensions are smaller so it takes up less space in a truck bed and the weight is about 10 lbs. less, which I like as I won't be leaving this in my truck bed as a permanent fixture.
• Built in tie down points (accessible through the Lucky Duck Brand insulated cover if you choose to buy that separately, which I will at some point).
• Built in carry handles (also accessible through the Lucky Duck Brand cover)
• Lockable, reversible door with paddle latch and additional security latches for travel
• Raised floor with drain "gutters" and ports built in
• Non Slip Rubber Feet
• Though it's certainly a pricey kennel, it is less than the Gunner and I was able to save some money through Activejunky and a Cabela's coupon to bring the price down to just under $400. Throw in some Christmas Gift cards and free shipping and I'm out of pocket less than $300.
• Lucky Duck only offers one size, though that size works for me so it wasn't really a negative to me but could be to others. Being that's it's called an "Intermediate" kennel, I fully expect them to add more sizes to their lineup in the future.

To me, it looks like Lucky Duck took a hard look at the Gunner Kennel and tried it's best to incorporate the best features of the Gunner into a lighter weight kennel. I'm sure the Gunner is more stout, though I feel it's overkill for what I need. I also feel like the tiedown points are a better design and a bit more solid on the Gunner, but with both receiving a 5 star crash rating I'm sure they are both sufficient. You could argue that the Gunner doesn't need an insulated cover and you'd save that expense because of the double wall design but I still feel like I'm better off with the option to add one and take it off for different conditions, similar to me layering my hunting clothes. An added cover will also keep snow, etc. out better, IMO.

A lot of these kennels have many of the listed features above, but none quite checked all the boxes of what I was looking for as well as the Lucky Duck. Initially I felt like the Primos Kennel Up was a good fit as well, but it doesn't have a crash test rating, and while a similar price to the Lucky Duck, it isn't made in the USA. I also got no response when I submitted a couple of questions to customer service on 2 occasions. I feel like the Dakota's are a good, solid value but I didn't like the single carry handle as I feel like it would be more awkward and less user friendly. It's also heavier. I took a hard look at Ruffland with so many Roksliders happy with it's performance but I just felt like even though it's a huge upgrade over my current kennel, it was lacking some of the features I was looking for and I'd spend more money adding handles, etc. and still end up with something slightly less than what I was looking for. The price is right on the Ruffland, it just wasn't quite a fit for what I wanted.

Everyone's needs are different, and only time will tell if I made the right decision, but hopefully this thread provides some information as others search for a quality Kennel. I hope over time the votes include more peoples experiences and more information is added to the thread to help others decide when they make a decision on a kennel purchase. Whatever you go with, get out there and enjoy some hunting with your dog!

Thank you for all your research. You helped me make a decision on the Lucky Duck. I'm very happy with it and cannot imagine another 10 lbs going back and forth from the Tahoe to the Truck.

 

[Thor0331]

I have been looking at purchasing a kennel for my dog (GSD) for the last month. Mainly use it for home and transporting in the back of a truck 1-2x a week short distance and the occasional long distance drive. I originally wanted to go with Ruffland, but they are backordered 10-12 weeks and no one has them in stock. I looked at Gunner, but the price point is what turned me away initially, although I almost pulled the trigger when I got frustrated with ruff land. I feel that Gunner markets certain things like shooting it with a shotgun, that really doesn't mean anything in my opinion. So it's more of a "cool" thing to say in the event the conversation of "who's kennel is better" comes up. If someone is shooting a shotgun at my kennel with my dog in it, I have bigger problems. They still couldn't guarantee a dog can't chew it apart when I called them. The crash test rating is really cool, I'll give them that.

I'm going to give the Dakota 283 G3 a try since it falls right t in the middle as far as price point between ruff land and Gunner. I called all three companies and they all same the same thing. No guarantees that your dog can't escape which for me is the biggest concern. I don't like how with Gunner and ruff land you are almost forced to purchase accessories such as the chew guard with Gunner and handles with ruff land. If I'm paying $900 for a kennel, I feel like they should have some kind of chew protection already standard (Gunner). And why would I buy a kennel with no handles, (Ruff Land). Although the Dakota doest have chew protection either, the door is metal compared to composite on the ruff land and its really only $100 more since shipping is free.

I haven't seen any of these in person, but the dakota does look a little more heavy duty than ruff land based on pictures and weight. Dakota also has a Hero Series which is basically a Gunner for the same price if you wanted to go that route.

 

[Buzby]

The gunner is double wall. The Dakota hero is not. I’m not sure if anyone else is making a double wall. That’s where the crash protection that no one is matching comes from. It’s not cool points, it’s crash protection. No additional accessories are needed with the gunner. It comes with all of them, handles, tie offs, locks, insulation. If your dog is a chewer, he’ll eat any of these kennels though.

If you don’t want the crash protection, and don’t want the insulation (that works well in summer and winter), the gunner is probably not worth while for you. For a single wall crate, either the ruffland or the Dakota are decent.

 

[Thor0331]

The gunner is double wall. The Dakota hero is not. I’m not sure if anyone else is making a double wall. That’s where the crash protection that no one is matching comes from. It’s not cool points, it’s crash protection. No additional accessories are needed with the gunner. It comes with all of them, handles, tie offs, locks, insulation. If your dog is a chewer, he’ll eat any of these kennels though.

If you don’t want the crash protection, and don’t want the insulation (that works well in summer and winter), the gunner is probably not worth while for you. For a single wall crate, either the ruffland or the Dakota are decent.

I agree, the crash protection is a huge plus. If I were traveling a lot more often with my dog, I would definitely go with the Gunner. And if things change and I start traveling more, I will get a Gunner just for the vehicle and keep the Dakota at home. Thanks for the input.