# My New K9 G-Ride.....



## Matthew Grubb (Nov 16, 2007)

When we started this project, the goal was a multi-purpose K9 vehicle that would not only last us many years, but bridge the gap between daily use and equipment hauling.

The project started as a XLT model in tuxedo black. The larger 3 valve motor was added along with back up sensors. The dealership painted the doors white to match our fleet vehicles and an ARE fiberglass contractor cap was added. The truck also has the towing package...w e have a 10x12 trailer we tow as well.











Here it is all ready to go. The lighting is all Whelen LED. The spotlight was a royal pain in the a** to install and bruned out a drill bit in the process. The bumper is by Ibis Tek in Butler, Pa.










We added a Jotto Bedslide that will hold up to 800 pounds of equipment. We added emergency lighting to the sides of the cap for those "across the highway" traffic control situations.










Here is a vew of the rear of the vehicle. Note the Whelen Dominator bar on the back of the cap to help smaller cars that won't be able to see the light bar from the rear.










Here is the American Aluminum Kennel that is fitted to the gutted rear of the SCREW. We woke my partner up for the photo and he is less than enthused about posing for the picture.


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## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

that is one hell of a ride


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## Adam Rawlings (Feb 27, 2009)

That's a cool looking rig, the other handlers must be envious.


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

Not the prettiest beast out there, but utility is the true criterion of beauty, right? :smile: Pretty sweet...


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## Nicole Stark (Jul 22, 2009)

That's a real nice rig.


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

THAT'S a nice ride!


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## mike suttle (Feb 19, 2008)

Looks nice. I just got a new K-9 rig myself yesterday.


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## Jenna Lea (Jul 25, 2010)

That looks sweet! Now I have truck envy lol


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## Jeff Threadgill (Jun 9, 2010)

Damn son I hear ya!

Is this a prototype to see how it works? Is everyone going to convert or you just to dang lucky?


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## Ashley Campbell (Jun 21, 2009)

That's an awesome ride, I'm jealous!


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## Matthew Grubb (Nov 16, 2007)

Jeff Threadgill said:


> Damn son I hear ya!
> 
> Is this a prototype to see how it works? Is everyone going to convert or you just to dang lucky?


Pete (my evil daylight counterpart) and I sat down with our boss and planned this project out to andwer, "What do you guys want to see in a k9 vehicle". I had to keep the cost under what a Tahoe would be if we wanted to use the pick-up platform. Pete should be getting one once his Crown Vic kicks the bucket. He only has 73K miles on his CVI.


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## Diana Abel (Aug 31, 2009)

Nice ride! You guys did a great job.


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## Lynn Cheffins (Jul 11, 2006)

Nice set up! Really like that bedslide and the lighting!


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## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

Sweet.....


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## Jeff Threadgill (Jun 9, 2010)

Matthew Grubb said:


> Pete (my evil daylight counterpart) and I sat down with our boss and planned this project out to andwer, "What do you guys want to see in a k9 vehicle". I had to keep the cost under what a Tahoe would be if we wanted to use the pick-up platform. Pete should be getting one once his Crown Vic kicks the bucket. He only has 73K miles on his CVI.


Cool, do you guys trade up at 80k? Or keep it until whenever.

If the latter, I'm putting the CV in the ditch oops lmao!


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## Laura Bollschweiler (Apr 25, 2008)

Wow, that's NICE! Your partner is very expressive 

Laura


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## Mo Earle (Mar 1, 2008)

really NICE!!


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## Matt Grosch (Jul 4, 2009)

nice setup, I was training with the PD K9's the other night and asked why they wouldnt use 4Runners instead of tahoe's, sound like its to save a few bucks, even if they dont last as long.....I also dont know if Ive ever seen PD driving a foreign car


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## Matt Grosch (Jul 4, 2009)

new 4runners are pretty bad ass, and look more like armadas


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## Geoff Empey (Jan 8, 2008)

Matt what are thinking so far of the ARE contractor cap? I like the way that they open up on the side my issue with a P/U with a cap has always been trying to get equipment out the front of the box. The bed slides are great but they really kill a lot of room of the box. 800 lbs too it may seem like a lot but it adds up fast, my old first responder truck was way way overloaded once we added the slider my equipment and cap and this was a 3/4 ton. Wasn't a lot of equipment either 10 rolls of firehose, a small generator, safety gear and small handtools. Mind you mine was a Chev!  

Outside of the issues of hot and cold environment is there any further reasons why you guys wouldn't consider placing your partner's enclosure in the box? Ease of access? Where would you put a perp if you had to transport one? 

Does that American Aluminum kennel allow you to open and access your partner from both sides? 

That is one wicked truck Matt! I'm researching my next vehicle and am looking seriously at a F150 S/C myself. Best of both worlds IMO seats 5+ and the box for hauling dogs and gear!


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## David Frost (Mar 29, 2006)

I like the set up. Do you have a bail out system? If so Iwould hope it works the passenger side door. My only concern with p/u's and SUV's is; it is definately hard on the dogs as they age. All the dogs on Special Op's are in SUV's. I see a difference in how it affects them over the years. All the road Troopers are in C/V's. 

DFrost


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## Matthew Grubb (Nov 16, 2007)

Jeff… We run them till they die or become too expensive to repair then they get stripped piece by piece to keep the rest of the patrol fleet running. My last car wouldn’t pass inspection when I hit 117K miles (Only God knows how many engine idle miles were on it. They say one hour = 30 miles)

David… Yes, we have Ace K9 Hot-N-Pop Pro’s in our K9 vehicles with the bail outs on the passenger side. For the past 15 years we have been using Crown Vic’s for K9 but we had weigh the pro’s and con’s of the truck/suv platform. We don’t have a dedicated training facility so we trip all around our county each week from one training venue to the next. It’s tough for equipment transportation yet gives us great training variety. When I’m really hitting the training hard I might work with 40 different K9 teams each week so equipment hauling becomes a major focus. We were at one point hauling a 5X8 trailer with the CV which was really bad on the car.

Geoff…. So far the contractor cap is working great. We did not order it with the built in tool boxes though. My Boss had a vision for the back end of the truck. If we pop the bed slide out (has quick disconnects) we will have the full bed of the truck which can hold our aluminum crates or whatever else we want to put back there for out of state training trips or some other issue. The bed slide works great for all my SWAT equipment and day to day K9 equipment. We have a new 6x10 trailer to haul the rest in if needed.

The next phase of the project is to fabricate some wooden “platform shelving” that runs along the top of the bed but below the side windows where we can store every day k9 equipment, Defibrillator, EMS equipment, and the like while still utilizing the bed slide underneath.

We put the kennel behind the driver so that the dog can be accessed from either outside door or from inside the passenger compartment through a little gate that is behind the driver. I have had many pursuits where the bad guy car is on rims and I get my partner all hooked up inside the vehicle so I can beat the bad guy when he bails out of the car. 

As far as transports go… In my state I work for what would be considered a “larger” suburban department with 43 officers (average in Pa. is 8) I work with anywhere from 4 to 10 other officers on a shift that can do transports for me.


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## Matt Grosch (Jul 4, 2009)

mike suttle said:


> Looks nice. I just got a new K-9 rig myself yesterday.



what did you get?

In fact, Id be interested to know what people have that has worked out well for them with the dogs.


I just got a 4door tacoma, should be an awesome dog ride


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## Gerry Grimwood (Apr 2, 2007)

All the technical info aside...you must get one of those double knots driving around in that truck right ???


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## Jeff Threadgill (Jun 9, 2010)

I hear ya man, you deserve that nice truck then haha. We have durangos here in the city, and county has a 2 CV, and 2 expeditions..


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## Geoff Empey (Jan 8, 2008)

Thanks for the reply Matt. My municipality has been buying these caps http://www.paulmaranda.com/mobile-workshops/1-m-90 and are using them throughout their fleet for many different uses and departments. I have been on pension now and haven't had a chance to work with one but the concept is interesting especially when tool boxes or kennels are involved. The only downside is the lack of rear vision and maybe the fiberglass cracking in the cold in a collision or under hard use. I really like the idea of the heavier rear doors and industrial grade latches. As in my experience with any cap whether is be Leer, ACR, whatever brand that rear cap latch is the weakest link and always the first thing to break, or get broken into.


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## Timothy Stacy (Jan 29, 2009)

You just need some spinners, drop it down. and widen the hooves. That will make you undercover 
Really nice truck in all honesty, that will be my next ride. I love that caps separate the dogs from you. Less hair flying around!


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## Ian Forbes (Oct 13, 2006)

Would you be allowed to put a dog crate into one of these:



http://www.autoblog.com/2010/09/01/...ceptor-utility-prepares-to-serve-and-protect/

http://www.automotiveaddicts.com/14044/ford-introduces-ford-explorer-police-interceptor-utility


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## Jim Nash (Mar 30, 2006)

Awesome truck Matt . Wish we could get the ok to set up our K9 vehicles the way we would like . 

I've got almost the exact truck but an 08' for my personal vehicle and love it . Best handling and riding truck I have ever owned . All black too . 

If it was pursuit rated I'd be all over it for a K9 vehicle .


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## Scott Palmer (Aug 9, 2010)

Ian Forbes said:


> Would you be allowed to put a dog crate into one of these:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I really like the new police Explorer...could be a possibility for my next k9 ride...


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## Matthew Grubb (Nov 16, 2007)

Scott Palmer said:


> I really like the new police Explorer...could be a possibility for my next k9 ride...


Ohhh... we will have to "Christmas Tree" it all out for you!! Sad u missed training today.


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