Window Netting- Summit Racing probably thinks I have a grass roots race team.

I've been racking my brain for weeks and spending countless hours online trying to think of ways to convert a portion of my truck bed to accommodate my dog Maddy when we hit the road this summer. While we are driving, the intent was for her to stay inside the truck with me. There are times; however, where I'd like to do more than grab McDonalds from the drive thru and keep rolling. We've done this a little bit when I first got her out of necessity. I didn't have any experience traveling with a pet in the summer. Through the winter, I bundled her up real good and would check in every 30-45 minutes to make sure the cab of the truck was still sufficiently warm. So I thought maybe I could devise some sort of mounting for her crate to enable me to transfer her to the rear bed if I planned on stopping somewhere for dinner for an hour two. The temperatures in the cab would rise much too high too quickly to allow for such stops.

The problem is, her crate would take up the majority of the already limited bed. And she also happens to not be particularly fond of the crate. She's more than content to curl up on the back bench of the truck.

And then it occurred to me to start thinking of ways to make it possible for her to stay comfortable and secure in the cab.

I watch a lot of offroading videos and racing stuff on YouTube. I didn't even know what it was called or where to get it, but I thought if anyone had it for a reasonable price, it would be Summit Racing.

My muse...

So I started google searching to get an idea of how they mount on the inside. This was the best photo of window netting on a commercially available platform, but I didn't come across any interior shots.

The netting cost on the order of $13 per panel for the sizes I needed. One can obtain much more pricey versions, but this seemed as though it would suit our needs just fine. Along the way, I found a product marketed to pet owners to serve this same purpose. It is like a fine, expanded metal mesh with custom sized frame and velcro straps that wrap the jam/header/mullion of the window opening and secure the entire assembly in place. They wanted $200 per pair for their system. Even if I were so inclined, the mounting would not be compatible with the rain channel/wind deflectors I have on the doors presently.

 I figured out my basic concept and sizing. There are various mounting hardware kits available, but they cost more than the netting itself, and in many instances, they didn't appear to be any more than just some stock angle iron or bar sized to the dimensions of the mesh panels. There were some nifty release mechanisms if you wanted to pay a bit more, but I wasn't really looking for these to be removable. So I decided I would get some threaded rod and some miscellaneous metal strapping and/or corner bracing and go to work.

 The one drawback to my approach that I discovered is that the metal at the header for the windows is surprisingly thin. Even on my welder's lowest setting, I was blowing through some holes in the metal. I fared a bit better on the other side, and opted to add set screws to help further anchor the attachments. I'll need to come back and grind down those welds a bit more, apply some bondo to fill the holes, sand everything good and smooth and then paint.

 I was supposed to be spending the day studying for an exam and then heading to a speaking engagement. These were actually slated to arrive yesterday, and I had hoped to install them then. They did arrive yesterday...at 930pm.

Earlier in the day, the tracking indicated 5/3 and showed it had been loaded on the truck at 650 am. Then at around 7pm, FedEx was just like, "Umm, we don't know" and replaced the "5/3/14" with an N/A.

I thought, "Great. They lost it"

But at a few minutes after 930, Maddy got up and started barking at the wall (The steps lead up along the front wall). And I looked out to see a van pulled partially into our driveway. The delivery man explained that they had loaded two shift's worth of parcels onto his van without advising him. Then his dispatcher called towards the end of when his shift was to be ending to check in. As he told me, "Hey, I don't have a date, and I could use the money". So he was going to continue delivering for several more hours.

Either way, I was a happy camper and was appreciative of his dedication to see the shift through. And today, I got the netting mostly done.