I keep a Gunner Kennels G1 Kennel in my GFC to travel with my dog. I have been wanting to know more about the environmental conditions in the GFC and this kennel throughout the day and when I am driving. Since I am a scientist, I investigated this curiosity the only way that I know how… as meticulously as possible.
To track the temperature and humidity, I recently purchased a Sensorpush HT.w. I designed and 3D printed a simple mount for this sensor and fixed the sensor to the door of the kennel. Then, I began monitoring the conditions inside the kennel and comparing them to measurements taken by a nearby personal weather station.
Below, I have graphed the data pulled from my sensor and compared it to weather data taken from a nearby personal weather station. Since I was working from home, my camper was parked in direct sunlight and not moved for the entirety of these days. Overall, the weather seemed like typical spring days for the Denver area. It was however pretty windy on 3/30, and I think that may have contributed to a smaller greenhouse effect. It is interesting to observe the greenhouse effect on even some pretty cool spring days. I look forward to continuing to monitor and compare measured conditions across seasons as well as measuring the direct effects of any temperature-related modifications (fan, heatshield, insulation, etc.) or accommodations (parked in shade, camper open/closed, etc.) that I may look into in the future.
Nice, thanks for the write up. That 20C delta is a little concerning on hot days. I decided to take out my rear seats and put my pups kennel in the truck instead. I was too concerned about the lack of ventilation in the GFC.
Definitely. Now that I have this setup, some of the next things I will look more closely at include: differences when parked in the shade, driving, and stealth ventilation (as mentioned on GFCs FAQ page). Open to any suggestions other people have as well.
I have been keeping an eye on temperatures, but haven’t been recording them into a compiled effort for a write-up. It can get very hot back there. I have recorded temperatures in the 100s as high as 130F! This is in Denver where we have days in the 90s and 100s in the summer. My set-up does much better in the cold. In single-digit ambient temperatures, with a blanket drapped over the kennel my dog keeps the kennel at a temperature of around 50F. I can take a further look into driving temperatures.
This is the litte guy that I use to monitor the temps in my GFC. It has an incredible amount of data that is accessible via Bluetooth connection with a smartphone. No cell service needed.
Oyyy nice! That’s a bit too much for me. I made my platform out of plywood and then put carpet on it. Attached it to the seat hinges so it can flip up and I can have access to the cubbies below. Total cost, $50.
I built one of these for a Subaru forester back in the day before I had my Tacoma. Life circumstances changed, causing me to move into an apartment and sell all my tools.
If I still had a circular saw, a jigsaw, a staple gun, and some saw horses I would probably make one too! The goose gear platforms are outrageously expensive for what they are but man they look slick.
Ah, gotcha! They are definitely neat! The nice finish, cubbies and the tie down points are ideal. I do with the GFC had a sliding window. My pup used to love jumping in the bed of the truck and just stick her head through the window into the cab.
I agree. I made sure to get some good use out of my rear sliding window when I drove up to Montana to pick up my GFC, as I knew it would be a looooong time before I got to use that window again.
It’s a bummer they don’t have a sliding window option for the front panel.
