Best dog crate for jeep wrangler perfect size 4 a safer ride

best dog crate for jeep wrangler

The jeep wrangler is an iconic off-road and outdoor car, and what’s better than taking it for an adventure? Yes! taking your dog with you and for that, we made this best dog crate for jeep wrangler review to help you choose the best and safest crate for your travel companion.

When compared to other brands and types of crates we find that the Midwest wire crate is the best dog crate for jeep wrangler. Features like the two doors, the foldable and easy to pack design, the sturdiness, and the cheap price make it really stand out. However, different dogs might have different needs and how and where you drive your jeep wrangler will determine which crate is best for your Jeep.

Getting the size and the type of crate right is essential to a safe and comfortable ride for your partner.

That’s why we made this review to provide you with every detail you need before you can make a choice which crate to get.

Hint! when it comes to crates, too big is not good, most dog owners that are not used to crate training their dogs think the bigger the crate the better it is for the dog and that’s not the case.

The crate should be only a few inches larger than your dog allowing him to lay down, stand up, and turn around comfortably.

Of course before we start our review of the best crate for jeep wrangler we need to have the car’s trunk dimensions so we can know which crate size can fit into it.

Jeep wrangler trunk dimensions

The jeep wrangler owners have either the traditional two-door Wrangler or the four-door Wrangler Unlimited, and they both come with enough room for groceries gear and a crate if needed.

The two-door Wrangler has 13.0 cubic feet of standard cargo space, or 32.0 cubic feet with the rear seats folded.

The two-door Jeep wrangler trunk dimensions

The two-door wrangler is the smaller one, however, it has a reasonable cargo space especially with the rear seats folded.

if you are planning on driving with more than two people in it and a large dog then it’s not the best car for you.

Unless you have a very small dog breed you can’t really fit a dog crate in the trunk of a two-door jeep wrangler.

With the seats in place

The rear space is about 16 inches deep at the base and it’s even smaller on the left side of the trunk, and there are the seats that are leaning backward a couple of inches making it a tight 14 inches space.

From side to side it’s about 42 inches but realistically you can only use about 38 inches of that space.

These dimensions don’t leave you much wiggle room for a crate so any dog other than toy dogs is not going to fit in there.

With the seats folded

When you fold the backseats it’s another story, and you have plenty of cargo space to fit a large dog’s crate in there.

From the back to the base all the way to the folded seats you have about 32 inches of space, but as you go up the folded seats take more space at the top around 6 inches so it’s 26 inches in depth.

So with the seats folded you have reasonable space for an intermediate-sized dog like a beagle, a bulldog, or a springer spaniel.

With the seats removed

For some extra space in the back, you can easily remove the backseats if you’re not using them anyway.

There is a small dip at the end of the rear area when you take the back seats out but you have enough space already.

Up to the edge of the cup holders, you have about 42 inches in depth and about 34 inches wide.

This is enough space for a large dog like a boxer or a Belgian malinois or an Australian shepherd.

Here is a great video by driven mad channel where he goes in details on how big is the rear area of the jeep with the seats in place, folded and taken out.

The Jeep wrangler Unlimited trunk dimensions

The four-door Jeep Wrangler is slightly larger than the two-door version and therefore the rear area is bigger.

On the Wrangler Unlimited, there are 31.0 cubic feet of standard cargo space or 72.0 cubic feet with the rear seats folded.

With the seats in place

The cargo space is on the jeep wrangler is reasonable even with the seats in place and could fit a small dog’s crate.

jeep wrangler unlimited trunk dimensions
jeep wrangler unlimited trunk dimensions

As you can see in the picture the space from the back to the base of the seats is 34 inches.

However, like the classic wrangler, the seats are leaning to the back about 4 inches so realistically you have 30 inches of space to work with which is great.

jeep wrangler unlimited trunk dimensions
jeep wrangler unlimited trunk dimensions

The wrangler is about 40 inches wide including the speakers, and again that’s enough plenty of space to use and plenty of dogs could fit in there perfectly.

With the seats folded

When you fold the seats you get a whole lot of extra cargo space, it makes it great for travel if you’re not planning on taking more than one person.

jeep wrangler unlimited trunk dimensions
jeep wrangler unlimited trunk dimensions with back seats folded

74 inches in depth and 40 inches wide is enough space for the largest dogs plus plenty of cargo room left for other stuff you need to carry.

What dog crate size can you fit in a Jeep wrangler

The dog crate size that you can fit in a Jeep wrangler will depend on which model you have and if the back seats are folded or in place.

So let’s break it down and see for every situation what crate size would fit in the car.

For the measurements, we are going to take the Midwest double door wire crate as a model to work with since it’s one of the best crates to use and it’s always our number one recommendation for normal use.

You can check it out here( check the current price on Amazon), even if you’re not planning on getting it for your Jeep then consider having one for crate training it does a great job and it’s really cheap.

Dog crate for two-door Jeep wrangler with back seats in place

Like we said earlier you have about 38″ x 14″ space to use and that doesn’t give you much wiggle room.

The largest crate you can fit in there is the 22L x 13W x 16H and it will of course leave you with a mall space on the side but not much.

The 22″ crate fits only very small breeds and toy dogs and you can go extra small with the 18″ crate for super small breeds.

So what type of dogs could you fit in the 22″ crate?

PapillonBrussels GriffonJack Russell TerrierJapanese Chin
MaltesePomeranianToy fox TerrierYorkshire Terrier
Dogs you can fit in a 22″ crate

Dog crate for two-door Jeep wrangler with back seats folded

With the seats folded you have about 26″ x 38″ of space to install your crate which is much better and larger than it was with the seats on.

With that space you can fit a 36L x 23W x 25H crate, it won’t leave much space to work with and it’s going to be tight but it will fit and we’ve tried it.

The 36″ crate takes to the intermediate size dogs and you have a larger range of dogs you can fit in there.

American EskimoAustralian Cattle DogBasset HoundBeagle
Brittany SpanielBull TerrierBulldogChinese Shar-Pei
Cocker SpanielEnglish SetterSpringer SpanielKerry Blue terrier
Dogs you can fit in a 36″ crate

Dog crate for two-door Jeep wrangler with back seats removed

When you completely remove the back seats of the jeep wrangler you get a cargo space of 42″ x 36″ which is great.

Now you can turn the crate around to make the most of that extra depth space since it’s longer than the side part.

You can fit in that space a large 42L x 28W x 30H crate, it will be hanging a bit over that little dip just before the cup holders but it will fit.

The 42″ crate is a fairly large crate that will fit most large dogs and some very popular ones, you can even get some extra space on the side for some small items.

Airedale TerrierAustralian ShepherdBearded CollieBelgian Malinois
Border CollieBoxerDalmatianIrish Water Spaniel
Irish SetterGordon SetterGolden RetrieverLabrador Retriever
Ibizan HoundSalukiStandard PoodleVizsla
Dogs you can fit in a 42″ crate

Large 70 to 90 pounds dogs like a dalmatian, a golden retriever, or a border collie are the biggest you can fit in the back of a two-door jeep wrangler.

However, if you have a larger dog then a crate is not your best option and you’ll need something that makes the most of the rear space.

Dog crate for four-door Jeep wrangler with back seats in place

With the four-door wrangler you get some extra cargo space in the back and even with the seats in you have a 40″ x 34″ space to work with.

In that space you can fit a 36L x 23W x 25H crate which is great to start with, dogs like a beagle or a bulldog will fit in perfectly.

Dog crate for four-door Jeep wrangler with back seats folded

When the seats are folded you get yourself about 70″ x 40″ clear area to install a large crate.

For that much space, you can go for an XL 48L x 30W x 33H crate and you’ll have plenty of extra space left for other stuff.

The 48″ crate would fit some of the largest dogs and they’ll be comfortable in there.

AfghanAkitaAlaskanMalamute
Anatolian ShepherdBernese Mountain DogBloodhoundBriard
BullmastiffCollieDoberman PinscherGerman Shepherd
GreyhoundRottweilerOld English SheepdogSamoyed
Dogs you can fit in a 48″ crate

All of these dogs are very large dogs however, you can’t fit in a 54″ crate in a jeep wrangler even with the seats out, I’m working currently with a great dane and 54 is just too big, it’s actually the height when the jeep came short.

There are always other alternatives though that we can check out other than crates like going for custom-built crate or just a barrier to make the most of the available space.

Best overall dog crate for Jeep wrangler

If I have to choose I’ll always go with a Midwest wire crate for almost any situation.

ProsCons
Easy to assemble and easy to pack(foldable).It’s not very robust for aggressive heavy dogs.
It has two doors so it can be used on either side to make the most of the available space.Not airline approved
Sturdy enough for regular use and normal dogs.
It can be used in the house for crate training(in fact the best for that).
It comes with a divider so you can fit two dogs small in one crate.
Great price for all the features.
Pros and cons of the Midwest wire crate
  • The Midwest wire crate is the best overall option since it has the most features and the best price.
  • Unless you have an aggressive dog or a super large one you can find one that fits in the back of your Jeep wrangler.
  • You can also use it indoors and it does a great job when crate training.
  • You can use the divider panel to separate two small dogs.

Best aggressive dog crate for Jeep wrangler

Having an aggressive dog could be challenging if you have to take him on the road.

The main challenge with aggressive dogs is that they will chew on their crate while on the road which could distract the driver, or hurt the dog.

There are of course a few crates build specifically for these bad boys and we’re going to see the best out there.

The one we recommend is the Orion Kennels AD crate, it comes in 4 sizes AD1 to AD4 and it’s extra solid and well built.

ProsCons
Super tough for safety and can resist the strongest dogsNot the cheapest option
crash-proof and safe for car travelNot good for crate training at home
Easy to move around and can be secured easily to a carNot airline approved
Lightweight considering its really strong materialIt has one door
Pros and cons of the Orion kennel

The Orien kennel is made strong and sturdy to last.

It keeps your dog safe while on the road and contains the strongest dogs.

The crate is easy to move around and to secure to the car.

It protects your dog in case of a car crash and keeps him safe.

Best dog barrier for Jeep wrangler

Using a barrier is another great solution for a Jeep wrangler, if you want to make the most of the available space.

However, you have to take into consideration that your dog is free to move in the back and doesn’t have any form of protection in case of a crash.

The barrier doesn’t work so great with aggressive dogs that will scratch the windows and the backseats.

All in all, for most dogs it’s a great solution to take your dog around in your Jeep.

ProsCons
You can make the most of the space availableYou don’t have a crate if you’re planning to go to a hotel
Only has to be installed once and that’s itYour dog can move around and is not crash protected
The dog has more space and can actually enjoy the rideDogs can distract the passengers if they’re mischievous
Pros and cons of the barrier

The barrier is a great solution if you need to make the most of the space available in your Jeep wrangler.

The barrier needs to be installed once and that’s it no more moving it around every time you want your dog out for a ride.

It works perfectly for small and well-behaved dogs.

How to choose the best dog crate for Jeep wrangler

Unless you have no choice in terms of space in which case you have to go with the barrier, the best dog crate for Jeep wrangler is the best for your dog.

Each dog is different, the larger the dog the fewer choices you have and vice versa.

Having a small non-aggressive well-trained dog is the best scenario and We would suggest using the wire crate mostly because it’s the just middle between simplicity and mobility.

However, if you have a strong aggressive dog then a stronger crate is certainly needed to keep him safe.

And the barrier is the best solution for large dogs that you just can’t find a crate that would fit in your Jeep wrangler like a great dane who needs a 54″ crate which is too high for your car.

The one I really advise against is the soft-side crate because simply it doesn’t do anything for the dog in case of an accident and he could at any moment break free and disturb the driver.

Make sure you measure your dog perfectly before you buy a crate and if you need help check out this article.