Favorite Rotomolded Dog Kennel

[twall13]

My cheap old Petmate dog kennel just made it's last trip to South Dakota and I'm in the market for a more durable option that will hopefully last a lifetime. I've been doing some research and it seems like the general consensus is the Gunner kennels are top of the heap, but they are also quite heavy. I'm hoping to find something durable that doesn't weigh too much, willing to pay a premium if it will last. I'd like to be able to sit on it without it collapsing and I'm not sure the Ruffland will quite cut it but I thought I'd throw out a poll and see what some of you guys are using.

Comment below with what you like/dislike about the options listed.

 

[blake_mhoona]

i've had my RuffLand Large since before they were called Ruff Land. I bought mine in 2012 when it was called (and labelled) Ruff Tuff.

It's on its second dog and has held up better than expected. Highly recommend buying the carrying handles that mount to the top of it. When it gets cold the Mud River insulated kennel cover does a great job keeping him warm and fitting the kennel.

Like most things in life. Buy Once Cry Once.

 

[twall13]

I know the number of people who have these high end kennels may be limited skewing the results, but I am a bit surprised that the gear junkies at Rokslide have so far unanimously selected the cheapest option on the list in the RuffLand. I was leaning more towards a Primos, Lucky Duck, or Dakota but I don't want to waste money if the RuffLand will do all I need. I'm not convinced it will, but it's interesting to see the results up to this point.

 

[KurtR]

I have the ruffland also since i got a deal through the retriever club. I was going to get a gunner but have also seen the lucky duck. I dont think you can go wrong with any one of those.

 

[twall13]

I compared the Lucky Duck and RuffLand side by side at Cabela's the other day. The plastic seems to be a very similar thickness but the Lucky Duck was very noticeably stiffer. I think that has more to do with the design than anything as the more the design angles in and out provides more structure. The RuffLand bowed in significantly when I pushed on the top and I'd hesitate to sit on it. The Lucky Duck was very stiff and I'd have no worries about sitting on it. I also much preferred the door on the Lucky Duck. That said, the price difference is pretty significant as well.

 

[KurtR]

I compared the Lucky Duck and RuffLand side by side at Cabela's the other day. The plastic seems to be a very similar thickness but the Lucky Duck was very noticeably stiffer. I think that has more to do with the design than anything as the more the design angles in and out provides more structure. The RuffLand bowed in significantly when I pushed on the top and I'd hesitate to sit on it. The Lucky Duck was very stiff and I'd have no worries about sitting on it. I also much preferred the door on the Lucky Duck. That said, the price difference is pretty significant as well.

I weigh 180 pounds and have stood on my ruffland in the garage a bunch when i was to lazy to get a ladder out.
Another factor was it is built here in Sodak so i like supporting a local company

 

[blake_mhoona]

I compared the Lucky Duck and RuffLand side by side at Cabela's the other day. The plastic seems to be a very similar thickness but the Lucky Duck was very noticeably stiffer. I think that has more to do with the design than anything as the more the design angles in and out provides more structure. The RuffLand bowed in significantly when I pushed on the top and I'd hesitate to sit on it. The Lucky Duck was very stiff and I'd have no worries about sitting on it. I also much preferred the door on the Lucky Duck. That said, the price difference is pretty significant as well.

i'm not sure if something has changed since i bought mine, but there is no way i can bend mine by sitting on it. i'm not sure if they still have the videos up or not but the thing that persuaded me was the videos of throwing it out of a moving truck and shooting it with a shotgun. neither of which affected the kennel.

if you need something more sturdy i'd look at a semi-permanent truck dog box such as an Ainley 2-hole. that would be the only type of kennel i'd ever replace my ruff tuff with. unfortunately having a chevy colorado would require some custom work or the addition of drawers since my bed isnt as wide as a full size truck. or else i would have already gone that route. it does get old moving a heavy kennel in and out of the house and into the truck.

 

[jmez]

I have a Dakota. Great kennel, you can stand it sit on it and not bend it at all. It will outlive me and my kids.

That said I got it cheap. Guy bought it to keep his dog in after an orthopedic surgery then didn't want it. Sold it to me for $150.

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[twall13]

i'm not sure if something has changed since i bought mine, but there is no way i can bend mine by sitting on it. i'm not sure if they still have the videos up or not but the thing that persuaded me was the videos of throwing it out of a moving truck and shooting it with a shotgun. neither of which affected the kennel.

I've seen the video of throwing it out of the truck and dropping weights on it from like 10 ft., but I haven't seen the shotgun one. I saw the shotgun test on the Gunner. I'm not sure if RuffLand changed anything either and I'm not saying the flex is enough to sway my decision but it had a lot more flex than the Lucky Duck. I did notice that the medium sized Ruffland had a lot less flex than the large size, but it still didn't compare to the Lucky Duck. I'd feel comfortable sitting or standing on the medium if I ever needed to. Probably not a deal breaker but it would be nice at times to use it as a seat to eat lunch and I certainly can't do that with my current kennel.

I'm sure Gunner is even more stout being double walled but probably just added weight I don't really need for the kennel to hold up. I'd guess the Dakota is somewhere between the Gunner & Lucky Duck that way. I'm really curious about the stiffness of the Primos Kennel Up.

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[EJMK]

I have the Dakota. Got a great deal on their site when they had some factory blemish or seconds on clearance. The top is bent a little bit other than that it’s in perfect shape. I was going looking hard at the Gunner but just couldn’t get past the cost. The Dakota seems indestructible, really happy with my choice.

 

[Deerfanatic31]

I appreciate all this info as I need to buy a kennel since the back seat will soon be full with two kids.

 

[Billinsd]

What kennel has the best ventilation? I hunt the hot southwest and my dog travels in the bed with a truck shell. Thanks

 

[Buzby]

I have a gunner and love it. It’s not for everyone, but it’s different than the others.

It’s double wall.
Built in insulation and added strength. Under my truck cap my dog stays cool in summer and warm in winter. No additional insulation needed.

Crash rated.
I have a lot invested in my dog. Time and money.
I want him protected.

USA made. Important to me, may not be to you.

Down sides. Expensive, heavy. Mine stays in the truck, strapped down, so weight doesn’t matter much. Add the cost of insulation, tie down points, a locking door, and top handles to the ruffland (all standard on the gunner) and the price gap closes quite a bit.

 

[twall13]

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!

 

[twall13]

What kennel has the best ventilation? I hunt the hot southwest and my dog travels in the bed with a truck shell. Thanks

I'm not sure which provides the most ventilation, but I know there are several out there that offer an optional fan kit to help keep your dog cool. Not really a need for me where I live/hunt but something you could consider if you feel you need it. Dakota and Ruffland both have options that I know of, seems like Orion might offer something as well, or at least have it in the works. The Ruffland mounts to the door and could likely be used with other brands as well.

 

[Paul in Idaho]

@twall13 thanks for sharing your research. I'm starting to shop for a replacement crate and this is good info.

 

[30338]

For me hunting CO, KS, NE from late Oct to Jan, the Gunner is the hands down favorite. I have 2 ruffland and they are nice but for the door alone I'll take the Gunner. Just my preference. The 4 year old top dog is treated to the Gunner, youngster goes in one of the other two lol. Bought my Gunner large size with tons of options used for $500.

 

[aaronoto]

Been running a Ruff Tuff (now Ruffland) for the last 5 years and have no desire to upgrade, and I'm a self admitted gear whore. More then anything, I'm afraid a Gunner would get ripped off from the back of my truck. A lot of the parking areas where I hunt are pretty remote and some super sketchy.

 

[Cbrick]

Got the old Ruff Tuff. On the second dog with it now. I’ve got a cover for it and it’s a stout kennel. Makes a good seat for a cold beverage after a hunt.


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[Mosby]

Right now, I have two Ruffland kennels and they have been great. Our hunting dogs are house dogs and they go everywhere with us. Carrying a Ruffland into my son's house when visiting or a hotel is a lot easier than some of the other options and its small enough I can slide one of them into the back seat of my truck, when I only have 1 dog. The fact that they weigh less than other options is a benefit most of the year. Ours have the double doors and ventilation in warmer weather is great. During hunting season, I put covers on and strap them down in my truck bed and they have worked fine but there are better kennels for warmth and safety that weigh more. We move our kennels a lot, so it is a trade off.