Dogs in Mokes

[Andy]

noticed an old post from kinga earlier and realise that she hasnt been on the forum for what seems like a very ling time.
anyone down south there know what the story is?

[Kinga]

Hello, yes I'm still in the background here and there and definitely not out of the moke scene .

Got myself in the rut of not being on the Forum for such a long time so thanks Andy for this thread - should really dust myself off now and start contributing again.

Yes, just got back from a camp near Naracoorte with the S.A. club - a really nice group of people. Though not much moking happened and even we brought the Subaru as Rohan and I, our camping gear and new dog, Billy, woudn't fit happily into the Moke. Still had some fun (for most) as a little convoy made up of 4  Mokes and a few 4x4's played on local sandy roads.  Casualities: 1 x bogged Moke, 1 x dead clutch on another Moke and 1 x bogged Subaru  .

My Moke has been quite healthy since the engine/gearbox overhaul after the 2006 Cape York trip so I haven't really had to do much work on it.  Only a little project coming up when time allows - need to fit out the back for Billy (some form of rubber matting and harness clip device) plus a trailer would be nice so we CAN take the Moke when travelling with the dog.

So 'hello' to everyone and it's nice to be back!

Kinga

[MollyMoke]

Hi Kinga,

Yes I have the same problem, either Zed our dog or the camping gear! I use a harness either hooked to the base of both front seats (allows Zed to sit on the tray or wriggle down on the floor out of the wind), or if the back seats are in he gets hooked to the middle of them, sits up the like the king!
I also plan to build a trailer to ease this poblem, had an idea and asked for some sheet metal work to be done, still waiting for a quote, thanks for the reminder!

Cheerio,

Chris

[Mr Spotlights]

I had an embarrassing and dangerous moment at a set of lights once when my Corgi dog seen some people waiting to cross the road and jumped out of the Moke to say hello to them just as I began to accelerate away from the lights, unfortunately he was tethered by his leash which I had attached to the seat. Luckily or unluckily the lead was long enough for him to get out of the moke but then be pulled very quickly and very closely beside. Those little legs were going their fastest even though I pulled up quickly it was very scary. The dog was fine and was secured very safely from then on. He did end up getting what he wanted though which was a pat from the concerned people at the traffic lights.

Great to hear from you Kinga, thought you dropped off the radar.

[Kinga]

Mr Spotty, Billy did something similar to your Corgi though his tether wasn't long enough to let him touch the ground and instead he paddled in the air for a few metres till we could stop!

I'm thinking of visiting a rubber store to see what I can get in the way of mats that I would then stitch together (?) to protect the back of the Moke from doggy claws. The trailer is a must for camping gear if we're taking B with us.

This is what Bob from the SA club had with him:

[bnicho]

A few days before the Muster in 2006 I had just finished assembling my Moke.  I had an unreg permit so we decided to take the dogs up to the park 1km away for a first test run.  Both dogs (Minnie and Cooper!) wore harnesses which were secured to the rear floor.  As we pulled up Sarah released Cooper's harness.  He dived over the side of the Moke while it was still moving and tore a ligament in his hind leg!  We could not get the Vet to operate until after Easter and the kennel could not take him in that condition.  I wasn't missing the Muster for anything, so we were forced to take the dogs with us to the Muster.  Fortunately they are both well trained and the motel was very understanding. 

After two operations and about $1000 in vet bills Cooper is fine now!   

I'm building a small lightweight luggage trailer to go behind the Moke so we can do some touring in it.  The chassis is complete, just got to motivate a mate to finish lazer-cutting the panels!   

[casper]

Can't wait to see it,  make sure you put some pics up. It'll give me some ideas when I get to that time.

[Terry]

Hi,

.... forced to take the dogs with us to the Muster.  Fortunately they are both well trained and the motel was very understanding.

Always wondered how you got away with the dogs in that room Thought they must have hid under the bed when the cleaners came through.

With my pooch I don' have tehtered when we drive, more likely to snap his neck in an accident than save him, so he has fallen out a couple of times but he has learn't and I brake pretty hard with my left arm holding him back. I use a lead slipped down through the seat and over the handbrake to secure him when he has to stay in the Moke.

A good material for the dogs and the duco is a non-slip material intended for caravans and motorhome table that you can buy at Clarke Rubber etc. I just through it over the sidebox  as he enters or departs.

Did have an interesting time on a MOA trip where Cujo's paw went down between the two seats at he front and as he jumped back it locked his paw in under the top bar. So I m on a hill standing outside he Moke with one foot in on the brake(no handbrake as usual) directing someone from the Moke behind me where to get the 1/2" spanners from while we unbolted the seat frames to pry them apart while a very frightened heeler X was howling and snapping at us trying to get the bolts out from under his paws.

So not only do you have to consider them falling out but falling in too. I put the seat back in DS soon there will be a piece of webbing/material across the front between the two front seats to make sure that paws can't get in there. Another thing I have seen happen is The Cuj has jumped in and his nail as caught in the factory hood bow mount and torn it almost off, the nail that is not the mount.

Look like Bob is going to be doing it style this trip

Terry

[bnicho]

Always wondered how you got away with the dogs in that room Thought they must have hid under the bed when the cleaners came through.

Nah, we took them with us wherever we went and they slept in a collapsible kennel we bought the day before we left home.  The motel were really great about it. 

Can't wait to see it,  make sure you put some pics up. It'll give me some ideas when I get to that time.

Some pics of the basis:







I started to design something similar, then this came up for sale on eBay so I bought it.  I've strengthened the draw-bar, modifed it a bit and made up tailgates since.  The leaf-sprung axle is out of some small Daihatsu or Suzuki and is heaps lighter than a Mini/Moke rear subframe.  I redrilled the hubs to Moke pattern so I can use the set of 3 x 12" jelly-bean allys I had lying around.  Without any panels it weighs just 80kg.  It measures 5' long (plus drawbar) x 4.25' wide, which is 3-4" narrower than the Moke.  So it's rego exempt in Vic.