Baggage Compartment False Floor

I would like to travel with our 54 pound basset hound (Dudley), but don't think I can easily lift his dead weight out of the deep, deep, RV-7 baggage compartment. I was thinking of fabricating some sort of "knockdown" subfloor that I could put over gear stored beneath and then have an elevated platform to get the attack dog on and off of more easily. Looking for suggestions?

jetempleton said:

I would like to travel with our 54 pound basset hound (Dudley), but don't think I can easily lift his dead weight out of the deep, deep, RV-7 baggage compartment. I was thinking of fabricating some sort of "knockdown" subfloor that I could put over gear stored beneath and then have an elevated platform to get the attack dog on and off of more easily. Looking for suggestions?

Click to expand...

Just be sure you don't alter the original floor. It IS structural!

Why not just drop the passenger seat and allow him in/out that way?

If you really want to go up and over, Supertracks... Enough said.

A couple of alternatives to consider:
- its pretty easy to just remove a front seat so that the dog could be readily transferred to the front and then taken out from there;
- what about installing Supertracks to allow easy access to the back from outside the plane? https://www.flyboyaccessories.com/product-p/1401.htm

erich

I'm half way through a tilt up canopy mod (I have a slider). The Supertracks mod came out after I got started on my rear tip up - way cooler though. I still have to lift the beast over that high bathtub gunnel. Several have already mentioned removing the right hand stick and folding the seat back forward - letting the beast walk on his own. He does have short legs, however. And Basset hounds never go where or when you want them!

Large dogs

When I flew corporate we had a special harness made for the owners large dog to be belted in during takeoff and landing. After a rejected takeoff out of Tampa Bowzer was almost in our laps. On the RV removing the passenger side stick would be a must for me if the seat back was removed.

A little off topic, but-

jetempleton said:

I would like to travel with our 54 pound basset hound (Dudley), ...

Click to expand...

Dogs have pretty sensitive ears subject to damage with exposure to high dB levels. With a little practice, Mine tolerated having foam earplugs, the cylindrical white ones, shoved way down in the ear canal such that they did not fly out when she shook her head. I just rolled them up very tightly before shoving them in. I actually think she was grateful to be spared the noise.

I actually wear the same plugs under my bose A20?s, along with foam wedges to seal around me eyeglass frames. This after developing chronic tinitus after cross countryflights- totally solved this problem.