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Mushing Innovations

So after 5 sheets of MDO plywood, cans and tubes of glue, Bondo and caulk, pounds of deck screws, clouds of dust generated by sanding, a couple of gallons of primer and paint, yards of stainless steel piano hinge, several turnbuckles and bolts securing everything in place, here’s what we ended up with.

All dressed up and no snow to go!	Side graphics were traced and hand painted on.
~click photo for larger view~

Other features of this Geezer-Musher dog box include a two-shelf gear cabinet on the passenger side and a harness/tug lines closet on the driver’s side rail box. There is additional storage underneath each rail box that is covered by tough Sunbrella fabric held in place by bungees.

The gear cabinet	The harness and tug line closet.	Under rail box storage.
~click photo for larger view~

Since the rail boxes are 20 inches wide and our sleds are about 22 inches wide, aluminum angle was used to create custom width “sled rails” which keep the sleds from slipping side to side. Ratchet tie downs are still needed to secure sleds to the top of the box. When towing our cart on a small trailer, a platform on the trailer’s tongue serves as a step up to the bed.
Without the trailer, a foldaway cargo carrier slips into the hitch receiver and, along with a wee plastic step for me, affords access up into the bed.

Side graphics were photocopied from a book and blown up to banner size. Mark traced the image with old-fashioned wax tracing paper and then hand painted it on. We are extremely grateful to the book’s publisher for giving us permission and her blessing to recreate these images on what is likely to be the last dog box we’ll ever need to build.

Because it only takes 3-5 Inuit Dogs to haul our two carcasses around wherever we want to go, this design on this size truck works perfectly for us. The dogs love their new transportation. The doors provide them lots of ventilation. Only the sled needs to be lifted but there’s no overhead stretching. And because the doors face into the middle of the truck, there is enhanced security for the dogs from nosey or possibly malicious onlookers.

More details on this project, including a parts list, can be found in the “Building a Dog Box” features in The Fan Hitch, journal of the Inuit Sled Dog International, September 2007 (http://thefanhitch.org) and December 2007.

The senior team of 10 year-olds heading back to the truck

[back to page 1]

Submitted October 2007

[back to Innovations Index}

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