Variocage Safedog Double Crate - XL- 990mm wide extra long

weight of product = 36kg

Cage Type	Variocage Double XL
Stock Code	E00364
Number of doors	two
Crate weight	36kg
Telescopic Length - Floor - L1 (min / max)	810 - 1030 mm
.	(32" -  40.5")
Telescopic Length - Top   - L2 (min / max)	430 - 665 mm (17" - 26")
Interior Length - Floor - (min / max)	750 - 970mm (29.5" - 38")
Floor Width incl. screw - W1	990mm (39")
Top Width - W2	810mm (32")
Upper wing width - W3	920mm (36")
Lower wing width - W4	980mm (38.6")
Exterior Height incl screw - H1	715mm (28")
Interior Height - H2	695mm (27.5")

All imperial measurements in inches are approximate and for guidance only.

Q. Will the crates fit behind the back seat of my car?
A: Our crates MUST be behind the back seat to be safe. We will not sell a crate to someone who wants to put the back seats down as that simply isn't a safe way to travel - for you OR your dog(s).

Q. I have a hatchback car which has a sill at the back - do you have a crate to fit?
A: Yes we do. We have 2 sizes - please check the category page.

Q: How were the crates tested?
A: Scroll down the page and  you can see the crash test report.

Q: How quickly can I have my crate?
A: Crates are usually available from stock and can usually be fitted (free) within a few days.

Q: Are the crates easy to get in and out of the car?
A: They're designed for safety rather than ease of carrying. If you need to get to your spare wheel in an emergency it is possible for most people to lift the crate out. However, once the crate is in the car then you would normally leave it in there. (put shopping inside crate if the dog is not with you.)

Q: Do the crates fold flat?
A: No, once the crates are made up they don't fold down - they're designed from a safety point of view.

Q: Can the crates be used as an indoor crate?
A: It is possible to use the crate as an indoor crate occasionally - however you would be wasting your money to buy a Safedog crate to use indoors! We do a huge range of crates and playpens which may be used for this. You will also find that the largest crates don't fit through doors easily once they're made up.

Q: Why don't you send these crates flatpacked for me to erect?
A. This is a safety crate, and is quite complicated to erect. If done wrongly, this may compromise safety. We are easy to find, very near to J6 on the M61 - come along and we will erect and fit it for you - free of charge!

Q: Do the crates bolt into the car?
A: No, there are two straps supplied with each crate which connect to the cargo points in the car.

Q: I'm planning to change my car during the next year, should I wait until I have the new vehicle?
A: If you're looking for a similar size car then the chances are that your crate would fit the new vehicle. However, please feel free to phone us and we will probably be able to help on sizes. (01257 484200)

Q: I'm surprised that such a small range of crates fit into pretty much any car!
A: The crates are adjustable lengthways, so we're able to fit our crates in a wide variety of cars.

Q: The crates don't look very spacious - are they big enough for dogs to travel in comfortably?
A: The crates are deceptively spacious. The dogs have more freedom of movement than an adult with a seatbelt on or a child strapped into a baby seat. The dogs need to have space to jump in and turn round in the crate. It does depend on breed of course - you wouldn't get two Newfies in one of our crates!

Crash Test Report. (Note - Crash Tested - not crash proof!)

Crash Test Report MIM Construction AB has evaluated the dog crate Variocage in car crashes from the safety aspect of both the dog and passengers. Out of a variety of crashes the rear-end collision is probably the biggest threat to passenger safety. The luggage compartment is a part of the deformation zone around the passenger compartment that protects passengers from intrusion in collisions. In a rear-end collision the rear-end is pushed forward by the intrusion caused by the hitting vehicle. Objects in the luggage compartment are then pushed forward. The amount of intrusion is limited by the stiffness of the car and the speed and energy of the hitting vehicle. A dog crate placed in the luggage compartment affects the balance of the system. If the crate is too stiff the back of the rear seats will yield and collapse in a rear-end crash.
When passengers occupy the rear seat the change of the deformation zone becomes dangerous if the back of the rear seat does not stop the dog crate. This type of collision is common in all countries. It is thus essential that the crate is constructed in a way that makes it collapse in a controlled way in severe rear-end crashes.
The speed that was used in the rear-end crash test was 30 km/h. It is equal to at a stand still getting hit from behind by a car with the same weight as the hit car doing 55 km/h. Part of a Volvo V70 body was placed on a crash test sled. The crate was then placed in the luggage compartment against the seat back. Two 35-kg dog dummies were placed inside the crate. The crate was pushed forward during the crash by a plate big enough to hit the entire rear-end of the crate. The plate was used to simulate the intrusion of the hitting vehicle.
A Variocage XL dog crate for two dogs was tested. The loading of the seat back was moderate and no visible deformation of the seat structure could be found after the test.

The plate enters the luggage compartment just a little bit above the floor and push the crate forward during the braking of the crash test sled. The crate was compressed about 150 mm after the test. No sharp edges dangerous to the dog could be found. Both gates could be opened. The emergency gate was not jammed and could be opened.

The forces in a roll over are difficult to create in a controlled way in a crash lab. They are randomised and can come from any direction. The falling distance in a roll over is not very high and the crate is close to the centre of gravity. It is thus the impact from the falling that is interesting and easy to create. A Variocage XL single crate was tested in a drop test to see if the crate could handle forces in the corner of the gate. The crate was dropped from a height of 70 cm, which corresponds, to a speed change of 13,3 km/h when it hits the concrete floor. With the lower hinge corner of the crate facing down and a 45-kg dummy inside the impact of the crate is quite rough. The crate handled the impact well and did not open or crack in any other way that would be dangerous to the dog.

The Variocage crate after the drop test was resting on its side.

Concept

For more than twenty years, Mim Construction AB (the manufacturers of the crate, based in Sweden) has worked with functional designs of safety details in the vehicle industry. They have documentation from hundreds of crash-tests, where their protection details are used. Mim has followed the major car-manufacturers´ use of crumple-zones.
The Variocage (Safedog crate) was developed based on a long experience in the production of safety accessories. The initial models were sold by the thousands and the recent models are today exported to many European countries.
Since we started promoting the crates at shows one of the most common expressions we hear from people is 'my dog is fine on the back seat'. But the crates give unique protection to both humans and animals during an unexpected accident.
The cages are constructed to reach the highest level of safety and are the only ones on the market that fulfill the demands at rear-end collisions. The safety cages are made of steel and are sprayed in grey and black shades.
The locking mechanism has a sturdy hasp and keys.
No features can hurt the dog.
During an unexpected accident the escape door in the rear of the cage can be used. The cages are absolutely silent – no noise. All models are equipped with a rubber mat.

Escape door

If the front gates are blocked the escape door can be used. In a few simple operations the rear section can be removed (undoing two bolts on the single crates; three bolts on the doubles).

Crumple zone

In a rear-end collision the cage will be compressed in a controlled manner to the same extent as the crumple zones of the car. This means that the rear seat back will not be pushed forward by the cage, minimizing the risk of damage to both passengers and dog.
crumple zone Safedog crash tested variocage Double crate with detachable divider The mid-section easily adjusts sideways if one of the dogs needs more space. If you have a large dog or if you want to give a single dog more space, the mid-section is easily detached. The cage can easily be “tailor-made” for the car by adjusting the length to suit the size of your boot space.