allisonb1013

hi everyone,
as the subject says....it's on the way!
i'm really excited, and just wanted to share. my dealer is in the process of swapping for the one i want, so i should have my new GX in the next couple of weeks.

allisonb1013

good news is, it will be here mid next week!

bad news, and quite funny at this point.....the thing is too tall for the garage i park in at work!!!

i'm only over the recommended height by <1", so i'm really ok, but what are the chances!

Jayson

Even with the suspension set to the lowest level (ARH)?

allisonb1013

it is <1" over when the suspension is at the lowest.

the roof rack is what puts it over, but i don't want to have it removed unless i absolutely have to.

gzorn

That was a test I performed when I bought my 2003 GX. (Sales person thought I was crazy when I asked to test for this) Drove the car to my house and carefully pulled it into the garage, salesperson was standing in front of me watching to make sure nothing hit/scraped. Width was fine but the arm on the electric garage door opener would hit the roof rack unless the back-end was dropped the one inch and then it just clears it. I have problems once in a while when it does not auto-drop, usually due to me hitting the switch by accident, and the garage door will not close. You have to test for all these fun things when buying a semi-large vechicle.

But then I am also a person who required a test drive with the dog to ensure she would be happy. The FX45 failed since the roof line was not high enough when she was standing. Made her refuse to get in and out of the car on her own.

allisonb1013

true, and my bad for not checking....but who would think that a vehicle would not fit into a public parking garage? considering i drive a little car right now...it's never been an issue to date.

<VENOM>

Make sure it don't vibrate and if it don't fit get a V8 Limited 4Runner

mchippo

gzorn,

Way to go!! Testing your future vehicle for your BMD is really cool! I have a Sand Dollar Pearl 2003 GX 470 that I want to nickname the "Bailey Bus" because my Rotty / Chow (Bailey) absolutely loves driving around in it. I have installed one of the third row seats just for him. I covered it with a seat cover to protect the leather and I have a Weather Tech cargo liner in case he jumps in with muddy paws. He and I go driving around everywhere. He loves to sit in the third row seat and look out the window.

Fellow dog lover, MCHippo (Dave)

Perhaps this would be an interesting thread of discussion. Pets and the GX 470?

tetra7

Right on!

I can't wait to get my GX either! I know my boys (2 labs: Yellow and Chocolate) will love it much better than what we have now. Let me know what things you have done to "dog-proof" the truck. Did you install a barrier also? Are the weather tech liners holding up well? What kind of seat cover did you get?

Thanks in advance...

mchippo

Hey tetra7,

The seat cover is made out of water resistant fabric. It is designed for a bucket seat with elastic and straps to secure it. It is a little big for the third row seat but it does the job. Just search on "Dog Seat Cover" on the Web and you will find lots of them.

The Weather Tech cargo liner is excellent and is holding up very well. I simply placed it in the back and put one of the third row seats on top of it. I did not bother to cut a hole in the cargo liner to allow the seat to lock in to its floor mount. The seat is stable enough just with the side lock. Bailey is content to stay in the back cargo area and doesn't try to jump to the second row seats. I have not purchased a gate or fence of any kind.

Other than that, I have a dust buster mounted in the garage to vacuum up the dog hair from the cargo area. I always carry windex handi-wipes to wipe the slobbers off of the windows and a large towel to dry Bailey off when he gets wet.

The only down side is the felt/fabric liner Lexus uses to finish the sides of the back cargo area. Bailey has scratched it a bit around the window with his paws. Small price to pay to have my best friend with me.

allisonb1013

i luck out in that respect....my little guy is a 12 week old Boston Terrier. He doesn't sit by himself when he goes for a ride.

tetra7

You are either very lucky or always worried..it's always fun having the boys in the truck. I always have folks give me a smile or the thumbs up with the boys..and nothing more entertaining and gratifying than watching the boys with their heads out the window and the wind blowing in their faces

gzorn

I have the 3rd row removed and in the basement. The 2nd row spends 90% of its time folded and a Hatchbag cover installed with an old folded up blanket sitting over the 2nd row well. She spends a lot of time laying there sleeping. Since I have a hitch installed, I have ordered a twist-step since she is not a jumper and does not like to jump into the SUV.

You can get the Hatchbag cover at http://www.hatchbag.com/hatchbag.html, they do not list the GX470 but call and it is orderable. The hatchbag is great since it covers the seats and walls of the rear. When she gets wet and dirty from the park/beach I can just shove her in and worry about cleaning up at home without the rest of the SUV getting dirty. I would just recommend getting the Twistlock mounting hardware since the velcro does not hold well if the dog is active in the back. (This also works well when you need to haul stuff home from Home Depot)

Canine Auto is running a sale on the Twiststep at this time:

http://canineauto.com/indexproducts.htm

I will post a picture of the final setup once that has arrived.

allisonb1013

i don't know if lucky is the word....he only weighs 7lbs right now, and is too short to see if he sits by himself. he likes to sit in the driver seat and put his head near the wind (he isn't quite sure if he likes it yet). i'm hoping that once he gets bigger he'll like having the back area to himself.

mchippo

gzorn,

Very cool. I am also looking at getting the twist-step for Bailey. The jump from the cargo area to the ground is a bit long (24 inches +?). Bailey is 2 years old now and can handle it....but time will wear on him and that jump will damage his joints. I want to install the twist-step to help him out.

Here is the kicker... I did not get the trailer hitch set-up when I ordered my GX. When I went to the dealership to price the installation, they said the hitch set-up was not available at this time as it was only installed at the factory. Has anybody heard anything different?

Dedicated Dog Lover, Mchippo