I an the original owner of a 1997 Limited 2WD with only 60,000 original miles. I've loved this truck and would never dream of parting ways. My wife currently uses it several times a week for hauling our German Shepherds to training. The side-effect of this, however, is the shedding and the smell that is impossible to keep out of the carpets (and I suspect all the fabric interior). My wife has tried to get me to trade my T4R in for a new FJ; however, I can't see the logic in that, given that what I have is in such great shape. What I'd rather do is some modifications to help mitigate the problem described. The seats are leather, and showing some wear, so I would like to get them covered with something that looks great and is easy to maintain (wipe down). Same with the carpets. Some places worn through, so I'd like to replace with a floor covering like the FJ, which is more of a plastic/synthetic material that can be hosed off. Don't know if there is anything similar for the headliner, but I suspect most of the smells can be controlled by getting rid of the carpet on the floors and cargo area. I don't ever envision anyone riding in the back seats, so I would even consider getting them out of there to create more space for the dogs and eliminate the fabric bottoms that collect hair/smells/etc., when they are in the folded up position. Has anyone done anything like this where they can share some pics or ideas? THANKS!

 

id put the dogs in the back of the truck

 

he has a 4runner..... my mom puts a lot of dogs in and out of her toyota matrix. back seats are folded down for more space and then she lays a rubber mat over the whole carpet section. dogs in your car are going to smell like dogs in your car, unless they don't smell like dogs.

If i were you, I would look into rubber matting (i bet you can find someone who makes them for a 3rd gen 4runner) and maybe a nice set of seat covers that fit your needs.

 

I want some wet okole seat covers badly....

 

Well, for the floors the carpet is probably just wearing where it gets a lot of foot traffic. Get some Husky Liners and call it good. They have a cargo liner if you'd like and there are write-ups about combining two of them to cover the entire back when folded down. As mentioned, Wet Okole seat covers. There's your FJ interior.

http://www.huskyliners.com/

http://www.wetokole.com/TOY4RUNF.html

Now about your stinky dogs though - is the smell THAT bad? I've got a couple of big mutts that spend an awful lot of time outdoors. They're mountain dogs all the way, one of 'em is a husky mix. They get a bath once or twice a year if they roll in something dead or get skunked - plus however much they got washed in creeks and ponds in the summer and however much the snow washes them. Don't get me wrong, these aren't outside dogs (those dogs always stink!) they spend a lot of time indoors too. The hound-mix thinks she's an 80lb lap dog. They just don't stink enough to leave a stench behind in the truck. They can smell pretty bad when they're wet but that goes away as soon as they dry......

Now I'm sounding like a douche though, I'm afraid......I'm just trying to say that maybe more baths or a different shampoo might be the answer to the smell problem.

edit: this thread got me drooling over Wet Okole covers again. I was looking at their site and their 100 options and noticed they recommend this if your covers ever get stinky:

http://www.rei.com/product/694530/mc...dor-eliminator

Chris

 

I've noticed some breeds smell more then others... used to work with GSD guard dogs and they never smelled of course they were also bathed weekly... the bouviers would stink from time to time despite the same care...

it may also have to do with glands related to mating... some non-"fixed" animals get stinky to let the other dogs in the hood know they are "hot and bothered and ready for LOVE"...
..."Yeah Baby!"

as for getting the stink out of the truck try consulting a professional detailler they have products that can deal with most isues..

 

I've noticed some breeds smell more then others... used to work with GSD guard dogs and they never smelled of course they were also bathed weekly... the bouviers would stink from time to time despite the same care...

it may also have to do with glands related to mating... some non-"fixed" animals get stinky to let the other dogs in the hood know they are "hot and bothered and ready for LOVE"...
..."Yeah Baby!"

as for getting the stink out of the truck try consulting a professional detailler they have products that can deal with most isues..