Travall Guard Review

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If you take your dog everywhere with you, like we do here at ActiveGearReview.com, then you know how important it is to keep yourself and your dogs safe when shuttling to and from the trail. This spring we have had the opportunity to test out the Travall Guard, which is a barrier that helps to keep your cargo in the back seat, whether it is a 4 legged friend or piles of gear.

Stella (standing) and Fozzie (laying down) showing that there is plenty of room for both dogs in the back of a Subaru Forester with the Travall Guard in place.

Safety and Design Features

Keeping your dog safe while you transition to/from the trail is the main objective of the Travall Guard.  In the event of a car accident, humans have airbags and seat-belts to keep us safe, an unrestrained dog has nothing to keep them from meeting the front windshield. While our dog testers Fozzie and Stella were reluctant at first with the Travall Guard, they got the hang of it, as did we. Keeping the dogs in the back also means less distracted driving, another safety bonus for the family. While they do miss hanging their head out of the window, they are able to get plenty of airflow with the windows and sunroof down.

Fozzie relaxing in the back after a trip to our favorite local trail.

Each Travall Guard is designed to meet the specifications of your vehicle. In other words, a Subaru Forester Travall Guard is different than one designed for a Jeep Cherokee. We have a 2009 Subaru Forester and the Travall website is easy to use to ensure you order the correct product and get the right fit. Visit Travall.com and enter your make, model, year, sunroof vs no sunroof, and other details. Travall comes up with the products to fit your vehicle and you can easily place your order within a few minutes.

Note the small cut out in the center of the photo for the center seatbelt attachment

The Travall Guard is made of premium steel with an oval shape that provides added strength, while also remaining smooth to eliminate potential catching or snagging of the dogs’ collars or paw. The transition points are welded with extreme attention to detail, meaning there are no burrs or sharp spots. The Travall Guard also blends in with the back of the vehicle thanks to utilizing a dark grey coating over the steel that is scratch resistant, which means it should continue to look nice for years to come.

The small squares of the Guard are easy to see through, without blind spots, and you quickly adjust to the barrier in place.  When driving around town or on local dirt roads, I have yet to experience any rattling of the Guard, which is a major bonus. There are small gaps along the top and sides of the Travall Guard in our Subaru Forester, however these are minimal, measuring 1.5″ along the top and 2.5″ at the side corners. These small gaps do not allow the dogs to leverage themselves or push against the rack, like other pet barriers I have seen.

Installation and Removal

To install, simply follow the instructions that come with your Travall Guard. The first time around I was installing the device backwards and faced some added installation time. Once I flipped it around I was able to easily follow the instructions. Here is a copy of the instructions that come with each product: Travall instructions

Installation can be done by one person but does involve some climbing into the back of your vehicle to anchor the Guard with the vertical stays. The installation does not require any additional tools, as Travall includes the necessary hex key aka Allen wrench for tightening at the end. Removal of the Travall Guard takes about 5 minutes.

3 attachment points keep the Travall Guard anchored in place: a front support, bottom brace, and vertical stay that utilizes the factory D-loop on our Subaru Forester

Additional Travall Products

Combine the Travall Guard with the Divider and you have an ideal setup for the back of your vehicle. The Divider is a nice addition when you pack the vehicle for a road trip and pile the gear high, this protects your 4-legged buddy from items toppling over and impeding on his or her space. It also ensures that your animals stay out of the food bag or cooler. The Divider can be placed in 3 different positions, middle, left and right of center, to adjust the amount of space for your dog vs gear. This would also allow you to fold seats down for larger items, such as skis/snowboards, and keep your animal contained.  Like the Travall Guard, the Divider is also vehicle specific. While we didn’t test out this product, I can see the combination coming in handy for larger trunks to ensure space and safety are maximized.

For more information about the Travall Guard and other great products by Travall, please visit www.amazon.com/travall.

**The Travall Guard retails for $140 to $170 for medium sized vehicles and up to $290 for a large SUV, such as a Chevrolet Suburban.