Any tips on making cars cooler?

Just for general reads of other people.

Our dogs have their leads on clipped into the seatbelts, and are allowed to stick their heads out the windows when not on really busy roads, but when on a busy road, they have the sunroof wide open and also a bowl of icewater and the air con - not that it's much good in our car.

We try and travel as little as possible with the dogs during the day. But the above is if we have to travel with them in the car. We need a convertible - that would be so much easier

So anyone else have any tips for those who have to travel during the day?

Well I would never allow my dogs to stick their heads out of the window, that is quick way to eye infections and injury from people throwing fag butts out of windows etc.

Air conditioning is great, failing that you can buy fans to put on the cages/dog guards/tailgates if you have them.

I cover my car with reflective sheets at night so the interior is ice cold in the morning when I want to get in.

I have cooler mats for them to lie on, failing that you can put those ice mats in, fill water bottles and freeze and keep in.

Sun roofs just let in the sun and hot air and can be worse for dogs (and people) then not having one.

If you run out of ice stop at a services and McDonalds etc are very good at giving you free ice.

Tinted windows help, if you do not have any then WindowSox are better than shades as they cover the WHOLE window and can be used whether the window is open or closed and keep out insects! They are cheap and washable and are made for most makes of car.

Icecubes in waterbowls also help

I spend a great deal of time travelling with dogs and I think I have it down to a fine art.

Wee tip for bottles of frozen water, wrap in a teatowel - stops iceburn when you first put them in the car

dont use aircon. it rachets up yr petrol consumption.
just leave the windows open, that should do in the current temperatures, which are only moderately hot.

Yup - we do - we put frozen bottles of water in with the buns too

Our air con is about as useful as a chocolate fireguard anyway

I don't take Bruce more than a couple of miles unless going to the vets so this isn't a problem for me.

The air conditioning will work much more effectively with the windows and sunroof closed. X

This.

I've never done anything special to keep my car cool bar opening the windows.

If, for whatever reason, I had to travel for a longer period in the car with them and it was really uncomfortably hot (hotter than it has been recently) I wouldn't do it unless it was essential.

Also, I would never ever let a dog stick its head out of the window of a moving car, even if you are driving along a dead end road in the middle of nowhere. Dangerous practice.

I would much rather use a bit more petrol to keep my dogs cool than rely on open windows - A/C was a big deciding factor in my new car. Not that there's many situations where I'd decide to take the dogs out when it was that hot but for necessary trips, e.g. vets, I'm definately going to use the air con.
Opening the window can be fine if you're a human, the air flow takes away sweat and cools your skin, the same was as a fan - but dogs don't sweat like us so this doesn't work. If the air outside the car is cooler than the air inside the car, sure, but lately I've found having the window open just makes me feel hotter because the air is so muggy, so I can't see it working for the dogs.

I think SB's idea of preventing the car from getting hot with covers is probably one of the most efficient ones.
If the aircon in the car isn't that good, maybe it needs regassing or something?

I think with windows open (not wide enough for heads out) once a car is moving dogs should be fine at the moment .... It's not really so hot. Unless of course a dog is very old or unwell in which case things may be different of course!

RE: open windows..
Louie - as he is only young and stupid still - only has it open enough for him to put his nose out - he is tall afterall so can stick his nose out anyway. In fact all our dogs only stick their noses out - I should have made that clearer in my first post.

Karly - maybe it does need re gassing - it is 11 years old afterall...I'll ask OH to take it to garage and have a look - although shouldn't they cover it on the MOT?

Cachapman - we close the windows and sunroof to have the air con on and it's rubbish..