Research-based shortlist, not a verified-fit list. Confirm your model year, body style, trim and seat layout before buying.
This guide builds on our general guide to choosing the best kennel for your vehicle. Start there for the overall approach, or change vehicles with the selector below.
Start with your Ford Explorer’s layout
The Explorer decision begins with the third row. A kennel arrangement with that row folded may work for a five-person outing and fail when all seats are needed. Measure both configurations if you use them, and decide which one the kennel must support before comparing products.
The most useful Explorer comparison is between an all-passengers trip and a dog-focused trip with the third row folded. Record which arrangement you actually need. If relatives regularly occupy that row, a large kennel that must be removed beforehand creates a weekly storage and lifting task that belongs in the buying decision.
Look at access to the third-row releases after the kennel and bags are aboard. Do not use powered seat movement around an occupied kennel or let a passenger route depend on stepping over it. A second kennel entrance is only worthwhile when the second-row arrangement leaves a practical path to that opening.
The checks that matter here
- Third row upright or folded
- Depth available with required passengers
- Access to kennel and cargo securing points
Kennels we would compare for the Ford Explorer
For regular travel with the third row folded, compare RuffLand door configurations with an appropriately sized Gunner G1. If you need all seating positions, verify the remaining cargo depth before considering any rigid kennel.
RuffLand single-door kennel
Investigate a rear-loading arrangement for trips on which the third row can remain folded without compromising your passenger plan.
When we would pass: Reject this layout if third row upright or folded cannot accommodate the dog-appropriate shell and a usable entrance.
Check this option and its instructions →
Gunner G1
Consider G1 on trips where the Explorer’s third row stays folded, with its releases and required passenger routes still usable.
When we would pass: The deciding trial includes access to kennel and cargo securing points. A floor-only fit does not resolve that constraint.
Check this option and its instructions →
These are candidates to investigate, not confirmed fits. Match the exact size and installation instructions to your dog and vehicle before ordering.
Before you order
Use the main guide’s dog-sizing and loading-route checklist to test your chosen layout. Review how to check crash-test evidence for the exact product and installation; a successful physical fit does not establish crash protection.
Bring your dog’s measurements, your model year and trim, and photos of the intended installation area to the kennel seller. Ask for the exterior envelope and usable interior measurements of the exact size and door configuration. Confirm the return terms before a trial fit.
Sources and related guides
Reviewed October 26, 2026. Recommendations are editorial judgments from published information; no vehicle-specific fit or crash result is implied.