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 Ram Pickup’s layout
Ram 1500 and Heavy Duty trucks appear together in sales rankings, but cab layouts are not interchangeable. Before choosing a kennel, decide which seats must remain available. Test the rear-door entry route with a cardboard outline rather than assuming cabin width equals usable kennel width.
For a truck that carries a dog during the week and people on weekends, installation effort can decide the purchase. Try reaching the securing hardware from both rear doors with the front seats occupied. Having to dismantle a storage arrangement every time may make an otherwise plausible kennel a poor everyday choice.
Choose the cabin position before spending money on a door configuration. A kennel door facing a seatback is of little use, while a side entrance that opens toward an accessible passenger doorway can change the loading routine. Confirm that the chosen product actually offers that orientation and that its instructions support the placement.
Choose your configuration
Cab layout and model year matter. The following are separate starting points, not interchangeable fit approvals. The representative photo above does not show every configuration.
1500
For a Ram 1500, start with the generation and actual cab rather than the Ram Pickup sales-family label. Older Classic trucks and newer designs should not inherit the same kennel fit result. Identify the passenger seats that remain occupied and check the floor and storage configuration in your own truck. A photo with the front passenger seat pushed forward may conceal the constraint that matters in daily use. Repeat the loading motion with that seat in its normal position and include the kennel’s handle, hinges and latch in the mock-up. Confirm how the candidate is meant to be supported and restrained; do not improvise an attachment from a nearby seat fitting. Keep enough access to load the dog under control and remove the empty kennel for cleaning without dismantling the normal passenger setup.
2500
A Ram 2500 kennel plan begins with the exact cab configuration and model year. In particular, do not treat a Crew Cab and a Mega Cab installation as interchangeable, or assume that every rear-seat feature is available across years. Set the front seats for their usual occupants and preserve any rear passenger places you need. Then check how the kennel passes the doorway and what surface supports it in the finished arrangement. Cabin storage is part of that measurement if it stays in the truck. A second kennel door is only worthwhile if it remains reachable after installation; check its opening direction against seats and trim before ordering. Ask the maker about the actual restraint method, and make space for work or travel gear elsewhere so it cannot press against the kennel or obstruct ventilation.
3500
On a Ram 3500, distinguish the cab layout from the truck’s towing capacity, wheel arrangement and bed length. Those specifications do not establish whether a kennel will fit safely among the passengers. Start with your model year, the cab designation and a realistic list of people and equipment for the trip. A truck used to tow a camper may have more cabin baggage than it does on an ordinary workday, so test both routines if both matter. Check the door opening using a mock-up of the complete dog-appropriate kennel. Preserve passenger-belt access and allow a person to reach its latch without moving loose cargo. Before buying, confirm the intended installation against both vehicle and kennel guidance. If the occupied cabin cannot support that arrangement, changing the transport plan is preferable to reducing the dog’s kennel space.
The checks that matter here
- Exact cab and seating requirement
- Rear-door entry angle
- Supported, level footprint and securing points
Kennels we would compare for the Ram Pickup
Prioritize an in-cabin RuffLand or Gunner configuration that fits the dog and can be installed according to its instructions. An open pickup bed is not the default location for a family dog.
RuffLand single-door kennel
Choose a door orientation that opens toward usable rear-cabin access instead of a seatback; confirm the exact Ram cab before sizing.
When we would pass: Reject this layout if exact cab and seating requirement cannot accommodate the dog-appropriate shell and a usable entrance.
Check this option and its instructions →
Gunner G1
Consider G1 for a cabin arrangement you can secure and release from the available rear-door access during normal passenger changeovers.
When we would pass: The deciding trial includes supported, level footprint and 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.