When I first got into alpacas I moved them around in my 2 horse bumper pull trailer. After all I was a horse person first and it’s what I had. However it became apparent that a different mode of transporting alpacas was needed with the crazy gas prices now days. Hitching up a 2,000 pound trailer (which is not the most aerodynamic) to haul around a 120lb animal to be bred or to the vet is not economically friendly.
I did a lot of research and asked a lot of questions and answers ranged from mini vans to the Honda Element as possible alpaca haulers. My thoughts went straight to, OMG I have to buy yet another vehicle? I don’t think so. Not to mention all of those options have the animal riding in the same space as you and I really don’t feel like smelling alpaca poop, pee, spit for a 4 hour trip to a drive-by-breeding. Not to mention clean up afterwards. It’s not like you can take a hose to the back of your commuter vehicle should someone decide to spit on your upholstery.
The answer to our alpaca transport needs? A truck cap! Folks seemed to shy away from truck caps because A) they had a small s10 pickup B) a full size truck but a short bed C) a low profile truck cap with no headroom. All which were not issues in our decision. We have a Chevy Silverado, 8 foot bed and the cap we decided to get was a high profile cap that the alpacas can actually stand up comfortably in.
We found our cap on craisgslist for $250 which was a great bargain. Add another $100 for new locks, sealers, wiring and another $65 for play mats and indoor/outdoor carpeting and voila! We have alpaca transport deluxe without the need to purchase a new vehicle or constantly hitch up our trailer.
The white cap reflects the sun and keeps it cool inside. The play mats make a nice squishy place for them to cush and the indoor/outdoor carpet pulls out very easy for bean cleanup and everything including the bed of the truck can be hosed off for easy clean up.
I can comfortable fit 2 alpacas plus gear or 3 alpacas no gear in the back. There are 2 large screened windows which give ample air flow while traveling and we’re thinking of installing a 12 volt fan to keep them cool should we get stuck in traffic.
Loading the alpacas turned out to be simpler than anticipated. By backing the truck up to a hill it puts the tailgate to a height which is easy to step in. The first few times we had to “assist” the alpacas by picking up their front end and putting their feet on the tailgate and encourage them the rest of the way in with a lead rope. Usually the 1st one needs some assistance and the others just jump in behind them. I’m sure given time and training they will load/unload just as easily as they do with the trailer. No hill to back up to? No problem, 2 people can easily pick up an alpaca and put them into the back of the truck. To be honest, we haven’t yet had a problem finding a burm of some sort to back up to.
How do the alpacas like it? They seem to really love it! Big windows and fresh air. Most of the time the face backwards and watch the world go by out the big back window. Other times they sit right in front of the screen and let their hair blow in the breeze.
