DIY Bumper Cover for Vehicles With Dog Crates
14 Dec 2025
When I put my crates in my new SUV its higher height than my minivan meant my dog’s would scramble on the bumper when the jumped up to their crates. I wanted to get a bumper protector to help them and protect the car from scratches. I looked around and found them but they seemed kind of pricey.
The additional challenge I faced was most mats I saw folded up when not in use. But, in my SUV, there is very little room between the end of the crate and the inside of the hatch.
A friend showed me some mats she got from Home Depot that she used for a project and I realized they might be just right: They are thin, flexible, and have a rough surface on which the dogs could get some grip.
The only problem I had was the mat would flop down when I tried to close the hatch door. I ended up punching a hole in the mat and bolting a magnet (like folks use to hold aluminet on their cars) on the mat. Then the magnet holds onto the metal of the crates so I can close the hatch. I put a layer of tape on the magnet surface so it doesn’t scratch the paint on the crate and to reduce the magnet’s strength a little.
Here’s how the mat looks with the magnet holding it out of the way:
I did have to play around with how much I slid the mat under the crates so it’s length was just right for covering the bumper and for the magnet to hold the mat below the fans. Another solution might be to use velcro straps/dots on the crate and on the mat.
Just thought I’d share this low cost option!
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