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New Cage for RV!

Posted By: Ladymagyver

New Cage for RV! - 11/14/17 09:28 AM

So, I finally did it, I found a cage that is sturdy and fits in our RV.

I bought a Martin's Cage:

http://www.martinscages.com/images/full/lsg-520.jpg

This is the model LSG520PWDC
I didn't choose it for it's looks, I was looking for durability, and lightweight. It actually fits both categories.

The best thing I like about it is the drop tray:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/vac9h03nq3h671a/20171102_223920.jpg?dl=0

It is 2" deep, and my girls will no longer be able to "snack" from the drop pan.

This one measures 30"w x 18"deep x 36"tall. Witham a 12" × 12" door. I little tricky to get the wheel in. I do miss not having 2 doors, but on this model, I like the shelves. It gives high places to put feeding cups, and another place to hang more stuff underneath.

Here is my first attempt to setting it up:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ik2u02t6ojewp5d/20171102_223029.jpg?dl=0

Even though I like this cage, the girls have a different opinion... Dot loves her smaller cage. It measures 23"w x 13"deep and 36" tall. (Sorry, no pic).

So here is a pic of the first night after I put the girls in. I have written on this pic to show where things are, but I'm working this on my phone, and it didnt come out well. Since we allow them out of cage time, I left the door open so they could climb inside and out. Look for Fiona...


https://www.dropbox.com/s/ymjc62stuq1pmhv/20171102_230030.png?dl=0

Yes Fiona is in "her hoodie", sulking. After Dot ate the good stuff out of the f/v dish, she joined her...

To be continued..
Posted By: Stef333

Re: New Cage for RV! - 11/14/17 03:26 PM

I like it! The cage looks so much bigger with everything you put in it.

Have you had any issues with curious critters out in the rig during play time?
Posted By: KarenE

Re: New Cage for RV! - 11/14/17 04:07 PM

That looks like an awesome cage and set up, Dawn. I really like it .
Posted By: Ladymagyver

Re: New Cage for RV! - 11/14/17 04:27 PM

Thank you Karen! I will have a lot of options with this one I think.

Stef, on critters free for alls in the rig. Well yes and no... my two aren't super adventurous. Fiona likes her time outside the cage and will hide for a nap in her hoodie, while Dot wants to be in viewing range of her cage. The only place I get a bit upset over them being is in the closet. Their favorite pass time is running back and forth over the hanging clothes... I try to keep door shut, but sometimes "Others" forget... Well, at least I know where they went. Neither have an intrest in leaving the bedroom. The bathroom cupboard always stays shut tight.
Posted By: Terry

Re: New Cage for RV! - 11/14/17 07:30 PM

I'm looking forward to seeing it better on my PC. From what I can see though, looking good!


:rofl2: I can just see that expression on Dot's face! I know what she's thinking :roflmao2:

The cage does look great! I have some questions....

1. Taco hammock?? What is that and why have I not seen that in your cage sets? Hmmm?

2. Your silos? What kind are those, and is it the same one used for both water and kibble? Really curious about how they look close up and from inside cage facing. If it's not too much trouble...

3. Snacky Mouse? Is he laying on the floor decapitated? Lol, not sure, and was wondering if they pulled his head off.
Posted By: Feather

Re: New Cage for RV! - 11/15/17 05:45 AM

Looks great! Give them a couple days to stink it up and it will be just like home.
Posted By: Ladymagyver

Re: New Cage for RV! - 11/15/17 08:31 AM

Originally Posted By: Terry
I'm looking forward to seeing it better on my PC. From what I can see though, looking good!


:rofl2: I can just see that expression on Dot's face! I know what she's thinking :roflmao2:

The cage does look great! I have some questions....

1. Taco hammock?? What is that and why have I not seen that in your cage sets? Hmmm?

2. Your silos? What kind are those, and is it the same one used for both water and kibble? Really curious about how they look close up and from inside cage facing. If it's not too much trouble...

3. Snacky Mouse? Is he laying on the floor decapitated? Lol, not sure, and was wondering if they pulled his head off.




1. Taco hammock is a square hammock folded in half over a chain, then attached to the cage. One of Fionas fav chillout places

https://www.dropbox.com/s/08h2ifrd891hfxo/20171102_223623.jpg?dl=0

2. These silos are hard to find. Like they are phasing them out. Here is a pic of them and of the feeding area:


https://www.dropbox.com/s/gvuzlteskqwp29i/20171102_224054.jpg?dl=0

3. Somehow Dot wrestled the snacky mouse and got his ear caught in the floor grid. I put a Rice Chex in it and she was wrestling the mouse to bite at it. The next morning, the head was missing (it screws off) Here's a pic after I uprighted him.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/p94tcn3xk8ibffy/20171102_223436.jpg?dl=0

We are home in Missouri for a 2 week visit(through thanksgiving), or I would take a better pic of the silos. They fit nicely in the wire mesh. I hope to find some feeding stations like yours Terry. Yours seem effortless to remove.
Posted By: Ladymagyver

Re: New Cage for RV! - 11/15/17 08:37 AM

Originally Posted By: Feather
Looks great! Give them a couple days to stink it up and it will be just like home.


I hope so Feather. They don't like their bigger cage at home either. But I think the RV has something to do with that I hope. Oh, and they did stink it up pretty quick. Fiona wont touch the wheel now. (It got a good scrubbing while changing cages)
Posted By: Terry

Re: New Cage for RV! - 11/16/17 03:51 AM

Originally Posted By: Ladymagyver
Originally Posted By: Terry
I'm looking forward to seeing it better on my PC. From what I can see though, looking good!


:rofl2: I can just see that expression on Dot's face! I know what she's thinking :roflmao2:

The cage does look great! I have some questions....

1. Taco hammock?? What is that and why have I not seen that in your cage sets? Hmmm?

2. Your silos? What kind are those, and is it the same one used for both water and kibble? Really curious about how they look close up and from inside cage facing. If it's not too much trouble...

3. Snacky Mouse? Is he laying on the floor decapitated? Lol, not sure, and was wondering if they pulled his head off.




1. Taco hammock is a square hammock folded in half over a chain, then attached to the cage. One of Fionas fav chillout places

https://www.dropbox.com/s/08h2ifrd891hfxo/20171102_223623.jpg?dl=0

2. These silos are hard to find. Like they are phasing them out. Here is a pic of them and of the feeding area:


https://www.dropbox.com/s/gvuzlteskqwp29i/20171102_224054.jpg?dl=0

3. Somehow Dot wrestled the snacky mouse and got his ear caught in the floor grid. I put a Rice Chex in it and she was wrestling the mouse to bite at it. The next morning, the head was missing (it screws off) Here's a pic after I uprighted him.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/p94tcn3xk8ibffy/20171102_223436.jpg?dl=0

We are home in Missouri for a 2 week visit(through thanksgiving), or I would take a better pic of the silos. They fit nicely in the wire mesh. I hope to find some feeding stations like yours Terry. Yours seem effortless to remove.


Thanks Dawn for the pics! Those silos are interesting, they look so sleek!

If you're referring to those covered feeding cups, they are a dream to use IMHO. I currently have two, alternate the cups each day. The holders I change out weekly, so it helps to have two. I like to have something suportive under them though, just to be secure and safer, I'm not sure if I made that clear in my video.
Posted By: Ladymagyver

Re: New Cage for RV! - 11/16/17 11:00 PM

Thank you Terry. I Think I want to try your feeder. The silos I have are great for kibble. It has an opening made for birdseed.

I really don't mind them for water, but they would be a pain for nectar. They are tough to clean thouroughly, and a pretty tight fit.
Posted By: Terry

Re: New Cage for RV! - 11/17/17 01:44 AM

YW Dawn. I was at Petco looking at silos to see if I found any I wanted to use for kibble. Usually lately I've been just putting kibbles in the Snacky Mouse or other forage toys (before Snacky, but still do at times). I've served them in a dish on occasions also, I just don't like the idea of them being able to sit on or over their food. For some reason I do not notice them sitting over or in the smaller sized bowls, but you never know, lol.

Next week, I'll try looking at PetSmart. I also didn't see those feeding cups at Petco anyway, I will see if they're at PetSmart.
Posted By: Ladymagyver

Re: New Cage for RV! - 12/18/17 03:53 PM

Update on the Martin's cage:

We went home for thanksgivig, which gave the girls a break from sulking over their new cage...

When we got back to the RV, Dot was like normal. She hugged the cage, checked out everything, and overall enjoyed being "home". Fiona likes it better too.

Me: I still love it. The wire is thin, and easy to wipe down. The hog rings that hold it all together still snag my wipe cloth on the outside from time to time (I turned all sharp tips I couldn't bend to out side of cage. So the cover gets a bit snagged too).

I think I forgot to mention 2 things. The raptor wheel is mounted on cage, and did I ever mention how quiet it is? All I hear are their feet while jumping in it.
The second thing is over all, the cage is quiet. The wire mesh doesn't "ring" when they jump, or drop things. I do have a sheet over the top back and sides which help dampen the noise too. The lack of noise is nice, but I'm having a hard time adjusting to no rattling cage noise... This is how I know they are in their cage while I'm sleeping... Lol!
Posted By: Hutch

Re: New Cage for RV! - 12/18/17 06:08 PM

No rining or rattleing? I might need to chack that cage out!

Mine sounds like an entire carnival unto itself >.< At least my wheel is quiet, I also have raptor wheels. Love them!
Posted By: Ladymagyver

Re: New Cage for RV! - 12/18/17 08:08 PM

If you choose to go this route, buy a pair hog ring pliers too (for 1/2 - 3/4" rings). The ones they send are pretty worthless. The plier must be narrow, it has to fit in a 1/2" by 1" mesh... This is my only complaint. It comes 1/3rd assembled, and you un fold, and use hog rings. At first I thought, I paid way too much for what I got. Once together, it is fairly sturdy. I do like it, it's just not real pretty to look at. Just very functional.
Posted By: Terry

Re: New Cage for RV! - 12/19/17 01:01 AM

Can you adjust where the shelves go?
Posted By: Ladymagyver

Re: New Cage for RV! - 12/19/17 01:20 AM

Well I'm gonna say no. They are part of what makes the cage sturdy. They were already attached when it was shipped. I did ask before I bought it. They are attached with about 50 metal hogrings, and I'd have to cut them off. I could have ordered the cage with them loose and used zip ties, but decided against it. The shelves are fine where they are, but I'm limited on where to put the big stuff.
Posted By: Terry

Re: New Cage for RV! - 12/20/17 03:34 AM

Makes sense. I was just wondering if they came separate. You have a nice setup for them as is anyways.
Posted By: Ladymagyver

Re: New Cage for RV! - 12/20/17 07:56 AM

Thank you Terry! So far, I've been able to work well with both shelves. smile
Posted By: Ladymagyver

Re: New Cage for RV! - 02/10/18 03:14 PM

Quick Review and Conclusion:

I puchased a cage to fit my space in the RV. It is a basic cage. It has a powder coat finish which is silky smooth, not hammered powder coat paint like our cage at home.

It had to be assembled with hog rings, not my favorite part, but with a purchased set of hog ring pliers, it made it much easier.

http://www.martinscages.com/images/full/lsg-520.jpg

The girls eventually grew to love this cage. It has two shelves, which are nice for placing feeding bowls. I can easily set up 2 feeding stations when necessary. I have even stretched a square hammock as a divider on 1 shelf, so they can't see each other when needed.

The mesh is close together, so climbing is super easy for them.

The door is exactly 12" square, their wheel is 12.5". A little tricky to get in and out, but can be done. And without bending the mesh. Since it doesn't have a rigid frame, the door does flex that extra .5 inch. The whole cage has some flex to it, but is sturdy once on a solid surface.

I had to lay a piece of fleece on the dresser it sits on to keep hogrings from scratching finish. On the plus side, it catches food, and poo, easy to shake out.

Traveling: this was the second to the last challenge. I layed it on our bed, wheel side down on top of and old sheet.(after dumping tray and removing dishes and water silos of course). I did this by myself, and it was really easy and fairly light. My biggest concern was in an emergency, I didn't want it sliding off the bed during emergency braking, and crashing in to our closet doors, which are full size solid glass mirrors. Well, if you have been following my story, we did have to brake hard, and the cage did not move.(Yay!)

Final challenge: Deep cleaning. After 2.5 months of wiping down the cage at least twice a week, I still found lots of gunk once it was out in the sunlight, which is normal. It was a pretty day yesturday, so I scrubbed it from top to bottom. All I can say is wow... It took me longer to drag out the cage,hose, and find the sprayer, and make a hot soap bucket of Dawn dishsoap and white vinegar solution. I wiped it down with a sponge, took my trusty toilet brush(new and only used on cage, btw), and scrubbed a few tough spots. And rinsed... It was clean! It took only about 10 minutes total to scrub and rinse! We had a nice wind, and it was dry in 30 minutes. I just stood there in shock. This cage is perfect for the RV! Not real pretty, but extremely functional!

I was looking for a cage I could easily manage, pick up and move by myself. This one fit my needs.



Thanks for tuning in, I hope this may help someone in the future when trying to decide on a cage.



Posted By: KarenE

Re: New Cage for RV! - 02/10/18 04:45 PM

Nice update and nice cage.
I can see how this would have places that would be hard to clean.

Glad the girls have grown to like it.
Posted By: Terry

Re: New Cage for RV! - 02/10/18 06:09 PM

I'm glad you found a solution that fit your needs and the girls like smile
Posted By: Hutch

Re: New Cage for RV! - 02/10/18 10:34 PM

So, longer to get ready to clean than to clean... sound like so many things in life frown
Posted By: Ladymagyver

Re: New Cage for RV! - 02/12/18 09:26 PM

Originally Posted By: Hutch
So, longer to get ready to clean than to clean... sound like so many things in life frown


Better that way I think than the other way around! I felt quite productive that day!
Posted By: Hutch

Re: New Cage for RV! - 02/13/18 06:09 PM

Originally Posted By: Ladymagyver
Originally Posted By: Hutch
So, longer to get ready to clean than to clean... sound like so many things in life frown


Better that way I think than the other way around! I felt quite productive that day!


I'll agree with that. I wish that would be the case with my cage. Definitely getting a pressure washer after the upcoming move. Should speed things up for me.
Posted By: Ladymagyver

Re: New Cage for RV! - 02/14/18 02:12 PM

Originally Posted By: Hutch


I'll agree with that. I wish that would be the case with my cage. Definitely getting a pressure washer after the upcoming move. Should speed things up for me.


We do have a power washer, it just wasn't warm enough that day. And with all the wind, I would have gotten as wet as the cage. Plus, I need to be able to wash it on the road, and wanted to see how easy it would be to clean.

When we drag out the power washer, everything gets cleaned, car, truck, RV (if it's out of the barn), and both cages. And once a year, we give our siding, porches and deck a good bath.
Posted By: gr8rcfan

Re: New Cage for RV! - 02/27/18 01:58 AM

Really happy to see someone else preparing their RV for travel with gliders! We bought our RV last month, and I had been envisioning building a custom cage from PVC and HTPE fabric. However I ran into two unavoidable dimension restrictions. My doorway is only 18" wide, and my maximum available height is 25" in the cab-over area I've chosen for their "travel home". Coincidentally, a Pocket Pets "starter cage" is 18" wide and 24" high. And those cages appear to be made of the same materials as the Martins cage you purchased. In fact, after inspecting the construction of your cage's edges and door, I wouldn't be surprised if "Martins" actually makes PP cages. So, my plan is to purchase an additional cage from someone who has upgraded, and join it to mine, side by side. Please share some of your day-to-day living plans with your travel gliders smile
Posted By: Feather

Re: New Cage for RV! - 02/27/18 03:01 AM

PP makes their own cages but they do get the wire from Martin. That is the only safe PVC coated wire for gliders.

Riverside wire was the cause of a lot of glider deaths back in 2011.
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