Dog in a van, and crates, question

If the dog fits in the crate with enough room to stand and turn around doesnt that mean whether in or out of the crate that the dog takes up a similar amount of room? Obviously other than height. How old is she? Could you not try her sleeping without the crate in the van at least (would possibly make her think of it as a super special experience each time)? Our pup is sleeping in a crate overnight but only until he is old enough to be toilet trained/trusted and then he'll be allowed to sleep wherever he pleases. My last dog had a similar approach and was in it until no longer required and then she slept wherever her bed was. I know some dogs refuse to sleep without crates as they've become so acustomed to it.

We've put the crate up in the C8 when it's been loaded uo with bikes and crap for camping, I'm very aware it's not crash protection but it's still better than having a 37kg greyhound flying past your ears. Other times he is harnessed to the rear row seat belts (they sit separate from the seats). If you go full time I'd invest in a proper crate that can be anchored down properly.

He was obviously crate trained before we got him as when we bought it he hopped in straight away. Sleeps in it every night with the door open.

we do dog agility so I see many vans with multiple dogs at shows. Basically they all have custom made creates to meet their needs, they then sell on in the doggy world when they change vans etc

Travel crate, same size, very quick to fold and not rattley.

Night on floor behind front seats. Plenty of space, but it's lwb. Even if swb I'd have thought it would fit. Day fold up and stuff between driver seat and steering wheel.

We also fit a terrier in a mini travel crate, under the bed at night, crate same place in the day.

(Edit) actually, no, I don't think it would fit in a swb. We designed our bed a bit short to have the floor space with the crate, so the answer is, get lwb.

No personal experience apart from the odd 'guest' dog, but a crate that size is probably not going to fit in most vans without completely blocking any access to cupboards and seating and being a massive inconvenience. Normally you would have a fixed rear bed with a hinged wire door into an alcove underneath.

For trying it out, how about taking the bedding from the crate and a wire mesh panel you can fix upright to give the dog a bit of familiarity. If the hire van has single rotating front seats you may be able to put the dog bed up front between the seats and fix the panel between the seats. This also keeps the dog from taking up all the floor space so you can still move around without constantly disturbing it. Its dead space, normally we just chuck shoes and biking gear into the front footwells when parked up.

However the two dogs we've travelled in our van didn't like the insecurity of being in an open van, I suppose its different to being in a carpeted enclosed boot. So perhaps take the travel cage and a rug to put over part of it in case it ends up sliding around on a hard floor and collapse it down/put it outside when you are camping.

T4 SWB van with standard conversion - lab travelled in folding crate, karabiner secured crate to floor via lashing eye.
Overnight, crate was folded and put in front footwell, dog slept in her bed either at end of ours or (she preferred) under ours. Unless it was cold, in which case my wife would feel sorry for her so we would gain a dog shaped hot water bottle that snored

Dog goes on front seat in ours. Our rib bed folds over and she starts the night in her bed under the folded over part. By morning she is on the front seat!