Jeep JL Rear Seat Delete: Dog Setups That Hold Up

Rear seat out. Dog seat in. How to do it right.

The rear seat in your Jeep Wrangler JL was designed for humans. If you’ve got a dog back there, the factory setup is working against you: slippery upholstery, no secure anchor points, nowhere to put a crate without it shifting every time you hit a trail.

You’re not alone, a lot of us figured out the hard way that we need a Jeep JL rear seat delete.

The Jeep JL rear seat delete—pulling the factory rear seat and replacing it with a purpose-built dog setup—that’s what this category is about.

This Field Log covers the best Jeep JL dog platform options for dog owners, what each one does and which use case it serves:

• JLU 4-Door: Full platform options—Goose Gear, American Adventure Lab, and Cargo Dog compared.
• 2-Door JL: Goose Gear offers a dedicated JL 2-Door Rear Cargo Plate System designed specifically for this application. Flat structural surface, anchor points, purpose-built for the 2-door footprint.
• The Dog Crate Question: RuffLand sizing, tie-down method, and the crate vs. harness reality.

Jeep JLU Rear Seat Delete: What You’re Actually Choosing Between

Before getting into specific products, it’s worth understanding that a Jeep JLU seat delete and a Jeep JL rear seat delete describes at least three different things that forums and product pages use interchangeably, and they’re not the same.

Full Platform Delete: Replaces the rear seats on a JLU 4-door with a flat platform across the full floor. The dog stands, sits, or travels in a crate on a stable, even surface. Goose Gear builds to this configuration for the JLU 4-door.

Partial Platform Delete: Replaces the rear seat area with 5052 aluminum panels—40% driver side and/or 60% passenger side. American Adventure Lab makes this for the JLU 4-door. Separate 40% and 60% configurations, combined for a full 100% delete. More modular and lighter than plywood, still gives you a usable dog platform.

Footwell Storage Delete: Removes the rear seats and installs lockable storage in the footwell area with a flat surface above. Cargo Dog takes this approach, filling the footwell cavity with storage boxes that create a flat deck running flush with the rear cargo area floor—a single continuous level from the tailgate forward. That is a different height and profile from the elevated platforms Goose Gear or AAL provide. Cargo Dog explicitly markets the system as pet-friendly; the distinction is how it sits relative to the cargo area behind it.

Low-Profile Delete: Removes the seat and covers the floor with a flat aluminum panel. No storage access, no platform height. AAL makes one for the JLU 4-door. The right budget option for JLU owners who want lightweight flat coverage without a full elevated platform.

The 2-door JL has its own setup logic. Commercial options for the 2-door focus on floor-level structural plates rather than elevated seat-height platforms. Goose Gear offers a dedicated JL 2-Door Rear Cargo Plate System designed specifically for this application.

JLU 4-Door: Platform Options Compared

If you drive a Wrangler JLU and you’re serious about a dog setup that holds up on trail and daily use, you’re choosing between three fundamentally different approaches. Each one solves a different version of the problem. The right answer depends on how you use the rig, not how much you want to spend.

Goose Gear JLU Rear Seat Delete: The Permanent Build

Goose Gear Jeep Wrangler JL owners will find the most complete modular ecosystem here—drawers, fridge slides, sleeping platforms, and permanent overlanding builds. The Goose Gear Rear Plate System is the foundation every Goose Gear Seat Delete System bolts to. Yes, it adds to the total cost, but it’s what gives the finished platform a completely flat, bolted-down anchor rather than something resting loosely on the factory floor.

The build uses industrial-grade plywood with a proprietary protective coating, two storage access doors per panel, and uses factory mounting locations with secure attachment points for dog crates, fridge slides, and drawer systems.

Here’s what most buyers don’t know going in: you can’t just order the seat delete panels. The Goose Gear system requires the Rear Plate System (sold separately—see the comparison table for pricing) as the prerequisite foundation. The seat delete panels bolt into the Rear Plate System.

One more cost trap owners flag often: if you only want to remove the 60% passenger seat and keep the 40% driver seat in place, you also need the 60% Seat Delete Bracket (see the table for pricing). Without it, the remaining 40% seat loses its inboard structural anchorage. See the comparison table below for full pricing.

For a dog owner who wants to run a RuffLand kennel strapped to a flat, level surface with real structural attachment points, Goose Gear is well-suited to serious Jeep Wrangler JL dog setups. It’s for working dog rigs and overlanding builds where it’s required that the rear of the Wrangler JL is a purpose-built space.

American Adventure Lab Jeep JL Rear Seat Delete: Lightweight and Dog-Ready

The American Adventure Lab JLU Rear Seat Delete takes a different approach: lightweight 5052 aluminum instead of Goose Gear’s coated plywood, modular configuration, magnetic top compartment for storage access, and side access panels.

It’s easier to clean than carpet or coated wood after muddy or wet trips, as powder-coated aluminum doesn’t absorb moisture or odors, and doesn’t require the Goose Gear prerequisite purchase.

AAL’s JLU Rear Seat Delete is sold per side; a full 100% delete requires combining both sides. No drilling required. Mounts to factory anchor points. Pricing is in the comparison table below.

For owners looking for the best Goose Gear alternative Jeep JL dog setup: AAL delivers a clean, wipe-able aluminum surface at a lower total cost. It’s also the better answer if you want to occasionally put the rear seats back in. The modular aluminum panels come out more cleanly than a full Goose Gear build.

Cargo Dog JLU: Footwell Storage With a Pet-Friendly Surface

Cargo Dog Jeep JL installs in the footwell area of the JLU and creates lockable, illuminated storage with dual 12V marine auxiliary power sockets (USB adapters plug into these) and a flat surface above. Cargo Dog explicitly markets that flat surface as comfortable for pets, and that’s accurate. It works well for dogs who ride loose in the back.

Cargo Dog weighs approximately 54 lbs—roughly 15 lbs lighter than the factory rear seats it replaces, so you gain lockable storage while actually shedding weight. Its marine-grade carpeted lid sits flush with the rear cargo area floor rather than elevated to seat level like the Goose Gear or AAL platforms. Owners frequently cite the secure storage and increased usable space as the primary reasons they choose it over a conventional seat delete.

Where Cargo Dog wins: if you want lockable storage with 12V power and USB capability that also creates more cabin space for your dog, it’s a strong fit. Where it doesn’t: if you want a true flat platform for a crate or a large dog to stand at seat level, Goose Gear or AAL serve that better.

Pricing is in the comparison table below. Check directly with Cargo Dog for current pricing before ordering.

JLU Rear Seat Delete Comparison

→ Field Log #001: Jeep Wrangler JL Interior Mods—The Right Build Order

Jeep JL 2-Door: What Actually Works

Building a good Jeep JL 2 door dog setup starts with understanding the floor geometry. When you pull the 2-door rear seat, you expose a flat metal floor pan, not a dropped passenger footwell cavity like the JLU has. That means commercial options focus on floor-level structural plates that bolt directly to the floor pan.

Goose Gear’s dedicated JL 2-Door Rear Plate System is well-suited to an overlanding build: bolt-in plywood, structural, real anchor points, integrates with drawers and a properly secured crate.

AAL also makes the MASS+ Storage Platform for the 2-door footprint in aluminum if that’s your preference. Both are in the table below. Always verify your exact vehicle configuration against the manufacturer’s published application guide before ordering.

The seat removal itself is also easier on the 2-door. The rear seat releases using the factory latch system and lifts straight out without tools. That’s very different from the JLU, which requires a socket set, an 18mm and 15mm bolt, and more wrestling with heavy seat hardware.

One pro tip once the seat is out: the factory carpet around the seatbelt mounting points can flap loose. Lay it flat and tape it down before setting any platform, as a loose carpet edge under a plate creates a rattle on trail that’s annoying to track down later.

The 2-door JL setup at a glance:

The Dog Crate Question: RuffLand in a Wrangler JL

Once you’ve got a flat platform or removed the factory seat, the next decision for any Jeep JL dog crate setup is whether you’re using a crate or running the dog loose.

For any trip with highway driving or serious trail use, the best dog crate for Jeep JL travel is a secured hard-sided kennel. An unsecured dog in a Jeep Wrangler JL is a serious safety risk in a hard stop or a rollover, both for the dog and you.

RuffLand kennels are a frequently cited hard-sided crate option for Jeep JL travel. One-piece roto-molded construction, made in the USA, with enough flex to absorb impact energy in a way a wire crate can’t.

Sizing for the JLU: the RuffLand Intermediate Kennel fits most medium dogs: Border Collies, Australian Shepherds, smaller Labs, and similar sporting breeds. It clears the JLU rear seat area with the platform installed. The RuffLand Large Kennel fits bigger dogs but is a tighter squeeze in the JLU cabin. Use RuffLand’s interactive sizing guide on their site to match your dog’s measurements before ordering.

One JL-specific detail worth checking before you order: the Wrangler’s roll cage tapers inward toward the roofline more sharply than a typical SUV cabin. A standard square crate that fits the floor footprint can still hit the roll bar padding or rear glass.

Measure the kennel’s top dimensions, not just the base footprint, against your actual roof height with the platform installed. If you’re tight on clearance, the RuffLand Backseat Rider is a shorter-profile kennel built specifically for tight cabin spaces and is worth checking before sizing up to a standard Intermediate or Large.

Tie-down: secure the RuffLand to the platform using the factory anchor points or MOLLE attachment points if you’re running Goose Gear or AAL with MOLLE options. Don’t rely on the kennel’s own weight to keep it in place on trail.

RuffLand sizing for the JL:

By Use Case

JLU Daily Driver, One Dog

If you drive the JLU daily and the dog is your main reason for the rear seat delete, American Adventure Lab’s aluminum platform is the best Jeep JL dog setup for daily drivers. Lower cost than Goose Gear, easier to clean, and you don’t have to commit to a permanent build. Secure a RuffLand Intermediate to the platform and you’ve got a solid daily Jeep Wrangler JL dog setup that holds up.

JLU Overlanding Build

Goose Gear is well-suited to an overlanding JLU build. The Rear Plate System plus full seat delete gives you a flat, structural platform that integrates with drawer systems, fridge slides, and a properly anchored dog crate. It’s the most expensive Jeep JL rear seat delete option here, and it earns that price if you’re building a purpose-driven rig.

JLU Dog Owner Who Wants Occasional Rear Seating

Cargo Dog is a strong fit for owners who want occasional rear seating. Unlike Goose Gear and AAL, which are highly permanent overlanding builds, the Cargo Dog boxes can be fully uninstalled and the factory seats reloaded in roughly 10 minutes—confirm on the cargo.dog product page. The trade-off is that it’s not a flat platform. Your dog is riding on the footwell storage units, not a true seat delete platform. But if occasional rear seating matters to you, none of the full Jeep JL dog platform options will serve you as well.

2-Door JL Dog Owner

Goose Gear’s JL 2-Door Rear Cargo Plate System is well suited to permanent overlanding builds. Bolt-in plywood floor plate, anchor points for drawers and a secured crate, purpose-built for the 2-door footprint. The same logic as the JLU build—structural foundation first, everything else bolts to it. Confirm pricing at goose-gear.com.

Sequencing Note: If sound deadening is also on your build list, do it first. Both jobs require removing the seats and lifting the carpet to access the floor pan. Combining them in one session means you only pull the interior apart once, rather than tearing the platform back out later to get to the floor.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions from JL owner forums:

Products and Fitment

Safety

Get the platform right. Secure the crate. Your Jeep Wrangler JL dog setup will hold up longer than the factory seat ever would have.

If you’re building out the rest of your cargo area, you’ll find confirmed Jeep JL cargo and storage brands on the Parts Directory.

If you want a shop to handle any of your dog setup build, the Wrangler Specs Builder Directory lists vetted Jeep JL installers by region.

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