Double cab owners with children

I did find that booster seats made it difficult for a while, as their legs can not bend down at the knees at some point. But after that rock on.

 

One of THE deciding factors with getting my Tacoma was the double cab so I can take my kids camping. Try camping with a 2013 Ford Fusion up in the mountains of Arizona... It's possible, but not really very fun.

Really REALLY looking forward this Spring to gather up the kids (two girls, 10 and almost 6) to get out into the woods and fully utilize the truck.

 

Had 2 baby seats, now 2 boosters. Im satisfied, It works fine. Its just enough. Also I recommend a little cargo net In the bed for the road trip-clutter.
But 2 Baby seats and 1 adult in the middle would be rough on a long trip.

 

My boys are 6'3 and 6'5, if they fit, you're youngsters will fit too.

 

Yup, love the double cab for camping with 2 kids. There were 2 times that I had packed too much crap and wished for a tundra but quickly let that thought go. I'm considering a bedextender to give me a little extra room but its so pricey.

 

I had a bed extender, I sold it, I had a tonneau cover, sold it too. The 364 days per year that you didn't need a bed extender, it was always in the way. I eventually bought a DCLB, but before that I bought a LEER cap for my DCSB. That 5' bed was just too short.

 

Hotrod, that's exactly why I haven't bought a bed extender. I live in hawaii and roads, parking lots, and parking stalls are super cramped and the DCLB would be a pain in the ass for me to drive.

 

I bought my fix for the short bed before I got the truck, a trailer. Even with a 6 foot bed I would run out of space when going camping.

 

It can get cramped for the long haul trips for us. I had a camper shell but switched to an Undercover tonneau cover that I could take out when I didn't need it. It's pretty decently sized but my son (now 7) can kick the back of the seat pretty easy but that is my only real complaint.

 

It was cramped as hell in the '05 DCSB when I had with two in car seats. Once they are out of them facing forward in a booster instead of the massive baby seats it was much better. I definitely recommend seat covers for the back for any one that has young ones...It looked like a chocolate cow exploded while eating cheerios. Now that the kids are 10 and 13 there is plenty of room. We go camping, hunting, or shopping in the Taco every weekend. My '15 DCSB has the tonneau cover comes in handy with all the stuff that inevitably gets added for the trip...wife doesn't rough it!

 

I guess for my wife and I, it's a bit more doable because we're not tall/big people . It was more roomier one my toddler got to a booster and forward facing. Now with 2017 the law here in CA they want your toddler to be in a rear facing as Long as they can be. I guess I have another 3-4 years to go for my other baby at this point

 

I have 2 fur kids that ride in the back.

 

For every day driving, there are a few factors to consider: Driver seating position, rear dimensions, size of carseat

Adjust your seat to your preferred setting, consider whether you slouch or sit upright (I encourage the latter). Measure rear seat dimensions and compare measurements of car seats to these dimensions. This is how I shopped for a new seat for our second kid. My dad (State Trooper & trained kid seat installer) said bigger is not always better, and it could actually hamper rescue attempts in the event of an accident.

We place the booster seat kid behind the front passenger seat simply because, in the event of a head-on collision, we've invested more in him at this point and would prefer he survive. Also, his seat offers less protection in the event of a collision. (Sounds morbid, I know). Oh, and he likes to kick the seat when he decides to be a jerk and that stuff sets me off when I'm driving.

The rear-facing child sits behind the driver because I sit more upright than my wife. Also, in the event of a head-on collision, her seat offers more protection. I hate thinking about these things, but they must be taken into consideration.

I think the original spirit of this thread was about where to put the "stuff," so I think I went on a tangent, but here is my personal rationale.

 

It's different if your kids don't require an extra seat to sit in the seat.

 

My family and I love my Tacoma! We're a short family (I'm 5'8, wifey 4"10) with 3 kids (14,10,6). Have'nt done a long haul yet, but planning on a travel trailer hopefully this year. Some families have "more room" attitude, had a friend w/ Tahoe and one kid, bought a Suburban on the 2nd kid... Different strokes for different folks!

 

This is why I went with DCSB in 2009 knowing I'd have a future family.
IMO the Clek car seats fit the best as a rear-facing car seat and is narrow enough for side-by-side seating. I installed many seats in the truck to find one that worked best. I went with the "foonf" (yeah, funny name).

https://shop.clekinc.com/products/foonf

I'm 6'3" and it works for me to have my 19mo daughter behind me if needed. In July I plan to have her forward facing and the baby rear-facing in the passenger side.
I think a tonneau or cap will be necessary though, as it is for us. You'll need a secure place to store all the kid crap. I put in a Tacoma bed mat, installed a pop&lock and have a BakMX4 arriving next week.
You can make it work, certainly since it's not the daily family mobile.
You can always maximize your space with a sweet roof tray from frontrunner or a modular bed rack from voodoo that works with a trifold tonneau.
- just my personal real-life $0.02

 

Have the dimensions of the cabs changed at all through the years? I have a 10 and 6 year old so no car seats to deal with. We own a Mazda cx5 and was wondering how much different the cab space is between Tacoma and Mazda.

We took a week trip on the Mazda and the space was more than adequate.

Thanks

 

You can't make judgement without comparison! apples, grapes or oranges.

I would have to say that if the Taco was the primary family vehicle and I had two car seats I probably would have traded it in or bought a larger family vehicle.

 

But my response was to some one saying when comparing the taco to a full size, it's small. Well you think.

 

And ain't that the darnedest thing about the internet, just anyone can post their opinions.