Carseat arrangements?

Hey so im planning on having a kid in the next bit here and i just wanted to know if there are carseats that work in the back of the older tacomas? Because my friends have a little one (3 months) and his car seat hardly fit in the front and was a pain in the ass to put in. and it wouldnt work in the back. i know that all the car seats being sold today are for new vehicles with the special mounts in them. and that you cant use an older carseat but there must be a way for it to workout safely in the backseat and fit proper. any ideas?

Thanks

 

I don't know anything about the new infant car seats but when my girl was an infant in one of those colossal rear-facing car seat, I put her in the front seat and turned the airbag off. It's the only way it fit in my truck.

This is completely acceptable, so long as you have the ability to turn the airbag off (I don't know if that was still a feature in the 01-04s).

Bill Finchbaugh (sp?) is one of the nation's leaders of infant/toddler/child car seat safety and he personally installed my daughter's car seat in my Tacoma.

When she became forward facing, her car seat fit just fine in the back behind the passenger side seat (just flip out the cup holders, their dual purpose is to support a car seat).

 

Also my girlfriend has a 4runner. So maybe the carseat arrangement will be easier in there.
I know im gonna have some negative comments about a car seat in my truck guys but come on now..

 

yes i turned the air bag off so i could have it in the front. but i would feel better having them in the back.

 

I understand your feeling. Like I said Bill Finchbaugh installed my carseat for my little girl and said the front is just as safe, if not more, than the back.

It's just a PITA if you have someone who need to get in the back.

 

You are allowed to put a rear facing carseat (infant seat or convertible) in the front seat providing the airbag has a on/off switch. It is safe because you can deactivate the airbag. active front seat airbags and rearfacing carseats are deadly.

You also don't need to have LATCH anchors. All carseats are requied to be able to be installed with either vehicle seatbelt or LATCH. lower LATCH anchors didn't start appearing in vehicles until September 1, 2002 (model year 2003).

Older model tacoma extended cabs are really difficult to install carseats in. Those little flip down "platforms" don't have enough give to be able to get the lap belt tight enough. It will be difficult for an infant seat with a base, but you might be able to do a baseless install with maybe enough room for a passenger in the front.

OH, I'm a carseat tech and Child Passenger Safety advocate like Bill Flinchbaugh. To be absolutely sure, meet with a carseat tech in your area.

You can find them here...NHTSA - Find a Fitting Station

 

this is the most compact and forgiving car seat i have come across

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Safety-1st-onSide-Air-Convertible-Car-Seat-Adeline/16617582

 

I put two car seats in my 1st gen DC. My oldest boy (2yrs) loves riding in "the bumpy truck."

No negative comments here.

 

My now 3 year old has been rear facing in my DC since she was born no problems here. I use the front passenger floor seat belt ring to connect the top strap of the car seat. It came with the latch strap as well and I use the seat belt for extra measure. Its been great and she also like the bumpy ride, lol

 

When my daughter was born I had an 05 extended cab. A rear facing seat fit in the extracab part of the truck but nobody with legs could sit in the front seat. But we also had a 00 4Runner so we used that whenever we went anywhere as a family. When she went forward facing her legs were straight out in front of her and still nobody could sit in front of her in the 05. So I sold that truck and bought an 05 double cab. That had more room than the 4Runner. Now she's 5 and fits in the back of the 96 I have quite comfortably in one of the Simpson booster/car seats. But I know a rear facing seat wouldn't fit back there from previous experience. It's either going to be the front seat or a different truck. Time flies with a kid though. Using just the 4Runner for family trips until the kid is a few years old will be the best option unless you want a double cab.