Infant car seat in backseat of Access Cab

Has anyone successfully installed a rear facing infant car seat in the backseat of an access cab? I've read both my Tacoma owners manual and the manuals for both the car seats I've tried, and still not comfortable with the install outcome. Ive tried both a Graco snug ride 30 and an Evenflo Nuture 22.

The Graco hung about half way off the access seat, the Evenflo a little less because it's shorter. Neither one I could get to properly secure in the passenger side rear with the seat belt (No LATCH on passenger side). Even though I'm letting the seatbelt fully extend, then retract back and lock in place, it still let's the base move around more than 1 inch. And that's with me putting pressure on the base as it retracts.

I can get the bases to install nicely with the LATCH on the rear driver side, but then I have almost NO room for me in the driver's seat. Even with the shorter Evenflo, when I slide my driver seat back to where it's just barely touching the car seat, I still don't have enough room to fit in the driver seat. And I'm only 5' 9".

This is not my daughter's primary transit vehicle, the 4runner is for that. I just want to have a base ready in my truck just in case. It looks like the front passenger seat with the airbags turned off might be the only option... Or get a double cab! Tacoma Owners manual says install on passenger front is ok only if the only option and airbag is in off position.

I'm baffled as to why Toyota put the LATCH anchors on only the passenger side.

 

You can flip the back seat down. This is what I did when my son was in a rear facing seat.

 

On what years of access cab?

You're speaking of the seat back, correct? It's fixed to the bulkhead on my '13.

 

What do you mean flip the back seat down? Like the part above the storage compartments that have to be flipped down in order to sit there?

 

Maybe things have changed on the newer models, but on mine there are the jump seats in the back where someone would normally sit. For more surface area (like when you haul something that you might not want in the bed), you can flip the seats down, so the cushions are upside down, and the surface area is doubled.

 

That's right, I do recall a slightly different configuration on my first access cab, which was on '07. The newer ones (i have an '09 now) have a different backseat configuration.

 

It sounds like that's not an option anymore huh?

 

Nope.

 

Bump.

 

This, jk.

I find it real strange there is no latch on the passenger side, wtf is that about.

Looks like you may have to chop your legs off to make it more comfortable for you! Rear facing car seats were tight when I had them in my truck, and I own a DC, so I can only imagine how it is with the access cab.

 

Rear facing seats in access cabs just don't mix well. We tried at the dealership the wedge the seat in there, but there was no way it was going to happen. Even the forward facing "toddler" seat is a tight squeeze. My daughter is small, and we got her seat in there, but she had no leg room and was pretty squished.

I bought the DC just for this fact. I really wanted an AC, I prefer the look over the DC. But, honestly with the seat we bought, it actually fits(more leg room, and easier in and out) than in my wife's SUV.

 

I'm 5'3" and still was not able to install using the latch system behind the driver seat and still have enough room to drive. I ended up installing behind the passenger seat using the seat belt, leaving the passenger seat basically useless except for a little storage. If my wife rides with me she crams into the back behind me. Not great, but it gets us by until we can flip the seat to forward facing. When my daughter was born the hospital had a guy who helped with installs which really helped. He ended up cutting and taping 3 sections of a pool noodle to get the proper angle and a rock solid fit with no wiggle. I have taken the seat out a few times and still managed to get it back in just as secure. I just marked the belt so I know exactly how much to use,put the noodle concoction in, sit on my knees in the car seat to weight it down and snap it in. I'll snap a few pics of the pool noodle later to post up.