Vehicle for 3 kids?

Does anyone have experience with this vehicle and three young kids? Two of them are in booster seats still. Would you recommend this truck? Was the size a problem with a family of five?

 

why are you considering a truck when a minivan would be so much more suitable for the situation?

my sister in law is a CPST, between the rest of the family, she's got access to my '18 4-dr tacoma, my parents '14 f-150, '99 suburban, and '11 odessey.

she prefers the f-150 to the tacoma for the additional 6" of rear leg room which significantly helps in kid space, but absolutely prefers the odessey over either for even more space between kids when they're not getting along. the suburban is 'fine'. it's pre-child restraint compliant, but there's enough space, just not as well utilized as the trucks or minivan.

 

It is cramped in my double cab. But still possible. 2 booster seats and one rear facing diono. Kiddos are 2, 5 and 8. Seats fit but I have to help the 5yo get buckled up. We do the vast majority of trips on the GX. Since the taco predates all children that’s what I drive, however if I was car shopping for something I plan to keep for the next 10-15yrs I’d get something bigger.

 

Double cab for a growing family of 5? Rav4 and 4Runner has more spread-out space if you want an SUV. Camry has more room in general for a family. Children grow fast until they become cramped in a double cab. boys big enough to play football will be cramped in.

Many find the back seat better for conversion to a dog playground or a slider-bed for a refrigerator.

 

I don't know man, it might be a bit tight in the back for three younglings. A 4-Runner might be better suited for a family of 5.

 

My first question would be how tall or you? I am 6'1 and the drivers seat it only about 5 inches from the back seat. That doesn't leave a lot of leg room.

 

Toyota dealerships have plenty of double cabs available for testfit, and minivans or Rav4s to directly compare.

Get into the driver seat, get comfortable. Your wife sits behind you in the back seat. Ask her.

Then try that in a Rav4, which is probably not as comfortable as a minivan.

 

It all depends on how big y’all are and how much you want to put with. I got three, but my kids are my kids so they don’t take up a lot of space. And they are not in there that much, maybe 3 days a week.
But there is not much room in that backseat for activities.

 

If you are set on a pickup with a family of 5, have you looked at a Tundra?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AcFSaMF9YE

 

OP ain’t coming back

 

We use to ride 11 cousins etc to church in a Pacer. Probably get arrested these days.

 

Here is an interesting video on the topic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zMOplIWl-0

 

I have one kid in a booster and I don’t think the truck is even suitable for that. I’ve been debating going with something bigger to have added space. I already know if another baby is to come along the Tacoma will be traded in for either a tundra or a GX460. No way I’d put 3 kids in the Tacoma ever. Definitely a full size truck or full size suv is what you should be shopping for

 

Wait for the Gen 5 and hope they go retro back to the Gen 3 days.

 

We never had a refrigerator when we went camping. We had a tent and a cooler and grill grate. Sleeping bags and some hot dogs.

 

I was watching a documentary based in the 70’s the other day. People were riding in the back of pickups. I remember being told I couldn’t sit on the edge of the bed, just the wheel well.
And, I did find out this year where that one scar on my head came from, the time before car seats.

 

No. This truck is strictly a two persons recreation/utility vehicle. With kids, swallow your pride because the mini van is where it’s at.

 

I’ve got an 8 and a 6 year old who ride in the back of my double cab. They riding in my truck over my wife’s Pathfinder. They have plenty of space now, but I do expect them to be tall. I kind of figure that they will grow into it and be use to being crammed in the back by the time they get big. We’ll see.

I definitely would not do three kids in the back.

 

We have twin boys 3 years old so have the front facing car seats in the back still. It works for us but it’s tight. If my 4Runner didn’t have 300k miles on it I would have kept it. The biggest advantage of the taco with two kids is we can camp pretty easy without having to stuff everything in the Thule box and every open space in the T4R. The family member that benefited most from the switch was the dog since he has more room on those long drives now! It works but if I was doing it again I would seriously consider the T4R as the family hauler! If we had a third kid I would trade it.