xtra cab car seat/bucket seat ?'s

I want to get some input here if possible...

For those of you running with an extra cab Tacoma, have you been able to put a car seat in the back and how does it fit (pics would be awesome, kind of car seat used)

Also, doing the bucket seat swap on an xtra cab, is there any legroom loss in the front or back? Would this swap allow for more baby seat room by chance?

Trying to figure out if a car seat will work in the truck... haven't bought one yet as we're still quite a few months out. Trying to weigh our options.

Thanks!

 

What year truck?
If you have the owners manual, it shows how to place the car seat.
On my 2001, it is placed on the right rear, using the fold-out support on that seat.

 

You have 60/40 seats right now or full bench?
If 60/40 you can still move seats by themselves to get the proper space
I had a full grown guy in the back and he didnt have much problems with room so you should be ok with a car seat, i am unsure of anchor points, if there are any, but there is the seatbelts.

 

The child seat is placed in the rear as first choice.
The fittings for proper seat attachment are in the rear.

If children are ever placed in the front, make sure the passenger air bag is turned off.

 

96 with the 60/40. Not a fan though... Would prefer to swap to buckets w/center console if we end up not selling the truck.

We're trying to get in touch with a car seat to test fit and see how it fits with both my wife and I in the truck w/car seat in the back. I'm 6'3" so my wife either has to drive w/baby behind her or I drive w/baby behind passenger seat.

First option would be best so it's easier for me to reach back if the baby needs something...

 

This problem led me to want to sell my extra cab for a double cab. Luckily my son is big enough for an in-between booster at this point.

I'm sorry to say, but my experience has been that NO baby car seat will fit in the back. I have tried 2 different baby seats with no luck and have checked the size specs of countless others, all to no avail. One of the seats I bought and tried was the Combi Coccoro which is the smallest baby seat made, designed to be able to fit three of them across the back seat of a civic. Unfortunately side to side room is not our problem, it's front to back.

Now like I said, I currently have a booster seat in mine that works quite well for my son. He is 20 months, 30", 24lbs. The booster seat i have sits more upright than a baby seat and has a smaller base. This particular one also come with a built in harness, which is key, making it able to be used with slightly smaller or younger children. It has the 3 point "latch" system which makes me feel more secure than just using the seatbelt. Most booster seats utilize the cars seatbelt and therefore require the child to be at least 4' and 40 lbs.

For a baby in an extra cab and in a baby seat, only the front will do. It's not ideal, but it will work. Just make sure to turn off the airbag!

I'll take some pictures of mine tomorrow if you're interested. I am 6'4" so I feel your pain there, too.

 

I have a 98 ext with bucket seats and I am able to use a forward facing car seat just fine. I do have to move the passenger seat up a bit but my son fits well back there and he is 3 now. I think it would be hard to fit a rear racing car seat in the back though.

 

I have 4year old Twins that I put in the back of mine, I had to use just the base of the car seats for them to sit properly. Luckily my boys are big enough to use the stock shoulder belts but its only for short trips cause they sit pretty upright.

 

Here's some pictures of my booster seat and son. This is with the front passenger seat moved forward to the first point that it engages on the track. This leaves enough room for my wife to sit up front, but I would not be able to:




Here it is with the front seat moved all the way back on the track:




You can also see one of the anchor points I used for the "latch" system in this last picture. The other side is attached to the seat belt D ring and there is an "actual" anchor point at the top.

I am thinking that I am going to cut a piece of 1/2" ply wood to fit the base of this car seat, to make it a bit more stable and so the front of the car seat is sitting on something instead of just hanging off the truck seat like that.

Here is the link to this car seat, but it won't work for a newborn:
http://www.coscojuvenile.com/usa/en...ails/1980-22233TSS-High-Back-Booster-Car-Seat

and here's the small one I was talking about before, which will work for a newborn, but it's not the type that you can take out of the car with you. This one would probably work great in the front seat of the tacoma though:
http://www.combi-intl.com/Products/Item.aspx?Item=12

 

What I used to do was fold up the padded cushion, then fold up the (useless) cup holder with legs then install the car seat. The car seat will have a larger base to sit on. When your kiddo gets a bit older and uses the booster seat, he might get excited because his feet will be able to touch the floor (my daughter loved it...her feet can't touch the floor in momma's car).

Give it shot and let me know how it works for ya.

 

Thanks for the input.

I was afraid we'd be ef'd car seat wise.

We're getting another SUV anyways, probably another Cherokee, but it'd be nice to have two SUV's as opposed to only one usable vehicle when we want to haul the kid.

Maybe we'll sell the truck and down the road get a 4 door Taco or something.

 

you're not suppost to have a child seat in the back of an extra cab. that's why there is a switch to turn off the front air bag

 

This is the reason I got a 4D. My last truck was an extra cab and the wife made me get a 4D before our girl was born....but I'm glad I did...I like the extra room and there is no way a rear facing child seat would have fit in that truck. I still have to move the passenger seat all the way up to fit the rear facing child seat.

 

I never even thought of that! That's an awesome suggestion, I'll do that instead of cutting a plywood base for the seat. Thanks!

If you can put them in the back, it's still safer than having them in the front, with the airbag turned off. That is assuming they are in a forward facing seat, of course. A rear-facing seat is NEVER going to fit in the back of an extra cab.

 

Even with the cup holder flipped out I am unable to put our daughter's forward facing seat back there. The car seat base hangs out way too far over the cup holder.

Once she's in a booster seat she'll be fine I think.

 

Vegetopia - your kid is adorable!

 

how big is she? booster seat with built-in harness is the way to go if she's over 20lbs and 24" or whatever it is.

haha, thanks. It's all from his mom...

 

We appreciate all the feedback. We've tried to find a 4 door but nothin doin in our price range. I definately like the 1st gens more than 2nd gens though.

Be great if we could just win the lottery that we don't play.

 

This is the very reason I sold my 02 ext cab and bought an 02 crew cab. The infant rear facing car seats just wont fit and putting my son in the front seat was not an option.

 

You never, ever put a child in the front seat. Children and babies always go in the back seat for their safety. Even if the airbag is off, should you have a front end collision that caves in the dash it is safer for you child to be in the back seat rather than in the front seat with the dash in their lap.