Need carseats for very small seat (backseat of pickup truck)

BeachMama

New member
We just bought an older (1991 Dodge Dakota) pickup. It has a bench seat in the front (2 shoulder belts, 1 lap belt) and a bench seat in the back (2 shoulder belts, 1 lap belt).

The back bench seat is abnormally small. The seat depth (from front of seat cushion to back of seat cushion) is really small. I've tried our Evenflo 5-pt harness and our Evenflo high back booster (same carseat), our neighbors Graco 5-pt harness/high back booster, the TurboBooster, the Cosco version of the same seat (which is smaller), and two backless boosters. NONE OF THEM FIT! They all hang over the front of the seat. The directions specifically say not to use the carseat if it does that.

My first question is....Is the backseat of a pickup truck the safest place for them to be? I assume that's the case, but since the seat is so small, I'm not sure. Carseats will fit in the front seat and there is no air bag, but is the back seat still safer?

Second question...are there any tiny carseats that are small enough to fit back there? I have an almost 3-year old who is 30lbs and an almost 5-year old who is 42lbs.

The only thing I have found is this:
http://www.ezonpro.com/products/schoolBus/adjustableVest/103z.shtml

It looks like a pain to use, but if it's the safest option, I'll get one.

Any help would be much appreciated. I'm at a loss here.
 
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Victorious4

Senior Community Member
Does the vehicle manual say anything about car seat installation?

Also, E-Z-On has the Kid-Y/RideRyte & 86-Y harnesses that are really easy to use ... check with customer service to see if they'll work in your vehicle & ask your dealer about installing the tether anchors.

The back is generally the safest possible place.

Also, maybe you could visit a local technician ~ it's free!

GOOD LUCK :cool:
 

BeachMama

New member
Believe it or not, the truck did not come with a manual (well, I know it came with one, but it was apparently lost before we took posession of the vehicle). Maybe I can order on online.

I missed the harnesses you suggested. Those look easier to use. The Kid-Y says:
Use 40-168 lbs. in passengers cars and trucks.
So, that covers my 42lbs son, but my 30lb son wouldn't be able to use that.


The Kid-Y harness can be used with children 30-80lbs, but it says it MUST be used with the booster seat, which I doubt will fit in the seat.

I appreciate your help. I feel like I'm at least getting somewhere now!
 

Victorious4

Senior Community Member
TOTALLY UNDERSTAND

I drive a '99 Blazer & sometimes have 3 kids I need to drive around, so since the manual says I must not install a carseat in the rear-center position & I know he's unsafe in the lap-only belt {dealer can't install a tether anchor for the E-Z-On}, unfortunately the older child has to sit in front even though he's not the recommended 13 years of age :(

The dealer did install a tether anchor for the lap-only belt of my dad's Ford 250 & will soon be doing so for my mom's Chevy Tracker as well, though....

1st thing I'd suggest doing is to find a Dodge dealer or their customer service # & ask them about getting you a manual! At the very least ask for specifics about car seat installation.

As for the Kid-Y & RyteRite ~ so long as the belts are hooked up properly the booster shouldn't fall off the seat {an inch or so of overhang shouldn't make that much of a difference assuming Dodge says kids should ride in the back} & I'm guessing it probably would be the best cost-effective, long-term solution. You are correct about the sizing & just so you know, my toddler REALLY REALLY likes her Kid-Y & RydeRite {LOL}
 
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BeachMama

New member
As for the Kid-Y & RyteRite ~ so long as the belts are hooked up properly the booster shouldn't fall off the seat {an inch or so of overhang shouldn't make that much of a difference assuming Dodge says kids should ride in the back}
My concern, though, is that it'll be considerably more than an inch hanging over. Since you have one, co you think you could measure it for me? I need to know how big it is from where the back touches the back of the seat and the front ends. Does that make sense? The back seat is seriously tiny as far as depth.

I will try to contact a Dodge dealer asap to see if I can get my hands on a manual as well as carseat installation information.

My hubby is out of town all week with the truck, so I am not in a huge rush (we have a mini van as our most used vehicle).
 

mamamia

New member
THe general rule is that you want at least 80% of the child restraint to be on the vehicle seat. You would need to make sure that the manufacture of any seat you use allows use in this situation.

I checked my Britax manual, and I can't find anything in it that addresses the the child restraint hanging over the vehicle seat. Is this issue addressed in the manuals for the seats you have?
 

BeachMama

New member
As for the Kid-Y & RyteRite ~ so long as the belts are hooked up properly the booster shouldn't fall off the seat {an inch or so of overhang shouldn't make that much of a difference assuming Dodge says kids should ride in the back}
My concern is that it would be more than an inch or so hanging over. My other carseats hang over probably 4-6". Since you have the seat, would you mind measuring the depth of it for me (keeping in mind that the back of the seat will push it out a little....if that makes sense....so basically, where the booster seat hits the back of the seat in the car to where it ends.)



I drive a '99 Blazer & sometimes have 3 kids I need to drive around, so since the manual says I must not install a carseat in the rear-center position
That's odd. I wonder why they say no carseats in that spot. I assume they say it's okay for a 100+ pound adult to ride in that spot. So, why not a carseat?
 

Victorious4

Senior Community Member
Manual says "belt does not hold securely in a crash" ... so, especially for that reason, I don't even want ANY person sitting there :eek: It's in small print so I missed it the entire 1st year of ownership & who'd think you couldn't use the rear-center belt for installing a car seat? My kiddo was a toddler before I discovered that warning! *SIGH*

Anyway, my dad has the Kid-Y & RydeRite in his truck, but they took it on a month-long vacation last Friday. You can contact E-Z-On & ask them, though =)
#1-800-323-6598
info@ezonpro.com


Also contact Dodge!
#1-800-992-1997
Request an Owner's Manual
 
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Victorious4

Senior Community Member
Yeah, it really doens't make any sense whatsoever ... & we actually did put a dolly in it {LOL}
80567959.jpg
 
I just went through this saga with my cousin's little boy who is 2 years old. I gave them a Marathon because he was almost 40lbs and outgrowing his old Evenflo seat, and they couldn't afford to buy him another seat. I tried to install the Marathon on the back bench and it was just not possible. It hung WAY off, and no matter how tight I got it if I just pulled on the front of the seat it completely slid forward. In any accident the kid would have impacted the front seat. We ended up moving the front seat all the way back and putting him in the front seat despite not being real comfortable with it. He rarely rides in that vehicle but it still makes me very nervous. The truck doesn't have airbags, and of the two bad situations having him in the front seat was definitely the best in this case.

I do not know of a carseat or booster that will fit that bench, just the vest.
 

Victorious4

Senior Community Member
Good to "see" you again, Chelsae :)

Glad to hear someone has some real-life experience with this dilemma, because my SIL brought her husband's truck {an older Dakota} today & wanted to take my kiddo somewhere ~ I said I couldn't without finding out about the car seat situation first.... Unfortunately, they don't know where their manual is either: I asked to read it! =)

Sounds like younger kiddo will have to be in the front & older kiddo could use the 86-Y E-Z-On rear-center with one adult in the back =/ A Britax Wizard might be the best car seat ~ toddler could still RF & then the harness would keep him/her {?} safer until 65 pounds.... I say the Wizard over the Marathon only because it offers more side-impact protection & my SD can still fit the Wizard, but not the Marathon. I know it's not a cheap seat, but if you can save up for it I think it would be the best solution to a "sticky" situation. Older kiddo will hopefully be tall enough to use the 3-point lap/shoulder belt once younger kiddo switches to the E-Z-On?

Also, Chelsae, could you tell me more about that extended RF Britax seat? My brother is interested & wants to know more about the size, comfort, ease of use, cost, etc. {maybe you should email me} papooses@aol.com THANKS
 
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BeachMama

New member
We ended up moving the front seat all the way back and putting him in the front seat despite not being real comfortable with it.
I have a feeling we'll have to do this too. Probably a safer carseat like a Britax in the front for my 3-yo.

After reading more about the 86-Y harness I'm not sure if it'll work in our vehicle. It says that the tether needs to be at a 45degree angle. In the backseat of a pickup it's going to be practically straight up and down.

I guess we could technically put both kids in the front seat if we have to, but the thought of it just makes me so nervous. Of course in the old pickup that's what we had to do anyway since it didn't have a backseat. But they never rode very far in that truck since we couldn't all fit.

I have some emails into EZ-On to see what they have to tell me about our situation.
 

Victorious4

Senior Community Member
45-degree

I was worried about that, too & our dealer said they couldn't do it that way, but the E-Z-On rep. said that given our circumstance it was acceptable for the tether anchor to be pretty much right under the back edge of the seat ... he just said not to use the dealer's anchor ~ only use the E-Z-On anchor since it is crash tested at a higher weight limit. But do not take my word for it; ask them!

We were transporting 6 people in my dad's truck then: 4 adults, a 6 y.o. & my toddler. My toddler had to sit front-center with the older child rear-center. Except when the time came she didn't want to use the harness {her mom talked down about it & has her sit in a VERY loose lap-only belt all the time in their car *SIGH*}, so she used a booster & I used the harness :p
 
U

Unregistered

Guest
Not a tech here, so I'm not sure if this is relevant. But it seems like if the backseat is that small, then head excursion would be a problem. So, even if you could find a solution that would physically fit in the backseat, the kids would both be super close to the front seat. Then, in a crash, they would be pushed into the front seat. Am I missing something?

My DH loves having a truck. So far, we have had a Toyota Tacoma with the extended cab. Small cab, but seat base large enough for my Roundabout. Then, an F-150 extended cab. I could install 2 seats in this, but I couldn't get an acceptable recline for my young (at that time) infant when rearfacing, without pushing the passenger into the dash. Now we have the Nissan Titan with the full size passenger cab. That has more passenger room than my car. So, I've installed carseats in all of these (plus tried unsuccesfully in my MIL's truck, can't remember the make and model). I've found that trucks seem harder to get the carseats in properly. Is it just me? I always assumed that it was because the manufacturers weren't really considering child safety when designing a truck (like they might in a sedan or van).
 

BeachMama

New member
But do not take my word for it; ask them!
I did. They said the same thing. They said that the anchor must be at LEAST 45degrees, but more is fine. It can be 90degrees mounted directly behind the seat, or on the floor under the seat.

Did your dealer say why they wouldn't install the anchor for you? I'm a little worried about that.



So, even if you could find a solution that would physically fit in the backseat, the kids would both be super close to the front seat. Then, in a crash, they would be pushed into the front seat. Am I missing something?
There isn't as much room as a sedan, but honestly I don't think the kids seem to sit much closer to the back of the front seat when sitting in back than they would be from the dash if sitting in the front seat. I can sit back there, but my leg room is limited.

I think what we may have to do is get an 86-Y for my almost 5yo and then put the almost 3yo in the front seat until he's heavy enough for an 86-Y harness (he's only 30lbs, so it may be a while). I'll just sit in back with my son (or dh will if I am driving).
 

Victorious4

Senior Community Member
BeachMama said:
Did your dealer say why they wouldn't install the anchor for you? I'm a little worried about that.
There just isn't room for a 45-degree install in the truck ~ which was why the E-Z-On rep said it was fine to be less than 45 degrees since we literally had no other acceptable option. I decided to let my dad continue using it for my daughter because she rides in the truck less than once a month & only in the field between my parents' barn {where the business is located} & their house :rolleyes: Plus, I know he'll use it correctly everytime & it doesn't hurt his arthritis....
I think what we may have to do is get an 86-Y for my almost 5yo and then put the almost 3yo in the front seat until he's heavy enough for an 86-Y harness
I think that sounds like the best way to do it! =)
 

BeachMama

New member
Well, darn. I looked at the backseat to see where the 86-Y harness could be installed and there is NOWHERE to install it. The backseat is literally attached to the wall and there is not "underneath" of the seat.

But...I did take the truck with the carseats in it to the local fire department to see what they had to say. Their carseat tech came out and talked to me. I had installed one of our carseats back there (that hung over about 3" or so). They said that the hangover is not a problem at all because the seat otherwise fits really well. She was very impressed with how tightly I had it installed. :)

I had that carseat (for my 2yo) in the back, on the side and then my 4yo's booster in the front seat (neither child was in the car, that's just where dh wanted the seats, but I told him I had to get it approved first). She said (of course) that if only one child is goign to ride in the back in the 5-pt harness carseat that it needs to be in the middle and also that my older child shouldn't ride in the front seat. So...I think we're going to put both carseats in the back like I originally wanted to do, but thought it was not okay because of the overhang.

Oh, and there is a 32-hour training course to become a certified carseat tech next month. I'm considering taking it!
 

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