Best crew cab pickup for car seats

mommy-medic

New member

• Feb 28, 2011

• #1

I have a friend looking for a crew cab pickup for a decent size family (5 people total).

What pick ups are the most user-friendly for car-seat installs and which ones should be avoided (drat those silly over-the-headrest-and-back-under-the-seat-tether-anchors ). Thanks!

 

LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician

• Feb 28, 2011

• #2

Well, it's not a crew cab, but I absolutely our Dodge Ram Mega Cab.

You can get three-across of anything back there. Ours has three sets of LATCH, but apparently that varies by year (and within years, to some extent).

Headrests in all positions, LATCH anchors easily accessible on the back wall. The "mega cab" refers to extra space behind the back seats, so you can store backpacks or whatever. It's that extra space that makes the tether anchors so accessible.

I have a Radian installed at probably about 40 degrees and didn't have to move the passenger seat at all. TONS of room.

The only (potential) drawback is that it only comes in a short-bed (6'4") style.

 

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rosomom

New member

• Feb 28, 2011

• #3

I don't know if it's the BEST, just because I don't have any other crew cab to compare it to, but I have had a pretty easy time with our Chevy Silverado 1500 Crew Cab.
*2 LATCH positions (both outboard), center is a lap-shoulder belt.
*Tether anchors in all rear seating positions. They are loops on the back of the seat that you run the tether through and then attach to the loop on the back of the adjacent seat (hard to explain, but much easier to deal with than hooking to something down lower on the back of the seat).
*Adjustable headrests on rear outboard positions, but no headrest in rear center position.
*We have a bench seat in the front. The drawback is that it's a lapbelt-only in the center. Really not safe for adults, and Chevy does not allow child carseats in the front, if I remember correctly.
* Back seat is W-I-D-E. I've had 2 GN & a FFing TF back there. Right now we have a FFing TF and 2 HBTBs and there's enough room for no knuckle-scraping when buckling the boosters.

I have not installed anything RFing, so I'm sorry that I can't address that issue. The backseat is larger than many compact cars, though, so I'd imagine most seats would fit, especially at an older-baby/toddler angle.

ETA: Forgot to mention that our 2010 has side curtain airbags all around, too.

 

Last edited: Feb 28, 2011

Kaede's_Mom

New member

• Feb 28, 2011

• #4

I second the chevy.

I also love installing in the Nissan Titans. Very fast and pretty easy installs on all of my seats.

 

sunnymw

New member

• Feb 28, 2011

• #5

fil has a 2003 f150 lariat. seats install like a dream. radians went in at 30 degrees with latch in 2 seconds. scenera, uptown were also quick with a towel.

 

N

northernmommy

New member

• Feb 28, 2011

• #6

I think I could do 3 across with any seats in my GMC Sierra 1500. I've got a FR85, a GN, and a RN in there with a ton of room. It does have the loops for tethers, but they're not really a big deal. One drawback to my truck is that you are not allowed to put a carseat in the center front seat, and since there's only a lap belt there, it might as well not be a seating position. I don't know if other trucks have the same issue or not.

Ex has a Dodge Mega cab, and it has "real" tethers in it. I found the kids seats to be a little bit harder to install in it than in my GM (not hard, just a bit more effort, mostly because the angle of the buckles)

 

zactayaus

Well-known member

• Feb 28, 2011

• #7

We have a 2006 Chevy Silverado 2500. We have latch in the outboard passenger position and the center seating postion. We also have actual tether anchors (not the loops) in all three seating positions. There's even a tether anchor on the back of the front passenger seat which works perfect for RF tethering our RA55. I've installed a ton of car seats in this truck and I'd have to say it is a very car seat friendly vehicle. Three across with just about any seat would not be a problem.

 

J

J-max

CPST Instructor

• Mar 1, 2011

• #8

I'll agree with the others and say the Chevy/GMC crew cabs do a good job. We have had a 2000 and a 2009 and I can do every seat we own in any position (although I have not done a FF radian in the back seats. I have done a FF radian in the center front and it went it like butter * this is not an acceptable position for a carseat, per the manual)

 

SavsMom

New member

• Mar 2, 2011

• #9

2007 or newer Toyota Tundra Double Cab. It is Toyota's version of a "crew cab" (not to be confused with the larger Tundra Crew Max). The double cab has forward hinged doors so its super easy to get in and out of it.

 

L

Lisa in WV

New member

• Mar 2, 2011

• #10

We have a Dodge Mega Cab, a 2007, and we love it. The backseat is huge, and installing seats has been a breeze. The only problem I've encountered is having to remove a headrest to install a FF MA, but that was easy to do.

 

luckyclov

New member

• Mar 3, 2011

• #11

DH has a '10 F150 SuperCrew.

It's considered a 6 passenger because the center of the front seat can be converted from console to functional seat...and even has a lapbelt, so you can put a booster rider there. OK, just kidding...but it's kinda cool in a cool-but-non-functional way.

I have 2 Montereys and a RF Radian back there (RN-Monterey-Monterey) and they fit dreamily. No one has any issues buckling. Legroom is insane. In fact, the RN doesn't even come close to touching the front seat and the front seat is not pushed all the way up. The RN installed really easy with the lower anchors (and no loosening...yet). I haven't tried the seatbelt, yet...but I honestly don't anticipate any issues. There is not a headrest in the center position of the backseat. And I have yet to fiddle with tethering a FF seat, so I have nothing valuable to add about top tethers.

But, I really, really like this truck. And I am NOT a truck/SUV fan.

ETA: SB install w/ RN - no problems.

 

Last edited: Mar 4, 2011

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RYLANSMOM

New member

• Mar 3, 2011

• #12

My best friend has that truck, I don't know what year it is, but. You can easily fit 3 across in the back no problem, lots of room left. We have done 2 hbb and a gn, and 1 hbb, an evenflo generations, and efta, no problems. Also a hbb gn and evenflo generations. I love the space! Makes me want one if it wasn't for gas mileage!

Eta: Ford f150 supercrew

 

Last edited: Mar 3, 2011

TXDani

Senior Community Member

• Mar 4, 2011

• #13

My hubby's Toyota Tundra CrewMax is AWESOME for carseat installs. I am pretty sure I could fit any three across I wanted in it. Headrests in all positions, top tethers in all positions and the seat is fairly flat which makes installs easier.
The truck itself is pretty nice too.

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