Rear facing in a Mazda MVP

Does anybody know if any convertibles with high RF weight limit will fit rear-facing in the captains chair behind the driver with the seat all the way back? It's for an older child, so the seat can be upright. I'd like the seat to also install well once it is FF too, in the same position.

I installed a Britax Advocate RF in a 2006 MVP a couple of days ago. With the Advocate fairly upright, I was able to move the drivers seat pretty far back, though I'm not sure if it was all the way back.

I know a True Fit will fit RF in the new CX9 in either outboard seat... but I'm not sure how the size of the CX9 compares to the MPV (and what year MPV you're referring to).

It has to be all the way back, and most likely allowed to touch the seat back. I'm 6'0 with long legs that hit the wheel column if it's up at all.

Do they have TFs with higher than 35lb RF limits? DS just turned 3 last month but he's already 34lbs, so 35 is too close for me. I may just have to forget about ff.

It's a 2004 MPV, but I'm not sure how they compare either.

We have a tech who frequently installs RF seats in an MVP for her daycare... hopefully she'll come in here and post shortly.

That said, IIRC she uses Complete Airs a lot -- so that (combined with its high RF weight limit) might be a good bet. It tends to fit well front-to-back when you install it fairly upright.

I only have pictures of the seats installed on the passenger side but the Truefit fits in the captains seats (these weren't permanent installs just taken for c-s.org my DD rides in the 3rd row rearfacing) The van is a 2000 MPV

rearfacing


and forward facing


I don't currently have any pictures but I have been able to get a Radian installed as well. The slant of the seats makes for a pretty decent upright install.

Behind the drivers seat with the drivers seat all the way back is going to be a really tough one. I can get a TF installed in the middle (if you have the same body style as I do with a 2002 MPV, your other 2nd row cptn chair slides side to side?) with the psgr seat and driver seat nearly all the way back. I could go back further I'm sure but I haven't tried. I suggest trying the psgr/middle seat out if at all possible rather than the drivers side, otherwise I would look for a seat that has a really small front/back footprint - maybe the Evenflo Triumph Advance? I know there's NO WAY I'd get a TF behind the drivers seat, sorry. I could get it upright enough to do it but it would be more upright than allowed by the mfgr.

Great, thanks! I will go to BRU soon and test a CA in there. Were the seats back when you had the Radian installed?

My 16 month old is RF in the sliding captains seat behind the passenger. I don't mind the seat being up a few inches there.

Do you know if it's ok to remove the handle that is screwed into the back of the front seats? I figured it may give me a couple extra inches to do that, depending on how the seats fit.

He is riding FF in an EFTA right now and I did try to flip it the other day. Maybe I didn't have it upright enough though because there was no way I was fitting. I will try again tomorrow though. I read through a thread about upright installs so I think I have a better idea on how to do it and how to measure the angle.

I removed the handle on ours, but honestly it didn't make much of a difference at all. You may find something different, so I'd say give it a try. I can't see the handle's prescence or absence making a difference from a safety standpoint.

I honestly hope you can find something to work in that position - I FF'd DD2 when I had to put her behind the driver's seat b/c I couldn't get anything to RF there without serious bracing - the drivers seat actually changed the angle of the RF seat installed behind it so I didn't bother. Trudy (snowbird) may have some insight, I believe she helped a friend get a RF seat behind the driver. I'll ask her to check up on this thread

ETA: what about putting a RF'er in the 3rd row and scooting the drivers side 2nd row cptn chair forward? Just load through the hatch then?

Oo oo pick me I'm here. Sorry mama you pm'ed me but life has been crazy and I hadn't gotten back to you. I'm on my phone so I'll post pictures later.

A radian rf will only install in a captains chair when the passenger side is slid to the middle using latch with both front seats all the way back. It will not fit either behind the drivers seat all the way back without extreme bracing (like fully digging into the seat back), or the passenger seat because it would have to brace and the airbag system doesn't allow that. It also leaves heavy indentations on the passenger headrest upon installation that way. It will fit rf in the third row center with the captains chairs slid all the way to the sides but will not fit rf behind either of the captains chairs as the base of the seat lifts inches above the vehicle seat.

A complete air (regular or lx) will fit in both captains chairs (with front seats all the way back) at a 40-42 degree recline. It'll fit anywhere in the third row rf as well but you have to take off the headrest for the second row captains chair. I have the lx Model so I put the base on full recline then push down on the feet part to get it more upright so that technically it's still following manufactures guidelines. The third row is around a 35-38 degree angle.

The myride fits awesome in any position rf at around a 35-40 degree recline. I just had a difficult time lifting that far up and over those sides (I'm 5 feet) I used it for a while in the third row and was able to lift through the hatch ok.

The classic britax line fits great as well in any position but especially third row as the base bumps it over the wheel spots in the third row.

I did not have enough front to back space for a true fit. Every kiddo I tried in the tf has extremely terrible head-slump at about 35 degrees but there was no room to recline it more.

The new britax seats also fit well, but I'm not really a huge fan of the new line so I haven't really played with it in the van.

Wow, you had far better luck (and seat choices!) than I did! Thank you now I know!

desiree_leigh said:

Wow, you had far better luck (and seat choices!) than I did! Thank you now I know!

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No problem. we've had the van since 2006 so I've gotten good use of my carseat addiction out of it especially since the kiddos keep doing this whole growing thing

Op I hope that helps you. I may be able to dig up some more pictures on my computer.

Thank you Cryssy! I think I could pick out what most of the seats in the pictures are. I will be looking in to the MyRide now, too. Is there a reason you aren't liking the new Britax seats?

MunkyCrazy said:

Thank you Cryssy! I think I could pick out what most of the seats in the pictures are. I will be looking in to the MyRide now, too. Is there a reason you aren't liking the new Britax seats?

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Most of us don't like the new britax seats since they shortened the shell& will only last as long as the MR65 rfing any way, so why spend the$ $$ on britax when a $ 120 seat will work just as well? plus there are other cheaper seats that are taller& will last longer.

Ah thanks! I don't know if the quick adjust harness, rf tether and lock offs would be worth the extra money to me or not. I wish I could design the perfect seat for us and order it, with all the features I want. That would be awesome, haha.

Last night I was thinking about it and thought about what Cryssy said about the Radian. I realized that if the EFTA does fit RF I could switch DS2 behind the driver and install the Radian on the sliding seat. I didn't think it would be allowed to push on the headrest b/c of the airbags either. How bad is it? Would I be likely to smack my head into the seat in an accident?

LOL, that second-to-last picture illustrates perfectly why I thought of you as soon as I read this post.