FF Carseat for Backseat of F-250

Unregistered · 07-26-2011, 01:37 PM

Hi,

My son (21 months) currently uses a Sunshine Radian. I am expecting a second baby and have discovered that the sunshine radian does not fit forward facing in the back of my husband's Ford F-250. It is an extended cab with a bench seat and no doors. What car seat do you use forward facing that fits in your F-250?

**Car-Seat.Org** · 07-26-2011 01:37 PM

**wendytthomas** · 07-26-2011, 01:44 PM

Welcome.

How does it not fit?

Also, do you know that he's well under the recommended age of 3-4 years to be forward facing, and under the AAP's bare minimum of two years for forward facing? At his age it's up to 500% safer to be rear facing. Since your Radian rear faces to likely 40 or 45 pounds, I'd turn him rear facing first, or buy another rear facing seat if it doesn't work. Anything to get him rear facing.

http://carseatblog.com/5168/why-rear...rf-link-guide/

Wendy

**lorismurph** · 07-26-2011, 01:46 PM

Welcome! How big is your son (height & weight). How does the Radian not fit? Is it not tight, too tall? Also, no one here will recommend a child of that age be FF. Children should ride RF until a minimum of age 2, they are MUCH Safer if they continue to RF to the limits of the seat (your radian is likely 45 pounds). We all recommend that all children ride Rear-facing until at least age 3, longer if the seat allows. My own child did not turn FF until after age 4 and still rides RF sometimes (she's a tiny little thing).

**hrice** · 07-26-2011, 01:47 PM

You should be able to fit 2 rear facing seats easily in the back of the F250. And fortunately the Radian is the narrowest car seat you can buy.

Your 21 month old should stay rear facing as long as possible. 2 is the bare minimum to forward face but we prefer to see children stay rear facing till 3 or longer.

What seat do you have for the baby? Do you have any other children?

Unregistered · 07-26-2011, 02:34 PM

Yes, I am aware of the recommendations. Thanks though!

My son is 34 inches tall and 30 pounds and he is currently rear-facing. However, I am expecting a second child early next year and we discovered that the Sunshine radian will not forward face in the back seat of the F-250. While I am the primary driver of the child/future child, there will be times when both children will have to ride in the back of the truck and the Sunshine Radian will RF, but only in the middle, so the infant carrier will be in the middle and the FF seat will be on the passenger side.

The seat will not fit FF because the top of the seat hits the back window.

I sincerely hope that if there is someone on the board that has a FF car seat in the back of their truck F-250 they can share which on it is!

**wendytthomas** · 07-26-2011, 03:02 PM

Why not leave the Radian rear facing in the middle, and then put the baby on the side? At 30 pounds it's unlikely your son will have outgrown the Radian rear facing by the time the baby is here.

Wendy

Unregistered · 07-26-2011, 03:10 PM

LO hasn't been in the infant carrier for close to the year, but I am pretty sure that did not fit behind the passenger seat either, unless the passenger was chest to the glove box.

I'm also open to other car seats that will fit RF in the truck, but I think that might be difficult to find. The problem with the back seat is that it is a bench seat and has quite a straight back. An adult can easily fit back there, it just isn't particularly comfortable.

**zactayaus** · 07-26-2011, 03:11 PM

Originally Posted by wendytthomas

Why not leave the Radian rear facing in the middle, and then put the baby on the side? At 30 pounds it's unlikely your son will have outgrown the Radian rear facing by the time the baby is here.

Wendy

She said it's an extended cab without back doors so I'm sure from my experience with those trucks how little front to back room there is. I'm almost certain you can only fit a RF seat in the center position and the top of the seat ends up quite a bit past the front seats.

**Dorothy** · 07-26-2011, 03:26 PM

Originally Posted by zactayaus

She said it's an extended cab without back doors so I'm sure from my experience with those trucks how little front to back room there is. I'm almost certain you can only fit a RF seat in the center position and the top of the seat ends up quite a bit past the front seats.

Unfortunately, I'd have to agree. The only other scenario I can think of to keep both kiddos rfing would be to try a Roundabout 55, 40# Scenera or Onside Air behind the passenger seat for the 1 yo until it is maxed out. (Baby can be in the carrier or Radian.) Then, the baby could move into the RA55/Scenera/OSA outboard, and the older sibling could go center in a ffing seat. When that time comes, hopefully not for another year, the Maestro should fit well in the vehicle.

Sent from my Eris using Car-Seat.Org. Ignore the Autocorrect...

**pippi2077** · 07-27-2011, 04:21 AM

What year is your truck? We have owned an f250, but it had 4 doors. (2full/2half)

I would try the scerena for the newborn, but it will be tricky without the backdoors opening. Tricky getting everyone in.

Since you are expecting next year, your older one will probably be closer to 3y, right? What about the maestro?

Unregistered · 07-27-2011, 07:44 AM

Thank you very much for the suggestions. I will check out those makes/models.

**iliketosparkle** · 07-27-2011, 10:47 AM

I'm in a similar situation as the OP, but I will have to put THREE carseats in the back of an extended cab pickup truck (DH is refusing to sell and buy a true 4-door truck). What has been working for us is my son (3.5) FF behind the passenger in a Graco MyRide and my daughter (almost 2) RF behind the driver in a Graco Comfortsport. My DD's carseat is VERY upright and I hate it and will probably switch her FF soon, as she's at 29 pounds and the Comfortsport has a 30lb RF limit. The problem with sitting in front of my son, is that my seat has to be quite upright and pushed forward a bit, otherwise he has NO leg room and complains, which is NO fun on camping trips.

I've been toying with the idea of getting 2 Maestro's and putting #3 when they arrive in the middle in the Comfortsport, but my son and daughter are both tall and long torso'ed and the Maestro probably wouldn't get my son harnessed to 5.

**pippi2077** · 07-27-2011, 12:57 PM

Originally Posted by iliketosparkle

I'm in a similar situation as the OP, but I will have to put THREE carseats in the back of an extended cab pickup truck (DH is refusing to sell and buy a true 4-door truck). What has been working for us is my son (3.5) FF behind the passenger in a Graco MyRide and my daughter (almost 2) RF behind the driver in a Graco Comfortsport. My DD's carseat is VERY upright and I hate it and will probably switch her FF soon, as she's at 29 pounds and the Comfortsport has a 30lb RF limit. The problem with sitting in front of my son, is that my seat has to be quite upright and pushed forward a bit, otherwise he has NO leg room and complains, which is NO fun on camping trips.

I've been toying with the idea of getting 2 Maestro's and putting #3 when they arrive in the middle in the Comfortsport, but my son and daughter are both tall and long torso'ed and the Maestro probably wouldn't get my son harnessed to 5.

The maestro and nautilus both have 18" top slots. The frontier is taller at over 20". I would think the maestro or another combo seat would work better for you then a convertible. We have always had an extended cab with the extra doors. DH did look at a F150 extended cab 199? and it didn't work for us.

Unregistered · 10-06-2019, 10:01 AM

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Yes, I am aware of the recommendations. Thanks though!

My son is 34 inches tall and 30 pounds and he is currently rear-facing. However, I am expecting a second child early next year and we discovered that the Sunshine radian will not forward face in the back seat of the F-250. While I am the primary driver of the child/future child, there will be times when both children will have to ride in the back of the truck and the Sunshine Radian will RF, but only in the middle, so the infant carrier will be in the middle and the FF seat will be on the passenger side.

The seat will not fit FF because the top of the seat hits the back window.

I sincerely hope that if there is someone on the board that has a FF car seat in the back of their truck F-250 they can share which on it is!

I have a 2011 f250 and both children ages 4yr and 2yr are ff in graco extendtofit. You may have to remove the trucks headrest but they fit great.