1998 Ford Expedition - a good pick for car seats/safety????

We've found a 1998 Expedition XLT that we are considering purchasing. We'll go to look at it tonight, but we're wondering if any of you have experience with this vehicle and would have opinions as to how workable it is with car seats? Any features I should check for as we inspect the vehicle?

We'll have 2 rf, and 2 ff, ages 4,3,1,newborn.

Thank you so much!

I have an '98 Expedition, EB edition.
In it I presently have 5 children, 3 in boosters, 1 FF in a MA and the baby RF in a RA.

I've not had any real issues with it. My FPSE will not install well in the 2nd row center lap belt only, which was upsetting as I was hoping to use that seat for as long as I could. But I just wasn't happy with that install. However, I can get the RA in that same spot, no problem. Rear or forward facing.

What car seats do you have?

I don't suspect you'll have a problem installing for your present needs.

Just as a note, I generally leave the passenger side 2nd row seat folded to allow access to the 3rd row...as I have 3 back there...2 boosters and the FF MA.
That would be an option for you as well...having your two forward facing ones in the 3rd row, then your two rear facers in the 2nd row, next to one another. I've not had 2 RF next to one another...that I can recall...but I can fit 2 seats there side by side otherwise..be they FF RA and MA or a booster and a FPSE or a booster and an MA or booster and RA..I can't think of what all else I've done.

My issue with mine is the lap only belts in the center of each row. But, that's just because of the year..they weren't doing l/s in every position yet. Mine has a light weight locking latch plate in the 3rd row and the retracting kind in the 2nd row. Why they are different, I haven't a clue. Weird. But I have managed fine with either.

Just make sure the retracting one DOES retract. I have to feed mine in. It *will* lock, but it doesn't easily/freely pull itself back in when I'm installing a seat. Then the locking latch plate..they're lighter weight and sometimes harder to tell if it *is* locked, so pay attention to the direction you need to pull things to get it to engage. Once you get that figued out, you're ok. I've never had a problem with it loosening or anything like that. Once I figured out/remembered how to get the thing to lock, I was good.

If you post what car seats you're using that could help others help you. Others may have experience with various seats in their Exp. I've only used Britax (RA, MA, BG, PW), the FPSE and a SnugRide.

Oh, SnugRide...seeing that you have a newborn which could be in one, I'll throw this out there...I had to use a locking clip on the outboard position to keep the shoulder belt from pulling the base up and tilting the whole seat.

Thank you so much for your help!

Here's our seats, we're always having to shuffle with who rides in what seat since we didn't know enough to purchase tall seats to begin with...

4yo ff in Evenflo Triumph V (NOT fond of this seat, heavy and tips once I get a tight install, so the kiddos always ride crooked) maybe 1-1.5" before shoulders are level w/ top slots.

3yo ff in Britax Roundabout (maybe 1" to top slot)

1yo rf in Britax Marathon (bottom slot is WAY below his shoulders, but next slot up is not below his shoulder 100% of the time, depends on how he sits, time to move??)

we have a brand new EPS Snugride for our newborn to ride in.

Tara, what is a "FPSE"?

Thanks!

diaperjoys said:

1yo rf in Britax Marathon (bottom slot is WAY below his shoulders, but next slot up is not below his shoulder 100% of the time, depends on how he sits, time to move??)

Click to expand...

Do the straps stay tight? I usually subscribe to the "when in doubt move them up" theory. I find that when I start debating about it, if I move them up, I get a much better fit (tighter straps that stay on shoulders better).

diaperjoys said:

Tara, what is a "FPSE"?

Click to expand...

Not Tara, but it's the Fisher Price Safe Embrace. Fisher Price used to make carseats but is no longer in the business (the current Fisher Price seats are made by Britax). There's a few of the older Fisher Price seats left (they were good for 8 years).

I agree with the previous poster about moving the straps up on the 1 yr old. I waffled on that one recently myself with my 18month old. Drove me nuts!! "Those look too far down, but he's not yet above the next ones" back and forth I went. Until, just last week in fact, I finally moved them up and I've been happy with that decision. The straps are not *above* his shoulders, but juuuuuuuust barely even, I think. Anyway, I'm ok with them being moved up, looks much better, fits great.

And yes, FPSE is the old Fisher Price Safe Embrace *heart* I have until the end of the year with mine. I was desperately hoping to keep it in use until then, I'm just not diggin' my install *sniff*

I haven't a clue on your Evenflo seat...but the others should install just fine, in whatever position, really. I've had all of mine all over my truck LOL
I've had a BG, PW (Britax boosters) the RA, MA and FPSE before..oh and swap the RA for the Snugride and swap the FPSE for the Snugride LOL It's all good.

We *have* had the FPSE installed well, I just can't seem to manage it again. But anywho...
All those seats have been in and out of our truck in various positions, forward and rear facing.
I think you'd be fine. If you run into any problems just post back and I'm sure we could help you trouble shoot.

What about top tethers? I'm assuming a "98 won't have them, though I'll check on that tonight when we look the vehicle over. Anyone know anything about retroinstallation of top tethers on this vehicle?

According to the LATCH manual, the '98 Expedition has one tether anchor for the front passenger seat* and more can be retrofitted in the second row, but not for the third row. Ford will pay their dealers to install top tether anchors in 1989 and later pre-factory equipped models under Ford Program R7C as detailed in this attached .pdf document http://www.car-seat.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=19326&d=1357607813, and top tether anchor kits can be obtained free of charge from any Ford dealer.

The part number for adding anchors to the second row center and both second row outboard seating positions is:
F75Z 78613D74-AA (same part for all 3 positions in the second row).
There is a drill dimple in the floor for the center, and drill dimples along front edge of load floor for the outboard anchors.

*The info. about the anchor for the front passenger seat in the LATCH manual says, "Tether Anchor- drilled hole in rear lower cross bar of seat cushion frame. See Notes." The Notes say: "Front Seat: Instructions says to remove vehicle seat, but this is not necessary. Anchor point can be accessed without seat removal." My interpretation is that the front passenger seat already has a factory equipped tether anchor point for the ideally very rare instance where you would use the front seat to install a forward facing carseat, or to top tether a rear facing child seat installed in the second row, provided that it's a carseat that allows tethering rear facing.

Happy test driving/test carseat installing.

Okay, so no ability to tether a seat in the third row? Is there truly no way to safely tether a seat without a factory or retro-installed tether anchor?

It just seems absurd that there is no other alternative.

So if you tether (contrary to the manual) to the leg of a seat, for example, then there is the theorietical risk of the tether coming loose in a crash, and clip on the end of the strap becoming a projectile. So can you do it without a clip? Knot it? Maybe the strap would break, maybe the knot would come undone. But wouldn't all that happen after the strap had done its work - reduce head excursion?

Looking for alternatives....

Not sure about that...

But I had a 98 Expedition which my daughter has now. I had my beloved FPSE both RF and FF in the center second row until about a year ago and don't remember any problems with it. My center row has the kind with a tail that you pull. Is that the lightweight locking plate?

It worked well for me (and now for my daughter with a Roundabout, both RF and FF). But my son and husband both have the same kind of seatbelt in the center back row of their F250 trucks and we have to flip the plate to keep them tight.