Car Seats with little footprint for small vehicle seats?

Nisha

New member
*Measurements Please!* Car Seats with little footprint for small vehicle seats?

Since I don't have the option of going to a baby store and trying out car seats, I'm going to need some help here!

We had planned on selling our pickup because we can't get any of our car seats in the back seat. It's a 1994 Ford F-150 extended cab. I've tried Marathon's both FF and RF and a Senera RF and FF. Neither of these seats work.
Now we're talking about not selling it and just trying to find second car seats to go in there.
The back bench seat is only about 15" deep (I lost my original measurements but I think this is right) and very "upright."
I really want to keep DS RF even when (rarely) he rides int he pickup but that might not be an option.

I need a car seat for DD that I can keep her harnessed to 65 pounds if possible (she's 35 pounds now) and one that I can hopefully RF DS in. (He's 24 lbs)

Here's my original thread on it, if the visual helps any! http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=37463

Opinions??? Thanks!
 
Last edited:
ADS

canadianmom2three

Active member
I've had the Radian in the back of there (DH has a 1999 F150 extenda - ours is the kind with the suicide type doors) both ff and rf. It fits in the middle RF, reqally easy install!!! and the top of it just tucks between the two front seats. I couldn't find anywhere to rf tether it tho, but didn't look that hard.....
FF it is a PITA to get a good install, really really hard because the seats don't recline, so that trick which ususally makes it easy, is useless. In our F150 you have to put all your effort into getting it DOWN into the seat, instead of BACK into the seatback. I still wasn't satisfied with my install 100% but it was acceptable.
 

Nisha

New member
I've had the Radian in the back of there (DH has a 1999 F150 extenda - ours is the kind with the suicide type doors) both ff and rf. It fits in the middle RF, reqally easy install!!! and the top of it just tucks between the two front seats. I couldn't find anywhere to rf tether it tho, but didn't look that hard.....
FF it is a PITA to get a good install, really really hard because the seats don't recline, so that trick which ususally makes it easy, is useless. In our F150 you have to put all your effort into getting it DOWN into the seat, instead of BACK into the seatback. I still wasn't satisfied with my install 100% but it was acceptable.

The problem is, they re designed the F-150 in 1997. I can easily get marathons FF and RF in the back seat of my brothers 1997 F-150.
It's a totally different seat in the older ones!
 

Nisha

New member
What about the EFTA?

I don't know, you tell me!:whistle: I don't have any access to different car seats or any way to measure and see!

The lower to the seat the car seat sits, the better it should fit, and the more upright (flush against the straight up back) the better it will fit (FF any way)
 

henrietta

Well-known member
"The lower to the seat the car seat sits, the better it should fit, and the more upright (flush against the straight up back) the better it will fit (FF any way)"

If that's the case, the EFTA might work, both rearfacing and forward facing. The base itself is wide (so is the seat--an inch more or so than the Scenera and MA), but it sits lower on the seat and it has two forward facing positions, plus a different back shape than the Scenera and MA. I think you could probably get it to work.

hths

henrietta
 

Nisha

New member
Can someone get me some measurements on an EFTA?
I would need the deepest part front to back, and now much that varies from the front to back of the base.
Does that make any sense?

Thanks!!!
 

canadianmom2three

Active member
"The lower to the seat the car seat sits, the better it should fit, and the more upright (flush against the straight up back) the better it will fit (FF any way)"


Well, the Radian should be great, if that's the case, and maybe your seatbelts will be a more co-operative fit than the 1999 F150's. The radian measures front to back 15" when the ff recline is down, and 16" when the recline is not engaged. HTH
 

BW1426

Well-known member
I cannot imagine a TrueFit fitting in the back seat of an F150. I had trouble getting my radian in there (it was substantially more upright than 45 degrees) and the True Fit has to be used at a 45 degree angle RF. I really like my Radians and got a good fit in the back of my Dad's F150. If you want to try one out you can order through Walmart. They have cheap shipping to your house or free shipping to the store and you don't have to pay for return shipping if it doesn't work:thumbsup:
 

Nisha

New member
Well, the Radian should be great, if that's the case, and maybe your seatbelts will be a more co-operative fit than the 1999 F150's. The radian measures front to back 15" when the ff recline is down, and 16" when the recline is not engaged. HTH

Is that measurement from furthest point reclining to the furthest point forward? Am I making any sense? I can see it in my head, but don't know how to say it!
Like how many inches from the top of the car seat back to the front edge of the car seat, but not touching point to point.
 

Nisha

New member
I cannot imagine a TrueFit fitting in the back seat of an F150. I had trouble getting my radian in there (it was substantially more upright than 45 degrees) and the True Fit has to be used at a 45 degree angle RF. I really like my Radians and got a good fit in the back of my Dad's F150. If you want to try one out you can order through Walmart. They have cheap shipping to your house or free shipping to the store and you don't have to pay for return shipping if it doesn't work:thumbsup:

I didn't even think about walmarts site to store! I didn't realize they sold radians either!
What year is your dad's f150?
 

BW1426

Well-known member
I belive his is a 1998, so it's probably different, but the Radian still has a small footprint, so I'd give it a try.
 

henrietta

Well-known member
Nisha,

I'll measure mine for you later on today, after dh gets home from work. That way, I can measure the space it fits in rearfacing in his car for you also! There's plenty of room for it rearfacing in my Chrysler Town and Country, but we don't use it rearfacing in my van b/c it doesn't fit well rearfacing b/c of the knobs (I have a Decathlon for in my van).

We normally have it rearfacing in dh's VW Passat, and I have several more inches to move my seat back w/it behind me than I do w/the Dec or the FPSVD installed in his car. It's just a different shape.

It fits great forward facing in everything we've tried.

hths

henrietta
 

Nisha

New member
Thanks!

I did find a EFTA at Walmart today. I tried to measure it but it was "bolted" to the shelf and I don't know how accurate my measurement was! I got about 21" deep, so I'll see what you get!

Incase I confused anyone, here's what I mean about measurements.... (I'll also need how tall for RF)

IMG_9240.jpg

IMG_9239.jpg
 

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