3 seats across...

[Unregistered]

I was wondering if anyone had tried putting 3 seats in the rear seat of a full size Ford Bronco. We may be buying one from my uncle and I am worried that our seats wont fit. Its a 1990 and we have a Wiz, MA rf'ing, and an RA...
A friend might be able to get me a FP Futura OHS for my 5 yr old because all 3 belts in back are lapbelts only so if the three seats that I have dont fit hopefully the Futura would. Any opinions/experiences would be greatly appreciated

 

[Unregistered]

Another thing to think about is, once the kids outgrow carseats, how will you restrain them safely with only lap belts in the back? It may not be a practical vehicle for a family with three children.

 

[Unregistered]

3 seats across

By the time my oldest outgrows the seat we will have a new car...we just cant afford anything right now and my uncle i willing to help us out. My 5 yr old is 41in. and 37 lbs. If he ride in the Futura he'll surely be in it for a while.
thanks

 

[Victorious4]

I've never tried 3 in the Bronco, but I would suggest you visit a local Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician to help with the install ... & eventually you may want to look into E-Z-Ons We really like ours - the dealer installed the tether anchor free ... it comes with the kit & including shipping the 86-Y cost us only $45

 

[Unregistered]

3 seats across

really? I havent heard much about those, I'll keep that in mind, thank you

 

[KeikiHula]

I don't have a Bronco, but I do have a Blazer K-5 and there's no way 3 seats will fit across. The seat is set between the back wheels, so there's just not room. Maybe the Bronco is different though. I would try them out first.

 

[Unregistered]

3 seats across

I'm not too familiar with the Blazer..is it one of the older bigger ones? When I think of a blazer I think of the small 2 door ones that look almost like the older 2 door explorers.
If its the bigger one I think you're right, the seat may sit between the wheel wells...I hope not but I am waiting to take a look at the car, my uncle is trying to get it into the shop to see why it quit running all of a sudden.
Thanks

 

[UlrikeDG]

The Blazer is a bad example, because (some?) Blazer models don't allow a car seat to be installed in the center seating position.

 

[Unregistered]

3 seats across

Oh, well do you know if thats the same for the Bronco? Its going to be a real issue if it is. :-D

 

[KeikiHula]

The S-10 Blazer (the small ones) are the ones that you can't use the middle seatbelt. If I remember correctly, it's the retractable lap belt that's the problem (somebody yell at Papooses!!!). I have a K-5, the full size kind and it has the manual locking buckle thingy. The only seatbelts that I have ever heard of it being a problem in is the S-10 Blazer. My mom's Explorer has the same type of center seat belt, and Ford told me it's not an issue.
I haven't been in a Bronco in years, pre-carseat worries, so I'm not sure how 3 would fit across. I just mentioned it b/c I know the K-5's and full size Bronco's are very similar. They both have rather short wheel bases. The backseat (in my Blazer) fits between the back wheels, which makes it very narrow. If you put the backseat in front of the back wheels, it would be too close to the front seats, if you put it behind the back wheels, it would be way back in the cargo area. If you compare a Blazer to other full size SUVs, like a Tahoe, the wheel base is longer, so the wheels sit behind the backseat. I am assuming that a Bronco has this same problem, since it is a short wheel base vehicle.
I hope they can figure out what's wrong with it! We too can't afford a new car right now, hence the reason we are driving the Blazer. It's kind of a pain getting the kids in and out since it's a 2 door, and I can't wait until we can afford a new car.

 

[UlrikeDG]

Papooses was told that it was the seatbelt retractor which prohibited installing a car seat in the center position. However, that is unlikely.
1) Federal regulations apply to the lockability of seatbelts. Any vehicle made after 1996 must have self locking seatbelts of some sort (locking latch plate or lockable retractors). If the seatbelt wasn't designed to lock, a recall should be issued, and the problem should be fixed at the manufacturer's expense.
2) Other techs have contacted Chevy and been told that the issue was with the distance between the seatbelt anchors.

 

[Victorious4]

Yeah, when I traded my '99 S-10 4-door Blazer in I asked the dealer {again, however at the main site, not the "sister" site as before} why the manual says not to install a carseat rear-center & they said it's because the belt anchors are too close.... I don't really know why that's an issue if a seat would fit securely, but it is the manufacturer's warning listed in the manual - always follow the manual & read it closely, because I missed that tiny yet important warning the 1st couple of times I looked through the book @@ *SIGH* When I'd bought the Blazer I had a 6 year old, 3 year old & newborn - I specifically said I needed something that could safely fit all 3 kids in the back {with 2 dogs in the cargo area} ... the sales person actually helped me put the carseat in the middle! I discovered the warning after I left my ex & decided the safer seating arrangement would be for the 8 year old to sit up front with the seat all the way back & the ALR belt locked, 5 year old in booster behind him & my toddler behind me ... I decided the front was safer for the older kiddo than a lap-only belt =( Now I finally traded it in for a vehicle with better gas mileage & safey features in which 3 carseats/boosters can be installed in the back with 3 shoulder belts & the oldest kid has behavior issues so he still has to sit up front but at least he's now over 5' & 130+ pounds. So, he still sits with the seat all the way back & the ALR belt locked, my preschooler is again RF {I couldn't get the convertibles we tried in the blazer to fit securely RF outboard, UGH} & big sis is in a Husky - at least 2 of them are as safe as possible....

 

[KeikiHula]

Papooses-Can you get Leila's Wizard RF outboard? I have had such issues getting RF convertables in outboard that I had given up, and figured there was no way I would be able to get a Wizard RF. I would prefer having my boys separated b/c they fight when they are side by side. We have been planning on getting a Tahoe this fall, but I'm not sure we can afford it, so I have been looking at some of the smaller SUV's. My dh is certain the Wizard won't fit in an Escape.

About the locking retractors after '96....We rented an '05 Impala a couple weeks ago and the seatbelts in the back had the buckles that slide and they wouldn't lock when I pulled them all the way out. There was no manual in the car to check. Was I doing something wrong? Fortunatly I installed the Wizard with LATCH and the FPSE with the locking clips, but that was a whole different problem. I have always been able to get a rock solid install using the locking clips on the FPSE, but this time, it seemed like the belt was too slippery and if I really pulled the seat side to side, the belt just slipped through the clip. I finally got it pretty tight and just left it. I wasn't totally happy with it, but it was ok. I wouldn't have left it if it was a car I drove everyday.

 

[Victorious4]

Wizard & Boulevard both fit very securely outboard in the Escape {great rear-center, too} so I'm sure the Marathon & Decathalon would as well. Installing the Wizard/Boulevard with LATCH is something I'd never tried before so I found it more difficult & couldn't get as secure an install as with the belt, though =/ But, while the front seat can't move ALL the way back with the seat RF outboard, it has enough room to fit my 5'10" dad & behind the driver I had more room than necessary at 5'4". In the center position, both front seats can move back as far as the floor track allows

My SS rarely rides with us anymore - it's usually just us girls ... so I have the Boulevard outboard where I can reach & the Husky behind me - when big bro does come with us, I put the Boulevard in the middle & big sis uses a Parkway behind me ... this way, if he's having a good day he sits in the back to play safely & where I can still keep my eye on him, but when he's in a bad {dangerous} mood he has to sit up front with me

 

[KeikiHula]

Neither of our cars have LATCH, so the Impala was the first time I had used it with the Wizard. I really struggled with it, and after I was all sweaty and had a head ache from being hunched over for so long, I climbed out of the backseat and decided I should have just used the seatbelt!LOL I like the novelty of LATCH, and if it helps people get a better install b/c it's more user friendly, great, but I have always gotten the seats WAY tighter using the seatbelt and lockoffs. I think if all carseat manufacturers should put built in lock offs on their seats, it would be a lot better than LATCH, and everyone could use it. I won't even buy a seat anymore without it, so I will only buy Britax seats.
That's good to know that there is that much room in an Escape. I know the Wizard won't fit in a Dodge Ram Quad cab (I can't even get a Triumph rf outboard!). I'm going to try it in an older Tahoe ('97) and I think it will fit ok. I was feeling really limited on possible cars b/c Cody will be RF'ing for at least another year or so. My dh said we should just turn him FF when we get a new car, and I was really not comfortable with that. I think I've finally got him to see the light on keeping Cody rf'ing until he reaches the limit on the seat.

 

[Victorious4]

My brother has a 1999 Tahoe & his Roundabout fits RF with enough room to make me think the Wizard/Boulevard would fit.....

 

[KeikiHula]

The Tahoe is my MIL's old car that they kept when she got her new Dodge, so they would have a beat around in car. Must be nice...LOL Actually, I think we have driven it more than they have the last couple years. For 2 years (before our second was born) all we had was an old Chevy pickup. If we went any farther than 30 mins or so, we would borrow the Tahoe. So far every car seat I've tried has fit, but I haven't tried the Wizard yet. I will be driving the Tahoe when I go to Seattle in a couple weeks. I will also be trying out our new BG. I'm pretty sure Morgan will handle it ok, but I may be tearing my hair out within a couple days and go buy a Husky!!LOL