Any way to transport 4 little kids, babes in full cab truck?

[Numommy]

I recently have taken over the care of my sisters 4 children. Unsure of how temporary...months weeks???

I have 2 radians andb2 britaxes. My car is in shop, so I have a ford f250 diesel. No latch. Is there anyway to transport the 4 littles? 8m, 15m, 23m and 3 years. The older two ride rarely, but they are 7 and 8.

Thanks in advance.



I have a Malibu 2008.

 

[Pixels]

The three littlest go in the back, preferably rear facing all of them. The 3yo goes in the front passenger seat, forward facing and harnessed.

I'd put them Britax, Radian, Britax (assuming your Britaxes are both convertibles) in the back, and the other Radian in the front for the 3yo. Neither of the Radians will use the SafeStop, because you can't use it rear facing and you can't use it if it is untethered.

If the seats fit, you can do the same setup in your Malibu.

Obviously you can't transport all six kids at the same time.

 

[Numommy]

The three littlest go in the back, preferably rear facing all of them. The 3yo goes in the front passenger seat, forward facing and harnessed.

I'd put them Britax, Radian, Britax (assuming your Britaxes are both convertibles) in the back, and the other Radian in the front for the 3yo. Neither of the Radians will use the SafeStop, because you can't use it rear facing and you can't use it if it is untethered.

If the seats fit, you can do the same setup in your Malibu.

Obviously you can't transport all six kids at the same time.

So the 3 yo is ok w the air bag?

 

[carseatcoach]

Not really, but since you can NOT put a RF seat in front of an airbag, it's your only option.

 

[Dorothy]

I can't remember, but I'm guessing you don't have a switch to turn the passenger airbag off? Our ext cab does, but our crew cab doesn't. I wish they'd but passenger airbag switches in all vehicles.

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[Numommy]

I can't remember, but I'm guessing you don't have a switch to turn the passenger airbag off? Our ext cab does, but our crew cab doesn't. I wish they'd but passenger airbag switches in all vehicles.

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No. I wish!

 

[Numommy]

No. I wish!

Would she be safer in the middle? I heard the f series dri er bag didn't over lap.

 

[mylittlet]

We have owned more trucks then I can name/number. We have 4 kids and I have it sometimes with 5 kids. Here is what I would do.

3 youngest rf in the back, britax, radian, britax.

Front middle ff radian for 3y and an older kid outboard if need be.

I have emails from Ford that the drivers side airbag doesn't get to the middle seat. If you have a passenger airbag it will probably get to the middle seat.

In our current situation, our 9y and 10y ride in nothing. 5y has a hbb. They all 3 ride in the back. We have 3 lap/shoulder belts. Our front middle is our 4y in her frontier. It fits really well there.

 

[Dorothy]

No. I wish!

That would be too easy, right? LOL

We were thinking about trading the crew cab, and DH asked if we should get a flip up console instead of a permanent console so we'd have an extra seat. But you can't put a car seat in the front center of the new Silverados. (I was told that I was the first person they'd ever seen reading vehicle manuals. LOL) So, that front center seat - no headrest, lap-only belt - is utterly and completely useless! Of course, those were Chevy, not Ford. I should get in his company truck and flip through the manual. It's a new Dodge.

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[Numommy]

That would be too easy, right? LOL

We were thinking about trading the crew cab, and DH asked if we should get a flip up console instead of a permanent console so we'd have an extra seat. But you can't put a car seat in the front center of the new Silverados. (I was told that I was the first person they'd ever seen reading vehicle manuals. LOL) So, that front center seat - no headrest, lap-only belt - is utterly and completely useless! Of course, those were Chevy, not Ford. I should get in his company truck and flip through the manual. It's a new Dodge.

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Ok your right, can't put in middle...the manual says it can be turned off, but I cannot find it.

 

[Dorothy]

Ok your right, can't put in middle...the manual says it can be turned off, but I cannot find it.

I haven't been in a Ford in years, so I'll have to defer to pippi2077 and others on this. I only know Chevy right now. Chevy and Dodge are the only pickups I have direct access to.

FWIW, a Chevy ext cab I looked at had the switch in the glove compartment. Worth a try...

ETA- Sorry to have confused the situation with my babbling about dif manufacturers and their rules.

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[mylittlet]

You have a Ford, right? What year? Our Ford was a 1997, but it was 2007 when Ford emailed me it was okay to put a seat in the front middle. They said that I could RF a kid in the front middle if no passenger side airbag.

 

[Numommy]

2002. Ford. It is a loaner though. I will only have it about a wk or two...then back to the chevy Malibu.

 

[Dorothy]

Here's some interesting reading from another forum I stumbled across:

http://www.thedieselstop.com/forums/f15/passenger-side-airbag-shutoff-switch-crewcab-28274/

If you don't find it interesting, LOL, I'll paraphrase: It seems crew cabs are exempt from passenger airbag deactivation switches. Only single cabs and ext cabs have them.

So, your rental does not have a switch. The airbags are always on.

The techs here can help you figure out the safest way to transport the kiddos for the next week or so and in your regular vehicle. HTH

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[Pixels]

Here's some interesting reading from another forum I stumbled across:

http://www.thedieselstop.com/forums/f15/passenger-side-airbag-shutoff-switch-crewcab-28274/

If you don't find it interesting, LOL, I'll paraphrase: It seems crew cabs are exempt from passenger airbag deactivation switches. Only single cabs and ext cabs have them.

So, your rental does not have a switch. The airbags are always on.

The techs here can help you figure out the safest way to transport the kiddos for the next week or so and in your regular vehicle. HTH

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The information in the third post of that thread is inaccurate. The law never requires an airbag shutoff switch. It is allowed in vehicles with a back seat that is too small (as defined in the law). Further, in a couple of years they will no longer be allowed to provide shutoff switches in any vehicle, unless of course they change the current law. There are some vehicles (can't think which model off the top of my head) that already don't have a back seat and don't have a shutoff switch.

 

[Dorothy]

The information in the third post of that thread is inaccurate. The law never requires an airbag shutoff switch. It is allowed in vehicles with a back seat that is too small (as defined in the law). Further, in a couple of years they will no longer be allowed to provide shutoff switches in any vehicle, unless of course they change the current law. There are some vehicles (can't think which model off the top of my head) that already don't have a back seat and don't have a shutoff switch.

I didn't know anything about that website (it just came up in a search about shutoff switches). I guess all I took from it is that a crew cab has enough back seat space that it won't have a passenger airbag shutoff switch. Sorry. I should have been clear about that when I posted the link.

Thank you for the more thorough explanation, though. Here to learn!

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[luvsviola]

I'm just thinking of the logistics, but it is physically possible to take 4 kids those ages anywhere without a second adult who could potentially drive a second car? That's A LOT of kids! Even with a double stroller, I'd be too scared to have that many out in public by myself! So maybe taking all 4 won't actually be an issue...

 

[Numommy]

I'm just thinking of the logistics, but it is physically possible to take 4 kids those ages anywhere without a second adult who could potentially drive a second car? That's A LOT of kids! Even with a double stroller, I'd be too scared to have that many out in public by myself! So maybe taking all 4 won't actually be an issue...

Yes, it is possible...just not fun.

Doctors offices...etc.

There is not a second adult available the vast majority of the time.

Scratch that my mom is comi g in to help....but she flew...but maybe she can watch a couple while I go.

 

[mylittlet]

Yes, it is possible...just not fun.

Doctors offices...etc.

There is not a second adult available the vast majority of the time.

Scratch that my mom is comi g in to help....but she flew...but maybe she can watch a couple while I go.

I agree totally doable. We have a friend that has 6 kids and 3 are 2y and under. She goes by herself all the time especially when school is going. You do what you need to/want to do.

By the way, we have had tons of trucks. Dh has a hobby of buying and selling. Some of our full-size extended cabs have had a key shut-off, some have not. All fit a rf carseat in the backseat.

As for a ff upfront, if you are taking an older kid too. The ff must go in the front middle or you have to leave the older kid at home. The front middle is a lap belt and only safe to use for installing a ff 5-point. Lap belts are not safe for people.

 

[Numommy]

I agree totally doable. We have a friend that has 6 kids and 3 are 2y and under. She goes by herself all the time especially when school is going. You do what you need to/want to do.

By the way, we have had tons of trucks. Dh has a hobby of buying and selling. Some of our full-size extended cabs have had a key shut-off, some have not. All fit a rf carseat in the backseat.

As for a ff upfront, if you are taking an older kid too. The ff must go in the front middle or you have to leave the older kid at home. The front middle is a lap belt and only safe to use for installing a ff 5-point. Lap belts are not safe for people.

Good to know.