Best seat for Ford F150 Extended Cab... twins..

[MomOfTwins]

I need help with finding car seats/booster seats that will be safe AND fit in the extended cab portion of a 1995 Ford F150.

Background info:

• 17 month old twins - 26 and 28 lbs - around 30" tall
• Britax Decathlon for other vehicle - they ride rear facing
• backseat of Ford is pretty much 90 degree angle with a shorter than regular seat - two shoulder seat belts and 1 lap belt
• husband is 6'4" so his seat has to be back all the way - I'm short so I can sit in the back or in the front with the seat all the way

We are going on a trip that will take us from PA to MD for a dog show, about a 5 hour drive. We need to take this vehicle because of luggage and equipment needed for show.

Currently, we know that one of the Decathlons can fit in the middle back seat with no problems... the base fits perfect on the seat with the center front seat folded down... but the second seat does not fit in the back forward facing... the base does not fully rest on the seat. If we turn the seat to rear facing then the front seat will have to be at the forward most position, which is fine BUT we would have great difficulty strapping in one of the girls because it would be near impossible to latch the 5-point harness from the other side of the truck... not to mention weasling them across the middle seat...

Anyway... suggestions for seats that will accommodate our needs?

If we can find two seats that when they are forward facing AND that will fit the 90 degree seat area AND have it's base fit the seat that would be GREAT... if not we know the seats will fit one rear facing behind the passenger seat and the other rear facing in the passenger seat BUT the passenger seat MUST be at it's forward most position.

Oh yea... our trip is coming up in about a week! Yikes!

thanks for any suggestions, opinions or concerns.
carol

 

[SusanMae]

As long as 80% of the base is on the seat, then it's considered safe to use. If you're not sure, could you take a pic and post here?

Susan

 

[MomOfTwins]

My husband has his truck so I can't take a picture... but I'm certain that forward facing the car seat in the back in not even close to 50% with the base on the seat.

I would truely prefer just to get two new car seats/booster for the girls but if we have to ride with me in the back and the girls rear facing on the passenger seat and behind the passenger seat I will.. But I think it would be much safer for them if they were in the back.

I'll try to get a picture when he comes home this afternoon.

thanks,
carol

 

[twinmom2006]

My husband has a 2001 f-150 extended cab and we have 19 month twin girls. We have two evenflo titan 5's for his truck. They fit perfectly in there. The titan 5 does not recline at all which I think makes them fit so well. We have one behind the passenger seat and one in the middle. Hope this helps!

 

[MomOfTwins]

Thanks!

You have the shorter seats in the back too huh? I'll have to get the truck over to someplace that has those seats to see how they look... or just find the seat purchase and then see.

Thanks!

You know it's always nice to find another with twins...

Carol

 

[Relish]

How about trying out the Cosco Scenera (5pt harness version)?

We use one in our Jeep Cherokee where the back seat/bench is very short. I know part of our Britax RA hangs off the seat but the Scenera, when installed RF-ing and upright (not at the infant recline position), sits much better on the seat. Ds likes the upright position and seems quite comfortable in the seat even for longer drives. He's a car hater so we'd know if something was wrong!

As a bonus they are $40-50 and available in many stores.

 

[MomOfTwins]

Problem is that we have to get two carseats in the back and with my husband being so tall he needs his seat ALL the way back so the two seats would have to be in the middle and behind the passenger seat... which means that one child would have to climb over the middle carseat and buckle themself in which they don't know how to do..

So forward facing would be the best so that buckling would go easier.

*wondering if that makes sense*

thanks for the idea though...

carol

 

[MomOfTwins]

My husband has a 2001 f-150 extended cab and we have 19 month twin girls. We have two evenflo titan 5's for his truck. They fit perfectly in there. The titan 5 does not recline at all which I think makes them fit so well. We have one behind the passenger seat and one in the middle. Hope this helps!

Is this the carseat that you have?
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4366127

thanks,
carol

 

[crunchierthanthou]

What if you put the two Decathalons rf side by side (passenger outboard and center)? You could sit behind your dh and be able to reach the children and hand them what they need. You could buckle the outboard twin from the passenger side and then the center twin from your seat behind the driver. I wouldn't buy new seats just for this trip. I'd prefer to use the DCs in a truck because they can tether rf and prevent rebounding into the rear window.

 

[MomOfTwins]

I would be too afraid to have one of the girls sitting that close to daddy and the steering wheel.

This trip is an annual trip so we will be in this same spot at least until I feel comfortable enough to have them in true booster seats... so I would rather get seats that we can use in his truck and grams car and keep the Britax seats in my Explorer.

Now I just need to go see how the suggested Titan's fit. If they don't work the girls will have to ride in tandum on the passenger side.. and I will have to ride in the back with one of them... which is not a problem but I would like to be in the front if possible.

thanks,
carol

 

[crunchierthanthou]

I would be too afraid to have one of the girls sitting that close to daddy and the steering wheel.

This trip is an annual trip so we will be in this same spot at least until I feel comfortable enough to have them in true booster seats... so I would rather get seats that we can use in his truck and grams car and keep the Britax seats in my Explorer.

Now I just need to go see how the suggested Titan's fit. If they don't work the girls will have to ride in tandum on the passenger side.. and I will have to ride in the back with one of them... which is not a problem but I would like to be in the front if possible.

thanks,
carol

I meant side by side in the backseat. I'm sorry, I should have clarified that I wouldn't put a rf carseat in the front seat. Does your front seat have airbags? You absolutely cannot put a rf carseat in front of an active airbag (I wouldn't trust a sensor). Even ff, I'd be hesitant to a 17 mo child in the front seat at all- especially with an airbag.

Titans have relatively low top harness slots- even the new Titans with a 50 lb weight limit.

 

[twinmom2006]

Hi! I have the Evenflo Titan 5 not the deluxe version. I purchased mine from target.com (but I checked and they did not come up on a search), but albee baby also has them. I'm not sure if the deluxe version would work or not. Sorry! Here is the link to the seats that I have.


http://www.albeebaby.com/evti5inwo36.html

 

[MomOfTwins]

I meant side by side in the backseat. I'm sorry, I should have clarified that I wouldn't put a rf carseat in the front seat. Does your front seat have airbags? You absolutely cannot put a rf carseat in front of an active airbag (I wouldn't trust a sensor). Even ff, I'd be hesitant to a 17 mo child in the front seat at all- especially with an airbag.

Titans have relatively low top harness slots- even the new Titans with a 50 lb weight limit.

Front passenger seat DOES NOT have airbags.. and unfortunately side by side in the back is most likely NOT an options because the logistics of putting the girls in their seats is near impossible. There are no side doors so everything would have to be done through the drivers side and it would mean that the passenger seat would have to be at the upper most and the seat belt would be very tight on me.

thanks for your ideas though.
Carol

 

[MomOfTwins]

Hi! I have the Evenflo Titan 5 not the deluxe version. I purchased mine from target.com (but I checked and they did not come up on a search), but albee baby also has them. I'm not sure if the deluxe version would work or not. Sorry! Here is the link to the seats that I have.


http://www.albeebaby.com/evti5inwo36.html

Thanks again. We don't have a Target around here so if we get this it will have to be online unless I can find it locally. I'll have to call around tomorrow.

I don't think the deluxe version would work but I'm not sure I'd have to see it.

When installed in your truck... does the front black plastic hang off the end? I was looking at car seats that I could find at WalMart this evening that were Evenflo and there is that plastic lip in the front... or do you have yours installed rear facing?

thanks,
carol

 

[wondering1]

Maybe I'm not picturing this right...but could you not kneel in the front seat (middle or passenger) to buckle the back seat outboard and middle rear facing seats?

 

[MomOfTwins]

We have Decathlons and the seat back is pretty high. I don't think I could squeeze between the car seat - seat back - and the roof of the truck. I can try it tomorrow after my husband gets back from work. I know in my Explorer that the seat backs are as high has the car's seat backs, maybe about an inch below.

I know that with the car seat that will be in the center the seat back comes into the front part of the truck a bit but with the car seat behind the passenger's seat the car is in the way.

Wondering that makes sense to wondering...

Carol

 

[MomOfTwins]

This is kinda what it would be like with the two car seats in the back rear facing....

The darker grey is the middle front seat folded down.

I'll try to get a picture tomorrow with the car seats in the truck.

carol

 

[MomOfTwins]

My husband has a 2001 f-150 extended cab and we have 19 month twin girls. We have two evenflo titan 5's for his truck. They fit perfectly in there. The titan 5 does not recline at all which I think makes them fit so well. We have one behind the passenger seat and one in the middle. Hope this helps!

Hi again,

Is your F150 a 2 door or 4 door? I ask because I think if it's a 4 door the seats are different... our truck is a 2 door so the seats in the back are 90 degree for the seat and seat back they don't have ANY slope like I think a 4 door model has.

thanks,
carol

 

[twinmom2006]

Hi, Carol,

I just PMed you! Our truck is not a full 4 door, it the one with the 4 door but the back one's aren't regular doors, they open backwards. Does that make sense? But his back seat is at 90 degrees with no slope. I'm meeting dh is an hour and I'll take a picture and post it when I get back.

The seats are forward facing with one behind the passenger seat and one in the middle and the entire base is on the seat.

Hope this helps and I'll post the picture later!

Jackie

 

[MomOfTwins]

Thank You Thank You Thank You!!!