Car seat suggestions for a double cab

Does anyone have a suggestion for a car seat that will not take up so much room in my double cab that I can't sit in the passenger seat? My wife can but the Tacoma is our family rig and I end up having to drive everywhere. My boy is 6 months old and being the only one to drive is starting to get old.

This may make me trade in for a 4Runner as our current seat fits with a substantial amount of room to spare.

 

Most have pretty similar dimensions. Are you using a base? Have you tried putting him in the middle seat? I've never had a problem but we are all pretty short so leg room is seldom a concern.

 

I'm not being "that guy" but technically you shouldn't put a seat in the middle. My tiny brain tells me being in the middle is the safest, most space saving spot for a car seat, but it's actually not designed for that.

Rear facing seats take up a lot of room. Depending on your local laws and personal views it won't be much longer before you can swap to front facing so it might be better to wait?

 

I had a base for my 12 month old and a large rear facing seat for my 28 month old in my 12 double cab...it sucked to be quite honest with you. Short trips were okay but long trips were miserable. This was one of my only complaints when I traded it in for my 4Runner. After having a 4Runner I will never look back ESPECIALLY as a family vehicle. You get much more usable room and the ride is hands down better then the Tacoma which equates to happy children. IMHO I would advise getting a 4Runner based on what you are using it for. I do feel the Tacoma was a better at towing and obviously hauling but I have not one regret because of the things I gained.

 

That is exactly what's bothering me. We only have one kid right now, but the future could mean another and the Tacoma will sadly be too cramped. I'm pretty sure the seat I have is pretty average. I was using a base but now I'm not.

 

this is one of main reasons aside from my Taco being a bad lemon I wound up with a 16 T4R and a 16 F150. Screw being uncomfortable on road trips.

 

6'2" and had 2 seats from Costco in the back for 5 years. We always put the reversed seat behind the passenger seat, but there was still lots of room for me in the passenger seat on the rare occasions she drove the truck. There is still one behind the driver's side and a booster on the passenger. Heck, we have a seat and a booster in a 2 door Mini Cooper, so either you are a giant or we just like the seats forward more.

 

I'm running two Graco Slim Fit All in One seats in my truck (6 month old and 2 year old...I like the infant seats that have the base for newborns).

Based on crash report data, the center seat is the safest place for a car seat. This is where we ran a seat for 18 or so months. Now there's a forward facing seat behind the passenger and rear facing behind the driver.

 

That's probably based on being in a vehicle that was actually designed for a center seat and had the anchors in the proper positions for a center seat.

 

Lap belts work on all car seats sold in the US. the patch anchors are simply for convenience. I don't recall if there is a tether behind the center seat for forward facing though.

 

The "LATCH" system is now required on all vehicles for a reason.

https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/810679

 

I've always used the lap belt to tie the car seat base for my sons infant seat in my Tacoma. We even had it inspected before we brought him home for the first time a year ago by the police department and they certified it.

Now his current convertible seat in my wifes vehicle does use the latch system. I also use the latch system when I put that seat in my truck.

 

It is required because it is easier to use. A carseat or base property installed using a lap belt is no less safe than a property installed seat using the LATCH system.

 

Because the general public isn't smart enough to properly secure their children(statistically proven)

Have you had a rear facing seat in the middle of your DC Tacoma? It's not the sturdiest base for a car seat and allows the seat to rock and wobble.

 

Yeah, I've run a Chicco Key Fit 30 infant seat on a base and a larger Chicco NextFit zip. Didn't have an issue with either. The infant seat was checked and okayed by the FD. The key to getting a good fit is to get in their and get some weight on it when installing.

 

I'd also check the vehicle manufacturers recommendations on car seat placement in your particular vehicle:
Position the seat where you can get the tightest fit. "Start with the car seat in the center -- again, if the vehicle manufacturer allows it. But if you can't get a tight fit, move it to either side," says Julie Prom, a certified CPS instructor and child-safety advocate in Chicago. "A good fit on the side is better than a bad fit in the center." That means the seat should move less than an inch from side to side or front to back.

 

The Tacoma is not large enough to be a family vehicle. Trade for a full size.

 

I have 2 seats in mine, 1 rear facing behind passenger, forward facing behind driver. The passenger seat is definitely more cramped. But I drive everywhere we go, even in here car. I can't relax in the passenger seat of any vehicle. Car seats are a temporary thing, much like all things in the kid world it's a daily assessment and change.

 

You are 6'2'' and you are telling me there is plenty of room in the passenge seat with a rear facing car seat behind it.RIIIIGGGHHHTTT

 

Tacoma's and car seats ( especially rear facing) suck, end of story. To those that are saying they have plenty of room with car seats in .. to be blunt...are full of it. Thankfully my wife drives a Pilot, as that is our go to on longer trips, because if I had to drive my Taco with two and now three car seats I would instantly trade it in for a full size truck.