Car seats

We have these two right now.

https://www.amazon.com/Graco-Contender-Convertible-Seat-Glacier/dp/B00PTL2BE8

$220 Chicco KeyFit 30 Infant Car Seat

https://www.amazon.com/Chicco-KeyFit-Infant-Seat-Lilla/dp/B00MS9VTG0

The Graco one is good, if a little bulky. I’d probably get something with a bit of a smaller profile, but it works alright and I’m 6’4”

 

Thank you for the info

 

Have a Britax on one side and Graco on other. Both forward facing and a bit bulky. I’m 6’3” and not uncomfortable. I just transitioned from full size trucks, so I miss the extra storage for all my stuff but we manage just fine.

 

You're that tall and can fit one of those in the seat behind you?

 

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Graco-Na...MIsLn0qpOu5wIVTJyzCh16VgrqEAQYBSABEgJVuPD_BwE

This one actually is behind me. I don't mind being seated forward a little, and I don't lean it back much (sign of aging I guess).

The britax is on the passenger side and I keep that seat a little forward when the wife is not riding along.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Britax-Allegiance-3-Stage-Convertible-Car-Seat-Luna/283677750

 

I can fit the convertible behind my seat. It’s a bit of a tight fit and I have to move my seat up a little but it can be done. Currently I’ve got the convertible behind the passenger seat and the infant seat in the middle and it’s working out well.

 

Well, if I ever have a third tagging along, I'm not sure how we'd handle a rear facing as well. We'd have to get more narrow car seats (or boosters), and the rear facing would have to be in the middle. I'll say this, it's a lot easier to reach back and grab a cup or clean up a mess in the Tacoma than the F150!

 

For us, it’s only the rear facing infant seat that causes space issues. We have it installed behind the passenger seat, which leaves the passenger slightly uncomfortable with little leg room. The front facing car seats for old children are fine.

 

Are you using that as a front facing setup behind you? I'm in the same boat where my son is rear facing behind the passenger seat but number two would create some shuffling especially if they are both in rear facing at the same time and I'm 6'3"

 

Both of mine are forward facing now, and have been since I purchased the truck. Middle seat or passenger side (with no one in the front seat) is the only way I could see a rear facing seat work in a tacoma.

 

The Diono seats work fairly well but you're right its a tight fit.

 

i think it really depends on the person and where they sit comfortably, i have a manual and long legs, but im only 5'9 so my seat is back almost all the way to be "comfortable". Now when we have passengers in the back, i have to scoot up a bit which then changes my clutch release a bit which throws me off for a few minutes but otherwise i think it really depends on the person. With that said, our infant carrier barely fit behind my seat because of my seat location but fits just fine in the middle ( i can even move both front seats all the way back and it'll still fit fine.

 

Yup thats the other part of it for me too. Need to be in a position to depress the clutch and shift effectively which compromises a lot of seating position options.

 

We went for the maximum safe configuration, for having just one child. Rear facing in the center. The base is secured into the toyota metal hooks while the front is further secured to the two front seat slider mounts (on the floor) via two 500lb strap ties on each side (all four corners of the base are tired into metal mounts). The actual baby seat, which clips into the base, is not too wide, so when the front seats are reclined back they "wedge" into the sides of baby seat.


The alternative is just putting them right back there in that bed. This has the advantage of not needing to clean up toys and goldfish snacks wedged between every possible nook and cranny

 

The latch system isn't designed to be used for the center seat position.

 

Yeah, I’m thinking the softopper would hold them in. Hosing it out would be a huge plus.

 

the left most latch on the “right “ seat and the right latch on the “left” rear seat easily accommodates the center base. In addition to it being fixed at the back corners the front corners of the base are secured to the metal front seat mounts/slider via 500lb strap ties. All 4 corners are fixed to metal mounts. Traditionally only the rear 2 corners would be secured to the truck. for a front impact this is totally fine as the 2 straps would be in tension and prevent the base from flying forward. this 4 straps at 4 corners you are ensuring the base does not move in almost any impact scenario (side, rear ended ect..)

in the center position the child has over +16” of buffer space in the even of a side impact or intrusion into the trucks side (t bone ...). This seems much safer than on either end (I.e behind the pass or driver seat). The rear center seat of any car/truck is the most protected and statistically safest location.

Your local fire station can inspect the seat in order to confirm safe fitment if need as well...


edit:
Not saying installing the child seat directly behind the drivers/pass seat is unsafe. It's probably the most straightforward way to install a seat for most folks, which ensures that the vast majority of the general population won't incorrectly mess anything up.

 

I understand what you're saying in trying to "borrow' the latch anchors from either side. I would double check what your seat says because the owners manual show countless configurations for how to install seats and thats not one of them. Although not sure which gen you drive other than going off your user name.

It seems that what is being focused on is where the seat is located, over how the seat responds in an accident like it's designed to. Also, there are very few vehicles that have been approved by the NHTSA for center latch use:

Approved vehicles with center latch position: Acura MDX, Honda Ridgeline, Honda Pilot, Chevrolet Malibu, Chevy Tahoe, Chevy Impala, Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, Honda Odyssey
Approved vehicles with improvised center latch with standard spacing: Ford Taurus


Source: https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.dot.gov/files/812090-feasibilityofcenterlatchrptt.pdf

If someone puts their kid in the middle they should do so by seatbelt, not LATCH attachment methods.

Toyota Tacoma Marginal Rating: https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/vehicle-manufacturers-make-strides-on-latch-ease-of-use
Toyota Tacoma Installing child restraints: http://www.ttguide.net/installing_child_restraints-48.html
Toyota Tacoma Owners manual: https://www.toyota.com/t3Portal/document/om-s/OM04021U/pdf/OM04021U.pdf
Rear Center Seat: https://www.consumerreports.org/car-seats/car-seats-and-rear-center-seat-installations/
Borrowing Latch Anchors: https://carseatblog.com/31033/borrowing-latch-anchors/

 

I get what you are saying, and you are 100% correct, the 3rd Gen Tacoma doesn't show the middle rear seat position being for a child seat mount. But like I said I also attached two(2) 500 lb strap ties to the front two edges of the base (in addition to the factory rear metal latchest). 4 points of contact. Also that paper mentions minimum attachment spread between the latches as well as hinges/buckles causing issues. The Tacom doesn't have any problem with that. The concept of the latch is quite simple, two metal rings (with a max/min spread) used to anchor the base at the rear position. So using the middle seat with either end of the latch should not pose any risk (especially in conjunction with the front strap ties).
When the child seat is installed behind the driver/pass this exposes it to a less safe side impact position:


The rear center seat is the most sheltered and statistically safest location in a car. It has the most distance away from the doors and pillars. More distance to dissipate energy/force. Also the min/max spread of the latches in the center is with the limmits (also the tacoma doesn't have any hinges or hardware which would obstruct).
Again I'm not saying installing the seat as recommended by toyota or the gov is neglangent. It is perfectly fine and safe.
All I am saying is the alternative (center seat, with the base carefully secured) might be safer in side impact situation.

 

Hopefully some of you find this informative and helpful in planning:

https://youtu.be/uvBmsfdWNJ0