2nd row bench and Car seats

[Trembler]

Greetings all,

I recently became the father of twins and they are coming home from the hospital. I wanted to post a question to those who may have kids and need to use a car seat.

We purchased the Chico keyfit 30 and I went to install them in the explorer. In my XLT we have the second row bench and I found that I have to have the front seats very far forward to accommodate the car seat. Not sure if I will be able to drive with the car seats installed and I am only 5'10". This is pretty disappointing as it was one of the main reasons for the vehicle purchase.

My question is if anyone else has had a similar experience or is it particular to the model of car seat we bought?

In my mind, the engineers didn't think to bring a car seat into the consideration for 2nd row seat specs? Also if you didn't know, there are no LATCH attachments for the middle seat on the 2nd row bench.

 

[generaltso]

There are a lot of different types of car seats, and some are larger than others. The first year is always the hardest to fit since they have to be rear facing. Your best bet is probably to find another type of car seat that will fit in the Explorer better. Just make sure you take it out of the store to test it in the vehicle before you purchase.

 

[tiresmoke]

Originally I had tried to put the car seat into our Saab 9-3. The seat was so far forward that it obstructed my view out the passenger window if I was at an intersection. Then I moved it to the back of our '11 Sonata, which is a pretty large car. My wife still wasn't able to sit up front when the seat was in the back unless we were constantly moving the front seat around to put the baby seat in and take it out, and even then it was tight.

We traded in our Saab in for the Explorer... like you, it was primarily because we needed more space (we have a 5 month old and 3 dogs). It was kind of disappointing to find that my wife still has to sit behind me (next to the baby) in order to be comfortable. However, we looked at a lot of other vehicles (CX9, Highlander, Venza, etc.) and none of them were appreciably better.

The bottom line is that the rear-facing seat is just not conducive to front seat comfort. Unfortunately, you do not have the option to have a passenger sit in the second row because you have TWO babies (congrats, by the way). I suppose if there was a long trip with the babies plus a passenger, you could put them in the third row since there are LATCH connections back there IIRC. Then you could fold the second row. However, I personally would not like having them so far away where it would be hard to check on them.

As generaltso said, until you can flip the babies around, you're going to have to deal with compromising in some way. Our 5 month old is already 18.5 lbs so that will happen sooner for us than most others, but until then my wife will just sit in the second row. Good luck.

 

[harlenm]

Keyfit 30 is much larger than the standard keyfit, which is up to 22 lbs. Trust me, you will not use the infant carrier to 30lbs, hell, you'll probably stop before 20 lbs, it's just too heavy to lug around.

That being said, the Explorer is not set up at all to be a family car, it's one of my biggest complaints. If my lemon law process goes in my favor, I may end up in an Acadia, as the rear seats slide back and have a tremendous amount of room.

One last thing, to decrease the footprint, do not use the quick release base. You can use the car seat by itself without the base with the seat belt. Not the quickest to remove and reinstall, but takes up a little less room.

BTW, I have a keyfit 22, my son will be 6 months old in 10 days. I plan on keeping him in it for another month or 2 before upgrading to a regular car seat.

 

[VinceL]

The third row only has LATCH anchors on the passenger side seat. The driver side seat does not.

The inability to move the bench, because we have a little one in a car seat, was one of the primary motivators in us getting the 2nd row bucket seats. Since we rarely have someone in the 3rd row (usually stays folded and stowed), we just push the 2nd row seats all the way back and it gives us plenty of room. If the 2nd row bench slid, like in an Equinox, we might have considered getting the bench.

 

[generaltso]

I may end up in an Acadia, as the rear seats slide back and have a tremendous amount of room.

My rear seats slide back for quite a bit of leg room. But I guess that's just with the bucket seats. It's really too bad they didn't put the same sliding functionality on the bench seat.

 

[VinceL]

My rear seats slide back for quite a bit of leg room. But I guess that's just with the bucket seats. It's really too bad they didn't put the same sliding functionality on the bench seat.

I recall that there was talk of adding sliding functionality to the bench in the "future", whatever that means, lol

 

[harlenm]

I recall that there was talk of adding sliding functionality to the bench in the "future", whatever that means, lol

Probably around the same time they get MFT to work properly.

 

[harlenm]

So I just went and looked at an Acadia. Tremendous amount of room in the back seat. As long as the numbers work out, I will be trading in the Explorer for an Acadia Denali in the next few days.

 

[VinceL]

So I just went and looked at an Acadia. Tremendous amount of room in the back seat. As long as the numbers work out, I will be trading in the Explorer for an Acadia Denali in the next few days.

Good luck to ya I hope you find a vehicle that gives you that warm fuzzy feeling every time you are behind the wheel!

 

[bluelion]

To the OP...just use the car seats without the base/latch system. And although the bench doesn't have a center "latch"...i still use the car seat in the center...i use the inner latches of the two "latch" systems on driver and passenger side. I have the base on there pretty effing tight. and in the focus, we just use the car seat/seat belt alone and put it in the middle of back seat

 

[generaltso]

..i still use the car seat in the center...i use the inner latches of the two "latch" systems on driver and passenger side.

If they are not anchored together, you are using them improperly, which compromises safety. You'd be better off just using the seatbelt for the center position.

 

[generaltso]

If they are not anchored together, you are using them improperly, which compromises safety. You'd be better off just using the seatbelt for the center position.

I take that back. It appears that all 4 of the 2nd row LATCH hooks actually are anchored together on the Explorer's bench seat. The owners manual says that you can use the two center anchors as long as the car seat manufacturer allows using LATCH anchors that have spacing that is wider than the standard 11 inches.

 

[Trembler]

Thank you for the response

I take that back. It appears that all 4 of the 2nd row LATCH hooks actually are anchored together on the Explorer's bench seat. The owners manual says that you can use the two center anchors as long as the car seat manufacturer allows using LATCH anchors that have spacing that is wider than the standard 11 inches.

Wanted to add that this only works for a single seat, only one car seat can occupy a LATCH anchor. I had thought about this idea too! I may move one seat to the middle position using the seat belt.

Thank you to everyone for all the input. Hopefully this discussion will also provide some useful info for other people either shopping for a vehicle or starting a family.

 

[Trembler]

Vehicle shopping

Originally I had tried to put the car seat into our Saab 9-3. The seat was so far forward that it obstructed my view out the passenger window if I was at an intersection. Then I moved it to the back of our '11 Sonata, which is a pretty large car. My wife still wasn't able to sit up front when the seat was in the back unless we were constantly moving the front seat around to put the baby seat in and take it out, and even then it was tight.

We traded in our Saab in for the Explorer... like you, it was primarily because we needed more space (we have a 5 month old and 3 dogs). It was kind of disappointing to find that my wife still has to sit behind me (next to the baby) in order to be comfortable. However, we looked at a lot of other vehicles (CX9, Highlander, Venza, etc.) and none of them were appreciably better.

The bottom line is that the rear-facing seat is just not conducive to front seat comfort. Unfortunately, you do not have the option to have a passenger sit in the second row because you have TWO babies (congrats, by the way). I suppose if there was a long trip with the babies plus a passenger, you could put them in the third row since there are LATCH connections back there IIRC. Then you could fold the second row. However, I personally would not like having them so far away where it would be hard to check on them.

As generaltso said, until you can flip the babies around, you're going to have to deal with compromising in some way. Our 5 month old is already 18.5 lbs so that will happen sooner for us than most others, but until then my wife will just sit in the second row. Good luck.

Funny enough I am currently looking for a second vehicle and I did bring the car seat with me. Surprisingly I was able to sit comfortably in the 2012 accord and civic with the car seat behind the driver.

 

[harlenm]

As generaltso said, until you can flip the babies around, you're going to have to deal with compromising in some way. Our 5 month old is already 18.5 lbs so that will happen sooner for us than most others, but until then my wife will just sit in the second row. Good luck.

You have to wait till 1 year no matter what the weight is. And if they have their way, it will be 2 years minimum rear facing. Now they recommend staying rear facing until they outgrow the car seats rating. Our car seat goes to 45lbs rear facing, so that would be 5-6 years. Yeah right.

Besides, I can't even fit it in the Explorer rear facing. I need to go out and buy another car seat to rear face, and then when he's old enough, use the Diono forward facing.

 

[VinceL]

You have to wait till 1 year no matter what the weight is. And if they have their way, it will be 2 years minimum rear facing. Now they recommend staying rear facing until they outgrow the car seats rating. Our car seat goes to 45lbs rear facing, so that would be 5-6 years. Yeah right.

Besides, I can't even fit it in the Explorer rear facing. I need to go out and buy another car seat to rear face, and then when he's old enough, use the Diono forward facing.

We kept our little one rear facing as long as possible. Finally the time came that he really didn't fit rear facing anymore so we switched him around, and it was so much nicer that way getting him in and out. Even better, his is now able to buckle himself in (most of the time). Another year or two and he'll be driving

 

[tiresmoke]

Funny enough I am currently looking for a second vehicle and I did bring the car seat with me. Surprisingly I was able to sit comfortably in the 2012 accord and civic with the car seat behind the driver.

I probably should have done that; but since I'm 6'3" / 250 lbs and like the seatback reclined some, I'd need a limo to have a rear-facing baby seat fit behind me. Rationally, however, I know that the little man's car seat is going to be front facing in another 3 lbs so it'll be moot in a couple of months.

In a slightly related note... the Explorer has more driver headroom than any vehicle I've been in. When the seat is adjusted all the way down, I feel like I can barely see over the hood and I've got a stupid amount of room between my head and the roof (no sunroof in my vehicle, if that makes a difference).

 

[tiresmoke]

You have to wait till 1 year no matter what the weight is. And if they have their way, it will be 2 years minimum rear facing. Now they recommend staying rear facing until they outgrow the car seats rating. Our car seat goes to 45lbs rear facing, so that would be 5-6 years. Yeah right.

Besides, I can't even fit it in the Explorer rear facing. I need to go out and buy another car seat to rear face, and then when he's old enough, use the Diono forward facing.

So the seat we have only goes to 22#... are you saying that I'm going to have to buy ANOTHER seat just to keep him facing back until he's a year old? He was nearly 10# when born and is pushing 19# at a little over 5 months. I'm not going to go buy another car seat just to keep him facing backward for a couple of months even though he'll probably be 25# by the time he's a year... I think I need to look into this a little more. Like you said, who's going to keep a 5 year old facing backward?

 

[harlenm]

So the seat we have only goes to 22#... are you saying that I'm going to have to buy ANOTHER seat just to keep him facing back until he's a year old? He was nearly 10# when born and is pushing 19# at a little over 5 months. I'm not going to go buy another car seat just to keep him facing backward for a couple of months even though he'll probably be 25# by the time he's a year... I think I need to look into this a little more. Like you said, who's going to keep a 5 year old facing backward?

22lbs I'm guessing you have a Chicco Keyfit?

Yes, you'll need to buy a convertible car seat. You put it rear facing, then flip it around for forward facing.

See here http://www.toysrus.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=2256196