Car seats question

[ibabouniaj]

Car seats

I am in the process of converting our car seats from rear to front facing. Currently , i have 2 Graco Snugfit 30 (twins) placed on the 60 part of the split. I use the 40 split for access to 3rd row as i have a bench. Has anyone been able to place 2 booster seats on the 60 split and leave room for the 40 split to fold? I am reading about the Radian but that car seat is so expensive. Has anyone had any luck with any other brand?

Thanks,
Ibrahim

 

[BKennedy]

I think you would be better off putting one seat in the back and one on the 60 side. We had success with that when I was doing car seat installation. Might be better for access if you put the older child in the rear so they can get themselves in and out.

 

[AggiePhil]

My advice would be not to get too hung up on the LATCH anchors. Unless the Explorer manually specifically says you can, do not borrow the two inside LATCH connectors for the outer seats to put a child in the middle. If it says you can, that's fine, but understand that LATCH is no safer than a proper seatbelt installation. It is designed to be easier and to reduce the number of incorrect installations but if you do yours correctly, using the seatbelts is just as safe.

Now you guys have me on the fence about the 2nd row bench vs. buckets. We're only going to have two kids for now but what if we have a third in the future?? Guess I shouldn't plan for something that hasn't happened. On the other hand, I like the idea that I could get 2nd row buckets and then remove the center console later if need be. Let me ask this...is there more front-to-back room in the 2nd row with the bench seat vs. the buckets?

 

[ibabouniaj]

I think you would be better off putting one seat in the back and one on the 60 side. We had success with that when I was doing car seat installation. Might be better for access if you put the older child in the rear so they can get themselves in and out.

They are both 22 months (twins). I would have to climb to the back everytime to buckle her up. Also, they like to sit next to each other... I am not sure if my girls would like that Any other ideas to get both of them to fit on the 60 split?

Thanks

 

[BKennedy]

They are both 22 months (twins). I would have to climb to the back everytime to buckle her up. Also, they like to sit next to each other... I am not sure if my girls would like that Any other ideas to get both of them to fit on the 60 split?

Thanks

It's safer if there is some space in between them. Having the seats up against each other leaves no room for the seat to move if there is any intrusion into the passenger compartment.

 

[AggiePhil]

My main concern I have about the Explorer is the amount of room in the second row for rear-facing car seats. We have a Britax Chaperone for the infant and a Britax Advocate ClickTight for the toddler. Both are to be rear-facing.

Problem is that the Chaperone sticks out from the second row seat back around 29" and the Advocate sticks out about 30". So far, I have yet to find a solution for this because in order for there to be enough room, the front seats have to be slid almost all the way forward. Has anyone else run into this with rear-facing seats??

 

[wifes2011xlt]

We have the Britax Boulevard rear-facing behind the driver. I'm 5'10". Wife is 5'9". We have plenty of space to accommodate us in the driver seats.

Maybe the baby seats are reclined too much?

 

[AggiePhil]

Finally got to drive a Platinum last week. Super nice vehicle but just not big enough for our growing family of four. If the Expedition were a big sexier/sportier, we might consider it but it just felt too dated and truck-like for my wife. Looks like we'll be going with a Tahoe this time around.

 

[613GT500]

Finally got to drive a Platinum last week. Super nice vehicle but just not big enough for our growing family of four. If the Expedition were a big sexier/sportier, we might consider it but it just felt too dated and truck-like for my wife. Looks like we'll be going with a Tahoe this time around.

Not big enough for a family of 4?
I just did a weekend trip with 4 adults and 2 kids (in their own car seats) and the Explorer was perfect.
Albeit, we had to be creative with utilizing the available space (duffle bags in the leg space in front of the kids, since they're legs don't reach the ground), but it worked.

 

[AggiePhil]

Not big enough for a family of 4?
I just did a weekend trip with 4 adults and 2 kids (in their own car seats) and the Explorer was perfect.
Albeit, we had to be creative with utilizing the available space (duffle bags in the leg space in front of the kids, since they're legs don't reach the ground), but it worked.

Which car seats were you using and how were they installed?

 

[613GT500]

Which car seats were you using and how were they installed?

For my kid, we have a diono rxt and our in law's kid; I believe it's a britax (forgot the exact model).
Both are front facing and we had them installed staggered, where one that was installed in the second row was behind the passenger and one in the third row on the left side.

 

[AggiePhil]

For my kid, we have a diono rxt and our in law's kid; I believe it's a britax (forgot the exact model).
Both are front facing and we had them installed staggered, where one that was installed in the second row was behind the passenger and one in the third row on the left side.

Yeah, the problem we ran into was with our rear-facing car seats. All the recommendations now are to rear face as long as possible since it's infinitely safer than forward facing. So, with our 2.5 year old's Britax rear facing behind the passenger seat and the newborn's Britax rear facing behind the driver seat, there just isn't any room for the front seat occupants. This, coupled with the fact that the middle bench seat position isn't really wide enough for a car seat AND the fact that our toddler seat isn't compatible with Ford's inflatable seat belts is making the Explorer a no-go for us.

 

[PrettyPenny]

Seating

How many passengers can you comfortably seat in the back of a 2014 Ford Explorer? Any parents here that have one? Can I fit 3 kids in car seats in the back?

 

[Ellocovg]

How many passengers can you comfortably seat in the back of a 2014 Ford Explorer? Any parents here that have one? Can I fit 3 kids in car seats in the back?

Back do you mean 2nd or 3rd row? Ive had a front facing Britax convertible face, a Britax high back booster seat, and a regular booster seat in the second row. They fit fine a little harder for them to get to the seat belts but it works. The third row has a set of latch on the seat all the way to the right which is pretty cool.

 

[4FordFamily]

The fact that I read this thread all the way through tells me I am getting old and the "cool" ship has long sailed. Thanks guys, I will be back here soon as I have my 2nd on the way!

 

[BKennedy]

Back do you mean 2nd or 3rd row? Ive had a front facing Britax convertible face, a Britax high back booster seat, and a regular booster seat in the second row. They fit fine a little harder for them to get to the seat belts but it works. The third row has a set of latch on the seat all the way to the right which is pretty cool.

What do you mean by "regular booster seat"? Any booster seat without a high back is less than worthless. I handled a fatal collision where a no back booster came out from under the child in a rollover, which made the belts loose, which tossed the kid out of the car and 100 feet down the freeway.

Also, if the seats are touching in any way, they don't fit. I installed a few thousand child seats and there is no way I would put three seats in the same row. If there is significant intrusion into the passenger compartment, the seats have no where to go and they crush the weakest seat.

What year is your Explorer? I have a NTSB book on car seats up to 2013 that tells where to place seats for each make and model vehicle, based upon manufacture's submissions for compliance with federal safety standards.

 

[peterk9]

.........
What year is your Explorer? I have a NTSB book on car seats up to 2013 that tells where to place seats for each make and model vehicle, based upon manufacture's submissions for compliance with federal safety standards.

Profile says it is a 2016 XLT.

Peter

 

[PrettyPenny]

What do you mean by "regular booster seat"? Any booster seat without a high back is less than worthless. I handled a fatal collision where a no back booster came out from under the child in a rollover, which made the belts loose, which tossed the kid out of the car and 100 feet down the freeway.

Also, if the seats are touching in any way, they don't fit. I installed a few thousand child seats and there is no way I would put three seats in the same row. If there is significant intrusion into the passenger compartment, the seats have no where to go and they crush the weakest seat.

What year is your Explorer? I have a NTSB book on car seats up to 2013 that tells where to place seats for each make and model vehicle, based upon manufacture's submissions for compliance with federal safety standards.

The Explorer we are looking at purchasing is a 2014, and I will have a newborn, a 7 year old, and an almost 5 year old. The 5 and 7 year old are in the high back booster seats and the newborn of course will be rear facing in the infant carrier.

 

[Ellocovg]

What do you mean by "regular booster seat"? Any booster seat without a high back is less than worthless. I handled a fatal collision where a no back booster came out from under the child in a rollover, which made the belts loose, which tossed the kid out of the car and 100 feet down the freeway.

Also, if the seats are touching in any way, they don't fit. I installed a few thousand child seats and there is no way I would put three seats in the same row. If there is significant intrusion into the passenger compartment, the seats have no where to go and they crush the weakest seat.

What year is your Explorer? I have a NTSB book on car seats up to 2013 that tells where to place seats for each make and model vehicle, based upon manufacture's submissions for compliance with federal safety standards.

I have two girls my 3 year old is in a Britax advocate convertible baby seat and my 7 year old is in a Britax parkway high back booster seat. I've used a simple no back booster for another kid not mine in the middle. I've used the advocate in the third row using the latch on a road trip. I do care about safety but I'm not crazy **** about all the stats. I do put my little one on the passenger side just because I want to be able to see her by just turning my head and also I don't want my wife to sit on the traffic (left side) of the road trying to strap the little one in, rather than doing it from the side walk side.

 

[Ellocovg]

The Explorer we are looking at purchasing is a 2014, and I will have a newborn, a 7 year old, and an almost 5 year old. The 5 and 7 year old are in the high back booster seats and the newborn of course will be rear facing in the infant carrier.

Like mentioned before I'd get a rear bucket seats version of the truck. The 7 year old will find it fun to climb into the third row and he can strap on the seatbelt himself. If it's one of the newer boosters that latch in you have one set of latch in the third row. I'd put the baby in the right side just because it's easier to be able to lift the baby carrier in and not worry about traffic. Not sure how practical it would be if you have a bench seat to fold it every single time, I can't move the right side because of the big baby seat in it and since my drivers seat is pushed back as far as possible the second row doesn't really tumble all the way so it's more of a throw whoever is going into the third row back there kinda thing obviously not ideal for a new mommy.