Car seat thread lol

[KaiserM715]

Seats for both is so much more convenient. For the infant bucket seats, get extra bases.

 

[Reptar]

Man it was barely a year ago I'd never be thinking about chipping into a car seat thread on an automotive forum LOL

We got 1 car seat for each vehicle, WAY easier than shuffling if you drive multiple vehicles frequently. We had an infant "bucket" style one from Britex, a Chicco convertible (forward/rear facing), and a Recaro convertible one. Our kid is too big for the britex infant one now, so we're down to just the 2 for 3 vehicles. When we have to swap car seats between cars we swap the chicco. It's hands down the easiest to install out of the 3. It's got a compound leveridge "sinch" strap that makes tightening it down effortlessly. The britex and recaro don't use compound leveridge so it's a royal PITA getting that sucker tight enough so it doesn't budge.

BUT, the recaro is hands down the easiest to tighten the buckles on. The britex wasn't bad, and the chicco is really hard to tighten the buckles on for some reason.

BUT, the britex was hands down the best investment for an infant with the removable "bucket". Way easier to get an infant situated in the house, than in the car when they're so little. Plus when they're asleep, just take the whole bucket and they can continue their nap uninterrupted.

BUT, the chicco is the best for angle adjustment and compactness. the recaro only has 2 angle adjustments. The chicco has like 7 and it's cake to adjust it depending on the angle of the seat in the vehicle. The recaro seat is really tall so tighter vehicles like my SRT4 it's a squeeze. The chicco is like a big egg so it fits in even smaller vehicles like the SRT4 yet has plenty of protection.

SO all that said...

Britex infant bucket - great portability, and very light weight.

Chicco convertible - compact egg shape size, easy angle adjustment, hands down best compound leverage tightening straps, but hard to tighten buckles

Recaro convertible - easiest to tighten the buckles on, but hard to tighten the tie down straps with, only 2 angles to adjust, and bulky for it's size.


Long story short, if it's going in the raptor and staying in the Raptor....Recaro! If it's going in the raptor and swapping vehicles a lot, chicco. If you've got an infant, get the britex bucket style for the first year, worth every penny! Then upgrade after a year to a convertible style.


Oh and FYI, our kid is now 15 months old, and still seating rearward. Wifey wants to keep him rear facing for 2 years if possible since it's the safest.

Positions....we have ours in the passenger side on the Raptor, the SRT4, and the Explorer, simply because none of those vehicles have the LATCH system in the middle.

Take your jack out from under the seats, if you get a flat and need to change the tire, you will need to take your child seat out of the car to reach the thumb screws for the jack. There is one screw under the 40 and one under the 60... so no matter where your child seat is, you will need to take it out. I don't like the idea of having to take my kids and cars seats out of the truck on the side of the road to change a flat.

That's a very important piece of advice!!!!

With the carseat on the passenger side I can still lift the 60 side of the rear bench in my screw. I removed the jack case screw under the 40 side before installing the car seat. It still has the jack screw under the 60 side so it still keeps it from sliding around, but I can still lift the 60 side and get to the jack.

Now if you've got 2 car seats, or 1 in the middle, you're SOL for accessing the jack cubby. When we eventually have 2 car seats in the truck, if I get a flat with 2 kids in the truck, I'm just calling AAA. Heck even now if I get a flat if I've got 1 kid in the truck with me and nobody else, I'm still calling AAA because I'm not leaving them alone in the truck while I change a tire on the side of the road. It's called the "dad clause" in fine print on the back of your "man card" lol.

 

[MTUH3]

Yeah, I am stuck with two car seats... so I was screwed. At least I teach em at a young age. Soon he can do it for me while I sit in the truck.

 

[Shortbed]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. We're having twins and pursuing adoption, so three across is what we'll have in the next couple years. My Raptor is a Scab, Yukon's is a Screw. Here is another question, buy 2 seats and move them if we take the other truck or buy 4 so we don't have to deal with switching them over?

We put two carseats in each vehicle. What happens in an emergency if only one of you can pick up the kids? Plus it takes time to move properly installed seats from one vehicle to another

One thing. The back headrests on the scab get in the way, preventing the carseat from resting flush against the seat back. I am ready to take a hacksaw and cut the back headrests out. Unless there is a way to rove them?

 

[MTUH3]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. We're having twins and pursuing adoption, so three across is what we'll have in the next couple years. My Raptor is a Scab, Yukon's is a Screw. Here is another question, buy 2 seats and move them if we take the other truck or buy 4 so we don't have to deal with switching them over?

Congrats.... I think..... Twins!? Eeek

You definately will want to get two sets of seats. Best part when they are youmg, you only need to get extra bases. You can usually leave the baby carriers with wherever you take them, so it is easy to pick them up.

I am still a fan of the Recaro, we used our baby carriers as long as we could until they out grew them, then tried to get the seats that can grow with the kids. You pay a little more, but they last a while longer. Minus buying new seats to because we made poor purchases when they were little (we didn't know better) we have been using the same seats for 4 years now, handing them down to the little one.

Find friends that have kids, or kids better yet kids that might be an infant and may 1-2 years old. See if you can borrow their car seats and strap their kids in it. May sounds crazy, but it is really and to understand how a car seat will work in the store. Some suck to strap in, some suck to tighten the straps, some just plain ole suck.

Check the owners manual in the truck, it will help with installation directions. Pretty straight forward for rear facing, but when you switch them around and use the upper tether, there is a routing technique explained in the manual to make sure you get the tether strap tightened.

Now how is Joe going to use his 4-point harness when driving around town!?

 

[Yukon Joe]

We put two carseats in each vehicle. What happens in an emergency if only one of you can pick up the kids? Plus it takes time to move properly installed seats from one vehicle to another

One thing. The back headrests on the scab get in the way, preventing the carseat from resting flush against the seat back. I am ready to take a hacksaw and cut the back headrests out. Unless there is a way to rove them?

They are removable, but you have to food the rear seat down first. To do that you need to find the small latch in the back. It's a pain. Search for the folding rear seat thread. There is a small mod you can do to make it easier for future use.

Thank You for your donations to Avery. We hit our goal!

Yukon Joe
Snoball 3
Delta Lead
www.runraptorrun.com

 

[t_j]

They are removable, but you have to food the rear seat down first. To do that you need to find the small latch in the back. It's a pain. Search for the folding rear seat thread. There is a small mod you can do to make it easier for future use.

Thank You for your donations to Avery. We hit our goal!

Yukon Joe
Snoball 3
Delta Lead
www.runraptorrun.com

Scab is a little harder than a screw. You will need a long screwdriver. with the seat down pull the cushion up arround the belt buckle you should be able to see the tube holding the back in place. insert the screwdriver and use it to push the clip open and lift the back off the tube. It will take you a couple of tries the first time but after that it's a piece of cake.

 

[Taxman]

So glad we're out of car seats. Our daughter is now tall enough to where the seat belt sits properly on her shoulder in the back seat. She was in a booster for 2-3 years before that. She'll be 8 in May. She was thrilled the day we told her she doesn't have to use the booster in daddy's truck.

She still needs the booster in our Jeep though. The seat belt I guess sits higher up in the Jeep and cuts her off to high still.

It just makes it much easier to have them climb in by themselves and buckle themselves in.

 

[LFtrip]

Recaro Performance Sport in the truck and the same in the wifes mercedes.

 

[MattyO]

I read the thread and still have a question. I am looking at the Recaro and saw that many people recommend it. Has/Is anyone using it in a SCAB. I like my son (20 months) to sit in the middle so I can reach him and he can see.