2 baby/child seats in rear of Crewmax

Curious how you are using latch on all three when there are only 2 latch connections.


BlueBottle,

We've got a third scheduled for delivery next Monday. It's the reason I bought the tundra, needed something we could easily toss all three kids in. 2 in the back will not be an issue for you at all. Three gets a little tricky. I literally had Amazon ship out 13 different seats over a 1.5 week period that I test fitted in both the tundra and my wifes MDX. Some combo's worked, many didn't comfortably.

My biggest debate was do I move my kids into high back boosters or keep them in 5 point harnasses. My wife and I finally agreed to convert the older two (4 & 6) into high back boosters. I'll keep them in 5 points in the hot rod and the 911. This was actually a very very long debate in my own head, as I didn't want to give up the safety of my children.

The biggest issue we've run into in both cars, is the ability to buckle them up easily with the baby carrier in the middle. So I spent a lot of time researching the narrowest seats possible (and carriers with the smallest footprint, many carriers go to 35 lbs and are big, but reality is, you don't keep a kid in a carrier up to 35 lbs).

All the boosters we run use a latch system.

THere is no center latch in the tundra, so I have the base belted in (feel totally comfortable with it. In her MDX it does have 3 latch setups, but the center one is off center, so I ended up using the belt in that too.

I will say, the infant seat we got, will fit on the passenger side of the tundra with the seat all the way back still.


We finally pulled the trigger this way:

Infant - Chicco KeyFit (this is one of the smallest carriers you can get, and is good up to 30 lbs)
Tundra Boosters - 2 - Chicco Kidfit 2 in 1 belt positioning boosters
MDX - 2 - Maxi-Cosi Rodifix boosters (these weren't cheap, but they are incredibly narrow, can even fit one in the back of the 911 which is a CHALLENGE)

'55 - 2 - Britax Marathon 70's
911 - 1 - Britax Pioneeer - 5 point harnass (this one actually rides in the front seat, and I use the rodifix or a harmony booster in the rear)

 

Thank you for taking your time to write this very informative message. I will take these points into consideration when we go shopping.


For everyone else, my issue is not fitting 2 child seats but was more worried about the centerseat NOT having a latch system. Looks like a lot of people are still able to get a center seat on with the side seat so I should be good.

Thanks everyone !!!

 

Do not worry about not having latch. You can secure it with zero issues without latch.

But why not do passenger side?


I'm one of those guys that overanalyzes everything. I've probably had 50 car seats come through our door in the last few years (thank you Amazon prime, my ups guy gets regular gifts).


1. Securing without latch is 100% doable
2. While all the reports say that center position is the best option...there is nothing wrong with the passenger side. Esp since it does have latch.

I'm gonna be in trouble with my '55 soon as the kids are close to outgrowing the seats I have for them and there is only lapbelts and it's hard to find anything I'm comfortable with using a lap belt. I've got one seat in the front of my 911. Which I feel much more confortable for my kids safety then having him behind me.


I'll give you advice. Don't plop a 5 year old next to you strapped into a seat for a 6 hour drive. It's like a bad acid trip.

 

Congrats brother!!!

 

Ill get you a pic in 2 years but you might not need it then lol

 

Thanks everyone. good pointers and at least I know it will work. Didn't think of using the belt instead of the latch anchors in the middle. I just assumed that latch was safer.

Reason why I want it on center and side is so its easier on the wife to take care of the baby. It would be difficult for her to hop into the middle in between the two seats. Also the middle seat is not as comfy as the sides...

 

Me too. Did the same with our Highlander. Crewmax is mych bigger than Highlander in the middle.

 

Front facing in the drivers side and rear behind passenger. Wife sits between the two. Also, the LATCH is only good for up to around 60 lbs including seat. Above that you are supposed to use belts and not LATCH. Check vehicle and car seat specs.

 

I have exactly this setup when traveling with the whole family. My son is 7 and uses a forward facing nooster, and my daughter is 7 months and uses a rear facing seat with a locking base. I don't have pictures and I'm in Dallas, TX for the week so I couldn't get any until Friday night, but we have no problems at all with fitting or loading/unloading kids.

 

Are you using latch for both?

 

No, my son doesn't need latch anymore and his booster seat is designed to use the lap and shoulder belts. We do use latch for the baby's base station and the seat just locks in. We bought two additional base station so we can easily take her in any car as well.

I should clarify, we usually put my son in the middle and the baby on the side. She is really content when she can play with her big bro, so it makes longer rides more pleasant.

 

Congrats. I have a DC and only 1 kid. With that being said I have his rear facing base in the middle seat using the "support hooks" on the inner portion of the outer seats. I set the seat base in its location, climbed in with my weight on it and attached the clips. Pretty easy and very solid. That thing isn't moving.

Let me know if you would like me to snap a few shots.

 

Thank you. Perfect information.

I'm good thanks. I know it fits. I guess my question was more if it the latch anchors work with another seat next to it but it seems like a lot of people got it working so I should be good.

I will be sure to post pictures for reference once I get it setup. (8-9 months lol)

 

Same here. We did this with our Highlander. He new Tundra Crew is so much bigger than the HL, I am actually looking forward to 6 hour road trips now!

 

I'm following now. You want to do the center seat in the fashion I did with another seat using the same fastener for the sides. Did someone mention earlier in the thread that there might be a weight limit to those fasteners? That would be my only concern with having 2 child seats connected to 1 fastener within the back seat(what are they actually called?)..

 

There is a weight limit on the LATCH fasteners. You need to check the vehicle and your car seat specs. I think in our other car the limit was 60 lbs, including the seat. So if your kid is around 30 or 40 lbs, you may be pushing it.

 

My son is only 6 weeks old, so we have a ways to go.

 

Unless he is a really big kid!

 

congrats! I only have 1 car seat to worry about haha thank god the crewmax has so much room though

 

Congrats man! Fantastic. Dig your new Vista Cruiser.

 

I would not recommend using LATCH to secure the center seat, esp if you have another seat attached to one of the anchors

 

btw, here's a good article that goes through the safety of car seats and how to setup.

http://www.parents.com/toddlers-preschoolers/safety/car/car-seat-guide-for-confused-parents/

 

My van of choice

 

We had a '16 highlander and took my 2007 crewmax tundra everywhere. Wife traded her brand new highlander for a gently used Sequoia Platinum. Best decision ever. I put the 3 year old in the third row, wife and 1 year old ride the middle row, and I chauffeur solo up front.