Truck Jump Seat??

[charby]

God intended for full-sized pickup trucks to have bench seats.  And for kids or dogs to ride in the middle of the front one.  All these bucket seats are of the Devil, as you have found.

Unless the person driving is a lot shorter than you and then your pickup truck experience sucks.

[Northwoods]

How's about searching junk yards for your make/model truck...that came with a front bench seat?  And then installing it.  Likely less than $1000 all told.

If the center seat were set up for 3pt harness that would have been done without even asking you guys the questions.  But they only ever come set up for lap belts in the middle for front benches.  And as mentioned I refuse to put a kid in just a lap belt in the front seat.

[mtnbkr]

If the center seat were set up for 3pt harness that would have been done without even asking you guys the questions.  But they only ever come set up for lap belts in the middle for front benches.  And as mentioned I refuse to put a kid in just a lap belt in the front seat.

What about a car seat?  A lap belt is fine for a child's car seat. 

Chris

[charby]

What about a car seat?  A lap belt is fine for a child's car seat. 

Chris

I think sumpnz mentioned somehting about that isn't legal in his homestate for a child seat in the front seat.

[Boomhauer]

There is probably a way to fab up some mounting points and install them for a 4pt harness but it sure aint going to do your interior any favors as far as looks.

Hooker Harness can hook you up with high quality stuff. Finding someone to fit everything up is the fun part

[mtnbkr]

There is probably a way to fab up some mounting points and install them for a 4pt harness but it sure aint going to do your interior any favors as far as looks.

Hooker Harness can hook you up with high quality stuff. Finding someone to fit everything up is the fun part

May not be legal for children.  The main point of car seats is to make sure the kids are positioned correctly for the belts or harnesses to safely restrain the child.

Chris

[Balog]

The biggest problem with selling the truck to buy something (or 2 somethings) else is that in WA, even in a private party sale, you have to pay sales taxes of nearly 10% when you register the car.  If I spent around $1000 fixing a few things and detailing/buffing the truck, I think I could sell it for $20k.  That leaves us with, really, $18k to play with.  I need a truck of some sort, and SWMBO won't drive anything like a Suburban no matter what arguements I use.  So even I went all the way down to a $5k truck, that leaves $13k for a minivan.  That could be done, but we'd have to assume the cash we're putting away right now, less that $1000 to spiff up the truck, will be needed for repairs on those 2 vehicles over the next few years.  That just seems like a lot of bother and expense for little real benefit.

This is why I wanted to see if a jump seat with a 3-5pt harness could be put into the truck in place of the console.

Re the bolded, when you say "like a Suburban" does that include mini- or full size vans, or just SUV's?

[roo_ster]

If the center seat were set up for 3pt harness that would have been done without even asking you guys the questions.  But they only ever come set up for lap belts in the middle for front benches.  And as mentioned I refuse to put a kid in just a lap belt in the front seat.

Some lap belts mated to some kid seats are just fine & dandy.  They even have directions on the side of the kid seat & all.  Heck, the greater simplicity of some lap belt systems would be superior for kid seat applications, in my book.

[Tallpine]

Can't you just put the little ones in an airline dog kennel in the pickup bed?

 

[Northwoods]

Balog - the large truck-based SUV's are what I meant.  Minivans are fine.

Charby - Ayup.

Tallpine - I'm sure the 6 year old would think that was great fun.  The first time.

I found a 4pt harness that might work.  Need to do some further invesigations and stress analysis.

[Balog]

Some lap belts mated to some kid seats are just fine & dandy.  They even have directions on the side of the kid seat & all.  Heck, the greater simplicity of some lap belt systems would be superior for kid seat applications, in my book.

Not legal to have even a booster in the front seat, never mind a full blown car seat.

Only exception to that is vehicles that have no 2nd row at all.

But to answer the question, 1 is no longer even using a booster, 1 is in a booster, 1 is in a rear facing seat for a little longer (once he is ~35lbs he will be in a forward facing car seat), and 1 will be in a rear facing seat once born.