So I'm soon-to-be in the market to replace my 93 regular cab 2.3L. Not that I want to get rid of it but I need something that I can put the kids (and their car seats) in.

My question is how is the room in the extended cab Rangers? Is there enough room to put a couple of toddler car seats comfortably (and safely)? Or should I just try to find a BroncoII or Explorer? I'd really like to keep a pickup just for convenience but family comes first.

 

i dont think you are supposed to put car seats in the side facing seats.

also i spent the weekend in the back seat of my ranger with my parents driving because we went camping, they drove the rv and i took the ranger for scooting around in. you get tired of sitting back there! for family get something bigger....

look at an s10 or colorado 4 door if you want a small pickup.

 

If you need car seats, you'll need to look into a bigger back seat. The jump seats are no good for car seats. Colorado, S-10, Tacoma, Dakota. Have you considered a full size truck? Or keeping the current ranger and buying a cheap car?

 

The wifey drives a 2004 Expedition so we have a dedicated kid hauler. However it is somewhat of a gasoline black hole and if more than 2 kids (out of 3) need to be somewhere, fire up the beast and start feeding it cash.

I would love a full size truck but...$$$...the budget just can't handle two gas hogs.

I've thought about just getting a cheap car and keeping the Ranger and right now that seems the way to go. I guess I'll just have to wait and see what I can find when the time comes.

Thanks.

 

get a reg cab with a cap and put the little ones in the bed, just tint the windows and no one will know.

 

Hope you are joking.

 

Used to take our family vacations like that. Was kind of fun. We were older though, about 5 or 6 years old.

 

There is a company that sells a rear facing seat that is DOT approved. You can take it out of the bed when needed.

 

http://bedryder.com/index.html

bet thy don't have one for small pickups though.... looks pretty nice has a center console and cupholders too! I would actually love to have one.

 

Yea, that's the one. I forget if they have one or not for the compact trucks.

 

i'm seeing now that they do (44" wide) so I guess it'd fit.

doesn't look too hard to make though, rather than dropping $800... I know I'd use it if I had one.

 

Liability is on them is something goes south though

 

true. but I wouldn't have a problem accepting responsibility for my own creation either.

for what it is though $800 isn't entirely unreasonable. it's just hard when I can get an old bench seat on craigslist for $50 and make a frame for it that attaches to brackets in my bed.

 

Wirelessly posted

Turn air bag off.

 

with the older truck, i'm guessing its paid off, pick up a cheaper car to haul the kids if need be.

i have my ranger, and a chevy lumina, the car i have less than 1k total into including tires and cost of the car. gf drives it mostly.

you don't have to get a brand new car, but getting like a 4 door civic or accord will not only save money when you don't have to take the bigger truck, it will be something else instead of the ranger to save gas.

 

minivan

 

I'd say get something with a full back seat, whether it is a four door pickup, SUV or sedan. Whatever you decide, keep in mind life will be much easier if you do not have to pull the front seats forward to access the rear seats. It is hard enough to get the kids in/out without crawling or leaning over seats. I wouldn't put my wife's dog in the bed of a pickup, even with a cap and seatbelt harness

And to answer your question... Not enough.