3rd Row conversion to rear facing?

[m3kachu]

Hey guys,

My wife wanted a minivan, so I talked her into the LC! We have 2 kids, and it would be amazing if we could put them in the 3rd row in coverted rear facing seats. That way you don't have to open the doors and bang the cars around you to get the kids in and out.

Doesn't look terribly difficult to maybe fab up a bracket so you can have the drivers side front facing seat mate up and become the rear facing passengers side seat and vice versa.

Anyone else adressed this issue? A search didn't reveal any secrets.

Thanks!

Micah

 

[mogili222]

I am curious about this too.. just the other day I was thinking how great it would be if the third row seats were rear facing and a lot safer and more fun for the kids too..

 

[jLB]

Just the thought of rear facing 3rd row, reminds me of my childhood, and makes me a little car sick.

@mogili222 "a lot safer" how?

How are you planning on dealing with the seatbelt(s)?

Not exactly what you were looking for, but might be a little easier and meets some of your criteria:
Toyota Land Cruiser UZJ100 and Lexus LX470 Parts For Sale

 

[mogili222]

I just meant a lot safer like the rear facing child seats are in case of a frontal impact..

 

[Spike555]

1-there is a reason no one offers rear facing 3rd row seats anymore...it's not safe.
2-rear facing car seats are meant to face towreds the BACK of the car not the front. If I understand you correctly you want the 3rd row facing backwards and then you'd put the rear facing car seats in the seat the correct way but they's be facing the wrong way, which means your children will not be safe in a frontal collision.
Suck it up, putt them in the middle seats the correct way or get a mini van. Your children's safety depends on it.

 

[ITRJ]

Why not just fold one of the 3rd row seat backs down. Then your kids could climb out the back.

 

[Otter]

1-there is a reason no one offers rear facing 3rd row seats anymore...it's not safe.
2-rear facing car seats are meant to face towreds the BACK of the car not the front. If I understand you correctly you want the 3rd row facing backwards and then you'd put the rear facing car seats in the seat the correct way but they's be facing the wrong way, which means your children will not be safe in a frontal collision.
Suck it up, putt them in the middle seats the correct way or get a mini van. Your children's safety depends on it.

1- Tesla model S has rear facing jump seats for kids as an option in the hatch. Studies show rear facing is safer Air and Space Magazine article

2-i think he's just saying that rear facing seats might be safer the same way that facing child seats are safer. He's not going to put rear facing child seats in the rear facing car seats.


Still, I don't really see swapping the 3rd row in the Cruiser as an option. Sure, you could fab something up, but I wouldn't risk my kids safety on something like that. OP doesn't have access to crash testing programs like car manufacturers.

 

[Greenbean]

You could remove the 2nd row behind you and the 3rd row behind it,

That way you can easily see both of them in your rear view mirror and they have easy access to move front to back thru the rear tailgate only.

They just won't have the joy of sitting next to one another.

We could also make it a game in that's the best behaving child gets to sit in the very back, because you can't reach them for let's just call it "disciplinary reasons" if they're in the very back row, hahaha.

 

[hoser]

@m3kachu rather than converting your 3 row seats, it might be easier to choose seats that already have seat belts integrated. Check these folks out for ideas.

Home - Little Passenger Seats

 

[Spike555]

1- Tesla model S has rear facing jump seats for kids as an option in the hatch. Studies show rear facing is safer Air and Space Magazine article

2-i think he's just saying that rear facing seats might be safer the same way that facing child seats are safer. He's not going to put rear facing child seats in the rear facing car seats.


Still, I don't really see swapping the 3rd row in the Cruiser as an option. Sure, you could fab something up, but I wouldn't risk my kids safety on something like that. OP doesn't have access to crash testing programs like car manufacturers.

I know rear facing child seats are safer for infants.

The third row in a Tesla has shoulder straps just like a child car seat does, still doesn't mean I'd put my kids back there.

Fatality Reported In Accident Involving Rear-Ended Tesla Model S

 

[ITRJ]

View attachment 1492893

I know rear facing child seats are safer for infants.

The third row in a Tesla has shoulder straps just like a child car seat does, still doesn't mean I'd put my kids back there.

Fatality Reported In Accident Involving Rear-Ended Tesla Model S

That particular crash looks unsurvivable for anyone sitting in the back. Regardless of seat configuration.

 

[crimsonaudio]

There's a reason virtually no manufacturers offer rear facing seats.

And if you think you can garage-engineer some rear facing seats as well as the Tesla engineers did, then there's little we can tell you otherwise.

That said, we latched our infants into rear-facing seats, but when they reached the proper age / weight we moved them to forward facing seats.

 

[hoser]

There's a reason virtually no manufacturers offer rear facing seats.

Because most people prefer to face forward?

 

[planomateo]

My parents had an '84 or '85 caprice station wagon, the fights the 4 of us had over who was gonna sit in the rear facing seats...

 

[WaterCruiser]

Hey guys,

My wife wanted a minivan, so I talked her into the LC! We have 2 kids, and it would be amazing if we could put them in the 3rd row in coverted rear facing seats. That way you don't have to open the doors and bang the cars around you to get the kids in and out.

Doesn't look terribly difficult to maybe fab up a bracket so you can have the drivers side front facing seat mate up and become the rear facing passengers side seat and vice versa.

Anyone else adressed this issue? A search didn't reveal any secrets.

Thanks!

Micah

if you modify any vehicle safety feature - which would include seats & seat belts (at least without dealer involvent) it might negate liability & medical coverage should someone get injured. maybe something worth checking on

 

[uzj100]

The e class Mercedes wagon still has rear facing seats.

E-Class Wagon | Mercedes-Benz

Our 2008 MB E350 wagon has them.

 

[hoser]

Chrysler minivans also had optional 2nd row, rear facing seats. It's not a safety issue.

 

[Spike555]

Chrysler minivans also had optional 2nd row, rear facing seats. It's not a safety issue.

Putting rear facing child car seats facing the front is a safety issue.

 

[m3kachu]

Thanks for all the input. I was thinking for kids that didn't need to be in car seats anymore to be rear facing, not Infants or babies.

 

[Muddy Bean]

Man some of you guys need to go take a Xanax. Geez. He just wants to know if there's a way to swap the third row around to face the rear. Get out of his face on safety stuff. I grew up not wearing a seatbelt and riding around in the bed of my parents pickup. I'm still alive and doing just fine. I personally think a rear facing third row would be pretty practical. See if you can fab up the brackets. That tesla photo is ridiculous. It wouldn't matter what direction the jump seats were, the rear most passengers would still have died or been seriously injured. And if you get rear ended by a semi at 70mph in your mighty land cruiser, your third row passengers are going to be in a world of hurts no matter which way they are facing. If some of you crazies were making the laws, the government would be telling me I had to bubble wrap my kids at all times.