ISOFIX Child Seat on the passenger front bench - opinions please! (1 Viewer)

[Paulrotterdam]

In our troopy we currently have two single Scheelmann front seats. It was excellent for our world trip, not so excellent for future camping trips with a baby. We're expecting our first child in January, so I now need to find a safe seating solution.

The rear is totally taken up by the camper furniture setup, so unfortunately that's out. The only solution I see, is to replace the single passenger seat and source an original Toyota passenger bench and then somehow place a child seat either in the middle or outer position. Two questions:

1. Does this fit space wise? One adult + a child seat on the Toyota passenger bench? Totally new in the child seat world, but they seem super wide... Could maybe somebody with an original bench and a child seat test this for me and maybe take a photo? Would be a tremendous help!
2. If this fits, do you guys have any ideas on how to safely fix the child seat? I ran across these two parts online, do you guys think would this work safely?

Maxi-Cosi FamilyFix, ISOFIX Base, Geschikt voor de Maxi-Cosi CabrioFix en Pearl, Click & Go-installatie: Amazon.nl

Maxi-Cosi FamilyFix, ISOFIX Base, Geschikt voor de Maxi-Cosi CabrioFix en Pearl, Click & Go-installatie: Amazon.nl

www.amazon.nl

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Amazon product ASIN B07JW9MZRQ​

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Would love to hear all your ideas! Don't want to sell the troopy and would love to go camping with our baby!​

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[Blomdala]

1. I think you could fit a baby carseat in the passenger spot, but with the seat farther back. Also people will stare at and judge you as in general, a baby in the front seat is frowned upon due to front airbags (which you don't have).
2. Most baby seat bases (what you shared there) have passages in them to use a normal shoulder/lap belt to secure them to the seat. Isofix is super convenient, but its not required to secure the seat. However, if your seatbelts don't lock (you know when you pull them out too far and they ratchet down?) then it wouldn't be a very safe option.

 

[MyCruiserisaHogBeast]

Old Land Cruisers + modern baby safety stuff can be a bit of a PITA, but there are some nice solutions.

Luckily the modern LATCH systems lend themselves to being able to be strapped directly to cargo rings bolted directly into the floor, with the middle strap going to some point behind. There is no way your kid would exceed 800lb rated cargo rings secured with grade 8 thick washers bolted through the body. If you don't have double wall sheet metal to bolt through, you can just create a plate (that's what I did on my FJ40 with a rear bench when she was a baby). It's actually really easy.

I wish I had better pictures but in my BJ74 I installed 800 lb d rings in the floor and strapped the 3rd strap to the factory d rings in the back, that sucker was going nowhere. The biggest challenge is actually when the kiddo gets older. Mine is 7 and has outgrown the harness in the booster requiring a traditional shoulder seat belt. Luckily a European factory roll bar and seat belt bolted right in, so now I can haul her and a friend around with regular seat belts.

While it is actually pretty safe, I wouldn't recommend trying to put the baby in the front seat for a bunch of reasons. The biggest reason is judgement from other parents. I know, I know.... but trust me I've been doing kiddo + Land Cruiser for a long time now and you are going to need friends that trust you, because you will need to make friends with other breeders... Technically the kid is safer in the back. If you were to get in a massive accident the engine will go straight into the front seat. I've gone rounds with my wife on this, because if you were to get in that bad of an accident in these the occupants will probably vaporize anyway, but she's right in theory.

I'm not a bubble wrap parent, but like most things when you have a kid you've gotta move some things around. If you're willing to put a little work into it, most of your things will accommodate the kiddo as long as you step out of the box a little. We're actually in the process of building a HiAce 4x4 Camper and we have the same problems in the back as you do. We'll be buying one of those hideously overpriced European convertible seats with shoulder belts to bolt to the floor to address the kiddo thing, I don't know what your set up is like but if one of those will fit that might be a good option for you.

 

[FJBen]

I don't know how big you are, but there is ZERO chance I could fit a carseat between my wife and I in the front seat and be even remotely comfortable or even able to shift. We aren't "big" people, we are tall, but I can't imagine there being enough room to fit. You will be having a rear facing car seat which takes up even more room in the cab.

Again, with safety, it's not the safest place. Proven over and over again in the back/middle is much safer.

I think you should be able to mount the carseat on the floor safely right behind/middle of the front seats unless you have no walkthrough or middle space at all? What does the back look like? I'm afraid the right answer is to reconfigure some part of the back right after the seats to make something work.

 

[Blomdala]

I don't know how big you are, but there is ZERO chance I could fit a carseat between my wife and I in the front seat and be even remotely comfortable or even able to shift. We aren't "big" people, we are tall, but I can't imagine there being enough room to fit. You will be having a rear facing car seat which takes up even more room in the cab.

That's what I was thinking at first, but noticed he has 2 scheelmann seats(rather than a bench), and in this case was asking only for 1 adult and 1 child.

 

[FJBen]

That's what I was thinking at first, but noticed he has 2 scheelmann seats(rather than a bench), and in this case was asking only for 1 adult and 1 child.

I think unless I'm totally reading it wrong, he's saying he wants to remove the passenger seat and I assume center console and replace that with a passenger bench, and keep the drivers scheel man seat.

" The only solution I see, is to replace the single passenger seat and source an original Toyota passenger bench and then somehow place a child seat either in the middle or outer position. "


Either way, I don't think there is anyway it will fit very well at all.

 

[Paulrotterdam]

I think unless I'm totally reading it wrong, he's saying he wants to remove the passenger seat and I assume center console and replace that with a passenger bench, and keep the drivers scheel man seat.

" The only solution I see, is to replace the single passenger seat and source an original Toyota passenger bench and then somehow place a child seat either in the middle or outer position. "


Either way, I don't think there is anyway it will fit very well at all.

This is exactly the reason I'm posting this.

Currently I have two single seats, so no location for a child seat and two adults. If I can't find a safe location, we'll probably sell the car - which I obviously don't want to do.

The only potential solution I can think of, is replacing the passenger single seat with a bench and then try to squeeze an adult + a child seat on the bench. As I don't yet have the bench or a child seat, I was wondering if somebody here could test fit it for me. If it works space wise, the second challenge is how to safely fix the child seat to the bench. We're both tall and slim.

 

[Blomdala]

This is exactly the reason I'm posting this.

Currently I have two single seats, so no location for a child seat and two adults. If I can't find a safe location, we'll probably sell the car - which I obviously don't want to do.

The only potential solution I can think of, is replacing the passenger single seat with a bench and then try to squeeze an adult + a child seat on the bench. As I don't yet have the bench or a child seat, I was wondering if somebody here could test fit it for me. If it works space wise, the second challenge is how to safely fix the child seat to the bench. We're both tall and slim.

Sorry @FJBen I was off.

@Paulrotterdam I'm with FJ, even if you can fit a baby seat (for rear facing newborn) width wise( which would be a tight squeeze), you would have to have the adult in the center to be able to shift still. Probably OK for a short drive, but my guess is center seat adult will not enjoy the trip nearly as much as the previous Scheelmann seat.

 

[FJBen]

I still think you are looking at some sort of situation like this. Or even just mounts on the floor for the car seat. You could mount this as close to the back of the front seats as possible so you can reach the child. Then you just pull/remove the setup when you camp for the night.

 

[hoser]

Kids aren't cheap. Bye bye Troopy. Hello VDJ79...

 

[Paulrotterdam]

I still think you are looking at some sort of situation like this. Or even just mounts on the floor for the car seat. You could mount this as close to the back of the front seats as possible so you can reach the child. Then you just pull/remove the setup when you camp for the night.

Funny, that's a photo of the rear of my car! I threw that seat out as it was a total pita to install when we had a temporary passenger and didn't feel secure as it was mounted to the furniture instead of the floor.

Might investigate the spot behind the front seats - i'll need to move the Engel to another location.

 

[Paulrotterdam]

Kids aren't cheap. Bye bye Troopy. Hello VDJ79...

Haha I wish!- Unfortunately these aren't sold in Europe because of emission rules and besides; it doesn't have a camper on the back!

 

[Paulrotterdam]

Sorry @FJBen I was off.

@Paulrotterdam I'm with FJ, even if you can fit a baby seat (for rear facing newborn) width wise( which would be a tight squeeze), you would have to have the adult in the center to be able to shift still. Probably OK for a short drive, but my guess is center seat adult will not enjoy the trip nearly as much as the previous Scheelmann seat.

Is there anybody out there who could do a quick test fit with a child seat + adult on the front bench and take a photo? Would be awesome

 

[Pagoda]

Hi Paul, i have installed 2 scheelmann as well on my 76. I have the original bench if you need (I am in Geneva, Switzerland).
I don’t have a baby seat but only a toddler one. Will try to send you a picture. Cheers

 

[Pagoda]

Hi Paul, i have installed 2 scheelmann as well on my 76. I have the original bench if you need (I am in Geneva, Switzerland).
I don’t have a baby seat but only a toddler one. Will try to send you a picture. Cheers

 

[Pagoda]

This could be an interesting solution...

 

[Pagoda]

It’s a 78

 

[Pagoda]

And that bench becomes a bed, so with a pop top you have a bed down and a bed up

I have more pictures if you nees

 

[goexplore]

Is there anybody out there who could do a quick test fit with a child seat + adult on the front bench and take a photo? Would be awesome

Funnily enough, we're also expecting in October and have been round the houses with fitting a baby in a Toyota Troopy. We're in a different position as we have a 2019 model with front airbag, so that makes the front bench a non starter for us. We also don't have a finalised interior yet, so have options to move things around to install a seat in the back.

A friend here has installed two Techsafe single seats from Australia. They have integrated belts and ISOFIX points. I know it's not an idea solution, but may be the way to keep the Troopy and safely have the baby strapped in.

They're not cheap - around $2k (AUD) from memory, but certainly an investment in the kids safety plus the ability to go on many more adventures together. You'd just need to modify one side of your interior (if I remember your set up correctly?)