Tundra seating questions

[Hank]

I'm looking for a Tundra. I have a few questions for Tundra owners.

1. Do any of you put child seats in an access cab and how does it fit?
2. Do any of you put child seats in the double cab and how does that fit?
3. Have any of you modified or completely changed out the driver's seat for any reason?
I'm over 6' and it seems that my legs from hip to knee are not supported as well as I would like in the access cab and even worse in a double cab. I need to try a double cab with a power seat and see if that lifts up my knees and lowers my butt. I was thinking of just pulling the seat bolts and putting a spacer under the front seat mount to raise that area up. If not, possibly some aftermarket seats will find their way in. I intend to daily drive and wheel this truck so comfort is a necessity.

 

[KliersLC]

No tundra here, but the T100 is very similar in size to the Access cab.

Yes, you can put booster style, or front facing carseats in the Access cab with no problems. It can occasionally be a little tight for little feet, so I put the bigger kid on the wife's side.

Infant carriers do not fit nearly as well in the back, especially with the base. I have tried three of them in my T100 and none of them fit well without pushing my 6'5" self up into the steering wheel, and trying to fit them with the base was laughable.

Now, the original double cab tundra is very roomy in the back, and will accommodate either kind of carseat, with or without base. ( I still would put the carseat with base on the Passenger side or middle....

As far as seating, I have been impressed by the power seats from toyota in every application, so it is worth trying out before you buy aftermarket.

If you are asking about current Tundras, please disregard all of the above.

Good luck,
Dan

 

[Hank]

I don't want to split for a new Tundra. There seems to be a ton of AC's that I can afford without a loan or at least a small one. I want to mod it and wheel it, not spend all my money trying to own it and not having anything left to play with. We already have the Excursion for a nice family truckster. The goal is to load the fam in the Tundra and tow the pop up camper to light family wheeling/camping weekends. Thanks for the help. I'm going to bring our rear facing infant seat and the Britax marathon here to work, we have lots of Tundras. I'll spend some time switching the seats around and see if I can get comfortable. Thanks

 

[JOFS]

My Inlaws have a double cab, older version tundra, Car seats fit without an issue. My buddy has an access cab but never had the car seats in it. Seems that it would be tight.

I like the idea of trying it with your own seats as they all can be very different. My sister has a carseat that is almost twice the size of the ones we have.

The double cab I think would be the way to go with car seat concerns. I thought about it and went the sequoia route as we haul lots of people around.

Good luck
John

 

[Hank]

As discussed in the Chat thread, my Britax Marathon is about the biggest seat out there. However, it will stay in the Excursion and the smaller Graco ones will get used in the Tundra AC or DC. We have the Excursion for a family truckster so no need for a Sequoia. The Tundra is for a DD and light wheeler for me. Honestly fitting the kids in is a luxury I want so we can take it camping and wheeling instead of just taking the Excursion camping and not being able to wheel. I'm spoiled rotten you see... I'm working on the same for my kids.

 

[XtremeMarineInc]

I would have to say that at your height, I'd buy the 07'. Wait a couple of months and as the 08's get to dealer lots, the 7's will get price-cut. If you still can't swing it, buy the biggest 4 door cab 06 made. The extra cab with the little doors on the 06 and downs, have no room. When I bought my 07 Dualcab, I was looking at a one owner low mileage 06 4 door cab x-sp truck as well. The doublecab 07 was bigger in the interior than the 4 door 06.

 

[Hank]

07 & 08 are out. I did find a decent deal on an 05 Double Cab. I drove another Titan this morning also. The loaded Crew cab version and damn is that a better Nissan than I have ever been in. Good power, comfortable etc. I just don't think it will hang on the trail and with the other abuse I will give a truck. The lifts are basically the same for the Titan and the Tundra so that is no big deal. No biggie, Camry and Chevy have to go away first. Maybe even the FJ62.

 

[KliersLC]

Does the 62 just not have enough room for all your stuff?


For wheeling, the Access cab will be better because of the shorter wheelbase.....

 

[Hank]

The 62 has plenty of room. I'm trying to get out of old stuff. My DD Camry is in great shape but has 180,xxx on it, my 95 k1500 is also in great shape but has 190xxx on it and my cruiser is rusty and ugly but mechanically it is right. My goal is to get rid of three vehicles that have been excellent and get down to one low milage nice unit. Right now when I need the Excursion my wife has to pick from three old vehicles and she feels locked in town. I want her to be able to jump in the Tundra and have both kids (one 2YO and one on the way) safe and comfortable and go anywhere, any time of year. I also can lower my insurance by $140/month and in the last four months my maintenance costs have exceeded what a car payment would be. Both the Chevy and the Camry got transmissions and the Camry got injectors.

 

[97 FZJ80]

I have a 1st gen Tundra access cab as a daily driver. I don't wheel it at all since it was ordered as a work truck - V8 2WD with limit slip diff.

The access cab allows me to carry the kids in a pinch since I have two kids in car seats (1YO and 4YO). The two car seats are in the middle and passenger side position in the rear, so the front passenger side split bench has to move forward somewhat to accomodate the kids. This is usually okay since my wife is 5'1", but anyone taller than 5"4' would not fit comfortably in the front passenger seat.

When my 1YO was still in the rear facing position, we put the Britax in the middle position. We kept the center front seatback down as a armrest so the Britax in the rear-facing position can fit thru it.

The front seatback is also close enough such that the kids can kick the front seatback with their feet.

I really cannot image wheeling an AC Tundra. The long wheelbase makes maneuvering in the Texas parking lots a pain let alone a tight trail. I am also spoiled since I have an 80-series that I wheel and carry the entire family in comfort.

I plan on towing a pop-up when the weather cools down in the fall. I haven't decided if I would take the 80 or the Tundra. The Tundra, being lighter and with the V8, tows much better than the 80, but the 80 has a lot more interior room and rides like a Lexus

 

[Hank]

The Tundra is little and trails around here aren't that tight. I'm not going to be bouldering in this thing. I'm used crew cab long boxes with trailers behind them, or the Excursion with or without a trailer. I work with big trucks for a living, the Tundra is childs play to maneuver. Your kid seat info is damn good though. Especially since you use a Britax also. My wife is 5'8" so she might be a little tight but no big deal. We won't be going cross country. My 62 carries the family in comfort that isn't a problem at all. I need a pickup and I want less vehicles. I'm taking an 02 AC SR5 home later this week to put everything in. It already has a nice topper on it. We have an 06 here with an ARB bumper on it that will be swapped on if I buy. I'll put my 9.5TI on it or the 10,500 depending on what fits. I think the XD8000i is probably to small. After that, a little FOX, Total Chaos, Detroit, Deaver, XD series, stubbs welding, Mickey Thompson and it should be a fun ride.

 

[97 FZJ80]

Just to add that the Britax model we have is a Roundabout. The smaller version of the Britax Marathon.

 

[SPDSHFT]

I had an 01 AC w/the front bench and fold down cenetr console. As mention before, with the rear facing setup it will poke through between the front seats. Withe the Britax facing forward my son was putting his feet up on the center console. Im 6'1", so I too have to have my seat back a bit and that makes even less room. I now have an 04 DC and there is PLENTY of room for the car seat all the way across the back. My son will be 5yo in Nov and he is a giant. He has plenty of leg room, and I can get my seat where I need it. For the little differance in $ between the AC and DC, go with the DC. You will be much happier in the long run.

 

[Hank]

The little difference is $5-6000 and the difference between modding it right away and also having a loan or not. I'd prefer to bring it home and begin the mods and not stop by the bank. I'm sure you are right about the DC's extra room but I'm sure of my budget also.

 

[97 FZJ80]

Just remember something to add on the Access/Extended Cab Tundra. On my 02 AC, the rear tether is a pain to get at. If you have a car seat with the length adjustment near the hook, you won't be able to put it in the center position due to the tether hook being inside the armrest. The side position tether will work, but you will need a small hook that goes thru the loop in the rear bulkhead.

It's hard to explain, PM me offline if you need more info.

 

[Hank]

I am experienced now in the joys of the tether in an AC, no big deal once you have done it. Fortunately the seat would stay in it and not have to be moved often.

 

[jpete]

I fit three in the back of an 03

I bought an 03 Tundra access cab 4WD about 5 months ago. The suicide doors can be a pain in the rear end when getting the kids in and out while parked in a crowded parking lot. Other than that it isn't bad for room. I actually wanted a Tacoma but I have three kids and the back seat isn't wide enough on the Taco. My kids actually fit better in the back of the Tundra than in a 4Runner. I can put all three in the back and travel for a few hours without a lot of hassle. I am 6 ft tall and just have to move the drivers seat up a little with all three in back. The only negative, as mentioned by others, is the lack of leg room. My oldest who is nine actually can sit behind my seat with no problem. The two little ones in car seats are the ones that have trouble with leg room. They do okay though. We took the truck down to Chicago to get some furniture and it was okay. That was a three hour trip. That is about the max I would do.

I really wish I had the full four door version but I already spent way more than I wanted to on the 2003. I'm not sure when they started making the larger cab but I want one. However, if I only had two kids I would go with a four door Tacoma instead of a Tundra.

On a separate note, I was on the Toyota lot yesterday and the more I look at the new Tundra the more I hate it. It looks like a bulldog but not in a good way. My Tundra looks like a Toyota. The new Tundra looks like a cross between an F-150 and a Dodge Ram. I know a couple other old Tundra owners and we all wish Toyota would still make the old Tundras and just call it a midsize. The new Tundra is too big for me and the Taco is too small. Oh well, I guess I'll have to keep my 03 forever. Or at least until the kids are out of carseats and I shift to an FJ.

 

[dyogim]

I have a 2000 AC with split bench seats in the front. The center console is always down. My daughter's car seat sits right in the middle. Better for her. Instead of staring at the back of front seat all the time. As far as room, it's not bad. I have her get in and out through the front via the center console. My rig is set-up for wheelin' but, is used as a DD (wish I had more time to wheel).

 

[Hank]

For now the Tundra hunt is off. I will be doing some more work to the FJ62 and using it for the winter. I'm going to save up and go for a DC sans trip to the bank.