best baby seat/access for VX?

[Binger]

Anyone out there have advice for a good baby seat for the VX? Any advice on the easiest way of taking the seat in and out of the VX...is it easier from the rear door with one seat folded down...etc.?

Also My wife is due the end March and complains about access to the rear seat. I saw Tone made a kit, that makes good use of all that extra room infront of the seats, so they can actualy slide forward. Seems the passenger seat will hit the console if it slides much futher than stock on my 2001, but the drivers seat seems like it could slide a foot further without hitting anything...has anyone made a kit for the drivers seat?

Thankyou!

[kpaske]

I put my car seat behind the driver's seat. I take the seat in and out through the rear door, but when I go to remove it, I reach behind my seat and disconnect the seat first, setting it on top of the folded-down half of the bench seat, then retrieve it from the rear.

It's not the easiest arrangement in the world, but it still allows a passenger to get in and out of the passenger side door, and it's easier for the driver to disconnect the seat from the base if it's located behind the driver's seat. If I can figure out how to safely disconnect or remove the airbag however, I might relocate it to the front seat.

[Vasha13]

I am having troubles with this one also. I also release from the front seat but remove the whole thing from the rear door. This is much easier if you are a tall guy - not so easy for a shorter woman. As the baby gets heavier, it is almost dangerous. I am having Tone make some seat extenders for the front passenger seat and see if that extra 6" clearance makes it any easier to get the car seat in/out. Otherwise, I think I am moving the car seat to behind the driver's seat and removing the front passenger seat altogether. I keep telling myself it's only until she's old enough to hop up in there herself and then all I have to do is buckle her in. Any other suggestions are definitely welcome!

[kpaske]

I keep telling myself it's only until she's old enough to hop up in there herself and then all I have to do is buckle her in.

Even without a lift, that could be a loooong time - maybe 3 or 4 years?

Please let us know what happens with your seat extenders. If that solution works it would make it a whole lot easier on me and especially my wife.

[TYGVR]

This is not an easy task but I like the VX soo much I deal with it.


I can help. I have a 6 week old and a 2- year old so I currently have a bucket-base (for travel system) and a car seat in my VX. Are you using a car seat or travel system base? is it going to be front or rear facing? (state laws differ)

For rear facing the best way thru the back. BASE INSTALLATION: Removing the headrest helps much just store them somewhere for now. Fold both seats towards the rear when installing. For tightening (it is tricky but I recommend a "mighty tight" $16 walmart) you will need one bath towel. Roll up the bath towel under the seat or base (towards rear) to level it. Tighten the seat belt as much as possible. You will notice that the seat (BASE) might not seem really tight with the seat back down but when you put the seat back up it pushes the child seat slightly forward and tightens it. If you have a infant carrier bucket I recommend installing it on the passenger side the carrier handle fits better when flipped down (recomended for safety). USAGE: To place the carrier into the VX open rear door (never have car running exhaust will enter car), Flip seat towards you and place carrier on base and make sure it locks in. Slide carrier handle forward (may need to kneel into VX), flip seat up. To remove carrier I have done it three ways: 1- open rear door flip both seats down crawl into car, pull base release and lift carrier out of base. You can leave the seats this way if the headrests are off otherwise you have to put the seats back up to close door. 2- from passengers side (outside of car) slide seat forward squeeze in and pull release and lift carrier out of base place carrier on drivers side seat slide passenger seat back take carrier out of car (you can install seat this way (reversing steps) it is just more difficult).

This was from an earlier post my boys are now 1 1/2 and 3 they are both are in car seats. It is easy for the 3 year old to crawl in but I still have to put the 1 1/2 year old into the seat behind the passenger seat almost crawling in to th VX to buckle him in. That is why we usually use the wife's minivan.

Good Luck!

[PeteVX]

I've posted this before but it might be helpful to someone new....Having the same issues with baby seat access and also being a little worried about getting to my kid in the back in the event of an accident or fire i decided to put him in the front passenger seat like in my old wrangler jeep.

To do this safely and legally though you have to have a passenger side air bag disconnect switch. First contact the NHTSA who regulate air bag use, you fill in a form requesting permission to install an airbag disconnect stating why, they give you written permission then contact Airbag solutions online and order the switch. Its a key operated switch with led display lights that has to be installed in view of the driver and passenger. The switch basically just interrupts the two wires to the airbag, comes with full instructions and after crimping on two connectors just plugs in and can be removed easily.

Took me about a week to get permission, cost $199 for the switch kit and about an hour to install. Now my kid rides upfront with me most of the time, in the back when i have other passengers, I use a Cosco seat that can be installed very snugly in about 30 seconds, i move it back and forth between the VX and the boring family astro wagon thing. (my kid prefers the VX though ...good taste at 2 1/2 !!

As well as the ease of getting in and out i beleive he is safer in the front seat, researchers say you should position the child as close to the center of the vehicle as poss for safety, the front seat is nearer the cennter than the rear too.

Pete

[CSTYLES]

I Know this has been posted here before but, here is the BEST baby seat I have seen for the VX.
Kinda makes me want to have a kid so I can shell out $279.

(Is that what baby seats cost?)

http://www.newdimensions.com/Pictures/recaro/5000GR.jpg

[TYGVR]

I have two of the yellow Eddie Bauer shown on the site below for my Proton VX. They are discontinued and I had a hard time finding mine, but they look really good!

http://www.best-buy-store.us/carseats.htm

[Vasha13]

I have the Eddie Bauer - red-orange/black combo to match my VX interior! We're either cool or geeks!

[driver3]

Someone posted a while back that they open the back door, recline the back seat, put the kid in, and the incline the seat back up.. it's supposed to be easy to buckle the kids and a fun ride for them at the same time.... I dont' know if this makes sense for all car seats depending on how they attach but it seems reasonable.. (I don't have kids or first hand knowledge of this one)

[ron]

Seat extenders WILL make life alot easier when loading and unloading your baby. Before the seat extenders were installed, I used to carry my daughter in her cradle with one arm and sat it on top of the arm rest. Then I'd tilt the passenger seat carefully forward and lean in towards the rear of the cabin and carry the cradle into its pre-fastened base. Got more difficult and awkward as she got heavier. Once I installed the extenders, it allowed me to carry her right into the now forward facing seat without issues. I can actually get to the back and buckle her up in seconds. I have the original extenders made by "Big MeatVX" back when it first came out. Tone's I beleive are just as good, if not, a bit more polished the second time around. Definitely a must have when accessing your child in the back.

The child seat I currently use is by Evenflo and I forget the model number but it's somewhat "clam shell" shaped. I bought it because there were not only great reviews about the seat (comfort, ease of installation and buckling, etc.) but also because I was part of the prototyping and development before it was released. I actually hand-shaped the overall dimensions and countour of the design on the foam mock-up model which was immediately accepted by Evenflo and later manufactured. I was surprised and thrilled to see the actual product out in the market, as there were 3 other designs to be considered, and bought it on the spot.

[Binger]

Thanks for all the advice...I'll let you know were this goes... Looks like another extender and rear door latch release customer for TONE. My father thought I should have a "third door" cut and finished by a good cutom body shop. Sounds cool, maybe cobble some parts from a toyota prerunner/tacoma "third door"... but this seems like the eaier route.

Binger