Car Seat

[drewbop]

so i recently totaled my truck ('01 ranger extcab) and am in the market for a new one. i'm thinking of moving to a full size truck for the fact within the next few years i'm sure i will need to room for a car seat. i'm looking to spend 5k-15k and am wondering if i can get away with getting an ext cab or would i be better off getting a crew cab?

i have a couple buddies that swear by the crew cabs (1 kid and 3 kids), but they are so much spendier...

i have seen a good deal on a dakota crew cab which interested me. i know the dakota isnt full size, but it is a little bigger than my ranger was.

was wondering what everyone else thinks?

thanks!

[MJ1657]

Crew cabs are nice but if you can get a nicer (lower miles, more options, better cared for etc.) extended cab for the money I would'nt hesitate to get one.

If you get an extended cab make sure all four "doors" open.

[ChuckN]

I went from a Ranger ext. cab to F150 ext. cab and a baby forced us to get a crew, but F250. Plenty of room in the F250 crew!

I'm sure the Dakota crew cab would be ok. I just know the F150 ext. cab wasn't very roomy, and sometimes one of us has to sit next to the baby during a trip....not comfy.

[muddpuppy]

Ext will do for 1-2 car seats. It's tight but dooable the 3rd is where I am having problems...... good luck I would got Crew from the getgo. I have a 03 silverado 1500

[drewbop]

i'm looking at an 03 silverado ext cab this afternoon. if it fits at least 2 car seats i might giv'r a go just because by the time i have 3 seats to fit i think i'll be able to afford a crew then (hopefully).

my wife thinks i should get an ext cab cause she thinks it'll save more on gas mileage vs a crew cab? (just had that convo) i'll hafta to do some searching to see if it would be true.

[BoxMN]

I don't have little ones, if I did probably crew for sure... but one thing, those crew cabs have tiny boxes... unless you can fid the rare one with at least a true short bed, not a tiny 5'+... Maybe it doesn't matter, but something to consider. I could not handle those little boxes, and it drives me nuts when we take one for a hunting trip - though the ride is nicer for guy in back seat, haha!

[witgey&water]

I had to go from an ext xcab to a crew with the second kid because the rear facing car seat did not give the passenger enough space. With only one kid you can put the rear facing car seat in the middle and both driver and passenger have enough leg room.

[gunmunky]

I had a crew cab, totally loved it. I thought that an extended cab would be fine. I like the truck but never again will I buy an extended cab. It's a pain when putting groceries in the back because both doors are opened in opposite directions and if someone parks beside you its a pain. My kid is a teenager and its a little tight a times. Get a crew and avoid the headaches later.

[jwhjr]

I had to go from an ext xcab to a crew with the second kid because the rear facing car seat did not give the passenger enough space. With only one kid you can put the rear facing car seat in the middle and both driver and passenger have enough leg room.

Witgey that's because you had one of those tiny Ford ext cabs . We get all 6 in the Chevy no problem.

[drewbop]

are the chevy ext cabs that much bigger than fords? my buddy has an '01 chevy ext cab and we fit 5 ez in it. i've never had a baby seat so i have no idea how big they are... would they fit in a chevy ext cab and not a ford ext cab?

[drewbop]

also another question: how well do the dakotas haul a trailer? such as a boat or something like that? i like the idea of getting a sized truck, but want to have enough power to pull a boat or a trailer with a couple snowmobiles on it...

[witgey&water]

The Chevy ext cab is Bigger!!!! By 10mm per Motortrend's web page

Ford 2003 Ext Cab:

•Internal dimensions: front headroom (mm): 1,036, rear headroom (mm): 960, front hip room (mm): 1,549, rear hip room (mm): 1,605, front leg room (mm): 1,039, rear leg room (mm): 818, front shoulder room (mm): 1,621 and rear shoulder room (mm): 1,621

Chevy 2003 Ext Cab:

•Internal dimensions: front headroom (mm): 1,041, rear headroom (mm): 975, front hip room (mm): 1,560, rear hip room (mm): 1,562, front leg room (mm): 1,049, rear leg room (mm): 856, front shoulder room (mm): 1,656 and rear shoulder room (mm): 1,684

That is not enough to make a big diffence in my case I am 6'6" The other reason I like the crew cab is no more kicking the back of my seat = no dirt/snow on the back of my seat

[jwhjr]

Just giving you a hard time MV. I rode in the back of your Ext Cab on our first trip to Thunder and had to sit sideways.

[LightningBG]

also another question: how well do the dakotas haul a trailer? such as a boat or something like that? i like the idea of getting a sized truck, but want to have enough power to pull a boat or a trailer with a couple snowmobiles on it...

A dakota will do fine pulling a trailer.

[bigswede]

go with a crew if you can. I have 2 boys 4 and 2 and with them in their seats it would be way too short in the ext. cab. Now granted I HAVE to hav ethe front seat all the way back, but starat with the crew. You will be happier. No real mpg difference either ext. vs. crew in the 1/2 tons

[LightningBG]

I'd go crew too. My next truck will be a crew (SUV for now).

I just dont want to have to open the door every time the little rascals need to get in or out (once they're old enough to hop out on their own)

If you have a extended and go to drop jr off at soccer and he/she is sitting in back, they cant even open the door from the back, so you have to open yours, get out, open theirs, close theirs get back in, close yours.

Maybe I'm just lazy.

[311Hemi]

I had to go from an ext xcab to a crew with the second kid because the rear facing car seat did not give the passenger enough space. With only one kid you can put the rear facing car seat in the middle and both driver and passenger have enough leg room.

I have a Dodge Quad cab and there is no way I would consider a smaller cab if you are looking to use a car seat or two. Maybe other cabs are a ton bigger than the Dodge Quad, but the rear facing car seats are pretty large and they take up a good amount of space even in a quad. I have a rear facing car seat on the passenger side and the seat must be must forward to get it to fit properly. I can try to get pics of mine at some point.

Also, unless there is an additional door for an extended cab I would absolutely hate having to climb in to the extended cab to buckle the kid in. I do it in my dads extended cab once in a while when they watch our kid and it's a pain in the @#$.

My recommendation would be to find a rear facing car seat that you can bring around as you check vehicles out. That will give you an idea of what you would be deal with.