2003 4x4 7.3L Diesel Sportsmobile - $49900

[gzzd]

Yeah - it sucks selling it... And we haven't even taken it outside California/Oregon yet.

Out of curiosity - does anyone here have any experience installing (or ever seen) a baby seat on a sideways couch?

I think another captains chair would make it very cramped, but I've been tinkering with the idea of somehow installing the baby seat rear/forward facing on the couch or simply adding new bolts onto the floor behind the passenger seat that could be used to attach the baby seat.

[Ben10281]

I have a car seat installed for our son on our sideways gaucho. I connect the seat to the middle lap belt as you would install any car seat with a lap belt. Then I run the car seat's top anchor webbing strap down behind the gaucho and connect a locking carabiner(meant for climbing not a cheapo one!) to a loop of rock climbing webbing which is attached to the metal tubing that makes up the gaucho frame. Then even though my son is 6 and in our normal car he sits in a booster, in the van I still have the seat in car seat mode so he is still strapped into the car seat harness.

The reason I recommended the rear captains chair was due to the fact that your little one could A) face forward/rearward in their seat and B) you could potentially get a newer seat with the LATCH connectors, but I hear you on the cramped space.

[mikracer]

Originally Posted by rallypanam

It's a little too far for me. It's parked about 100 feet from my house right now.. gzzd is a neighbor.

I knew you would be around the action!

[gzzd]

Ben10281 - Now you got me excited!! Do you have any pictures you could share?

[86Scotty]

I agree. Try to make it work. You'll regret selling that van!

[copescobra]

Just my 2 cents-
I do not think you will ever be able to come close to replacing it with another SMB you will be happy with after owning this one.

You will no doubt be paying much more and having to pay a lot in mechanical or update costs like any vehicle when you 1st acquire it, unless prior owners really spent money all the way up to selling it.

So just be sure you want to let it go before you do so.

Could be a great vehicle for your growing family especially now when I would rather be in my sports mobile with a new family rather than hotels for children under the age of 7.

Good luck if you sell it otherwise hang onto it for a few years and love it.

[Ben10281]

gzzd, my van is in the shop currently, but as soon as I get it home(hopefully this weekend or early next week) I will take some detailed pics for you. I would definitely hold out. I can tell you that at least for me the call to get out there and do stuff only increases when the little ones arrive. Its more work for sure, but it is soooo worth it.

I will post up pics as soon as I can.

[alta825]

Keep it, especially if it is not a Daily Driver. Did any of us ride in 5 pt harness car seats when we were kids? I think not, and we all came out fine...There are ways you 'can' make the carseat work for trips. As the little ones get a little older, the SMB regardless of layout, makes Family Adventures super fun for all. My kiddos get all fired up whenever we load up the van for another outing.

[86Scotty]

I think enough people, including me, have hounded you about how you should keep this one. Ultimately of course it is up to you. I would like to add, however, that it looks like you have plenty of room to add a minivan rear bucket seat right behind the passenger seat. These are almost always removable. You can have a welder put the tracks in the floor and then you can get it out of your way when you need to, even at camp, to open up the space. Personally, though, I would just strap the baby seat facing forward at the back of the couch, up against the closet wall. It's easy to add straps. My kids have been on sideways couches in my van for the last few years. I tend to think a lot like Alta (above) though and I know that's not easy when you're expecting your first little one.

[BajaSportsmobile]

Sell the kid - problem (lots of them) solved!