05 colorado extended cab

[scullysmom]

I know someone out there must know which type(s) of car seat will fit in my Colorado, while still allowing space enough for me to drive. here is the dilemma, no lock on the passenger side child is reaching 22 lbs mark, and the infant seat is already having me crunched for space. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Oh yes, I contacted Chevy (no help) the police dept and fire dept both said just buy some and try it out!!! Help!!!!!!!!!

	Infant Car Seats Infant-only rear-facing seats are for babies up to about 22 to 30 pounds, depending on the specific car seat. You will need a new seat when your child gets bigger. Infant-only seats have handles that allow you to move the seat from the car to the house or other locations. Some have a base that you can leave installed in the car, so you can just click the car seat into place each time you use it.

[Papooses]

What exactly does "no lock on the passenger side" mean? Every vehicle must have door locks (do you mean child locks?) & every vehicle since 1996 is required to have a manual seatbelt locking mechanism.... Double check your vehicle manual & this page might also be helpful > http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/lockincss.aspx

Beware that infant seats are outgrown not only by weight: is there at least 1" of space between the top of baby's head & the inside edge of the hard plastic shell/frame If not, then you need a new seat immediately!

I'm not very familiar with this specific truck, but I'm guessing it is front seat only? Is your infant seat currently installed in the center? If so, then baby is at serious risk from your driver's airbag If it's installed on the passenger side, please please please use the airbag shut off option (consult your vehicle manual).

Almost any carseat should install well on flat bench seats & it's OK if no more than 20% of the base hangs over the edge of the vehicle seat cushion. For vehicles without backseats I strongly urge you to keep kiddo rear-facing for as long as possible (mine was RF until 4 years old within the limits of her convertible seat) -- so I suggest a seat with the highest RF weight limit available in the US of 35# such as the Safety 1st Uptown (since it is also one of the narrowest options, easy to use, lightweight for travel, comfy + it has energy absorbing foam).

If baby has already outgrown the infant seat by height & an Uptown is not available locally, the Cosco Scenera is a good inexpensive choice -- not the overhead shield model, though (5 point harness is much safer) ... I would prefer is as a spare seat since it does not have energy absorbing foam (EPS/EPP like in bike helmets). Scenera is about $35-55, Uptown is about $90 & the price difference is worth it, IMO.

It's always a good idea to have a spare seat if baby ever rides in other vehicles because it reduces the risk of having the primary seat installed incorrectly from repeated uninstalling/reinstalling.

	Rear Facing Car Seats A rear-facing seat is one in which the infant faces the back of the car. Always install a rear-facing seat in the back seat of your car. This is the safest position for an infant. NEVER place a rear-facing seat in the front seat of a vehicle with passenger airbags.

	Convertible Car Seats Convertible seats are for infants and toddlers. The seat can be used as a rear-facing seats for younger children, and switched to a forward-facing seat on the child's first birthday if the child weighs at least 20 pounds. However, experts recommend keeping the child in a rear-facing position until he or she outgrows the weight or height allowed by the safety seat.

	Infant Car Seats Infant-only rear-facing seats are for babies up to about 22 to 30 pounds, depending on the specific car seat. You will need a new seat when your child gets bigger. Infant-only seats have handles that allow you to move the seat from the car to the house or other locations. Some have a base that you can leave installed in the car, so you can just click the car seat into place each time you use it.

[scullysmom]

Thanks, It actually has a back compartment with sort of seats. The are little bitty things called jump seats, but not the side jump seats that are illegal to put a child on. The problem with the passenger door is that it has locks, but no availability to unlock them from the outside. Basically they are manual locks with no key hole on the passenger door. So my problems are lack of space, lack of access and a very small seat base to fasten a car seat. I am imagining there are no good answers, but I was hoping perhaps I am incorrect

[Papooses]

Hmmm....

The fact that the passenger door cannot be unlocked from the outside would be a huge PITA for getting a kid into a carseat in the back -- what was Chevy they thinking? Oh, I bet the same guy who designed that designed the center seat of my old Blazer in which carseats could not be installed (& yet lap belts are unsafe for anything else)

Does the passenger seat slide forward at least?

It's safe if at least 80% of the carseat base is on the vehicle seat cushion + if the carseat moves less than 1" at the belt path, so you might be able to get a convertible installed in the back. It may need to be rather upright, but anything between 30-45 degrees is safe. Only infants need the 45 degree recline to prevent the airway from being cut off. It could be a hassle, but I would try to figure out how to slide the passenger seat forward & get babe in the backseat

Do you mind if I copy/paste your question(s) to some other techs with more Chevy experience

	Convertible Car Seats Convertible seats are for infants and toddlers. The seat can be used as a rear-facing seats for younger children, and switched to a forward-facing seat on the child's first birthday if the child weighs at least 20 pounds. However, experts recommend keeping the child in a rear-facing position until he or she outgrows the weight or height allowed by the safety seat.

[shabby]

I am not very familiar with this specific truck, but I am guessing it is front seat only? Is your infant seat currently installed in the center? If so, then baby is at serious risk from your driver's airbag If it's installed on the passenger side, please please please use the airbag shut off option (consult your vehicle manual).

shabby

	Infant Car Seats Infant-only rear-facing seats are for babies up to about 22 to 30 pounds, depending on the specific car seat. You will need a new seat when your child gets bigger. Infant-only seats have handles that allow you to move the seat from the car to the house or other locations. Some have a base that you can leave installed in the car, so you can just click the car seat into place each time you use it.