Safest way to travel with 6 in a pickup?

[prestonbunch]

We have a Dodge Ram 2500 megacab as a tow vehicle. There are five of us -- hubby and I and three kids, ages 6, 7 and 9.

In August we're going to a music festival about four hours away. DD9 is bring a friend along. We are trying to decide the safest way for all six of us to travel in the pickup. The middle of the front seat only has a lap belt. My DD6 will still fit in a five-point harness booster seat, but I'm not sure it's safe to strap it in with only a lap belt.

Any family of six here have any advice for getting everyone there?

[toedtoes]

You stated that the truck has a passenger side airbag off switch. Switch it off.
Put the youngest in booster seat in the back seat. Put daughter and friend in the back seat. Put the 3rd child in the passenger seat. Husband drives. Wife sits in middle front.

No airbag to hurt child in front passenger seat. Daughter and friend get to sit together happily. Booster seat properly set up in the backseat so no worries there. Everyone fastened in, everyone safe. Drive carefully. Enjoy the music festival.

[TexasShadow]

see what I mean about not asking for opinions from others? LOL

[SCVJeff]

And THAT as they say, is that... 🙂

[prestonbunch]

APT wrote:
Do you own another vehicle besides the Megacab? You mentioned a van. How about a more efficient car? 2-4 people in the Megacab and 4-2 in the other car. Your wife can drive.

Ummm . . . I am the wife. LOL

Yes, we have a Chrysler Town and Country van. It's a four-hour trip and I hated to drive two vehicles just because of the price of gas and also because I'm not sure what the parking situation will be there. It's a music festival and will be packed, I'm sure.

Also, we live in a one-stoplight town and I'm not a "crazy traffic, multi-lane" driver in unfamiliar territory. I'm not sure what kind of roads we'll encounter on the way. My husband drives truck for a living, so it doesn't bother him. I'd really like us all to be together in one vehicle.

Once we get there, we won't be doing any local driving. It's a four-day music festival with passes to the adjacent amusement park/waterpark. I don't think we'll have any need to leave the premises once we arrive.

[ktosv]

Francesca Knowles wrote:
Per the above:
Middle position up front is not in a front air bag's "line of fire". It's also safest from side impact point of view, as is also true of middle in the back seat.

I wouldn't be to sure of that. Back when airbags were becoming mainstream and 6 passenger cars were still available, I remember advertisements boasting about how the airbag would protect the middle passenger too.

Other than pulling the FMVSS standard for airbags and seeing if it requires occupant protection for all front seat passengers, I am not sure how one would verify if their front passenger airbag covers the middle passenger or not. If the owners manual states no rearward facing car seats to be used in that position, I am willing to bet the airbag protects that occupant or encroaches on their space.

[Hammerhead]

I used to take naps in the back of the station wagon when I didn't feel like sitting in the middle seat with three siblings. We were in a rollover accident when I was 11 years old and I was pinned under the car when it was all over. Fortunately, there were some fence posts nearby that my dad used to make a lever so they could pull me out. A nasty scar on my left leg and small scars on my right arms were the only permanent damage although my broken ribs right next to my heart kept me in the hospital for a while.

Tachdriver wrote:

Stefonius wrote:
Travel back in time to 1978 and put the kids in the pickup bed. 😄

I was just thinking how I used to take up the whole back seat on car trips after my older sister got older and stop going on family vacations....no seat belts.

How things have changed.

[Francesca_Knowl]

APT wrote:
Do you own another vehicle besides the Megacab? You mentioned a van. How about a more efficient car? 2-4 people in the Megacab and 4-2 in the other car. Your wife can drive.

Dividing the family between two cars actually DOUBLES the chances of an accident occurring that will affect the family.

[TexasATM]

I wouldn't ever consider taking two cars on a 4 hour trip if it could be avoided. Taking two cars would double my fuel bill and also require another driver. My wife will drive, but she'd rather not on long trips.

We had a car seat in the middle of my single cab truck for several years and drove out of town with it. Was it ideal? Not really, but it beat the heck out of taking two cars!

[APT]

Do you own another vehicle besides the Megacab? You mentioned a van. How about a more efficient car? 2-4 people in the Megacab and 4-2 in the other car. Your wife can drive.

[prestonbunch]

APT wrote:
There are vans that can carry 8-15 people and tow an 8k loaded TT.

For one relatively short trip, I'd just take two cars. In the best case no one will be comfortable with 3+3 in a pickup but you are safe. Worst case is what you are trying to minimize by all the who-sits-where analysis. The marginal cost of taking an extra vehicle seems pretty small compared to the whole trip cost let alone the safety and comfort.

Right, but I have a family of five and don't need one that big on a normal day . . . just for this trip.

And I did look into renting an appropriate tow-vehicle, but apparently it is not easy to find a place that will allow you to tow with a rented vehicle?

[Francesca_Knowl]

ependydad wrote:

Terryallan wrote:
Put mama in the middle, and the oldest in the passenger seat.

I'm fairly certain that this is how I'd approach this scenario.

It wouldn't sit well with me having a car/booster seat up front. Can't entirely say why- but likely it's the air bag thing.

Way, w-a-a-a-ay too much overthinking goin' on here...the main way seatbelts/child restraint systems save lives is by holding the body in place.

Per the above:
Middle position up front is not in a front air bag's "line of fire". It's also safest from side impact point of view, as is also true of middle in the back seat.

As my Mom always says:
"Love yer kids at home- and belt 'em in the car!" :B

[APT]

There are vans that can carry 8-15 people and tow an 8k loaded TT.

For one relatively short trip, I'd just take two cars. In the best case no one will be comfortable with 3+3 in a pickup but you are safe. Worst case is what you are trying to minimize by all the who-sits-where analysis. The marginal cost of taking an extra vehicle seems pretty small compared to the whole trip cost let alone the safety and comfort.

[prestonbunch]

Terryallan wrote:
Dude. Put mama in the middle, and the oldest in the passenger seat. Don't over think this, and don't make it harder than it has to be.
OR buy a van.

I have a van. But my van can't pull a 36-foot travel trailer.

[ependydad]

Terryallan wrote:
Put mama in the middle, and the oldest in the passenger seat.

I'm fairly certain that this is how I'd approach this scenario.

It wouldn't sit well with me having a car/booster seat up front. Can't entirely say why- but likely it's the air bag thing.

[APT]

8 hours of travel time (plus and local driving) that close together? What is 500 miles of fuel cost in driving a second vehicle? That's about $50 in my DD and well worth the personal space.