Very good point Tennessee that is why I want to get as close to manufacturer as possible. I don't want to take short cuts so that is as safe as possible. I don't want it to be facing the rear that is for sure. Right now I can't fit all the kids in the X because of the bucket seats in the second row. So I will probably wait until I get the diesel with the bench in the second row before I start looking more seriously.

 

Another approach might be to ask www.littlepassengerseats.com for a copy of the installation instructions for their seat so you can "review" what needs to be done before making your decision about buying their seat.

You may be able to see how you could use their instructions to PROPERLY adapt an EXCURSION 3rd ROW to be used as your new 4th ROW seating.

If you get pictures of their hardware and are mechanical enough you can fabricate what you need and have a safe install with lap belts.

Just my $0.02 and hope this helps. Might be worth a try. Ernie.

 

Littlepassengerseats is rear facing. Rear facing is argueably safer than front facing given most accidents are head to head. A marine friend of mine noted military aircraft seat rear facing; it's the safest. In a collision, I could see the rear glass splattering into the passengers. But that's not different than the front windshield, though maybe the rear glass is not the shatter resistant stuff windshields are made of. A fwd facing 4th seat would require some gymnastics moves to get into.. either hoping over the 3rd seat or entering from the read and hoping over the 4th seat itself.

 

Most accidents are not head on but are rear enders. Think about it. You follow traffic and are hit in the rear or hit someone in the rear. Sure head on or offset frontal hits occur but not at near the same rate.
I agree a rear facing seat would be the safest option. Volvo and Audi use them in their wagons. I spent plenty of time in one when a kid in the back of a Fairlane wagon. Looking out the rear kinda stunk on a long trip but better than my head against the rear glass in hindsight as an adult.


Just look up the Chrysler/Dodge lawsuit on minivans back in the 90's where they had faulty seats in the rear inches from the back glass. Upon rear impact the seatback would snap back and the passenger would slide loose from seatbelt and be thrown out back of van. OUCH! Typical for Mopar though. They have quite a history over there. Ford just has flamin' Pintos to try and live down.
CEO: "How much is the recall gonna cost? Holy Schnikes! OK, our numbers guy says we can expect this many deaths if we don't recall. It's cheaper, we can keep it quiet, Let'em die."

 

So I see this is a pretty old post but has anyone come up with a good way to do this yourself, I could use a couple extra seating positions for long road trips........

 

The tahoe/escalade third row puts your head
right up against the back window. No room
for a tiny suitcase back there either.

 

Well I found a couple aftermarket companies that make a rear facing 4th row seat, which is the only way to go, but they are crazy expensive. So I was just wondering if anyone had made another seat work. I don't think it would be too difficult, my old wrangler had a pretty low backseat, I bet one of them would work pretty good.......I will have to explore this more......besides the roof has all kinds of room for storage.....

 

LITTLE PASSENGER SEATS - 3rd or 4th row bench

here you go.. 500 bucks.

You can get 9 in an X if you put a bench seat in front and regular middle seat in it.

 

Sorry, but I wouldn't trust those that I love to ride in a seat from that company or any home-brew seat scenario. Unless we have auto engineers in the group with access to equipment to properly test the mounts, bolts, shear forces, etc. etc. etc., NO WAY would I put people in those seats.

 

Well not to sound like an *** but you probably think I am, but its not like I'd be making a seat out of plywood and 2x4s, I would be using an automotive seat, and you can get all the info on strengths of bolts and so on. The roll cage in my Jeep wasn't built by some overpaid no common sense having bozo with a degree, and I trust it to protect my whole family when we are out in the woods and gullies playing, I will just do my thing because everyone has their opinion and is entitled to it, that's why I asked here.....to get opinions. I will leave this subject alone now, Thanx for all your input.

 

Its an interesting idea and the X is certainly big enough. I would be cautious about mounting a 4th row seat made from the factory 3rd row seat and mounts. The third row was designed to hold in an impact the way its oriented. If you flip it around you are reversing the engineering and I wouldn't feel confident that its got the same safety characteristics the other way around. That's a total guess on my part but I think its a reasonable question. Equally as important would be seat belts and mounting points. I wouldn't stick my kids in a fabrication like that. But that's just me.

 

I gotta say, this product looks quite good. Meets Federal safety standards and all that. I'd love to know how it mounts. Their basic package doesn't have shoulder belts (and passes safety standards?) so I would opt for the deluxe package with the shoulder belts. For $1000 you have a whole new certified safe seating row. That's not too bad.

Ford Excursion 00-05

 

Obviously there are other prefab kits out there, and $$ too. I don't have the pics on my work laptop, but I'll see if I can get them sent from my buddy. In a couple hours we installed a seat from an astro van into the back, very similar to the little seat thing shown above, except only cost about $50 total.

 

I have talked to this company. The seat can be mounted rear of forward facing. They only want it rear facing so that no one can accidentally release the 3rd row. the release could easily be kicked and the 3rd row could come loose in an accident or hard stop.

 

Or by an OLDER brother/sister sitting in the 4th row behind HIS/HER
younger brother/sister...
Not that "I" would EVER do that..