Advice For Father Of Three

[Sergeum]

So I've been driving my '11 F150 SCrew 5.0L for 9 years! It has been a great truck but I'm seriously getting the itch to change things up. This is the longest I've had a vehicle. A big part of me wants to downsize as 95% of the time, I'm alone in this mammoth.

Here's the challenge... I have 3 kids that I pick up everyday after work. We have 5 year old twins and an 8 year old teenager. Now that I only require 2 booster seats, outboard in the second row, I was thinking a Ranger might be a good option. I've always been a truck guy and we tow a few times per year at the Lake. I stopped by a Dealership yesterday and tried sliding across the back seat into the middle position. Oh boy! Now I think having 3 kids across in that back seat may not be the most ideal situation.

Please help give me some perspective! I'm not sure why I have such a strong desire to downsize with 3 growing kids. I feel it's a good time to sell the F150...it still has a little bit of resale value. Also keep in mind that our main family vehicle is an '18 Odyssey so longer trips are covered.

Thanks in advance...

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[jsphlynch]

So I've been driving my '11 F150 SCrew 5.0L for 9 years! It has been a great truck but I'm seriously getting the itch to change things up. This is the longest I've had a vehicle. A big part of me wants to downsize as 95% of the time, I'm alone in this mammoth.

Here's the challenge... I have 3 kids that I pick up everyday after work. We have 5 year old twins and an 8 year old teenager. Now that I only require 2 booster seats, outboard in the second row, I was thinking a Ranger might be a good option. I've always been a truck guy and we tow a few times per year at the Lake. I stopped by a Dealership yesterday and tried sliding across the back seat into the middle position. Oh boy! Now I think having 3 kids across in that back seat may not be the most ideal situation.

Please help give me some perspective! I'm not sure why I have such a strong desire to downsize with 3 growing kids. I feel it's a good time to sell the F150...it still has a little bit of resale value. Also keep in mind that our main family vehicle is an '18 Odyssey so longer trips are covered.

Thanks in advance...

Father of three here, too. My perspective might be a little different than yours because I was upsizing (from a prev gen regular cab ranger), so my new crew cab is cavernous compared to what I'm used to.

When we all slip into our Ranger, it's 2 boosters and a forward facing car seat in the back, which just fits. I have absolutely no worry about my kids growing with this vehicle. Our true family hauler is a Kia Sorento, which does work better for most around town family hauling duties, but any major trips are going to be in the Ranger.

Do you have any specific concerns, other than that kids grow pretty quick?

 

[Sergeum]

Father of three here, too. My perspective might be a little different than yours because I was upsizing (from a prev gen regular cab ranger), so my new crew cab is cavernous compared to what I'm used to.

When we all slip into our Ranger, it's 2 boosters and a forward facing car seat in the back, which just fits. I have absolutely no worry about my kids growing with this vehicle. Our true family hauler is a Kia Sorento, which does work better for most around town family hauling duties, but any major trips are going to be in the Ranger.

Do you have any specific concerns, other than that kids grow pretty quick?

Thanks so much for the quick reply! That's great that I can get your perspective... having 3 kids also.

My only concern was the actual space in the back for them. In the F150, the 8 year old sits in the middle as she can do her own belt. My twins sit outboard so I can buckle them in. Not worried about legroom for the twins... it's the space for my oldest when she sits on the middle hump. That center console really seemed to prevent the legs from being in a natural position. But again, that was me @ 5'9". I've got a few years before she reaches me.

We test drove a Ridgeline last month. It's supposed to have the roomiest second-row in a mid-size truck. Our oldest seemed very squished in the middle. That being said... I think it was around -35C so they were all bundled up!

 

[Hot Pepper Red Zeppelin]

I hauled 2 kids from the time they were 13 to 16 yrs old in my 96 Ranger every day to school in the morning in those ridiculous jumpseats They alternated each day which one would sit in the back. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

 

[t4thfavor]

I have two boys age 7 and 9, other than throwing hands at each other every time they are in the truck they fit fine. It would probably be better if I put a carseat in the middle they couldn't reach across.

 

[Sergeum]

I have two boys age 7 and 9, other than throwing hands at each other every time they are in the truck they fit fine. It would probably be better if I put a carseat in the middle they couldn't reach across.

With my three being squished shoulder-to-shoulder, they won't be able to swing at each other... might be plus!

 

[Sergeum]

They fit! But what a difference from the SCrew F150

 

[Mokume]

Unrelated to your post but I'd still like to share this.
An Uncle and Aunt of mine would visit us periodically in the mid to late sixties in a Chevy wagon stretch-out shown here, a '62 is shown, he had a '63.
Both of them, ahem were "busy", they had 7 kids, my Uncle was tired of hearing them argue who's about getting a window seat, seriously. He worked as a tour bus driver, supposedly the company he worked for ordered the Chevy new, it came with a "three on the tree" instead of an automatic, so he got it cheaply.

https://images.app.goo.gl/NHoys3wT6AVBEEtcA

 

[t4thfavor]

They fit! But what a difference from the SCrew F150

Ah, I see it's 4 minutes in, and they've already put mud and dirt all over everything. I guess I'm not alone...

Get the huskyliners like yesterday.

 

[THLONE]

They fit! But what a difference from the SCrew F150

They look happy to me. Cute as all get out. Teach them to put their own seat belts on and let the oldest sit behind the pass seat that has more leg room.

 

[Jon Olivier]

I had an '02 Silverado with the extra cab while the kids were growing up. All 3 learned to drive in the truck. We did have an SUV (Highlander and Rav4) for most outings, but we used the truck when we needed to all go out together, and take a bunch of stuff with us. As soon as the kids were out of the house, I downsized to the Ranger. The full-size bed made it that much easier as each kid moved out. My advice is, keep the larger truck until it's not needed anymore.

 

[John Lyman]

So I'm a family of 5 - my kids are older than yours - my eldest son will be 18 in May - 5'7 - my 10 year old and 9 year old all fit in the back granted it can be snug (the two younger our in boosters) but they are fine on short rides. Granted they wouldn't want to do a long trip in there, but short trips are okay.

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