MeanGreen

If I make the leap to the Dodge, I've toyed with the Megacab and getting it converted to a longbed (or buy one already done....I have my eye on one) but if that doesn't work out I have thought about the quad with a long bed. I test fitted my child's car seat in the back of a quad and was disappointed in the room (I was really hoping the quad would be enough) I'm coming from a 97 F350 crewcab so I'm used to having a little space.
Anyway, I was wondering if anyone has pictures or helpful advice about carseats (both forward and rearward facing) in the quads. My wife is 5'-11"and I'm 6'-3" So I can't just ram the front seats forward toward the dash.
I know the easy answer is get a megacab, but I'd like to see what others in my position have done, since an 8' bed is a must have!
Jerry

STate

Yeah, Im not much help, but I sure was disappointed in the amount of legroom in the quad cabs. I dont have kids, but have had my friends kids seats in the 04 quadcab...not too great. I swear theres just as much room in my 98 clubcab as the quadcab(kidding...kind of). I say mega in your situation.

Scott

Flopster843

My kids (4 and 6)are big enough to be in booster seats rather than actual car seats. I've never had the full car seats in the Dodge. The booster seats seem to fit fine and they have plenty of room to sit back there. I know that doesn't really help you out that much, but at least you know in a couple years they'll fit fine. I came from a crew cab Ford too and there's definitely a lot more room in the old truck.

MeanGreen

Yeah, I keep wondering what the best option is! I wonder if I could live with having the short bed. I'm just so leary of frame modifications. I know they do them all the time on rigs, etc. but the thought of spliced frame to get a longbed mega makes me nervous.
The truth is I use the interior more than the bed, so maybe for the times I need an 8' bed, I'll just use a trailer and get the Megacab. I need to find one with a manual tranny......the auto isn't going to cut it for me.
I'm staring at a modded Megacab in an old issue of DieselPower right now. The shortbox doesn't look too bad on a white truck.....hmmmmm.
Jerry

Evil Genius

Wait until the 2010's come out and get a crew cab longbed:

megacabdad

Man Van.

The more comfortable the kids...

The less likely you are to hear them complain.

MeanGreen

Yuck! No thanks. I don't like the new style and I want to stay away from the 6.7L Maybe that front end will grow on me (like the new Fords did) but I'm leaning toward an 06 or 07. I really like the 03-05 but no mega cab in those years.
Jerry

madhat

When we put the babies car seat in, we put it in the middle, so that he has a little leg room, and our seats are not all the way forward. My wife's about 5'8", and she does ok with the car seat behind her, but not good for a long trip.

Now, her mega, on the other hand... It's worth it all day long.

goatjr

Go with the Mega. We have had one for 2 years and love it. I just traded my reg cab for a quadcab and after my little boy kicked me in the back for an hour I moved his seat to the passenger side.

Stock 99 CTD

I have three kids, 12, 10, and 6. There is not a trip that goes by that I do not wish I had purchased a Megacab. One can easily get a trailer when required to make up for the 8 foot bed, but the extra room in the quad cab is impossible to find with kids. Good luck with your decision.

Evil Genius

I got a Mega and then spent 800 bucks on a Sidewinder pin box for my fifth wheel. Shortbed problem solved -- plenty of room for the kids.

steelblitzkrieg

I've had Quadcabs since 2002.

This encompasses 3 kids with ages from Newborn to 10yrs old during that span.

Rear facing or Infant Carrier goes in the middle of the backseat with the center console down. Forward facing and Boosters are not a problem at all.

dragrcr

I just did this exact same thing you are contemplating. I sold my 04.5 Quad Cab Short Bed 5.9 (they would not give me anything on trade,offered me 13K and I sold it myself for 14.9K) and bought a 09 Mega Cab Short Bed 6.7, the main reason is I wanted to get the sunroof and navigation and sattelite radio and hands free UCONNECT and the 6 speed auto and the Ex Brake. Both trucks were Laramie and loaded.

I will say this. I love the 6.7, the trans, and the megacab. I cannot believe how much more room and how nice it is in the back. Plus the new Truck has the rear Video Entertainment System. I love this new truck and I will never look back. I got $15,000 off sticker and I bet I could have done better if I was an Edit.

Also, I think many people think these new trucks are full of problems. But the guys you hear from are always the ones with problems. 95% of the Guys you never hear from are having great luck with the Trucks. I do not expect to have any problems and my new Truck has gotten 18 MPG with the mixed driving I do (85% highway) and the old Truck was getting 20.5. Considering the new truck has never towed yet I am VERY happy with that. 18 is pretty much what the 04.5 was getting when it was new.

I also will say that Auto Transmission is a DREAM! It has excellent shift quality in all gears and is programmed perfectly in all situations. I do not feel I would change a thing.

Pic is of the old truck just before I sold it. First Guy came to look at it snapped it up. It was nice! The new one is NICER!

bansh-eman

When I was in the states, my son was still facing the rear. It was pretty much impossible to put his car seat in the middle because how small the seat is right there. I put him behind the passenger seat. My wife is very short, so this wasn't an issue for her. For anyone else riding there it sucked. Now that he faces the front, I am not sure where my wife puts the seat. I would assume it fits in the center now that he faces the front. Either way, even if he is behind the passenger seat, facing front would free up a ton of room.

icefishers

I have a 3 and a 5 year old. I'm only 5' 11" and my 3 year old is always pushing her foot on my seat. I would think a rear facing seat would be really tough to fit in there without moving up a seat a ways. Once they move into a booster seat it get's a lot easier. It will feel cramped with how tall you and your wife are.