3rd Row Access for R1S with Rear Facing Car Seat?

[SurfnBike]

I have three kiddos and a forth on the way and recently tested an R1S and found that--although it drives like an absolute dream--if I put a rear facing car seat in the middle of the 2nd row there is no way to access the third row because folding the vehicle seat runs interference with the car seat. I would put it behind a driver or passenger seat, but then there is zero legroom.

How are you folks with babies/groms getting into the third row? I think this is a pretty big oversight on Rivian's part...they needed to make the seats a bit narrower and give more space to the center seat. Unfortunately if I don't find a workaround I'm going to have to spring for an Expedition or something with better third row access.

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[sub]

I think a bigger vehicle is in your future. Rivian's 3rd row sucks.

The only configuration that I have found that works to preserve access to the 3rd row is to put the carseats in the 3rd row. I am sure that not every rear facing seat will fit in the 3rd row but some do. But strapping a baby into a seat in the 3rd row is too awkward for this to a practical everyday thing.

You can also just let the kids climb over the headrests. They won't mind (but you will).

I don't think it is an oversight. Rivian assumed that no one actually planned to use the 3rd row. That is the only explanation for designing a 3rd row that is impossible to access if you have kids when no one without kids uses the 3rd row in any vehicle.

 

[sphereobject]

I use the R1S 3rd row almost every day and have a car seat in the third row all the time. I usually load the third kid for the third row from the tailgate. It's part of the adventure of the adventure vehicle.

I bought an absurd number of car seats until I found this one "Graco SlimFit3 LX 3-in-1 Car Seat, Fits 3 Car Seats Across" -> https://amzn.to/3P7WFhG

This is the best seat I've ever owned and now I have 9 of them. I wish I had bought it first before I spent thousands on other seats. I have one of these rear facing behind the driver for the baby, and usually one in the third row and another in the second row for older kids. You can easily put this seat 3 wide in the second row of the R1S, but there's always a challenge with 3 wide for kids to clip the seatbelt. I used these seats 3 wide in the VW ID4 and it worked fine.

The Model X 6 seat is great for kids because of the huge space between the seats in the second row, but limited to 4 kids in the back, and the space behind the third row when the third row is in use is limited.

 

[McMoo]

I have 4 kids 5 and under and the R1S works great! It’s not quite as roomy as our telluride and lack of captains chairs is a downside but it’s completely doable.

My setup is below.

3rd row:
Driver: 5 1/2 year old in booster.
Passenger: 4 year old in forward facing car seat (she can buckle herself but I could reach in with 2nd row slid up when she couldn’t)

2nd row:
Driver: 2 1/2 year old in forward facing car seat - latch install.
Center - seat folded
Passenger - infant car seat, base is latch install.

The kids have plenty of room to climb into the 3rd row when sliding the 2nd row seat forward all the way before the infant seat is clicked in (not even using the tilt function). They can also climb in and go through the middle and do that frequently.

When my youngest is out of the infant seat I have Combi Coccoro car seats that are the smallest available for rear facing and still allow for legroom for driver or passenger. I am 6’2” and used to have to behind me rear facing. The seat makes all the difference, they stopped making the coccoro but I’m sure another option is available now that is almost as small.

 

[ev_fanatic]

If you can align the car seat in the 2nd row to be slightly towards the driver side, you should be able to fold the 2nd row single seat on the passenger side. I put my forward facing toddler seat on the passenger side and am able to fold the driver side for 3rd row access.

 

[usofrob]

I've seen it posted elsewhere that you could remove the 40% middle seat side. It would give you a lot more access to the third row and still put two narrow seats in the middle.

 

[McMoo]

I've seen it posted elsewhere that you could remove the 40% middle seat side. It would give you a lot more access to the third row and still put two narrow seats in the middle.

That would be interesting, like an old school minivan.

 

[SurfnBike]

I have 4 kids 5 and under and the R1S works great! It’s not quite as roomy as our telluride and lack of captains chairs is a downside but it’s completely doable.

My setup is below.

3rd row:
Driver: 5 1/2 year old in booster.
Passenger: 4 year old in forward facing car seat (she can buckle herself but I could reach in with 2nd row slid up when she couldn’t)

2nd row:
Driver: 2 1/2 year old in forward facing car seat - latch install.
Center - seat folded
Passenger - infant car seat, base is latch install.

The kids have plenty of room to climb into the 3rd row when sliding the 2nd row seat forward all the way before the infant seat is clicked in (not even using the tilt function). They can also climb in and go through the middle and do that frequently.

When my youngest is out of the infant seat I have Combi Coccoro car seats that are the smallest available for rear facing and still allow for legroom for driver or passenger. I am 6’2” and used to have to behind me rear facing. The seat makes all the difference, they stopped making the coccoro but I’m sure another option is available now that is almost as small.

The problem I have is getting a newborn and 3yr old into the second row while ensuring access to the 3rd row. So you are saying that the way your kids get into the third row is by removing the infant seat, so just the base is installed? I didn't think of that...Might make things a bit easier. Next question would be if you can find a 1yr old car seat that will fold since to my knowledge the R1S doesn't have a tilt feature like the Ford Expedition where the whole seat rotates, allowing a car seat to remain fixed in place while someone jumps into the third row.

 

[McMoo]

The problem I have is getting a newborn and 3yr old into the second row while ensuring access to the 3rd row. So you are saying that the way your kids get into the third row is by removing the infant seat, so just the base is installed? I didn't think of that...Might make things a bit easier. Next question would be if you can find a 1yr old car seat that will fold since to my knowledge the R1S doesn't have a tilt feature like the Ford Expedition where the whole seat rotates, allowing a car seat to remain fixed in place while someone jumps into the third row.

Right, R1S doesn’t tilt like the expedition it just has the top fold and bottom slide using the button on the seat.

The seat can still be slid forward (lever under the seat) without the fold and there’s enough room for kids to get to the third row without the fold. I think some infant bases will still work with the fold and slide. Here are some pics. This works with an infant base or forward facing seat installed with latch. Passenger side is much easier to move.

 

[Youmster]

At risk of being flamed on the interwebs, I have a slightly different scenario from you with needing to constantly drive my elderly parents or MiL/FiL. They go in the 3rd row and have no issues with room or space. I have a front facing child behind me, and rear facing in the middle bench seat. Front facing is top tethered and seat belt latched, while the middle seat/rear facing child is using the two anchor points cheated over to the side seats.

This ends up with me needing to do an extra step of unanchoring the middle seat, then I can push the sliding single seat forward for easy access to 3rd row. Not a perfect solution, but not terrible or too inconvenient.

 

[shimps1]

I've seen it posted elsewhere that you could remove the 40% middle seat side. It would give you a lot more access to the third row and still put two narrow seats in the middle.

I am almost certain this is impossible. Not going to go to the garage to check, but I'm almost certain they are connected by seat covering material, not just the sliding mechanism.

 

[usofrob]

I am almost certain this is impossible. Not going to go to the garage to check, but I'm almost certain they are connected by seat covering material, not just the sliding mechanism.

It's not the middle 20% that comes out. It's The narrower of the two sides. I think it's on the passenger side. It's split 60% and 40%. Each are on their own sliders. There is I think just one plug and a few bolts to take out.

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