? about bench seats in mini vans

[sarahlovesmickey]

I have a Toyota Sienna that seats 7 people. The 2nd row is 2 captain seats. Hubby and I are discussing having one more baby maybe. We have no car payments currently and would like to stay that way; however, if we have another baby, we would need a vehicle that seats 8 people. We love the mini van and it only has 40,000 miles on it and is all wheel drive. I was told that we possibly could find a bench seat for the 2nd row and take out the 2 captains chairs. Does anyone know if this is possible? I would prefer a bench seat that has a flip type chair near the door so that the kids can easily get into the back seat. Any opinions or suggestions??

 

[Mickeyluver37]

I have 3 captains seats in the middle of mine (2005 Toyota Sienna LE.) This was one of my biggest gripes when we were buying the van- I wanted an XLE with 8 seats, and they didn't offer it and insisted that the seats were not interchangeable. I really love this configuration and will probably be buying another one soon. I don't think you could just stick another captains chair in the middle of yours, as I think you'd need to replace all 3 to get what I have because the end 2 would probably be smaller so they can all fit.

Sorry I wasn't any more help! I do sympathize though. I hate how the Toyota options are all in "packages" and you can't just pick and choose the options you want or need.

 

[sarahlovesmickey]

I have 3 captains seats in the middle of mine (2005 Toyota Sienna LE.) This was one of my biggest gripes when we were buying the van- I wanted an XLE with 8 seats, and they didn't offer it and insisted that the seats were not interchangeable. I really love this configuration and will probably be buying another one soon. I don't think you could just stick another captains chair in the middle of yours, as I think you'd need to replace all 3 to get what I have because the end 2 would probably be smaller so they can all fit.

Sorry I wasn't any more help! I do sympathize though. I hate how the Toyota options are all in "packages" and you can't just pick and choose the options you want or need.

interesting. Yeah, I was thinking maybe I could just get a bench seat for the 2nd row with a "tip up" seat near the door so the kids can access the 3rd row seats. Is there any way you can post a pic of your 2nd row? I don't even know who I could contact with this question. A Toyota dealer??

 

[scrapquitler]

interesting. Yeah, I was thinking maybe I could just get a bench seat for the 2nd row with a "tip up" seat near the door so the kids can access the 3rd row seats. Is there any way you can post a pic of your 2nd row? I don't even know who I could contact with this question. A Toyota dealer??

The dealer should be able to tell you. I know that in my van, I have a bench in the back and capitans chairs in the middle. I can't rearrange them because the holes in the floor where the capitans chairs are currently don't line up with the feet of the bench seat. Where the holes and the feet are will determine if you can move things around or not.

 

[cepmom]

I also have the 2005 Sienna LE that seats 8. I don't think you would be able to get a bench seat for the middle row...I wonder how the place where the seat connects would fit into the places where your captains chairs currently connected. the middle row on my Sienna is actually 3 separate seats, and the right and left seats are smaller than the captain chairs that come in the 7 passenger Sienna so the connection spots are probably configured differently. I can try to post a picture tonight if Mickeyluver can not. Best bet would be to check with a Toyota dealership.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I can't answer your question on your specific van (GM stuff's much more universal), but agree that a 3rd kid would make things much better with 3-across seating in the center row. That would permit folding the 3rd row flat for road trips, whereas 2-across seating would force one of the 3 into that 3rd row.

 

[de8212]

What year?

 

[stm61]

I've never owned a Toyota, but I did have the same issue with an old Plymouth Voyager. I can't remember the year, but I know it was the first year they made them. We bought the van used and the original owner only had 1 bench seat, the back was just open cargo space. We needed a second bench seat for our kids. We went to the junk yard and bought a 2nd seat, then had a mechanic install it. There were no brackets or hardware for the 2nd rear seat so he had to drill and install everything. You might be able to have a mechanic do the same in your Toyota.

 

[mjkacmom]

What about needing another seatbelt? When we learned we were having twins, we had to trade in our windstar for an odyssey, because one of the belts was only a lapbelt. Wish we had an 8 seater now with all of the carpooling. Our van is 9- years old, but only has 65,000 miles

 

[cats mom]

int Is there any way you can post a pic of your 2nd row?

A google image search for "toyota sienna 8 seats" will bring up tons of pictures of different seating configurations, and from every angle, including top down. That will probably give you a much clearer picture than if someone tried to get a good shot of their own van.

Good luck with your decision, and on your quest to figure out transportation options if you do decide baby #6 is a go.

 

[BellePrincessBelle]

Toyota seats are not interchangable. Many people will suggest that you can on older Chrysler/Dodge vans but the practice is not safe by any means.

 

[turning40withMickey]

We have a 2011 Toyota Sienna with this "extra" third seat for the second row. It stores in the very back. It is great for when you need eight (which we don't all the time) but I don't think it is ideal for you. It goes between the captains chairs and you cannot really get to the back seat easily when it is in place.

can't get the image to work, but I think you have to buy it with this option, as it connects to the captains chairs and standard captain chairs wouldn't work with it.

 

[dhardawa]

The only way to do this safely is if the dealer actually has a seat they can order and install. Any other way and you risk it failing in a crash because any aftermarket seat or install that is the vehicle is not designed for has not been crash tested.

 

[blessedby3]

I would be concerned about the seatbelt. You would need another seatbelt for that extra seat and the middle one on our backseat bench comes out of the ceiling of the van. We have an 8 seater Toyota Sienna and love it. I wouldnt think that you could just set a bench in a van that wasnt configured for it.

 

[sarahlovesmickey]

thanks everyone for your input. The way our 2nd row is, we have 2 captains chairs and they can either be placed next to each other or they can be seperated so the kids access the 3rd row through the middle. I guess I will check with the dealer to see if it's at all possible and if it can't be safely done then we will explore other options. =)