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3rd row seats have arrived!

148K views 75 replies 38 participants last post by  Old Dogger 
#1 ·
Cannot WAIT to get them in. these guys are solid. Steel frame, shoulder belts, and the mount system will keep them safe as crap. Will send up some pictures on what they look like. Very soon, will have the only 7 passenger Jeep Wrangler Unlimited for 100 miles.

Why? cause how else do you turn a family of 7 into Jeepers, a wrangler is way cooler than a minivan, and, no minivan will stand a chance of going where I am taking my Wrangler.
 

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#2 ·
I see you have the deluxe version. You actually have an eight seat wrangler!!
Our kids out grew the leg room pretty quickly. Rear facing we found gave the most legroom, and best access.
The kids loved looking at the people behind us and waving, or doing whatever we could not see, especially with the top off.
 
#7 ·
Definitely going rear facing, it looked like it gave the most room plus I wanted the kids more under the roll bar for the added protection. Am looking forward to getting them out in it with the soft top. on/off, and then the hard top this winter.

I am going to beat that Fedex guy though who delivered it. He left it at the door and when I say at the door he left it against the door. So I had over 100lbs of packages against the door...had to go out the back door to move it so I could open the door, lol.

Will get pics up once it is in. If the rain stops I may try it tonight. If anyone wants to look at the place I got it from it is called Little passenger Seats. Was a 90 day lead time on that as I guess they are a small family run shop and they hand build these as they get the orders. They had a number of different models but I really insisted on the Deluxe as it was the one with the shoulder belts which I insisted on having for the kids.They are not adult sized, their guide says 5'1" is the recommended tallest height.
 
#6 ·
I am still tempted to buy the same, I have a family of 5 but sucks to take 2 cars when one extra person wants to come out with us. Keep us updated with pics.
 
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#8 · (Edited)
and with my lunch break..they are in...Threw my keys in there for some size reference

The install was really pretty easy. Drill 6 holes (with the template they provide) bolt the mounting bar under the jeep, cut 1" slits in carpet for bolts to pass through, bolt down VER Y heavy mounting plate, then bolt seats on, and good to go. 4 bolts hold it to the bracket. With a ratchet you can pull the seat out in 5-10 mins. and leave just the solid bracket on the floor. I will pull it out this weekend and cut the mat a bit so I can get it back in. install time 45 mins, with 5 mins needed from Wife/helper
 

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#12 ·
That's pretty cool. If I'd seen that 10 years ago, we might've gotten into Jeeping much sooner.

At the risk of sounding like a nanny, just be aware of the weight of your passengers. Both of my JKUs have a pathetic payload rating of 850 lbs. I have a family of 5, three teenagers and two adults. Combined, we weigh just under 900 lbs. Granted, my fat butt is almost a third of that, but if we ever piled into one of the Jeeps, we'd technically be overloaded.

And remembering that you should subtract the weight of any mods like bumpers, winches, and whatnot from your 850 lb payload as well. It sounds like you're already handicapped another 100 lbs or so for the third row seat.
 
#16 · (Edited)
That was one of the concerns that led me to buy a small light weight trailer for cargo instead of a rack. The trailer we got is aluminum frame and body and can be towed by small cars cross country without towing packages. So if the Jeep could not handle it, well they need to stop selling them. Most rack systems are said to hold up to 300 lbs. So take the weight of the rack itself (up to 100 lbs), plus the 300 lbs on the rack, 400 lbs. Now add in bumpers and other customizations, you may well be at or beyond that capacity before you sit in it. Now, mine came with a hard top, i have switched to a soft top. So i would assume cargo capacity is rated with how it came (hard top) so I lost some weight there. Either way, 7 people, (2 adults, 2 teens, 2 kids >12, and a 2 yr old...we push that limit I am sure. I would say this though...with everyone in and the seats in, the stock shocks are not challenged, we still ride very high, the engine/temp/oil pressure are not stressed. The vehicle performs as it does with just me.

I would wonder though, in terms of cargo what their concern was. The cargo area itself i could see. i can tell you from installing the seats there is really not that much under there to support very much weight at all. I would think 800+ lbs in back would risk that collapsing altogether. however, it is rated to tow a lot more weight so you would not think the powertrain would have an issue. I can tell you 7 of us in the vehicle does not stress the shocks in the slightest. With the seating we are pretty nicely spaced out too so i would say the weight is really dispersed evenly. i would hope the frame would not be 850lbs from a collapse on the lot...so it makes me wonder where they got that number from.

Looked it up...max payload I saw for a 2016 JKU Black Bear was 1,000 lbs. So a little more but yeah we are close I am sure.
 
#17 ·
Well, my wife's 2016 has a payload rating of 850 lbs. Subtract 100 lbs for that third row seat, and then subtract the weight of any other mods, and that's what's left to safely carry for passengers.

And, most likely, the limiting factor for the payload is the brakes, not any part of the suspension or powertrain. Brakes are designed for a maximum gross vehicle weight. Driving over your payload rating will cause the brakes to heat up faster, leading to fade, leading to longer stops, you get the point.

My Suburban has a 10,000-lb rear axle (the AA 10.5 inch full floater), but it's only rated in this application to 5500 lbs, because the limiting factor is the 8600-lb GVWR braking system.
 
#18 ·
LOL, thats sad, did not even consider the braking. I would say so far the brakes work great. had some jackoff force me to test it fully loaded the other day. Not saying that they wont heat the hell up quickly in the mountains when I am driving up there. I glazed the crap out of the ones on my Trailblazer when the electric brakes on my camper failed so I know how that goes. Definitely something to be aware of though.

I found a few conflicting weight restrictions online. I put a question directly to Jeep on the weight restriction when I am running my vehicle with the hardtop as it came equipped on it. I will share what they tell me on here.
 
#22 ·
So I would expect a read impact would depend a lot on the vehicle hitting it. A sedan would slide under it I think a pickup..I would expect a bad intrusion into the passenger compartment. But being T-Boned would do the same thing.

The best you could do in a serious read end would be to turn 45 degrees ahead of it to have them hit the corner. That MAY help, I know it helped when we got rear-ended in my aunts minivan. The guy hit us with a 70's land yacht at 45+ MPH (he was drunk as crap and did not even touch his brake). My aunt turned at the last second to avoid a direct hit and he hit the back corner, He damaged the crap out of the corner, bent the frame and pushed us sideways but we were not injured and we have no serious penetration into the passenger compartment. I imagine like other wrecks it all depends on the variables
 
#28 ·
When I was a kid, we all rode in the back of the pickup, no seats, no belts.
Yes, I know it's now considered unsafe to do that.
I say if you want to use the third seat, go for it.
Heck, next thing you know the government will be telling us we have to wear helmets in cars.
Just use the common sense the good Lord gave us and live your life.
 
#30 ·
Look I agree. I hate the nanny state. common sense and good driving are 99% of it then -- and now.

And in most states it is still legal of for adults, and in some states some minors, to ride in the back of a pickup truck.

This system looks well engineered and well made, and in a jeep looks way safer than anyone as passenger on an motorcycle.

I am just saying there is a possibility of an issue with insurance on this.
 
#34 ·
It's not the safety/durability of the product at issue. It's the position of the passengers and the fact that being rear ended is not only a fairly common collision but it is almost always not caused or avoidable by the driver who gets rear ended.

I come from the back of the pick up generation. I think this is a good accessory item for certain needs.

Still, given the seemingly lack of roll over and rear end protection for these added passengers and the added passenger weight (placed rather high) - I wouldn't consider this a viable alternative to a 7 passenger vehicle intended for regular use.
 
#42 ·
good lord.....what a bunch o crybabies
no one is crying. I am explaining those saying this third row is "unsafe" have things out of perspective in terms of the actual numbers. If you are worried about safety the issue is not the third row but the entire vehicle. That for sure is going drive a lot of the changes we see in 2018

What is wrong with telling people that if they are worried about a third row seat they'd better worry more about swimming?
 
#43 ·
A vehicle designed, tested, and crash tested for a 3rd Row seat is in a different league of safety than a vehicle where a 3rd row is added in the Aftermarket as an add-on. You can try to justiy it and figure out if it's good enough but I learned long ago that Impact safety is not simple, it's an Engineering feat. If safety is your main concern buy a vehicle designed, engineered, and tested for a 3rd Row. I'd never put a Human in one of these, getting rear ended by a Drunk Driver tougt me a lot about vehicle safety. Jeep would've offered one is it was as easy as just bolting one in.
 
#45 ·
They look great, but I'm interested in seeing what it looks like when people are sitting back there. It seems like you'd be directly on the floor and that might make it awkward for your legs if you're anything more than a really small child.

Never the less, very cool to see! Lots more room back there than my TJ has! lol!
 
#46 ·
I will get some photos for ya. I switched it to front facing. it is designed for someone 5'1" or smaller. so in short...kids. With the mount it is on, it is about 4" off the floor plus the width of the seat for someone sitting in it. An adult, would not find this comfortable but my 10 and 9 yr old like it. Following some advice from others, I am also putting in a braking upgrade to manage the added weight from the kids and the seat. I am just below max cargo capacity and the engine and shocks are good but the stock brakes suck anyway.
 
#47 ·
Quick updates guys. We have had a lot of responses in here. While I do not agree with some of the conclusions everyone has come to, I will say ALL your feedback has been good and has led to a safer overall setup for my 8 passenger JKU.

So seats are in, facing forward. The more I look at the layout, the chances of a slow speed impact causing life changing injuries, the forward facing configuration makes sense. This gives me actually more room between the occupants and anything impacting the rear than the OOB JK rear seat does.

With 8 people, you WILL absolutely approach the cargo limit of your vehicle. I would STRONGLY encourage a braking upgrade. I have stock wheels and as I will be doing a lot of long range highway driving, I have little incentive to lift it, or modify the handling on the highway. So I found a couple kits that will pull my braking capability up considerably and address that issue.

A word on the soft top...with the 3rd row, a folded down soft top will make headroom tight. It can work. I got a boot for my softop when folded down from jeeptopsUSA. It wraps around the softtop, contains it enough for the kids to sit comfortably, and protects it from crumbs, grease, kids playing with it, lol. Was not something I thought of before I got the seats but hey some adjustments are needed.

Getting the roll bar extension as well for added safety.

Couple other thoughts..as other have pointed out, increased capacity increases potential risk. A wreck could hurt more people when there are more in the vehicle. Consider that carefully. That being said, we could go through a million scenarios with small vehicles that are dangerous in a risk, my friends BMW convertible would decapitate everyone in a rollover, my other friends miata in a wreck with a jeep, small truck or larger would likely result in casualties that would not happen in my Jeep. I have been involved in wrecks and have seen what happens when a drunk driver drives right into the back of your vehicle without even tapping his brakes. As one posted pointed out, the result are not pretty and what happens to vehicles is just mind blowing. While I KNOW first hand the possibilities, I also personally believe that if you worry your whole life about that and try to get a vehicle to protect you in all those situations, you will would not but a JKU to begin with. They would never survive the crossover head on wrecks I see 4 or 5 times a year driving rt 24/27 in NC. No vehicle does and no matter how good a driver you are, you are screwed when someone crosses a double yellow at 60 mph on a 2 lane road at the last second. You are NOT avoiding it. You need to find the level of risk that is good for you and your comfort level. And to be honest, to those who disagree with where I set it, to each his own. I won't crucify you for doing what you feel is right, all I ask, is the same from you.

Why does Jeep not make one of these for themselves? Is it only because of safety? Hell no. When manufacturing a vehicle, an automaker has to make a decision based on multiple points. The decision will ultimately be based on can they sell enough of them to make a profit large enough to justify the expense in producing them? In the case of these seats they would need a market that included people willing to buy a JKU with a 3rd row large enough to only seat individual 5'1" or shorter comfortably. Given the company that makes them has sold 22,000+ nationwide in 6 years, I would say that market is extremely small and not worth investing the time in engineering, testing, and modifying the production lines to produce.

Hopefully not to ranty...I do GREATLY appreciate everyones feedback I think I have ended up with a best, safest final setup and it happened because of all your feedback....and I do LOVE getting everyone in the vehicle. It rocks having the whole fam in there.
 
#48 ·
I really don't have anything to contribute, just wanted to say I'm enjoying this thread. I've been away from this forum for a few years, but it's nice to see different views expressed in an intelligent, articulate and courteous manner. That's not the case in some of the "hobby" forums I've been spending time on lately. By the way, I'm diggin' the 3rd row.
 
#49 ·
definitely. I was on a fishing forum where differences in opinion on things like this would lead to flame wars and threats and just awful nonsense. A number of folks on this thread expressed their differing opinions in very respectful ways and it was greatly appreciated. The 3rd row rocks. I would LOVE to see Jeep create a variant that fit adults (would need about 6 inches to the size of the vehicle) but I know that is not going to happen. That would look like a Wrangler bus, still the coolest bus in in the world though.
 
#52 ·
Cannot WAIT to get them in. these guys are solid. Steel frame, shoulder belts, and the mount system will keep them safe as crap. Will send up some pictures on what they look like. Very soon, will have the only 7 passenger Jeep Wrangler Unlimited for 100 miles.

Why? cause how else do you turn a family of 7 into Jeepers, a wrangler is way cooler than a minivan, and, no minivan will stand a chance of going where I am taking my Wrangler.
 
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