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Kids

6K views 35 replies 30 participants last post by  Minionjku 
#1 ·
I'm thinking about getting the 2016 Unlimited and my wife is concerned about if we have kids. Does anyone have concerns about having small children (including infants) in the back?
 
#4 ·
My mother-in-law was very skeptical when we first talked about getting ours. I shut her up really quick when I told her that at least my Jeep will have a roll bar unlike every other car in production. It's all about preference, if Jeep was a bad family car then they wouldnt see so great and there wouldnt be mall crawlers everywhere getting them. My toddler loves riding with the top down and windows down. Hes not to sure about the doors off yet, my infant doesnt mind when the back windows are off and the front windows down, anything more than that, its too windy for him.
 
#5 ·
My 5 year old loves riding in the Jeep (we got it when she was 4, so can't comment on younger years). She rides in the back in a booster. I put the booster seat in the middle when we have the doors off. That way her extremities can't reach out the door if we're in the unlikely/unfortunate situation of rolling over.

The wind doesn't seem to bother her, as I've had the doors off, top off and she has still fallen asleep while driving...

Everyone loves Jeeps :)
 
#6 ·
Seriously? What exactly is she concerned about? My advice for your wife is she needs to quit worrying so much :D Life is too short for that crap.

I have 6 kids and now on Grand baby #3. Grand baby #2 below with no top and no doors (OH THE HORROR!!!) LOL:




Grand baby #1 playing on the rocks and exploring caves:



This is why we Jeep. They will remember their grand parents taking them camping, fishing, hunting & wheeling.
 
#7 ·
Have a 9 month old and a three year old and the three year old loves riding in our unlimited. Asks for "no roof" all the time.

We go topless and front doorless only due to the three year old likes to try and unhook his car seat straps plus we keep toys/drinks/snacks at their feet.

Look into a seat recline kit...I used War Pig Offroad. It makes it easier to have an infant carrier behind the front seats and a better angle for the forward facing seat as well.
 
#13 ·
My only concern was sunscreen!

Seriously the Jeep has a full roll bar and unless you have a big lift and large tires they are very stable and safe. I might steer clear of doorless unless you can put them in the middle or if they like to unbuckle the restraints.

Like I said my only concern with topless was the sun and wind...

My oldest ran shotgun with me in my YJ when she was an infant. Keep in mind the YJ's did not have airbags or a full roll bar in the back, so the front passenger seat was the safest in my mind. She would sit there and just smile looking at the sky and trees go by as I drove to work.
 
#15 ·
For what its worth here is my take. I have three kids and can go 3 wide in the back with booster seats only. The back seat is so upright and the head rests so far forward I couldnt get a regular car seat in there at all.

I also never take the rear doors off due to safety concerns. I worry about the lack of protection in the case of a side impact. Kids are small and flexible and I worry about them slipping under the belt in certain situations.

Also from what I understand the bars overhead are called "Sport Bars" They are NOT a full roll cage and are NOT designed to bear the full weight of the vehicle in the event of a roll over. Just so you know.
 
#16 ·
I really don't get why this is an issue for some people. How many teenage girls (including my own) do you see zipping around in convertible beetles and there's no concern about how unsafe they are.

My kids literally grew up in jeeps, starting with 2 booster seats in the back of a TJ and continuing on to me teaching my youngest how to drive in a JKU before she got her beetle.
 
#20 ·
I say...

Get the Jeep...
have a bunch of kids...
enjoy the rest of your life.

A Graco Snug-ride rear-facing carseat fits in there just fine, and booster seats fit even better.
I agree with the recline kit, because my son would always bobble-head forward when he fell asleep (once he was in a booster). I fixed it by shimming the booster seat itself, but shimming the Jeep seats probably would have been better.

If you find later that a Jeep doesn't work for your needs, trade it off for something more fitting.
Simple as that.
 
#21 ·
mine aren't infants, but no issues for me what so ever. I did add some different seat belts in the back for piece of mind when i go doorless.

Product Leg Car seat Auto part Automotive exterior


Land vehicle Vehicle Car Jeep Off-road vehicle
 
#26 ·
I have my 9 year old daughter in the back of my Jeep all the time with no top or doors. She loves it. Her hair is a disaster whenever we get where we're going. She doesn't care and I'd like her to grow up like that. Is it more dangerous for her to ride back there with no top or doors? Perhaps. I don't know. Everybody worries too much. She has three cousins, all girls. One is older, one the same age and one that's about four. They come over and always want to go for a ride in the Jeep. I take them all out and they scream and giggle and have a great time. We get back home and my wife and her sister get to sort our the hair.
 
#28 ·
I decided to get my first Jeep when my wife and I decided we'd have our 2nd child. So far no complaints from me. Even with the rear seat recline kit its kind of a pain to get my 16 month old in her rear facing Recaro, but she'll be facing forward in no time.

You do need to haul a bunch of extra crap around with a kid or two, and its nice that you can fit a pack-and-play longways in the back of the JKU. I also have a platform that goes on the hitch that I use on long weekend trips, but I'm an over-packer so you can probably avoid that.

My wife's biggest gripe is when she says anything about the "car" and my 3 year old immediately corrects her... "Its not a car mom, its a JEEP!" This happens at least weekly, and I love it. 3 year old loves Jeep waves!
 
#31 ·
My kids are 1 and 3 and they both love getting out with the top down, wind blowing and all. I did buy the sunshade right away, more for them than me but it works great.I have my son right behind the pass seat and my daughter in the middle and my wife can still sit back there too if needed. I'm 6'3" so I'm not the best guy to sit behind.

 
#32 ·
JK's and kids are all good until they start taking your Jeep out without you. However, perfect for those times when dad has had too many beers. I've had my JKU before the stork brought my son. He's going on 5 now. Absolutely no concerns, in fact I would highly recommend a JKU if you have kids. So go tell your wife to STFU and go buy yourself a JKU. This is a test of your manhood. Let's see who wears the pants.


This is his making the Jeep noise off-roadin' face. :D



This is his, "Hey ladies.....what's up?"
 
#33 ·
Vehicles have safety ratings from the government and insurance companies, and despite some artificialities vs real world, they are pretty good metrics.

Wranger is obviously going to be pretty low for a half dozen major reasons both in a) what happens to passengers in a given accident and b) ability to swerve, brake etc in avoiding an accident in the first place. rollover risk, airbag numbers, generally high speed handling, suspension, protection at side impact, etc

So if the questions are:
"Are my kids in more danger in a wrangler than a top safety rated car if hit by another car?" or
"Are my kids in more dander if the vehicle in front slams on brakes at high highway speeds and I have to swerve attempting to avoid"?
Th answer to both is yes, they are in more danger.

So if your only concern is safety, all other things equal, the wranger is not a good choice.

But also be aware that any bike riding, sledding, skating, skiing, swimming in pools, lakes and the seashore are also all very dangerous for kids

Moreover behavior while doing those things -- and jeep safety -- is the major determinant. It is not so much the activity, but how you do it. Vehicles accidents are largely determined by what you are doing. With increased safety features vehicle fatalities should be dropping -- but they are not. Why? Texting. Like owning guns, for the data set of all people owning one increases danger, while for the data set of people not engaged in crime. The high self created behavior based risk group driving most harm, up to 90%, is a group taking a secondary risk (engaging in crime) and for most people it likely does not increase risk at all.

if you really want to reduce risk driving,look at other risk factors and leave your smartphone at home. in a jeep with ABS, ESC, airbags you are safer than virtually any vehicle from 25 years ago if you are an engaged non-distracted driver

The fact is being in a jeep is fun. And like most fun outdoor activity it has an element of increased risk.

if your wife is really worried, have her get a top 20th percentile safety rated vehicle, to drive your kids around the majority of the time. when they are in the jeep have them enjoy it, knowing like bike riding, there is some increased risk
 
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