Room for baby seats?

[MountFuji]

Hello everyone,

I am living in Japan now and will be moving back to Ontario temporarily in Feb 2008. I plan to export a vehicle to use in Canada and then sell before coming back to Japan. I am interested in a Delica, but I need to know if it can fit five child seats - yes FIVE. Our oldest will be 5 yrs. old in December, the next will be 4 in Feb., then we have twins (2 years old) and a new baby coming in May. So, even the oldest cannot use a booster seat year according to Canadian law. I need a vehicle that can fit 5 child seats. What are the seating options in a Delica? Does anyone know if they would fit this many car seats? Are the seats bucket seats or bench seats? Any information would be appreciated. Thanks!

[knight]

the seating is available with either two captains chairs and a bench in the back or two benches.

[delicat]

Just in case you haven't had a chance to look inside a Delica this link shows a 7 seaters. I'm pretty sure all your family would fit but no more baby making from now on!!!

http://www.japanautodirect.com/auto.spe ... fm?id=2224

Good luck,
Delicat

no affiliation with this company, they just have decent pictures for their vehicles...

[Erebus]

There is plenty of room to put baby seats on the 2 captain's chairs, and 2 on the back bench. The problem will be with the anchor tethers. There's no real place to attach them, other than the driver's side captain's chair tether can go to the bolts that attach the rear bench to the frame. The other 3 would have no tether, and that isn't a good idea (and may be illegal too).

For details of Ontario law, check out the Ministry of Transportation's website at http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/faq/safety.htm.

[EricN]

The center seat on the rear bench is lap belt only. It is illegal to use a booster seat on a lap belt only seating position so your 5 year old will not have a booster if he sits there.

[sahdot]

Depends on the size of the seats. My twins are still in rear facing infant seats in the two middle captain's chairs. Don't know about tethers as I haven't needed them yet. Their "stay in car" bases measure 17.5" wide. Don't know the width of a middle bench seat on the "8" seaters, but my rear seat is 52" wide--enough room for two seats and a 17" adult butt in the middle lap belt seat riding herd. This leaves the front passenger seat for the five year old--not technically the safest place but still legal and at least there's no airbag there. If it were me, I'd also hang a dummy steering wheel from the dash on that side just to watch the reactions!

-sahdot

[Adam]

There is plenty of room to put baby seats on the 2 captain's chairs, and 2 on the back bench. The problem will be with the anchor tethers. There's no real place to attach them, other than the driver's side captain's chair tether can go to the bolts that attach the rear bench to the frame. The other 3 would have no tether, and that isn't a good idea (and may be illegal too).

I installed anchor bolts in the floor for the rear row of seats and the captain's chairs without a problem. All you need to do is install 3 anchor bolts in the rear and 2 to the captains chairs. Upon reflection I think I would install the anchor bolts to the metal base of the captain's chair so that they could be more easily moved back/forth and spin around.

http://www.delica.ca/forum/delica-seatb ... html#p8637

[fjef]

Hello everyone,

I am living in Japan now and will be moving back to Ontario temporarily in Feb 2008. I plan to export a vehicle to use in Canada and then sell before coming back to Japan. I am interested in a Delica, but I need to know if it can fit five child seats - yes FIVE. Our oldest will be 5 yrs. old in December, the next will be 4 in Feb., then we have twins (2 years old) and a new baby coming in May. So, even the oldest cannot use a booster seat year according to Canadian law. I need a vehicle that can fit 5 child seats. What are the seating options in a Delica? Does anyone know if they would fit this many car seats? Are the seats bucket seats or bench seats? Any information would be appreciated. Thanks!

And I thought I had importing problems....wow

[MountFuji]

Thank you for all the information so far. You have all been very helpful. I loved the idea of putting a steering wheel on the passenger side with my 5 year old in a car seat just to see the reactions! I would love to do that and maybe have a hidden camera to record people's expressions.

So, I am thinking it might be possible to do this but I am still a little hesitant. I would love to actually see the interior of a Delica and try out the car seats before I export one to Canada.

So, another question . . . do the different models of Delica offer more interior space so that some models might have better chance of fitting 5 car seats?

Also, what do you guys think of the possibility of selling the Delica in Ontario after using for 10 months or so? We will move back to Japan 9-12 months after arriving in Ontario. Would it be hard to sell the vehicle or easy? Any impressions?