3rd Row?

[Brianagg06]

Starting the search for a Gen 2, and curious what years the 3rd row became an option. We'll have 4 little ones to cart around in it, so that 3rd row is kinda essential for us.

I had always known about Monteros, but never really gave them the credit they deserved. The more I learn about them, the more excited I get

 

[jeep-N-montero]

It was an option on all of them, but some owners will remove them and either store them or toss them if they are not needed. Which years are you focusing on?

 

[Brianagg06]

Still narrowing that down...right now looking 90s era. Search is just getting started, so just needed to know what years to omit from the search, for the 3rd row necessity

 

[haolepinoy]

How many are still in car seats or boosters?

 

[Imnosaint]

Gen 2 third row seating is a pair of jump seats as opposed to a Gen 3 where the seat is more of a traditional third row seat that collapses and stows in the floor. It's not as wide as the Gen 2 jump seats nor as versatile since the jumpers can be stowed independently. Second row seating is more conducive to car seats since access to the jump seats for buckling in kids is a bit awkward.

 

[Brianagg06]

Two in boosters, two in car seats (one rear facing, one front facing). Would plan on the boosters being in the far back, and car seats in 2nd row

 

[haolepinoy]

Can't speak for a Gen2, but we've been carting around our horde of boys for two plus years in our '03. We made it work when all four were still in car seats. Super tight. Like ImNoSaint said, it is frustrating getting belts buckled. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it, but I wouldn't say it was a deal breaker for us.

One issue you've got to accept is that with two car seats in the middle row you won't be able to use the fold up seat option to get the kids to the back row. Modern car seats are so freaking bulky that it's hard to fit two side by side on the 60 section of the 60/40 middle bench. Our kids just climb in the rear barn door (they're small enough to do so), and that's just what we've gotten used to. On a Gen3 there's plenty of room to climb in around the 3rd row seat. I'm not sure about a Gen2. I think the Gen2's sunroof goes further back than a Gen3's, so maybe they could just drop in from the top.

Currently three of them are now in boosters, and one is still in a car seat. The boosters make a huge difference. So much easier to get everyone in and out and buckled up. Issue we now have with the 3rd row is that my boys will sometimes push each other's boosters off the bench seat because it's narrow and they are jerks to each other. This probably wouldn't be a problem with a Gen2 since I think their seats span the full width of the vehicle.

 

[plh]

The kids will need to be climbing over the second row or coming in from the rear gate and climbing over the 3rd row to get into those seats in a Gen 2 with car seats in the middle row. Also as the kids grow, there isn't too much leg / foot room in the 3rd row in either a Gen 3 or Gen 2. I'm not a big guy (5'7" 160 lbs) and have sat in both my 3rd gen and 2nd gen 3 row a couple times, OMG like torture! Get a mini-van

 

[haolepinoy]

OMG. Get a mini-van

This man speaketh the truth! I would not recommend any Gen Montero for Daily Driver (Big) Family Duty...at least if there are multiple car seats involved. We've got a minivan for that. The Montero is for the fun trips every once in a while...or for when the boys just want to ride in something cool. It'd be hard to bear without our van.

Now if you didn't have car seats it probably would be fine. Tundraguy81 put a pic up of his troop hauling around 5 kids (no car seats).

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[Brianagg06]

Ha! We have the minivan already, so all set there. I have a full size quad cab truck, and can fit three car seats across the back seat, but new addition coming up in July/Aug, which will put our oldest in the middle of the front bench seat when we all take the truck somewhere.

Thinking about the Montero as a 3rd vehicle "family adventure wagon", for beach cruising and camping...plus, I love a good project.

 

[coffeegoat]

I don't know about the 2nd gen, but I agree with everything Haolepinoy said on the Gen III. The biggest issue is getting to the backseat if you have carseats in the middle seat. Depending on how big the carseats are they may not even fit in the back seat. I also have a beef with how they set up the Latch points on the second row, but the seat belt works well enough. For people with short legs the 3rd row is passable, but for everyone else it is a bit snug. You'll also find that your back springs are probably shot - after a couple hours in the back of my Gen III my wife finally ok'd the new springs from ADD! We've only got 2.5 kids, but I already have plans for a minivan for non-adventure duty.

An additional consideration is how to carry stuff when you're going on adventure with all those kids. The Gen III just isn't all that big of a vehicle, so unless you are going to add a roof rack, tow hitch rack, or tow a small trailer it's tough to get all your camping gear in it with several children...

I will say, one nice advantage of the third row in the Gen III is that it's stupid easy to remove, and it stores pretty easily. The 2nd row also comes out with like 8 bolts if rolling them forward isn't enough. This means for solo/duo type hunting trips it can be pretty voluminous inside. I carried a cow elk home last year inside the vehicle with tons of extra space for camping gear etc.

 

[haolepinoy]

Ha! We have the minivan already, so all set there. I have a full size quad cab truck, and can fit three car seats across the back seat, but new addition coming up in July/Aug, which will put our oldest in the middle of the front bench seat when we all take the truck somewhere.

Thinking about the Montero as a 3rd vehicle "family adventure wagon", for beach cruising and camping...plus, I love a good project.

Sounds like a winner then. :safari-rig:

 

[haolepinoy]

An additional consideration is how to carry stuff when you're going on adventure with all those kids. The Gen III just isn't all that big of a vehicle, so unless you are going to add a roof rack, tow hitch rack, or tow a small trailer it's tough to get all your camping gear in it with several children...

I will say, one nice advantage of the third row in the Gen III is that it's stupid easy to remove, and it stores pretty easily. The 2nd row also comes out with like 8 bolts if rolling them forward isn't enough. This means for solo/duo type hunting trips it can be pretty voluminous inside. I carried a cow elk home last year inside the vehicle with tons of extra space for camping gear etc.

Definitely needs a roof rack. We found that the truck was a good "Don't Overpack" size. We do five day trips with the family and find that we can take everything we need to be fully self-sufficient. You just have to be smart about what you take and where you put it...cuz you'll run out of space quick if you're not paying attention. We fabbed up a removable shelf that sits where the smaller middle row seat normally is (Like Coffeegoat says...four bolts and it's out, super easy), and that holds our 50qt. ARB Fridge with two 4 gal. Aquatainers underneath...and then with some more room to spare for coats, shoes, Nerf guns, whatever.

We recently bought a small trailer...not so much for the extra space, but so that we could base camp easier. Plus it's so much nicer to roll into home and not have to unpack everything from the car. Just leave most things in the trailer until the next trip. Ready to go.