You shouldn't have to.. I'm 6' and I keep my seat pretty far back (not all the way though). The nice thing w/ the Durango is that the 2nd row seats recline a few degrees so you can push them back just a bit so the carseats aren't pushed as tight (its really helpful with the front facing seats so the kids aren't straight up).

the only thing you may have to watch out for w/ the carsets in the 2nd row is if you have the memory function with the power seats they slide all the wya back and then into place for each driver - apparently that can be a pain, but you can disable it. There's another thread about it.

 

Getting a car seat to fit has been the biggest pain. We just switched from the infant kind that pops-out now to a permanent one. The pop-out one fit fine. The new one not so much. I'm 6' 4" and there was NO way it was going to fit behind me. The passenger seat had to be pulled WAY forward to accomodate. Putting a folded towel under the car seat helped to change the angle slightly to let the front seat come back a few inches. It was still secure.

So after a while, we graduated to front facing and the damn rear headrests gets in the way. They're not adjustable and don't come off! They actually tilt slightly forward wich makes them even more annoying!

The seat is in, but had to be recline it more than I would like. It's safe, but would be better if the headrest would just come off.

The other option was to have the back of the carseat resting on the head rest. This did not look or feel stable. I even took the seat covers off to explore the option of taking the headrests off.

I thought this car was supposed to be big!?

 

Yes - the headrests are a pain! I forgot about that part... theres not much room for the tether buckly to slide under. One thing that helps though is folding the seats down, the headrests fold in - pull them back up but don't let the headrests lock into place - it gives you a little more flexibility.

As far as the angle of the backseats - did you adjust the recline on them?? At least with mine pushing them back just a little bit made for a good enough angle to lock the carseat in place without having them sit too far forward.

 

It seams like you guys are having way more issues then i have ever had with the car seats lol

Ill take a photo of the way i have mine, when i get home. The best way to put the car seats are in the middle of the back row.

 

wow, I can't believe the headrests aren't removable. I'll be buying in the next couple months, and have two convertible car seats. Guess I better test fit carefully beforehand.

 

I put our toddler seat in the middle, rear facing. I am 6'1" and I have enough room to drive, though I would like a bit more. There's no way I would have enough room if the toddler seat was behind the driver seat. We will be adding an infant car seat to the mix, but by then I will be able to turn the toddler seat to front facing. Good for you on making sure the seat is in TIGHT.

 

If you have any thoughts of putting more than two seats in the second row, I strongly urge you to do a test fit, despite what anyone else has experienced. All car seats are different, and some are as wide as a mile. Before buying, take your seats to the dealer and try to put them in. Or if you already have a D, test fit the car seats before you buy them. This is definitely the biggest pain, and the reason most people with kids simply go the big bus mini-van route. I couldn't wait to get my kids in boosters :-)

 

We have the EVENFLO and it fits perfectly in the middle or on the side behind the driver or passenger seats (forward facing). Im 6'1 and my wife is 6'4.

Heres a link
http://www.evenflo.com/product.aspx?id=332&pfid=4281

 

So here is my sons car seat (13 months old) in the middle and also moved to the side.

If yours doesnt fit then you should consider buying new ones that do cause mine fits fine.


photo 1 by Switchblade906, on Flickr


photo 2 by Switchblade906, on Flickr

There is still a good amount of room of the legs between the car seat and the back of the seat, also there is no need to remove the headrest since the car seat sits well below it.

 

And please, please, please do like switchblade and buy the car seat protector pad (seen in first pic) to protect the leather from heavy denting, rubbing, spills. You can get them in half height or so they cover the entire area behind the seat-back below the headrests; they are a lifesaver as it keeps all the crumbs out of the crevices. You just pull the seat, pull the protector and bang it off. I hate Goldfish!

http://www.amazon.com/Kiddopotamus-E.../dp/B000TVVYQ4