Children's Rumbleseat / backseat construction

MossRoad · Jan 7, 2004

Re: Children\'s Rumbleseat / backseat construction

Looks neat. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif I agree with Henro, however... you need some kind of expanded mesh or strapping to keep the little ones from slipping through. It's amazing how small of a space a child can slip through. I remember several stories of kids undoing their seat belts and opening the rear doors of cars, etc... /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Maybe one of those cargo nets for pickup truck tailgates could be cut down and might work well.

But it still looks like fun. Can't beat quality family time. One more year and I get to teach my oldest daughter how to drive the tractor. Her feet just quite can't reach the pedals this year. She's really looking forward to it. So am I! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

wroughtn_harv · Jan 7, 2004

Re: Children\'s Rumbleseat / backseat construction

I don't know if you've found your seatbelts yet. The best source I know of at a reasonable price is back seat sets of belts at wrecking yards. They're just lap belts, but that might be all you need.

As for the kids and doing things with them. I believe it's all about perspective. My son will be thirty one in a couple of months. But when he was nine I moved mountains to take him to San Diego to catch an albacore. It took two trips but he got one.

As we were setting up the bar b que to do an albacore one of my neighbors asked me how much I had in that fish. I told him. He shook his head and said something to the effect that was an awful expensive fish. I then pointed out to him that amortizing that cost over a lifetime of memories it was really a bargain. After all long after I'm gone my son will still be able to tell about the time his father moved mountains so he could catch an albacore out in the ocean.

rockyridgefarm · Jan 7, 2004

Re: Children\'s Rumbleseat / backseat construction

Nice seats guys! Good ideas. I have a second seat on my 4310, but it faces BACKWARDS /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif I get to ride there for training sessions....

Brent, from looking at yours, I have one question:

How in the world could you refuse to get that pretty little thing her OWN GatorCX??? /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Tractors4u · Jan 7, 2004

Re: Children\'s Rumbleseat / backseat construction

It was the six year old that wanted the Gator CX. The 3 year old pictured is tickled with her power wheels type Gator.

PineRidge · Jan 7, 2004

Re: Children\'s Rumbleseat / backseat construction

Hmmm rumbleseat I haven't heard that name in a few years. Brings back memories of an old Model A 31 Deluxe Roadster. Nice work Larry, I'm sure the kids will love it! Be safe. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

GregJ · Jan 7, 2004

Re: Children\'s Rumbleseat / backseat construction

Larry,
My son left for college 2 years ago. Trust me, when he was growing up, not everything we did was 100% safe. However, there is no way I would trade any of those times we had together. Life is full of risk and what you are doing is way more valuable than not spending that time together out of fear of what could happen. I remember my grandfather turning me loose on his tractor when I was way too small to reach the pedals. He would engage the clutch and set the throttle from the side of his tractor and off I went. All was well until they thought I had it down and they walked away from me and I immediately ran right through the middle of his vegetable garden. All I can really remember about that was being amazed at how fast my grandfather could run..... /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif Anyway, those memories will be part of your lifelong relationship with your kids. We have always had a wonderful relationship with our son, and I do believe it is mostly just because we spent time with him doing a lot of "foolish" (but important) stuff.

Great work Larry,
Greg

Tractors4u · Jan 7, 2004

Re: Children\'s Rumbleseat / backseat construction

My grandad had a C Framall and my younger brother and I would stand on the axle on each side of him or my dad as they drove the tractor. It didn't have fenders either. I wouldn't let my kids do that today, but I'm still glad that I had that oppurtunity to do something with both of them.

GaryM · Jan 7, 2004

Re: Children\'s Rumbleseat / backseat construction

Kind of looks like the seats Subaru had in the back of their BRAT vehicle. Theirs had handgrips on the sides that looked like the cyclic on a helecopter.

Looks good!

Larry_Van_Horn · Jan 7, 2004

Re: Children\'s Rumbleseat / backseat construction

Thanks all for your kind words. It seems like we all have fond memories of growing up around our fathers and their tractors that we want to replicate with our kids. The amount of room behind the seat when moved forward was certainly not a consideration when I picked my tractor, but seeing how much my kids want to be with me on the machine .... I got lucky.
I'll post more pictures when it is fully assembled.
Lar

orb · Jan 8, 2004

Re: Children\'s Rumbleseat / backseat construction

Larry,

Looks really good and I think I'm going to try building something like that myself. I hate to admit it but my four year old more often than not rides on my lap while I'm doing tractor chores around the place. It actually seems to be the safest place for him a lot of the time when he wants to play outside while I'm working. My greatest fear is that he'll try to run up to me when I'm on the tractor and I wont see him until its too late.

One little safety thing I would recomend is to get some ear protection for your kids to wear on the tractor. If they need to shout to be heard over the tractor engine, you know its causing at least a little hearing damage over time. I'd rather wait till they're teenagers and can blast their eardrums out with loud music!

Orb