Trucks have replace cars and scooters as daily means of transport thirty years ago, that was just the truth. Remember when your friend’s mom was in high school? There is a car with seats on the “return” that can be folded out of the floor.What’s old is new again. Ram has filed a patent for a third row of seats. that thing folds out of the rear wall of the truck cab to stuff a few more bad guys in the way back. Is this necessary? Do we need this? Damn, why not add a fourth row of seats? And some cargo seats like the Subaru Brat?
Once upon a time, pickup trucks had two doors, a bench seat, and a gearshift that jutted three feet above the floor. They were work machines used to haul groceries and sell snacks out of the window, in that order. But now (perhaps out of a wake-up call) pickups are built larger and easier to drive for gullible suburbanites to haul oversized cases of lotion home from Costco and commute to jobs at finance companies, grocery stores, or wherever.
Ram is the first to introduce this new innovation in seating technology. Ram’s REVolution electric vehicle concept at CES last year. It looks like Ram is actually developing a pair of spare rear seats that only come in when you need them. The back wall of the truck would actually act as a center hatch that opens up to create a larger cargo area when you need it. This would allow you to carry things or people, making the truck a little more versatile. Most people with three-row SUVs don’t use the third row every day, and most people with pickup trucks don’t use the bed for hauling large items every day, so in that sense it makes sense.
These “third row” seats don’t look very comfortable, and will probably be used for shorter trips rather than cross-country trips. I wouldn’t worry too much about it, only the least favorite kid in the family will have to sit there.
