My tech said 'absolutely no' to 3 across in Corolla

[vwh99]

Actually that "no" included most sedans and some SUV's too when I asked if there was any sedan that might fit 3 across so that I didn't have to get another minivan. Has anyone else heard that from their inspector? My 2001 Corolla is the spare car so that the babysitter can drive my DD to preschool...driven less than 25miles/week so you can see why I'm trying to avoid buying a new car w/ #3 on the way.

Here's my situation if anyone can give me some input/advice. I have 2 kids w/ one on the way any day now. With the info I got here and some other carseat boards, I figured that there was some hope to get 3 across in the Corolla. I spent this past weekend (at 36 weeks pregnant) putting in the 3 seats and I was able to manage the following configuration:
Radian FF outboard using LATCH for my 4.5yr old (about 42 in, 42lbs),
snugride in the middle w/ seatbelt install,
Marathon FF outboard using LATCH for my 21 month old (love for him to be RF too but that would push the front seats too far up)
The two outboard seats with the LATCH did not move at all and I'm pretty sure the SR was in tight too. However, it's been awhile since I used the SR and I wasn't so sure about the movement of that seat, esp the front part, so I brought it in for an inspection.

The CPST that inspected my car, as well as some of the others there, clearly said that this car is too small for ANY combo of 3 seats, even with 3 RN's (even with the RF one behind the passenger seat). Said something about how the car seat had to be centered exactly in the middle of the LATCH/seatbelt path even though the carseats had no movement the way I had them. I remember in some of the posts re: installations that some people use the seatbelt install so that the outboard seats are further out towards the door, leaving more room for a center seat...is that acceptable? since that doesn't sound like something my CPST would approve of either.

Is there any data/info re: having multiple seats up against each other? The CPST mentioned that even though the seats didn't have any movement now, the same didn't apply if we happened to be in a crash and there was the extra force of an adjacent seat pressing up against the next possibly causing it to move. Of course, my memory of physics class is rusty but aren't all the seats subject to the same force in a crash since they're all moving in the same direction/speed? My husband thinks the CPST wasn't willing to 'sign off' on the seating arrangement due to liability. I just want my kids to be safe (and assuming that others on this board who have done 3 across do too, though our CPST 'warned' me about what I read on the Internet and questioned the certification these web-based CPST's comments). Not sure what to do now.....

Thanks in advance.
Val

[kijip]

I do 3 across in my Camry a lot and used to do some configurations of three across in my Corolla (it was a 98, it was the car we brought Toby home in and we donated it in 2007 when we got the Camry). It is tight. I was trained as a tech in 2005 and I have to say that many of the trained techs I took the class with passed on paper but left with crazy ideas...like car seats can't touch or can't touch the front seat or babies MUST be FF after 1 year. (Cough, cough...these were all police officers taking it mandatory for work). You can do it. I know a Prius mama with 3 in the back seat. It can be done with the right combination of seats.

[codex57]

After reading tons of questions and experiences with local techs, police, and firefighters, I've discovered one simple rule regarding car seats - Ask Jules.

I've seen so many people report that their local certified tech, police, firefighter, etc. give wrong or even BAD advice, that it's just simpler to come here and see what Jules thinks. It's not to say others on here don't have great advice, but then the "rule" isn't as simple.

[KrisM]

That sounds pretty odd to me. I will have 3 across in my Malibu soon. So long as they're all independently tightly installed, it should be fine. To check the install, remove the seats in the same order you installed them and make sure they're really all in there tightly.

For example, in my car, I'll have a Keyfit outboard driver side, RN FF in the middle, and BV RF outboard passenger side. I put the RN in first, then the KF and BV. Since the KF and the BV are up against the RN, I take the RN out first. If by taking that seat out, the BV and KF are still nice and tight, I'm set. If they're loose, then the RN was affecting the install of the others and it's back to work.

[Joolsplus2]

I saw Jeanum's answer to you at car-seat.org... but since codex said to ask me...well... That tech is really not knowing his stuff. It's perfectly safe (and possible) to put three across with the right combination of seats, and there's no such rule as having to to 'center' the seat between the anchors... the rule is that the seat must install with less than one inch of movement at the belt path (and not because it's pressing on another seat, obviously), so the right narrow/puzzling seats are absolutely fine to put back there...and it sounds like you did a great job! (Yeah, it's ok for the SR to wiggle at the front of the base, as long as you have it tight at the belt path and a good recline you're fine).

[vwh99]

Thanks for the input. I really hate to say the tech was all wrong, especially since more than one of them at the inspection station came over to say the same thing (guess they were all trained the same). However, it didn't make sense to me that you can fit 3 adults back there but not 3 properly fitted carseats. Which took me forever to do being 9 months pregnant!!! Now it's back to getting them put back in and testing again as you suggested...

As for techs giving bad/wrong advice....I think this is one of those situations where I just say 'thanks for your opinion' and then trust my own. Unlike the one where one mom I knew where the tech put the carseat FF since her 9 month old was over 20lbs!!!! That one I actually wrote a letter to the town police about!

Val

[Joolsplus2]

Yeah, the tech course is not even a week and it doesn't take an admissions test to get in, and there's only a little follow up education to keep certified...it's sad that the one lesson that techs should be learning is to 'Read the Manuals!' and they can't even get that right (really, if it were dangerous to put three seats across, there would be warnings... there ARE some in some cars that if you use the seatbelt in one position then you can't use LATCH next to it, but not YOUR car, your manual would say that!).

Anyway, good luck again...if you find that getting the SR snapped into the base is kind of hard, then try installing one or both of the other outboard seats with the seatbelt(s) so they are further out and you have a little more free space to pop that infant seat in easily :)