Revisiting carseats in a 2007 Yukon XL Denali with 2nd row bench

[bjessen]

Hi, it's been a long while since I posted to this board. I started when my daughter was a baby (she's now 7 1/2 yrs), stopped a while, then started up again when my son was born (now 4 yrs...almost 5 yrs), and we just had a new addition last year...another son who's now 8 months. I've directed a lot of people over the years to here and the Fields' books...great resources.

We now have a 2007 Yukon XL Denali with a 2nd row bench (not buckets), tan interior. The 2nd row bench has two LATCH connectors, one in the middle and one behind the passenger seat. This unfortunately is also the seat that moves forward for 3rd row access...poor engineering imo. All three seats in the 2nd row have a Tether tie down. The 3rd row has no LATCH (don't get me started...very annoying and stupid) and only 1 tether at the drivers side spot (again frusturated by this...love everything else about the vehicle though...exempt filling up lately...).

Our kids run on the lower end for weight, my daughter is very tall (but leggy) and my sons seem to be in the 50-75% range on height so far.

We also have a 2006 Jeep Unlimited Rubicon (red & black) that my dh has added all kinds of stuff with safety in mind (it is a tank). He is big into jeeping, camping, etc.

On to carseats...we currently have 2 Safeguard seats (red & black...with a black spare cover, both originally purchased for the Jeep with safety in mind). We also have a Safeguard Go booster, a tan 2003 Peg Perego infant carseat and a Roundabout with LATCH in denim (has another year or so left on it I think...need to double check).

Right now I have 3 across in the 2nd row: our baby in the Peg Perego infant seat behind the driver side (dh got a rock solid fit without LATCH), the Safeguard Go in the middle for my 7 yr old and a Safeguard regular seat on the passenger side for 4 yr old. We had the other Safeguard in the middle, but my 7 yr old started balking at it....she liked the look of the Go better...plus for ease we've been leaving one Safeguard seat in the Jeep...makes quick trips with one child easier, and with the older two it only takes a second to add the other seat. We figure with her being 7 1/2 yrs and the Go in the center...she's probably fairly safe still even if she isn't in the Safeguard seat.

Okay, my dilemma...we've had more trips with family and friends lately and have needed access to the back row. We tried the Safeguard seat back there at the tether position with the seatbelt install...but my dh just can't get a good fit (and he is very good at this by now). He put the Roundabout back there facing forward and we tried our 4 yr old....ears are too high in the shell. I do not wish to put the baby back there of course.

We "need" 1-2 seats that can be so we can occasionally put the older two back there. The baby will stay behind the driver in the Peg Perego, and eventually RF in the Roundabout. If we have another child, then at least one child would have to move back to the 3rd row for good too...I suspect both our 7 & 4 yr old would want to be back there too as they love sitting together.

So I think the current contenders to add to our mix would be a Radian80, Britax Frontier, Compass, Parkway, Graco Turbobooster, or the Fisher Price Safe Voyage. Obviously the first two I like better for the safety (5pt) aspect...but getting 2 might be a bit much right now. I'm thinking one smaller footprint 5pt that can be installed without LATCH and maybe without a tether for max flexibility (though I do have 1 tether in the 3rd row). Then a 2nd non-5pt booster with a small footprint as well to use in the 3rd row or to throw on the seat that moves foward. Both seats should go to 80-100 pounds ideally. I guess the 5 pt if it had the ability to RF could potentially replace the Roundabout eventually when it expires too since we have a decent age gap from our 4 yr old to the baby (and any future munchkins)...

I really want to stick to the best small footprints that meet the criteria so I can potentially get three across or two across and a small adult in the 3rd row evnentually.

Can anyone give some insight to what they think would be the best bet? We just moved to the sticks, so it'll most likely be an internet purchase as we only have a small Target and Walmart nearby.

Maybe someone has the 2007 or 2008 Yukon and some of these seats and can let me know if they work in the 3rd row at all....or if I'm missing any others I should be considering

Thanks ahead of time!
Bridget

[801kelle]

All I can say is here is how we handled when we had company and lots of carseats in the car.

I have a 2008 Denali Yukon XL. We had a baby so we put that carseat rearfacing in middle. Put one Regent outboard behind the driver and used seatbelt to install. We did that so we would be able to access the third row. Yes, I can't believe there aren't latches in third row either! So then I put the other Regent outboard on drivers side in third row. We also installed ,first, outboard in third row on passenger side but decided we wanted carseat outboard behind driver so it would be easier for a person to get in third row and sit in outboard spot in third row behind passenger to sit there with a carseat in third row. As far as your comment about not using tether.. You always want to use the tether.. on all harnessed seats! You can use tether when Frontier is in booster mode as well. The top tether was designed to hold the carseat so if you are in a crash it helps lower the head excursion rate.

We only have 1 child. She is our DD and just turned 5, weighs 40 lbs and is 42 inches tall. I do have Frontiers now and they are smaller and easier to install and give you more room around the carseats. I actually, just the other day, got a Marathon installed behind passenger seat, Frontier in middle and other Frontier installed outboard behind driver. These were all in the second row!!! Didn't need third row so it didn't matter. So you could easily fit 2 Frontiers in third row.. One in middle and in one of the outboard positions or both in outboard positions!!! Frontiers go to 80 lbs and/or 53 inches tall harnessed and then to booster mode to 100 lbs and/or 60 inches tall.

So that is all the experience I can offer you. If you have to use third row you have no choice but to use outboard drivers spot in 2nd row and if you have to install seat in third row you only have option to use seatbelts to install carseats. Also, I think there is more than 1 tether anchor for third row. I am almost positive? My husband installed that one so .. check your car manual...

But to make you feel better once a child hits 48 lbs you aren't supposed to use latch connectors in harness mode anyways.. you are supposed to use seatbelt to install carseats at that point. GOOD LUCK.. Love my Denali THOUGH!!! By the way.. we have a Jeep Sahara and are into jeeping too!!! Oh yes my husband too has all the added stuff too!!! How funny..

[o_mom]

This is kind of random, but I was having a hard time addressing everything in a coherant post. :)

The Radian is going to be the narrowest seat if you can get a good fit. I have no idea if it would fit well. You can buy at Target.com and then return to the Target store if it doesn't work out.

I think I would start by adding a Radian. You can use it in the third row. Driver's side w/the tether anchor, but it is supposed to do well without the tether, so you might use it later for that.

I think a Marathon/Boulevard/Decathlon would be the next thing to add. They all have lockoffs for the shoulder belt, which acts a little bit like a tether. Or, you could use one driver's side tethered with the Radian center. This can replace the Roundabout when it expires. It should install very easily.

Does the center third row have a shoulder belt? If it does, then I would leave that open for an adult.

Two in the third row should not be a problem. Three may be tricky.

For boosters - Compass (B510) or Parkway will be good choices. Turbo is OK, but not great. The Sunshine Kids Monterey is supposed to be nice as well.

On harnessed seats - check out the Graco Nautilus, as well. It installs well in most cars and harnesses very tall.

One last thought - skip the Fisher Price seat. They are way out of date by now and I really think you need the lockoff of a Marathon if you are using it without a tether.

[801kelle]

Yes the center seat in the second row has a shoulder belt.. but I think it would not be very easy or comfortable to put an adult in the middle of two car seats. By the way I checked and bjessen.. there is only one tether anchor in outboard spot behind driver in third row.. but you could always go to dealer and have another anchor added. I thought my husband found somewhere to anchor tether to something back there when we first put Regent in outboard third row passenger spot. But I could be wrong, again he installed that one when we were using back there.

Also I just wanted to clarify the purpose of the top tether ( this quote is off car-safety.org)

http://www.car-safety.org/latch.html

A top tether is simply a strap that connects the top of the carseat to an anchor mounted in the vehicle at a location behind the carseat, usually the parcel shelf or a point on the floor of the cargo area. It is designed to prevent the forward movement of the top of a forward-facing carseat in a frontal crash. This reduces the head excursion of the child, and can reduce the chances of injury.

I don't think the lock offs for the shoulder belt are meant to accomplish what the top tether does. That just helps secure the seatbelt. Everything I have read is you always want to use the top tether with all harnessed seats and now some booster seats offer top tether and latch to use when using a booster seat with the vehicle seatbelt.

[o_mom]

A top tether is simply a strap that connects the top of the carseat to an anchor mounted in the vehicle at a location behind the carseat, usually the parcel shelf or a point on the floor of the cargo area. It is designed to prevent the forward movement of the top of a forward-facing carseat in a frontal crash. This reduces the head excursion of the child, and can reduce the chances of injury.

I don't think the lock offs for the shoulder belt are meant to accomplish what the top tether does. That just helps secure the seatbelt. Everything I have read is you always want to use the top tether with all harnessed seats and now some booster seats offer top tether and latch to use when using a booster seat with the vehicle seatbelt.

The top tether adds a third point of attachment between the seat and the car and reduced head excursion.

However, if there is not a top tether available - in the OPs case, third row center or passenger side - then a shoulder belt lockoff such as found on the Britax convertibles, can help reduce the head excursion somewhat. It adds a higher point of attachment which reduces movement at the top of the seat. Europe does not have top tethers at all and they use the shoulder belt lockoffs to help this.

[Joolsplus2]

Yup... top tethers and lockoffs aren't exactly the same, but they do perform a fairly similar function in holding the top of the seat back to reduce head excursion. They don't even have top anchors in Europe, but their seats are required to have lockoffs, and their seats don't have excessive head excursion and fatal injuries out the wazoo, so presumably it's a good solution :)
The Radian also has very low head excursion numbers when used without a top anchor, and the Frontier installed with the long belt path will have very low head excursion numbers (particularly for average-sized kiddos who will be too tall for the harness well before the seat even requires a top tether at 65 pounds).
Check out this other seat that is designed to use the top shoulder strap as a supplemental tether http://www.eztether.com/about_ez.html

So anyway, it's best to plan as much as possible for all FF kids to be top tethered (silly cars and government not requiring anchors for all passenger positions :p), but if it's not possible, then the smaller children will be fine in seats without top anchors as long as the seats are tightly installed and the harness is properly used :)