Thinking ahead...the 3 across game...

[bisous]

Forgive me. It is the middle of the night and I'm agonizing over car seats that I don't actually need right now, lol!

Here's the scenario. I have two cars that need three seats across.

Kids:

DS1: 7.5 years old (will be ALMOST 8 on arrival of DC3). 60 pounds and TALL. Graco TB and GN currently and both fit him still.

DS2: 3.5 years old (will be 4 on arrival of DC3). 30 pounds and tiny. FF. Right now in an MA (expiring in Aug.) and a Apex 65 (which I don't like!!)

DC3: Not yet born, lol! Coming in Sept. 2011. Imagining an infant seat, though...

Cars:

Car 1: My car is a 2000 Honda CRV. No latch but broad flat back seat. No center shoulder belt!

Car 2: Grandma's car is a 2007 Toyota Camry.

Purchases:

Buy Graco SR30 (I've heard it is narrower!) and extra base.

Buy RN to replace MA when it expires.

Ideas for when DC3 comes:

Put DS1 in TB (because it has highest top slots) outboard in CRV.
Put DS2 in RN in center of CRV.
Put DC3 in SR30 outboard.

That leaves the Apex, GN and SR30 for the Camry. BUT, while rear seats of both cars are fairly wide but the Apex and the GN are beasts.

So, perhaps instead the TB, GN and 30 would fit better in the CRV and the Apex, RN and 30 would fit in Grandma's??

Also, thinking ahead I'm worried about:

DS1 outgrowing a HBB and moving to LBB. This just makes me nervous, as he'll be outboard, that's all. :( I'm not too worried about the cost of the LBB.

DC3 will outgrow the infant seat at some point and I'll need ANOTHER convertible and probably another FF seat for DS2 when I hand the RN down. (He'll be 5 when DC3 turns one year old. Old enough for a booster technically but he is so small!)

Frankly, I'm worried about RF the RN! I love the narrowness but I'm worried about length from front to back! More so in Grandma's car than my own.

Grandma uninstalls carseats fairly often. Right now the Apex stays latched (because it is a beast to reinstall) but it would be great to have some easy to install seats.

Help me think through long term possibilities! It seems to me that with the two expirations we might be buying LOTS of car seats!

Money IS an issue although I recognize (of course!) that it is cheaper to buy seat than a new car, lol. :)

[Joolsplus2]

If the Radian doesn't work, maybe a Britax (any model is the same, Roundabout 55 is 150ish, and they last for 7 years now instead of six) will, it's got a narrowish base so older kids can buckle/puzzle ok next to it. TB and GN are very short boosters, Parkway (SGL may be a tad easier to buckle than the SG) is a lot taller ;)...might even be easy enough to buckle next to another seat. SR30 should work well in the middle...with a coupon somewhere I'm sure you can find it for 90ish dollars, I'd think.

Hmmm...I wonder if you can find a Radian to try out before buying? At the very least, find a free shipping and free 'return to store' deal... maybe like Buy Buy Baby/Bed Bath Beyond? Or Diapers.com for free return shipping.

(PS, I know I didn't address every question, just tried to brainstorm some seats... )

[bisous]

Thanks, Jools. I DO appreciate all your input. You have helped me MANY TIMES over the past four years or so!!

How big is a Frontier? I'm wondering because it could be a long term option for DS1 originally, then for DS2 when baby needs a convertible and then finally will still be usable for DC3 because of its long life!!

If so, I could do FR85, RN, SR30 in my car.

Then in a year or so, go to a FR85, RN and GN. Could those fit??

TB, SR30, RA55 in grandma's car?? I think by the time that DS1 outgrows his TB, he'll be okay with sitting in the middle of a car with air bags etc. so he could go to LBB. WOULD THIS WORK?

This would be a lot of new seats...

FR85, RA55, RN and SR30 but we'd be set a LONG time!

Or perhaps we could START with just the RN and the SR30 and when needed replace the Apex with a RA55 and a FR85 when DS1 out grows the boosters...

TIA,

[mom2khj]

No expert, but thought I would share what we fit in our cars, neither of which are big cars.

DH has a '98 Explorer, no shoulder belt in the back middle. We took it to Ford before DD1 was born and had two tether locations installed. I have an '02 Maxima, shoulder belts in all three positions and LATCH on outboard positions.

The kids were almost 8 (2 weeks away) and almost 5 (3 months away) when DS was born. DD2 could go to a HBB, but we're not quite ready yet, so we bought the Radians figuring it was the only thing we'd be able to work with for 3-across and new cars were not an option. We did try a Frontier instead of the Radian and may have been able to make it work in the Explorer, but it definitely wouldn't have worked in my car.

In DH's truck we have
Driver - FF Radian 65
Center - RF Marathon 70 (previously had Chicco Keyfit 22)
Passenger - Harmony backless booster

In my car
Driver - RF Marathon 70 using LATCH (previously had Chicco Keyfit 22 using belt)
Center - FF Radian 65
Passenger - Harmony backless booster

[westgre]

I have a 2001 CR-V. I have installed:
Parkway, RN, KeyFit30
Parkway, MA, RN
Literider, MA, RN
I didn't think my backseat would be wide enough for a GN and two other seats. The MA and RN puzzle very well next to each other. The RN installs easily RF in my backseat, but is quite a bit more challenging FF.
If grandma is re-installing seats often, the RN might not be the best choice for her car. I'd probably use the MA in her car. Maybe TB, RN, infant seat in your car and FR85, MA, infant seat in her car?

[KrisM]

I've had good luck in a Malibu with a Probooster next to a Radian. The narrow base on both make buckling possible.

[bisous]

Thank you so much! This really is, super helpful! Particularly to the poster (Westgre) who happens to have a CRV!

I think that you guys are right, the GN IS the problem with 3 across. It is a bummer because it still works for DS1 and was supposed to be passed to DS2 who is FF harnessed! But that thing is a beast so I'm thinking no way.

So I'm out an MA (expiring) and a GN. Oh, and since DS1 is almost 8, we'll need an infant seat too! This will definitely be my single biggest "baby" purchase at one time since I had my first!

To outfit JUST my car, I'm looking at AT LEAST $600!! I'm thinking grandma can just see the kids at my house, lol!

A couple of questions for you guys:

1. Is there any reason NOT to get the RN65 (on walmart.com) because at $229 that is quite a bit cheaper than the XTSL version. My kid is NOT getting to 80 pounds before booster seat I can tell you!

2. How tall is the probooster? I'm not familiar with that carseat at all. It doesn't appear to cost much more than the parkway.

Thanks again!!

[bisous]

Ooh. One more question--thinking ahead again.

It seems the combo seats are the real beasts. Is it wise to assume that a kid can go safely from a high harnessed seat (like an RN and POSSIBLY an RA55) to a booster and skip the combo?

If not, which combo is narrowest?

Thanks!!

[bisous]

Oh my gosh, one more.

Is the footprint of the RA55 and the original MA the same or close enough? Do I need to visit a BRU or can I assume that if my current MA works that an RA55 would, too?

THANKS AGAIN and I'll stop now. :)

[KrisM]

2. How tall is the probooster? I'm not familiar with that carseat at all. It doesn't appear to cost much more than the parkway.

Thanks again!!

http://www.windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=361526&highlight=probooster

It's 20.5" to the belt guide. I never did have his tall friend sit in it, but can if you need me to. He's now 7 and 4'11" tall, so out of a booster normally, but I can see how much he misses by or if he still fits.

[Joolsplus2]

Get the cheapest Radian you can find. It'll last more than long enough. (same height limit, and my *average* kid wasn't even 65 pounds till she was 9 and about 2 inches over the top slots!)

[Joolsplus2]

Oh my gosh, one more.

Is the footprint of the RA55 and the original MA the same or close enough? Do I need to visit a BRU or can I assume that if my current MA works that an RA55 would, too?

THANKS AGAIN and I'll stop now. :)

Should be close enough to the same... but if it's not BRU and Target have older or classic models that are the same as the one you have.

[westgre]

Ooh. One more question--thinking ahead again.

It seems the combo seats are the real beasts. Is it wise to assume that a kid can go safely from a high harnessed seat (like an RN and POSSIBLY an RA55) to a booster and skip the combo?

If not, which combo is narrowest?

Thanks!!

I'm planning on skipping the combo seats for my car. My 5 year old still has loads of growing room in the RN. I think the narrowest combo seat is the Maestro, but it is essentially outgrown as a booster at the same height as the harness. I would guess most kids could go from a RN straight to a booster.

[elismummy]

Not sure if this helps since our kids are a little bit different in size/age and our 2005 CRV does have the middle shoulder belt, but. . .

we have recently had a 3rd baby and this is what we have done for 3 across so far:
1. RN (FF), RN (FF), and MA (RF)
2. RN (FF), RN (FF), maxi-cosi Mico

We have had a RN rear facing in the middle next to an outboard RN FF in the past with lots of room in the remaining outboard seat for another carseat, but the belt install in the middle can be kind of a pain. . .