Placement help in minivan

[123LuckyMom]

I feel ridiculous posting this when there are people with five kids trying to arrange their seats, but I can't seem to figure out two!!! We have a 2012 Ody. DS is 3.5 and RF in a Marathon behind the passenger seat. We're expecting DD any day (I'm 40 weeks TODAY!), and her Snugride is currently installed behind the driver's seat. This is a silly configuration! Now we have no third seat in the second row and no way to access the third row, right?

I can widen the second row and put DD and DS next to each other with DD's seat in the middle. Here's the issue. DS is 32lbs, so he's creeping up on his RF limit, and currently his legs hang over the seat fairly substantially on either side. If DD is right next to him, his foot will be on her legs. This is not ideal and may be untenable. I could turn him FF and solve the problem, but I'm reluctant to cheat him out of his last few pounds as a rear facer. I was kind of hoping he'd rear face until 4 if possible. I'm also not positive that if we used that middle seat for the Snugride the seat behind the driver would still have enough room to provide access to the back. Will it?

We rarely have third row riders, but what's the point of having the minivan if you can't use your extra seats easily!? Besides, it would be great to continue to have that extra second row seat free. What would you/do you do in your minivan?

[legaleagle]

Do the seats not slide forward enough to access the third row? Esp if you just have just the snugride base, can you fold it forward a bit too and move up the front row seat if necessary? I climb into the third row of the mazda5 from the hatch too - folding down one side. Not the most graceful manuever but not too hard. Or maybe take out the middle seat of the second row to create an aisle.

[KrisM]

I'd do whatever works best for every day use and if you're going to put people in the 3rd row, move seats around for that. I'm not going to make my daily life harder for the once a month we have an extra kid with us :).

[infocrazy]

When we just had 2 we had removed the center seat (we have an Ody 09) and on the rare occasions we had third row riders they just accessed before we put the infant seat in and went down the middle.

When we had DD, DS1 moved to the back row and I slid the middle row seats together. DD is in the "middle" and DS2 (FF FR85) is behind the driver. DS2 was already forward facing when we added DD but there is still quite a bit of separation between their car seats. I don't think you will have a problem having them side by side, even rear facing. He will likely just move his foot...

When the new baby comes in July, DS2 will also move to the third row and DD will be RF in an MA next to the baby in the second row. We will be at full capacity then!!!

[HIU8]

We had DS RF passenger side and DD in infant seat behind driver. We didn't have an issue with DS's feet/legs near DD (even if we pushed the seat towards the middle--which we did, the seats were not close enough that DS's feet could reach anything except the side of DD's infant seat). DS ws 3 yrs 4 months when he reached the weight limit for RF and we turned him around. Passengers got in on the passenger side to access the third row.

[123LuckyMom]

Um, yes, Legaleagle, with the base alone, the seat moves forward plenty. I was able to haul my extremely inelegant pregnant self in there, so my mother should not be able to complain about it being too difficult for her! With the base alone, it's also possible to access the middle seat to sit in or remove the console to use that center aisle. I feel very foolish! :duh: I seriously didn't think about the seat not being in the car all the time! Can I blame this on pregnancy brain?

[legaleagle]

Hey, I blame everything on pregnancy brain and I'm only 32w! Hope your DD shows up soon - going overdue is such a drag.

[fumofu]

We also have a 2012 Odyssey. We currently have DS's Radian RFing in the 3rd row. We've taken out the middle seat in the 2nd row. I'll be installing the Snugride 35 (assuming it fits) in the 2nd row in front of the Radian. So Mama, DC2, DS will all be sitting in different rows! If the Snugride doesn't fit, then I'll most likely put it in the 3rd row.

I have clumsy grandparents that we see every week, so it's easier for them to get in and out via the middle aisle than tilting forward the 2nd row seat.

[swissair81]

I feel ridiculous posting this when there are people with five kids trying to arrange their seats, but I can't seem to figure out two!!!

:hysterical: everyone is entitled to their problems

I have a 2007 Ody without the 3rd seat. Maybe you want to take out the middle seat in the second row and move the other 2 seats together? I did that so I can kneel in my doorway and buckle DD2 without having to climb all the way in the car.

[123LuckyMom]

I like that idea. I didn't know the two seats would slide together into the middle. I'll have to check that out. It would be helpful to have that setup for rainy/snowy weather to stay a little drier while buckling, unbuckling, and fussing with jackets, covers and the like.