Question 5 seats in a Grand Caravan

Okay, so we are going to start ordering seats to try in our van in the next week or so, and I wanted to get a few more opinions/ideas to try before we order.

Here are our stats:
2003 Dodge Grand Caravan Sport

10 yo 80lbs, 4' 6"
7 yo 65lbs, 4' 3"
5 yo 43lbs, 3' 8"
3 yo 35lbs 3'3"
newbie due in April

The seats we have now:

10yo backless TB (can ALMOST 5 step, but not quite there yet)
7 yo in HB TB
5 yo in TF
3 yo in Evenflo Symphony DLX
for the newbie we have a SR35

We are totally prepared to replace all or most of the seats to get the right fit, so we don't have to use all our seats. Just tell me what fits

We have tried a Radian (@ buy buy baby), and it seemed monstrous in our back seat. I was assuming it would "save" us, but I am not sure what would fit back there w/ it...also, my 5yo only had a couple inches to spare in the Radian, so it really isn't an option for him (he is all torso)..but it might work for my 3 yo.

You could probably get a radian in the middle of the third row FF for the 3 year old and then two narrow boosters for the oldest two, but it will be very hard to buckle. Unfortunately, you don't have tether anchors outboard third row, so those spots should be boostered or RF kiddos. And since the middle rear position is a lap belt only, you are going to have to keep a child seat there, not a boostered child because lap belts are really only good for installing carseats.

Your 10 year old will probably need to grow at least a few more inches, my own pre-teen was over 4ft9 before he 5 stepped back there (I have a 2002 Caravan).

You could try the newborn in a narrow infant seat in the middle third row (snugride 30?) and then the older two can get in first and buckle before you snap the carrier in (load through the hatch?). I know you can slide a SR22 in through the back with the handle in the C position, I've done it in my van.

Edited to add, it is going to be a pretty tight fit. I've had 5 kids in my Caravan a few times but it wasn't fun at all.
I have put
Driver / passenger
Booster / FF seat
5 stepping / RF Radian / RF Britax Blvd
Removed booster and flipped the seat forward to get the 5 stepper in and out, loaded the RFers through the hatch.

Also
Driver / passenger
Nautilus / Nautilus
Backless / SR22 / RF Radian
I can't remember which backless I used though.

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If there is anything specific that you'd like me to try for you, I have a plethora of training seats in the basement and my third row is empty right now

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tiggercat said:

You could probably get a radian in the middle of the third row FF for the 3 year old and then two narrow boosters for the oldest two, but it will be very hard to buckle. Unfortunately, you don't have tether anchors outboard third row, so those spots should be boostered or RF kiddos. And since the middle rear position is a lap belt only, you are going to have to keep a child seat there, not a boostered child because lap belts are really only good for installing carseats.

Click to expand...

So for narrow boosters, what is recommended? I am looking @ the measurement data, but I know that what puzzles well sometimes matters more than width. The Radian is so low profile, I have wondered if something on a base (like a Britax) would make it easier for the booster kids to buckle.

tiggercat said:

Your 10 year old will probably need to grow at least a few more inches, my own pre-teen was over 4ft9 before he 5 stepped back there (I have a 2002 Caravan).

Click to expand...

That is what I was thinking..

tiggercat said:

You could try the newborn in a narrow infant seat in the middle third row (snugride 30?) and then the older two can get in first and buckle before you snap the carrier in (load through the hatch?). I know you can slide a SR22 in through the back with the handle in the C position, I've done it in my van.

Click to expand...

I was considering a Coccorro for the baby, but not sure if it would be easier to get her out through the hatch w/ a bucket seat or just a convertible, and I know the Coccorro is really narrow..but my babies are chunksters, so I wonder if she will have any room after a few months
I am super short, so I would have a bit of a time getting a baby out through the hatch, especially if there are groceries or something in the back of the van.

tiggercat said:

Edited to add, it is going to be a pretty tight fit. I've had 5 kids in my Caravan a few times but it wasn't fun at all.
I have put
Driver / passenger
Booster / FF seat
5 stepping / RF Radian / RF Britax Blvd
Removed booster and flipped the seat forward to get the 5 stepper in and out, loaded the RFers through the hatch.

Also
Driver / passenger
Nautilus / Nautilus
Backless / SR22 / RF Radian
I can't remember which backless I used though.

Sent from my iPod touch using Car-Seat.Org

Click to expand...

tiggercat said:

If there is anything specific that you'd like me to try for you, I have a plethora of training seats in the basement and my third row is empty right now

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Click to expand...

Well, I can't think of anything specific..but I am hoping to get either my 3 or 5 yr old in the rear middle and 2 boosters rear outboard, so if you have anything that you think will work and can try it, I would be super thankful!

I have a 2003 Grand Caravan.

In my third row I have fit:
3 radians (all FF or FF,RF,FF)
FF Radian, frontier, FF radian
FF radian, frontier and a harmony cruz NBB (current set-up)
literider, SR32, 5 stepping tween
5 stepping tween, TB (in center with a y-86 harness), RF radian or RF comfort sport

I have hatch-loaded into a radian and a comfort sport an it is pretty easy. It gets harder as the kid gets longer.

About puzzling... the SR32 base and the harmony literider puzzle really well in the caravan. The arm of the LR tucks under the flange of the base of the SR32.

Also, the Harmony Cruz and the Frontier puzzle pretty well if you install with SBP. The frontier narrows in at the belt path which leaves my daughter room to reach her hand back along the vehicle seat back to grasp the buckle then she "squishes" her hand through the belt path of the booster to buckle. She says there is "tons of room back there". For the Frontier I have twisted the buckle stalk so that the release button is facing the seat so DD3 does not accidentally unbuckle it while trying to unbuckle herself.



There is an approved method for adding TA's to this generation of the Dodge Caravan. It will be in the 2013 LATCH manual. There is a thread out there somewhere about it. Here is another thread that makes reference to it http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=179305&page=3. Check out the quote in post #50. The part number is PART # 05012007-AB. There is more discussion about it in this tread http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=92105

Hope that helps.

ETA, in the interest of full disclosure (in case you look at my siggy and do the math) I have two 3 person benches installed in my 2003 Caravan to accommodate my six kids. Current set up, rear bench, cruz, frontier, FF radian. Middle row: 5 stepping tween, RF Radian, 5 stepping tween. Sometimes DD 3 moves her cruz to the middle row depending on how many are with us.

I am curious if you happen to have a pic of the RN/FR/RN set up? I have never tried it, but I can't imagine how it would work?

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tiggercat said:

I am curious if you happen to have a pic of the RN/FR/RN set up? I have never tried it, but I can't imagine how it would work?

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Click to expand...

I do. Let me see if I can attach a pic.


It has be to installed in a specific order but I have done the" uninstall, check for independent tightness" check. First in is the Drivers side radian, three twists on the buckle stalk, recline foot down, Then the frontier. I used LBP but SBP also works easily. Then the Passenger side RN. I had to thread the seat belt through the belt path with the RN sitting almost sideways on the seat so I could reach to buckle it, then, reaching through the belt path I was able to tighten it. Again, three twists on the stalk and the recline foot down on the RN. The hardest thing was getting the RN to sit behind the little red clips that hold the cover on the frontier. I was afraid of breaking them.

I have been installing Radians in my van for 5 years so I know what it takes to get a good install. Although it is tricky to get that last Radian in if you take the FR out the RN is rock solid!!!

mom of six said:

I do. Let me see if I can attach a pic.

It has be to installed in a specific order but I have done the" uninstall, check for independent tightness" check. First in is the Drivers side radian, three twists on the buckle stalk, recline foot down, Then the frontier. I used LBP but SBP also works easily. Then the Passenger side RN. I had to thread the seat belt through the belt path with the RN sitting almost sideways on the seat so I could reach to buckle it, then, reaching through the belt path I was able to tighten it. Again, three twists on the stalk and the recline foot down on the RN. The hardest thing was getting the RN to sit behind the little red clips that hold the cover on the frontier. I was afraid of breaking them.

I have been installing Radians in my van for 5 years so I know what it takes to get a good install. Although it is tricky to get that last Radian in if you take the FR out the RN is rock solid!!!

Click to expand...

Do you have a l/s in the middle? I thought you could only do lbp with a l/s belt, not a lap only?

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tiggercat said:

Do you have a l/s in the middle? I thought you could only do lbp with a l/s belt, not a lap only?

Click to expand...

Oh crap.

Now I am a statistic.

MY CAR SEAT WAS INSTALLED WRONG:doh:
I must admit, I didn't read the instruction manual. I just thought I knew. Live and learn and make change. I was just so excited to have a frontier and install it in all those cool ways that I just ASSumed that I knew it all. MY BAD

Luckily it is not installed that way anymore and has not been for quite a while.

Never the less, those three car seats do fit and they are tight (although I realize that I have lost credibility here )