Question 5 kids in a 05 Sienna (8 passenger)?

[kdkm]

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How would you place 5 kids in an 05 Sienna (8 passenger) so that everyone can get in and out easily and mom can help them all buckle up?

The kids are 6, 5, 3, 2, and 1. (They all hard birthdays within the last 4 months).

The two oldest kids are pretty small. The oldest is about 42 inches and a little more than 35 pounds. The 5 year old is about 40 or 41 inches and about the same weight as her older sister. The babies are all about 30lbs and are pretty short. She didn't tell me their torso heights. I know they all still fit a Scenera though, if that helps.

The oldest rides in a booster full time now (since her 6th birthday). The 5 year old can ride in a booster as well. They can also both be harnessed. The youngest three all still RF but the the 3 year old could go FF for easier access.

Right now, she has a GN, RN, TF, 3 Sceneras, a Maestro, and 3 HBTB. She open to getting another seat, maybe two, but would prefer not to.

The main thing she wants is easy access to everyone to help with buckling and getting into seats. Any ideas on what would work?

[Laurette]

Rearfacers in the back row, can be helped from the back hatch. Maybe Two RFers ourboard (Sceneras) in the back row and the Radian center FFing. Can the 6 year old help buckle the little ones? If so, I'd put her center rear and the three year old Rfing in the Truefit second row(if she fits by weight, could also be FFing I guess) and the Nauti in the second row also.

I don't know much about the Sienna 8 passneger, but can the center seat be taken out?

[kdkm]

Originally Posted by Laurette

Rearfacers in the back row, can be helped from the back hatch. Maybe Two RFers ourboard (Sceneras) in the back row and the Radian center FFing. Can the 6 year old help buckle the little ones? If so, I'd put her center rear and the three year old Rfing in the Truefit second row(if she fits by weight, could also be FFing I guess) and the Nauti in the second row also.

I don't know much about the Sienna 8 passneger, but can the center seat be taken out?

I don't think mom can load the younger ones through the hatch because they are so heavy and she has weak arms due to a medical condition. I will have to ask her though. I am pretty sure the 6 year old could help buckle the younger kids.

I am not sure about the center seat. I will have to ask about that as well.

[Jennifer mom to my 7]

You don't need to take the center seat out of an 05 8 passenger sienna. The outboard seat flips and folds, no problem.... for almost any seat. I have had the nautilus in the center seat, no issues except seat belt install is a bit give and take.

I would try a forward facing harness passenger 3rd row, and a rfer third row. Then, harnessed (whatever way) in an outboard and the center position, then the oldest high back boostered in the other outboard spot. And see how that works.

[kdkm]

Do you think it would work if she did the GN outboard passenger side 3rd row and a RF TF drivers side 3rd row. And then a HBTB, RF Scenera, and RF RN in the second row? That way the seat with the booster could be moved so the 5 and 3 year old could climb back in their seats.

Would a RF RN work 3rd third row drivers side? I know the 3 year old is getting close to the 35lbs RF limit on the TF. Plus, the radian is lower profile so it would be easier for her to climb into anyway.

Thanks for the ideas so far. I will definitely run them all by her.

[Jennifer mom to my 7]

That should work. From what I have gathered, the rf radian can be installed everywhere except the middle middle row. More tomorrow.

[christineka]

I would put all three younger ones rear-facing across the middle row with the oldest in the middle. Then, put the older two in the back, outside seats. If the 5 year old is in a harnessed seat, then put it on the passenger's side and the booster on the driver's side. If both in boosters, then just outboard. You can easily make the backs of the captain's chairs flip forward with rear-facing seats installed on them. My bigger kids can easily get themselves into the third row past a rear-facing seat. Pushing the outboard captain's chairs to the most forward position helps even better. I would avoid putting a rfing kid in the third row unless absolutely necessary because it is difficult to get to the child. (I have my nearly 4 year old in the back right now and it is a pain.) I have also had all three rear-facing kids across the middle row and it was a great setup- except for that middle radian. (Because it kept leaning back.) I think that any three seats would fit across the middle row of the sienna. I've recently had a regent, true fit, and frontier85 across. Oh- I've tried the high back booster on the captain's chairs. I have one there now. It is easier to access the third row with a rear-facing seat than with a high back booster. I think I actually have a picture I snapped to demonstrate this. Let me go hunt.

Rrfing radian (I've had a rfing avenue on the seat and the back flipped just as well as with the radian on the seat.)


vivo (Notice how the seat has to move. Also, if the belt was in the guide, it would be cumbersome.)


3 rfing kids seats across the middle

[kdkm]

Originally Posted by christineka

I would put all three younger ones rear-facing across the middle row with the oldest in the middle. Then, put the older two in the back, outside seats. If the 5 year old is in a harnessed seat, then put it on the passenger's side and the booster on the driver's side. If both in boosters, then just outboard. You can easily make the backs of the captain's chairs flip forward with rear-facing seats installed on them. My bigger kids can easily get themselves into the third row past a rear-facing seat. Pushing the outboard captain's chairs to the most forward position helps even better. I would avoid putting a rfing kid in the third row unless absolutely necessary because it is difficult to get to the child. (I have my nearly 4 year old in the back right now and it is a pain.) I have also had all three rear-facing kids across the middle row and it was a great setup- except for that middle radian. (Because it kept leaning back.) I think that any three seats would fit across the middle row of the sienna. I've recently had a regent, true fit, and frontier85 across. Oh- I've tried the high back booster on the captain's chairs. I have one there now. It is easier to access the third row with a rear-facing seat than with a high back booster. I think I actually have a picture I snapped to demonstrate this. Let me go hunt.

Wow, thank you. The pictures really help. I think that set up will probably work best as it seems like the 3 rearfacers will be easily accessible and the older kids will still be able to get in their seats. She will also be able to help the 5 year old if need be.


Also, do a RF work in the 2nd row center seat or not? Because pp said it didn't but it looks like you have one installed there.

[christineka]

Originally Posted by kdkm

Also, do a RF work in the 2nd row center seat or not? Because pp said it didn't but it looks like you have one installed there.

The rfing radian doesn't work there because the seat reclines and then reclines some more. I did have the radian there for awhile- until I couldn't stand my then 4 year old laying back a ton. I had likely just installed the seat before the pictures, so it wasn't bad. I've put other rfing seats in that middle-most seat and they've all worked just fine: true fit premier, avenue, scenera, and tribute.

[karlatta]

This is how I do 5 kids in mine (a 7 passenger, but I would do an 8 passenger the same way and just remove and store the passenger captain's chair). The 5 I usually carry are 3RFers and 2FFers.

Middle row:
RF Marathon driver
RF Scenera center
(really, pretty much any two seats work here)

Back row:
RF Radian driver
FF Radian center
FF Nautilus passenger (can also fit a Maestro)

I put an older RF kid in that back Radian spot (for me, it's a 2.5yo). He can climb in and out of his own seat. I can reach to buckle him from the side door to the van, because I have the headrest removed from that captain's chair. His older brother sits next to him in the Radian and can unbuckle him when we arrive. (Older brother is 4, so he can't help buckle, but an older child may be able to.)

Taking out the passenger seat also gives a really wide "aisle" to the back, which is helpful when kids are piling in and not being so quick about getting in their seats - they have somewhere to stand while waiting on siblings. It also gives me enough room that if I have to get in and help buckle someone, I'm not trying to squeeze between seats. I can reach everyone from that empty space.

I refuse to load from the back. I have to climb into the trunk area to do so, and that's too hard with the big double stroller back there, plus whatever else I have. (Usually a couple of towels and a few jackets, but I also keep a small IKEA potty seat back there.) I also prefer to do as little seat back flipping as necessary.