arranging seats in a suburban

aja

New member
arranging seats in a suburban *PICS ADDED post 13*

so insurance totaled our van and we're getting my mom's friend's old suburban for a great price. it will be our primary vehicle until feb at least. my husband has checked it out mechanically but i know nothing about the seats/tethers/whatever.

so how would you arrange these 4 seats in a 1996 suburban?

1 rf myride (under 20 lb 9 month old)
1 rf or ff myride (25ish lb 3 year old)
1 ff recaro como (really tall 40lb 4 1/2 year old - can buckle himself well :thumbsup: )
1 safeseat 1 (under 20lb 9 month old - can be with or without the base)

any of these seats could be subbed by a radian xt if necessary (though each of the kids are happy with their seat as is).
 
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babygirlsmom1005

New member
I have a 92 (same body style) and this is how I would do it.

Center Row:
Passanger Side - My Ride for 9 month old
Center - My Ride for 3 year old
Driver - Safeseat (with or without base - make 3 year old crawl over and into their seat - also the 4 year old can get over aswell - the myride will block the drop down seat for the passanger side - or you can switch, doesn't really matter)

For the My Ride install in the center lap belt - it does take some shimmying the seat (sitting in seat and rocking it back and forth to get that last click in seatbelt - or unbuckle the belt, let it go back and then buckle it back with all your weight in the seat) to get it in there nice and tight. I did end up using a large pool noodle to get some recline on it.

Rear Row:
Recaro Como - I know for a fact it will fit outboard on either side. (call Chevrolet and get the TSB for Top Tether Retrofitted)

Before I put any of the kids in it, I would make sure you are able to top tether the Recaro since none of the RF'ing seats tether or have a anti rebound foot/control.

Here is a 3 across Rear Facing in mine - True Fit Premier, My Ride 65 & Radian XT

3acrossRF-1.jpg


If you look behind my daughter's frontier to the left, you'll see the Recaro Como in the rear row

IMG_5755.jpg


You'll love the Suburban....you can fit practically any seat in there and Radians get amazingly upright installs :cool: (see sig pic)
 

aja

New member
oh how exciting that you have the same body style with a como, myride, and a radian!

do you know what seating positions you can have a tether retrofitted in? i just call the chevy dealer and get a kit or ask them to do it? i doubt it has any tethers at the moment since the owners kids are long grown and their only grandkid is extended-rear-facing.
 

babygirlsmom1005

New member
oh how exciting that you have the same body style with a como, myride, and a radian!

do you know what seating positions you can have a tether retrofitted in? i just call the chevy dealer and get a kit or ask them to do it? i doubt it has any tethers at the moment since the owners kids are long grown and their only grandkid is extended-rear-facing.

Well the My Ride is a friends that does the carpooling with but yeap, the rest are mine :D

I know you can get the retro kit for the center row (for the 3rd row seats - it's nothing more than a male belt buckel peice) and the 3rd row, it attaches to the anchors back there (my brian is farting and I cannot remember what they are called). I don't remember the TSB number, but I do have the part number for the male belt buckle thingy around here somewhere.

The 1st one is free from GM - just have to find a dealer to do it....the rest you have to pay for (I think the male belt buckles are $7.00 or so for the retro kit and you simply buckle it into the female end)

ETA: Cargo Anchors in the back for the 3rd row tether.....it's nothing more than a strap with a hook to hook the top tether to.
 

skaterbabs

Well-known member
Do you have the 60/40 split bench in your 2nd row? If so I'd do it this way. That lets you tether your 1 FF seat, and you can still access all your RF children because the 40 split is down. It's a real pain to fit three seats in the third row anyway, so I wouldn't try. Alternatively you can have the SS and the Como in the second row, but it won't be as easy to get to the third row children to buckle them.
 

babygirlsmom1005

New member
Do you have the 60/40 split bench in your 2nd row? If so I'd do it this way. That lets you tether your 1 FF seat, and you can still access all your RF children because the 40 split is down. It's a real pain to fit three seats in the third row anyway, so I wouldn't try. Alternatively you can have the SS and the Como in the second row, but it won't be as easy to get to the third row children to buckle them.

The como will block the seat from going down - I tried already with the Como in the center, it won't allow the seat to fold down, if it would (I haven't found a seat yet that it will and I cannot get the radian installed tightly in the center - so I'm not sure if it would allow it since it's a no go with that install) it would be the perfect set up.
 

aja

New member
i wonder if the middle row seat would fold down if i had the safe seat base installed in the center...then we might ut marvel in the 3rd row too.
 

babygirlsmom1005

New member
i wonder if the middle row seat would fold down if i had the safe seat base installed in the center...then we might ut marvel in the 3rd row too.

It's possible - depending on the width of the base - just would have to install and see.

The smallest carseat I have is a Cosco Scerena - and it won't let the seat fold down with it installed in the center (RF'ing - I have had it installed FF'ing in the Suburban).
 

skaterbabs

Well-known member
The como will block the seat from going down - I tried already with the Como in the center, it won't allow the seat to fold down, if it would (I haven't found a seat yet that it will and I cannot get the radian installed tightly in the center - so I'm not sure if it would allow it since it's a no go with that install) it would be the perfect set up.

Just leave the seat folded down all the time. That's what I do in my '93 Suburban. :thumbsup:
 

babygirlsmom1005

New member
Just leave the seat folded down all the time. That's what I do in my '93 Suburban. :thumbsup:

I would, but my DS's TFP is there (and stays there, I don't like messing with this seat) with my DD's RNXT on the Drivers Outboard.....I don't need access all the time, but when I do, we put the kids through the back for the seats installed in the rear rows :thumbsup:
 

skaterbabs

Well-known member
I would, but my DS's TFP is there (and stays there, I don't like messing with this seat) with my DD's RNXT on the Drivers Outboard.....I don't need access all the time, but when I do, we put the kids through the back for the seats installed in the rear rows :thumbs up:

I'm sorry, I missed the RN and TF parts. (Not feeling well, so the brain isn't firing on all cylinders at the moment...) Would you list your seats again for me, please?


THAT is genius. :thumbs up:

:whistle: ;)
 

aja

New member
thank you guys SO MUCH for all the knowledge and experience here.

we got the suburban last night. i installed the seats today. this is the set up for now - when we move cassius to a convertible seat we'll probably move him to the middle row and make jet climb over to the back. for right now this works out great. marvel can get in her seat, jet can buckle himself up completely. we buckle up cassius then snap his safeseat into the base and fox is of course easy to buckle up on the outside of the middle row.

the folding seat in the middle row can go up and down even. you have to squeeze it past the cupholder part of the myride - which gives a little. the seats are all in rock solid. way easier than in the sienna (imo).

here's some pics! feel free to comment or poin out anything that looks off. we've had a crazy day here so i wouldn't be suprised if i was missing something.

4182317071_07fc8b4d06.jpg


4182322837_8024ae26e8.jpg


4182323793_8e298d4ce2.jpg


4183083942_172b181a0c.jpg
 

babygirlsmom1005

New member
thank you guys SO MUCH for all the knowledge and experience here.

we got the suburban last night. i installed the seats today. this is the set up for now - when we move cassius to a convertible seat we'll probably move him to the middle row and make jet climb over to the back. for right now this works out great. marvel can get in her seat, jet can buckle himself up completely. we buckle up cassius then snap his safeseat into the base and fox is of course easy to buckle up on the outside of the middle row.

the folding seat in the middle row can go up and down even. you have to squeeze it past the cupholder part of the myride - which gives a little. the seats are all in rock solid. way easier than in the sienna (imo).

here's some pics! feel free to comment or poin out anything that looks off. we've had a crazy day here so i wouldn't be suprised if i was missing something.

4182317071_07fc8b4d06.jpg


4182322837_8024ae26e8.jpg


4182323793_8e298d4ce2.jpg


4183083942_172b181a0c.jpg

Set up looks good :thumbsup: Isn't it awesome how 2 wide seats like the MR65 will fit side by side in it without a hitch? I :love: my 92 suburban due to that!!!
 

KaysKidz

Senior Community Member
FWIW, I've owned 2 Subs ('97 and '00)...and haven't met a seat installed in the middle of the 2nd row that could keep me from accessing the 3rd row. Currently, in my 2nd row is a Decathlon (center) and an XT outboard. Doesn't matter rf or ff, I can get into the 3rd row just fine...and do it regularly. I do install the middle seat first to make sure there is enough clearance...but it always works!

And yes, you can put a SS in the center too...I used to have one there.
 

babygirlsmom1005

New member
FWIW, I've owned 2 Subs ('97 and '00)...and haven't met a seat installed in the middle of the 2nd row that could keep me from accessing the 3rd row. Currently, in my 2nd row is a Decathlon (center) and an XT outboard. Doesn't matter rf or ff, I can get into the 3rd row just fine...and do it regularly. I do install the middle seat first to make sure there is enough clearance...but it always works!

And yes, you can put a SS in the center too...I used to have one there.

I wonder if the benches are different in those (I know it is in a 00 - different body style) vs a 92-93 - I know there isn't much room for scooting with one in the middle and one outboard on the drivers.
 

aja

New member
FWIW, I've owned 2 Subs ('97 and '00)...and haven't met a seat installed in the middle of the 2nd row that could keep me from accessing the 3rd row. Currently, in my 2nd row is a Decathlon (center) and an XT outboard. Doesn't matter rf or ff, I can get into the 3rd row just fine...and do it regularly. I do install the middle seat first to make sure there is enough clearance...but it always works!

And yes, you can put a SS in the center too...I used to have one there.

yeah, i suspect this 96 is similar. i mean, a myrides fit! lol
 

KaysKidz

Senior Community Member
The only thing I would recommend doing different, would be to put the bigger rf'er outboard and the baby in the center...for 2 reasons...the baby needs more protection then big sister....and the big sister could benefit from having the driver seat behind her to help prevent over rotation.

As for bench...I actually think I have LESS room in my '00 then I did in my '97. But it all works, so I'm still happy. LOL I love my burb...I've been doing 3 across in both 2nd and 3rd rows for years...first daycare, and now foster care. It's my dream car for car seats and big strollers. LOL
 

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