fitting 5 seats in a van

amy&girls

New member
So I drive a kia sedona. I currently have 4 girls, and just found out I am expecting again. I need to fit 5 carseats in my van as my kids are 6 1/2, 4 1/2, 3 and 15 months. Right now the seat configuration is as follows. My oldest rides in a turbo booster in the 3rd row drivers side. my 4 1/2 yr old rides in a Apex 65 (still harnessed b/c she is a small little thing) in the 3rd row passenger side. There isn't much room between the seats, my friends 9yr old can ride between them, but that isn't an option for me as my oldest won't be 8 till September of next year. My 3yr old rides in the captains seat passenger side in a graco nautulis (sp) and my 15 month old rides rear-facing in an evenflo triumph advance dxl (or whatever they call it, harnesses to 50lbs) behind the drivers seat. The infant seat I will be using is a Graco Safeseat and I have as extra seats an evenflo booster and a Cosco Serena (which only fits my littlest, but I'd like to keep her in the evenflo if possible). Thoughts? I've tried to fit another seat between the two seats in the back and it just didn't work, it wouldn't fit.
 
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libranbutterfly

New member
I would think you will probably need at least one sunshine kids radian to make this work. I would try to put the 15 month old RF in the middle of the back bench in the radian, and the baby on the driver side (or maybe baby in the middle, 25 m.o on the side) and the 3 and 4.5 yr olds stay harnessed in the captains chairs. You can then load the 2 RF children through the back hatch. Otherwise, you may be able to to turbobooster, radian for 3 yo, nautilus for 4.5 yr old on the back bench, 15 month old and baby in the cap. chairs, but then you will have to put baby in the front seat (out of the way) so you can climb in and help everyone get buckled, then put baby in.

How are you loading them now? Can the 4.5 yr old buckle her own harness?

Is there a lap and shoulder belt in the middle of the third row? If it is only a lapbelt, no one should be riding there, you should only use it to install a carseat.
 

DahliaRW

New member
I would probably get rid of the apex in favor of a maestro in the 3rd row. The Apex is super wide. See if you can do a maestro, TB, and maybe the nautilus, maybe a second maestro, maybe a radian in the 3rd row.
 

Gypsy

Senior Community Member
Do you have a long wheel base (with 60/40 split 3rd row), or a short wheel base (with 50/50 split 3rd row)?

What year is your Sedona?
 

amy&girls

New member
In answer to the first question I was asked, yes, my four year old can buckle her own harness, but sometimes needs help, and she needs help getting it unbuckled as well. There is a shoulder/lap belt in the middle seat. :)

Also, I'd like to try to do this without buying a new seat if possible. I just replaced my DD's cosco with a Nautulis, and hubby wasn't thrilled. My 4 1/2 year old could booster if necessary, she is of the right height, she's just under 40lbs and the other boosters lowest limit is 30lbs... I just don't know if I like that idea :)

And our back seat has the 40/60 split, and is a 2006
 

Gypsy

Senior Community Member
In the 3rd row you can basically fit any Radian with any other two seats of your choice. I'd probably go for a Radian, a Maestro and any booster of your choice. It will all work best if the Radian is installed in the drivers outboard position.

You can then use any two seats of your choice in the captains chairs... I've never had a problematic install there.

I have the same van BTW, and the 3rd row is wide/nice for 3 across.
 

kattale

New member
Hi,
I have a 2007 Kia Sedona. The middle seat of the 3rd row has something ridiculous like 8" between the belt stalks. When my twins hit booster seat age, nothing would fit, and any seat I put there would cover the buckle and pressure the release to undo. Also, they could not get their hands in between the seats to do up the seatbelts.

I now have 3-across the third row, with an rf scenara belt installed on the driver's side, a ff Radian belt installed in the centre (only seat that doesn't release the centre belt) and a nice fat TrueFit living spaciously as a LATCH install in the 40/split side. (2007 has 2 anchors on each of the middle and rear rows.)

I have another RF Truefit on the drivers side middle row, and a FF Truefit on the passenger side, both LATCH installs.

I had to go to Transport Canada to the car seat guru there, to find a solution that didn't release my seatbelts, and the Radian was the only solution they had. (In her words - what *ADULT* has an 8" butt???) Fortunately, I only needed to buy the one Radian, and everything else installed nicely around it.
 

Carrie_R

Ambassador - CPS Technician
Also, I'd like to try to do this without buying a new seat if possible. I just replaced my DD's cosco with a Nautulis, and hubby wasn't thrilled. My 4 1/2 year old could booster if necessary, she is of the right height, she's just under 40lbs and the other boosters lowest limit is 30lbs... I just don't know if I like that idea :)

I wouldn't booster your 4.5yo. Most (although not all) 4.5yos are not ready to booster yet. I also wouldn't plan on pulling your 7yo out of a booster right at 8; most kids need boosters longer than that in order for the belt to fit them properly.

Just a tip, if you cannot fit all of the seats in and need to buy a new seat, remind your DH that a new carseat is less expensive than a new vehicle. You also might be able to sell some of your existing seats on Craigslist to offset the cost.

It sounds like the key is going to be getting two seats on the 60% portion of the bench. Give that a shot, and if you can get them in, you should be good to go. It also might help to try seats for your 3yo both RF and FF, since sometimes they will only go one way or the other. Based on what Kattale said, you might be able to do Scenera/Radian with the Apex, Nautilus, or TB back there.

I would check the 3-across thread for your vehicle. See what others have been able to do. :)

(I have six seats in my Pilot, and two of them together share a whopping 34" of space, with 14" left for another seat, so you CAN do it!!)
 

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