Arrange my sienna for me

christineka · Mar 26, 2010

I just put the seats back in today. Tomorrow I take them out and them put them back. Give me suggestions!

Kids are: dd1 age 10, 60 pounds, 18 inch torso
dd2 age 8, 65 pounds, 18 inch torso
ds1 age 7, 50 pounds, 17 inch torso (fits in the radian with a bit of room)
dd3 age 5, 34 pounds, 14 inch torso
ds2 age 3, 30 pounds, 13 inch torso
dd3 age 9 months

Middle row can fit anything. I want the rfing kids there, no rfing radian in the middle.
Third row has two seats that are around 14 inches wide and the passenger side around 18 inches wide.
Driver's side has no tether anchor.

Seats are:
Chicco keyfit
3 radians (13 inches at seat, 17 at shoulders)
Avenue: 18 inches wide
2 vivos: 17-18 inches wide
bodyguard: 13-16 inches wide. (Dd1 and 2 need to have it at least 14.5 inches wide)
Harmony literider: 17 inches wide

I'm considering purchasing a second literider. The price is negligible. I'm not beyond selling or trading seats either. I'm getting a little tired of the same old, same old, but I can't buy anything until I've sold something.

safeinthecar · Mar 26, 2010

Driver /.........../passenger
3yo rfing RN /baby KF /10yo Literider (easy for 3rd row access)
8yo BG or vivo /5yo RN /7yo BG or Vivo or RN

Kat_Momof3 · Mar 26, 2010

remind me where your tether anchors are please?

offhand, I'd say

dd1 age 10, 60 pounds, 18 inch torso - Vivo (unless too tall... if too tall, then Harmony literider)
dd2 age 8, 65 pounds, 18 inch torso - Vivo (again, if too tall, then Harmony Literider)
ds1 age 7, 50 pounds, 17 inch torso (fits in the radian with a bit of room) - Bodyguard (unless one of the girls is too big for the vivo... then I'd use the vivo and save the bodyguard for when your dd3 is at least 6yrs old)
dd3 age 5, 34 pounds, 14 inch torso - Radian
ds2 age 3, 30 pounds, 13 inch torso - Radian
dd4 age 9 months - Avenue

Chicco keyfit - sell, unless you are going to have more babies
3rd Radian - sell... you won't need 3 because your dd3 can pass hers to the baby when she moves to a booster in a year or two
Harmony literider: 17 inches wide - save for when needed when someone outgrows a Vivo by height, unless you are using it.

Anyway... that's what I'd do.

And I'd probably do the Bodyguard and 1 vivo/harmony literider in the back... the oldest being in that seat... and let the 10yr old help the 5yr old get buckled.

then I'd put the other vivo and the two little ones in the 2nd row

now if your 10yr old can't help your 5yr old with the belts (because of special needs), then I might do it the other way and load the little ones through the back hatch.

christineka · Mar 26, 2010

I tried ds in the bodyguard today. He did well, but needed a little help with the routing of the belt. He is skinny enough to fit on the skinniest setting. Dd sat in ds' radian and she was able to buckle and at least unbuckle the chest clip. (He has the new one.) I left the avenue in dh's car since I'll have to drive it again tomorrow. I put ds2 in the rfing radian in the middle and it fell back as ds jumped around on it instead of sitting and buckling. I'm not sure that I'm ready to part with the keyfit. I love it and makes me feel that my baby is still a baby.

Carrie_R · Mar 27, 2010

Throwing this out there, because I'm in a similar situation as you (although the kids aren't mine, lol,) of needing six carseats in six spots.

Can your 5 or 7yo buckle themselves into the Radian?

Can you load through the hatch?

If yes to both of those questions, I would do the RFing seats in the back (RN/KF) with the Radian, either RF for your 5yo (easiest) or FF for the child who can buckle themselves. Other three along the second row.

If they can both buckle themselves, put the other one second row center.

It's what ended up working for me and it makes me life a MILLION times easier. Never in a thousand years what I would have imagined working out, but it did, and it's the easiest loading procedure I could possibly imagine for six kids. Plus, I never have to move the second row to access the third.

If loading through the hatch doesn't work for you, eh, nevermind.

Kat_Momof3 · Mar 27, 2010

I totally get that one... I'd keep baby in keyfit, then, but otherwise, I stand by my recommendations... I was wondering if your ds would fit in the bodyguard at a narrower setting just because all your kids are on the lean side and I've seen pics of him in the vivo and then your 5yr old dd in the bodyguard and they looked similar in build.

I'm sure he'll get the hang of it with practice and I really do like that booster... I lusted for one and never got one because by the time I was ready for a booster other than the turbos I had for spares for my boys, it was off the market.

But anyway, using it for him should also help you fit 3 kids more easily across the back row down the line when you have more than 3 kids in boosters and can just make the third row a booster row, then have one booster and the two littles in the 2nd row... or you could still do it the other way round and put the babies in from the back.

christineka · Mar 27, 2010

Carrie_R said:
Can your 5 or 7yo buckle themselves into the Radian?

Can you load through the hatch?

If yes to both of those questions, I would do the RFing seats in the back (RN/KF) with the Radian, either RF for your 5yo (easiest) or FF for the child who can buckle themselves. Other three along the second row.

My 7 yo can buckle and unbuckle himself in the radian. The 5 yo can do the chest clip if it is the new one. (I have it on ds' seat because he's wider and the old one makes the harness look a bit pinched on him.) I used to have a couple kids rfing in the third row. It was a huge, huge pain. Loading through the hatch isn't so easy because the trunk dips down and there isn't a lot of space between the top of the bench and the roof. (Without headrests) My little kids don't like to settle down and sit in their seats. It was such a pain that I figured out how to get the big three in the back. I had planned for dd3 to just take ds' spot in the middle back in her radian, but she can't buckle or unbuckle. The middle position is difficult to reach for a ffing kid. Maybe I should turn her rfing, but she really, really wants to be ffing.

I tried my ds out in the bodyguard yesterday. He does fit on the skinniest setting. The harmony booster fits in the middle next to the skinny bodyguard. I might try putting oldest dd there and see how buckling goes. I also really like ds in the bodyguard due to those lockoffs because he is a bit wiggly. He can't wiggle much in the bodyguard like he can in the vivo.

Kat_Momof3 · Mar 27, 2010

I thought I remembered you saying he was a bit wiggly... lol... but regardless, I just figured that the things you love about the lockoffs with your dd, who isn't quite old enough, would still be true for him... that super snug fit, a little more of a reminder for him to stay in place (cause kids do seem to increase their lack of impulse control in groups)

And can I just say again that I LOVE the color bodyguard you have!

I wouldn't turn a 5yr old rf who wants to be ff... I think your current plan sounds good... the boosters in the back, harnessed kids in the middle (since I assume you're saying the older girls can't simply buckle her themselves and let you reach over to tighten it if needed)

and if the harmony booster in the middle works better for buckling than the vivo, I'd do that with the 10yr old (I'm comfy with almost any 10yr old in a backless)

Carrie_R · Mar 27, 2010

christineka said:
I used to have a couple kids rfing in the third row. It was a huge, huge pain. Loading through the hatch isn't so easy because the trunk dips down and there isn't a lot of space between the top of the bench and the roof.

Okay, then scratch that idea. My old van was like that; people would say "put a RF in the third row and load through the hatch!" and I was like, "Um, what are you smoking?!" because it sounded that insane lol. However, with my Pilot I "got it" and although I never would have tried that solution, it works perfectly. There's about a 1 foot ledge behind the rear seat, and those rear seatbacks are low, so it's easy for me to pop the kids over the seat (or they climb,) and we use that ledge as a step.

But if you've tried it and it doesn't work, I totally get that and wouldn't do it either.

I'm not experienced with your van.

Maybe I should turn her rfing, but she really, really wants to be ffing.

I'm finding myself the queen of not wanting to turn if they can possibly RF, but at five, I would give in to that "really really" wanting. Unless my life was made appreciably easier by the RFing. LOL.

I wish I had more advice for you, sounds like Kat had some good suggestions. I know how much of a pain it is to change... and change... and change the seats to look for that "perfect" configuration, before (at least in my case lol) just giving up and accepting that six carseats in six spots is just a giant P.I.T.A!!

christineka · Mar 27, 2010

Carrie_R said:
Okay, then scratch that idea. My old van was like that; people would say "put a RF in the third row and load through the hatch!" and I was like, "Um, what are you smoking?!" because it sounded that insane lol. However, with my Pilot I "got it" and although I never would have tried that solution, it works perfectly.

Yes, having the rfing kids in the third row in my aerostar was perfect. I figured I'd just do the same with the sienna and I dealt with it for months until I just couldn't stand it any more.

Dh has returned with the last (for awhile maybe) piece of large furniture and I have all the car seats scattered around the house. I will go put them back in when I get this babe settled and napping.

christineka · Mar 27, 2010

Kat_Momof3 said:
And can I just say again that I LOVE the color bodyguard you have!

It came with the denim cover too, but dd1 said she wanted the colorful one. I think the colorful one has been used less, so it seems to fit better on the seat too. I love the bodyguard. I got it from swap in the fall.

christineka · Mar 27, 2010

What I ended up doing (and we haven't tried out yet) is:
driver/middle/pass
mr: keyfit, avenue (rf), vivo (dd2)
thr: bodyguard (ds1), literider, radian (ff) (dd3)

If this works out maybe I can sell something to get a true fit or something else. I'm not wild about the avenue, but I've given up on rfing a radian on that middle-most seat.

Kat_Momof3 · Mar 28, 2010

that's a great setup (and I'm now even more jealous of your bodyguard knowing you have the denim!! we had the denim Husky (before I got it Regent clothes in Onyx to match the Regent I had and the Parkway I had) and the denim covers are just SOOO soft and comfy...

I didn't know the Radian didn't work well for your rfing...

I was trying to figure out how to keep all the narrowest seats and leave you with extras to sell to either fund another cool spare seat or just leave you with spares period... so obviously I was thinking of keeping Radians... but now it sounds like it's better to do what you're doing... and move baby to another avenue or get the rfing kiddo using the Avenue a truefit or Myride when the baby needs it... and then move each kid up when the one in the Radian moves to a booster.

ah well, thank goodness for the vivo, bodyguard, and literider all being pretty narrow.

christineka · Mar 28, 2010

Current setup needs to change. I can't reach the third row with a headrest in the middle, whether a vehicle headrest or that of a hbb. The seatbelt won't stay in the belt guide of the bodyguard when pushed to the side of the bench. There is no vehicle shoulderbelt adjuster for the third row middle seat. I don't like dealing with those backless booster shoulderbelt adjusters. (It can be worked with if needed.)

The radian does work in the van rfing, just not in the middle-most seat. It falls backward to a 45-50 or more degree angle. Maybe someone else has figured out how to make it work, but I have tried different things and can't make it stay. I am thinking up new arrangements and may try putting ds2 rfing in the third row again.

Arrange my sienna for me

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