Let's Play Carseat Shuffle!

I'm going to go on a long trip in a few weeks, and I can't decide who to put in what seat.

In play:

Two Radians, that are a PITA to install with L/S.
Two full size Safeguards
One falling apart Monterey (the back wings won't stay put)
Parkway SG (only fit the 6 and 4 yo well)
Two Frontier 85
One Olli Clek

The kids:

17 yo, SBO, 5'6", 130'ish, IIRC
14 yo, SBO, 5'10", 125
12 yo, 5'5", 85 lbs. Tends to submarine w/o a seat.
9 yo, not sure of height, 83 lbs
6.5 yo, height ?? 54 lbs
4 yo, gee, maybe I should measure my kids, 48 lbs.

Day to day the two youngest are in the Safeguards, I just got the FR85 so I haven't put them in yet. I was hoping for a probooster but ended up canceling that order. The 9 yo can squeeze into the PWSG, and says he likes it. He fits *very well into the FR85 in booster mode. I haven't tried the 12 yo yet in the FR85. 12 yo is in the Olli, but needs frequent reminders to *not slide down (he's so skinny he can manage to do that even boostered in the Olli and the Monterey).

The car:

2004 Chevrolet Suburban. Middle row has LATCH on passenger side outboard, and middle. Tether anchor only on outboard driver side. Third row has tether anchor only in middle that can be used for middle or driver outboard.

Okay, GO!

Do you have anyone upfront passenger or can the 17 yo sit there? Can you fit 2 frontiers and a safeguard in the middle? What about people getting to the back? Does one outboard middle need to be open for that?

I am thinking 2 safeguards for littles in the tether only seats. 2 frontiers as boosters for the middle 2 in the latch locations. And the 2 oldest in the remaining spots.

munchkin said:

Do you have anyone upfront passenger or can the 17 yo sit there? Can you fit 2 frontiers and a safeguard in the middle? What about people getting to the back? Does one outboard middle need to be open for that?

I am thinking 2 safeguards for littles in the tether only seats. 2 frontiers as boosters for the middle 2 in the latch locations. And the 2 oldest in the remaining spots.

Click to expand...

17 yo can and does sit up front (with the seat pushed back all the way). Sometimes the 14 yo does, too.

I'm pretty sure I could fit 2 frontiers and a Safeguard in the middle. But that would cause two problems: One the LATCH is only in the middle and the outboard - and the outboard side with LATCH is the seat that flips down for third row access. They end up climbing over the seat half the time anyway, I could leave the non LATCH outboard side open, I suppose. Two Safeguards would fit in the third row, but only one of them would be tethered if I did that.

sixmaybemore said:

17 yo can and does sit up front (with the seat pushed back all the way). Sometimes the 14 yo does, too.

I'm pretty sure I could fit 2 frontiers and a Safeguard in the middle. But that would cause two problems: One the LATCH is only in the middle and the outboard - and the outboard side with LATCH is the seat that flips down for third row access. They end up climbing over the seat half the time anyway, I could leave the non LATCH outboard side open, I suppose. Two Safeguards would fit in the third row, but only one of them would be tethered if I did that.

Click to expand...

Well I would put the 17 year old up front. I would prefer the 2 middles in Frontiers as boosters (because I think the fit would be better, the submaring issue, and the Monterey issue). I would also prefer that they both be LATChed in. So that would be your 2 LATCh locations. Which only leaves 2 tether locations. So I am thinking 4 yo in a Safeguard in the back row with the tether.

How well does the 6 yo sit in a booster? Will s/he stay put the whole time, etc.? How long will you be driving?

If the 6 you does well I would put him/her in the PWSG also in the back and then leave either opened spot for the 14 depending on the littles needs and if you want to leave the seat out in the 2nd row for easy access.

So
17 - up front
14 - empty seat
12 - Frontier 2nd row passenger outboard
9 - Frontier 2nd row middle
6 - PWSG back row passenger outboard
4 - Safeguard back row middle or driver outboard

Would this work?

Our Parkway (which I'm assuming is your PWSG), has an additional buckle that won't allow submarining. That's an issue with Sport Track, as well. Will the 12 yo fit in it???

Are you coming up to visit us? *crosses fingers*

metatliveevent said:

Our Parkway (which I'm assuming is your PWSG), has an additional buckle that won't allow submarining. That's an issue with Sport Track, as well. Will the 12 yo fit in it???

Are you coming up to visit us? *crosses fingers*

Click to expand...

Yes, that's what the PWSG is, and you can use that feature on the FR85 AFAIK (if I'm wrong somebody PLEASE correct me right now! I'm assuming you can use it with the 85 b/c I could have sworn you could use it with the original FR).

And no, we're not going up thataway, unless we hit up there before we go on our big summer trip. Sorry. :-(

12 doesn't really fit in the PWSG, but he *does just fit in the FR85.

How well does the 6 yo sit in a booster? Will s/he stay put the whole time, etc.? How long will you be driving?

Click to expand...

Not very well, no, and for several thousand miles total.

Doesn't the Radian perform well w/o a tether? Maybe I could use a Radian for one of the little kids, in the back row. OTOH, that wouldn't be as comfortable for a long trip.

Gah. This is making my head hurt.