So it appears I have to pick the lesser of the evils

I played with the FR85, CA, and GN today in my car trying to find a good solution.

Long story short, it sucked. :thumbsdown:

The FR85s fit great. Abgail says she likes it best. However, the kids sitting on either side of it will have a harder time staying in their belts correctly because it's tight at the shoulders. When I sat next to it, I leaned toward the window which put the belt squarely on my neck. It comes from the ceiling.

The GNs fit great as well but there's the head slump issue. The older boys are cramped, but not as cramped as with the Frontier.

The CA LX installed beautifully. I had to use it on the most reclined setting just to get a semi upright install though. Otherwise it was crazy straight up. The problem there is that I don't care for the fabric, and the straps kept twisting under the butt area with him climbing in and out and buckling. With this many kids, I don't have time to fix the harness straps every time and I'm worried that when the inlaws take the kids, they wouldn't.

The verdict is that the CAs are going back. He can stay in the MA until he either weights out or gripes about the leg room. I might consider a MR but probably not.

So I can either have the girls comfy in FR85s and the boys squished and possibly out of position because of that, or the girls not as comfy in GN but the boys with more room.

The only other option is to put either a GN or FR85 in dh's car for Kaleigh, let the 2 babies ride in MAs in my car, and have Abi ride in her PW which is what we had before, but that will only last until KG outgrows the MA. Plus, nothing is tethered FFing because stupid GM's tether solution won't work for us with 6 kids.

WWYD? Not including new seats, I have 2 MA, 1 BLVD, 1 PW, and an Olli for Gabriel. Kids are in my sig. I have to have harnessed seats in both middle positions so none of the other kids have to use a lap belt only.

I'd rather use the GN and have the boys sitting safely in their seatbelts than the Frontiers so the girls are more comfy (not more safe, more comfy) and the boys less safe in their seats.

I agree. I just hate that I have to even choose, ya know? I want them all to be safe AND comfy.

What was I thinking having 6 kids.

Alternatively, why can't the Radians just work in my car? That would solve all the problems for now anyway.

ShannaLeah said:

What was I thinking having 6 kids.

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You were thinking people who made vehicles to "seat 8" would actually make them SAFE for eight... and that carseat manufactureres would actually GET IT that sometimes we need to put more than two carseats to a row!

I've BTDT Momma, it takes me a LONG time to get an acceptable setup. Keep trucking, you'll get there.

Have you tried a Maestro for Kaleigh?

Not yet. Is it narrower than the GN?

I was thinking.... if 3 will be harnessed, maybe I can fit a FR and CJ's rfing MA in the 3rd row (probably only in my dreams, its narrow back there) with a big kid.

And then the middle row would have one FR in the center..... hmmm. Will have to try it tomorrow.

I've seen you dealing with all of this car seat drama, and my vote?
Get a new car!

I wish chevy would consider a suburban with a 4th row and the cargo space currently available. My family uses our cargo space daily but we need more seating room, so a passenger van isn't a viable option. I didn't have any luck puzzling the MA and the GN when the MA was rfing. It didn't work ffing for me either. The radian fits in the lap belt position of my suburban but mine is a 2005 and the seat may be different. I wouldn't care for the feisty straps either. None of the evenflo seats are an option due to the width they need. I would bet the OnboardAir will have twisty straps too. What about a AOE with the 50 lb limit? It has low sides, low profile and I never had an issue installing it w/o the base. That seat will only rf to 35 lbs but it will buy you a year or more.

Sadierain said:

I've seen you dealing with all of this car seat drama, and my vote?
Get a new car!

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I would if it were in the budget. Unfortunately, being a student is expensive and the student loan givers don't give a crap what you drive.

4 more years if I can keep up this pace. Then I should be able to buy a new one with my signing bonus.

TheQueenMother said:

I wish chevy would consider a suburban with a 4th row and the cargo space currently available. My family uses our cargo space daily but we need more seating room, so a passenger van isn't a viable option. I didn't have any luck puzzling the MA and the GN when the MA was rfing. It didn't work ffing for me either. The radian fits in the lap belt position of my suburban but mine is a 2005 and the seat may be different. I wouldn't care for the feisty straps either. None of the evenflo seats are an option due to the width they need. I would bet the OnboardAir will have twisty straps too. What about a AOE with the 50 lb limit? It has low sides, low profile and I never had an issue installing it w/o the base. That seat will only rf to 35 lbs but it will buy you a year or more.

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I love the idea of a 4th row. :thumbsup:

An AOE for who? CJ or Kaleigh? Kaleigh only needs it for FFing. She's 37 lbs. Isn't the CA the same shell as the AOE?

I apparently had a brain fart and forgot that the CA and the AOE are the same platform. I was thinking one solution might be the rfing seat outboard driver's side for CJ, the GN center for one of the girls, and one of the big boys outboard passenger. But you need to find a rfing seat to puzzle with the GN/Fr85. I wasn't sure if you can take the base off the CA. You can the older aoe model.
And honestly, the rfing seat isn't a long term solution. But is will buy you 18 months before you need another solution. And at the rate new seats are coming out, hopefully something will work.
And we'll pray the auto industry decides that families with more than 2.3 children are not a mutant rarity and deserve autos that are functional for real life.

I agree. :thumbsup:

But what am I supposed to do until then? I need a hwh seat that's not a behemoth and not a Radian.

I am a little lost on your post. Is there a tether anchor available for the seat you plan to use for Abigail?

I mention this because a safeguard go could help you too, in terms of wanting a harness but something that is less bulky than a Nauti or Frontier. But - it needs a tether anchor.

No. There are no tether anchors anywhere except the 3rd row outboard. I can't put a seat there because it's so narrow and I absolutely have to have a seat in the middle since it has no shoulder belt or head support. I can't fit a seat in the middle and one on the side back there.

This whole thing is making me want to throw up my hands, send it all back, and go back to what we had before. At least everyone was comfy and safe. Dang kids outgrowing seats. However, Kaleigh still has room in the BLVD in dh's car even though she seems right at the strap height in mine. So frustrating! I had Kaleigh middle 3rd row in a MA/BLVD, CJ middle row rfing in a MA, Abi behind the driver in a PW, and Gabriel behind the passenger in the Olli. Big boys on either side in the way back.



The MA worked in the middle of the back row because the widest part is out a bit from the seat back and the older kids shoulders fit behind it. I'm worried about the bad head excursion numbers untethered in it though. My 11 year old tried sitting beside the Nauti and FR last night, and the sweetheart that he is said he could take being squished if it meant his sister was comfy, but I don't want to do that to him.

The Radian would probably give you head slump too, so at least you can feel better about it not working in your car!!

As for the Maestro, I can get 2 of them side by side in my 2nd row. It's definitely narrower then the Frontier, and has a bit of 'lip' to the sides kind of like the MA that might give your older ones a little more room. There isn't AS much support in it compared to the FR85, but we didn't get forward head slump so much as we got their heads slumped to the side. It doesn't have any recline mechanism, so what you get when you put it in, is what you get. But it was decent in our Sub.

I would keep one FR85 in the 2nd row for your 6yr old. Keep the 2yr old in his MA (they puzzle very nicely in the Sub!!) and put the 3yr old in the BV in the 3rd row center as long as fits.

Did the Frontier install in the center of your 2nd row? If it did, when the 3yr old outgrows the BV...I'd move the 2yr old (who would hopefully be 3 by then) to the BV (with a different cover ) to the 3rd row, move the then 4yr old to the FR85 and put the then 7yr old back in her PW.

Oh, and FWIW, I found the BV to have the least amount of torso room. She may fit better in the MA in the 3rd row center. So you might try that, and switch it with the BV.

I like that plan, but I think I'll keep the other FR for dh's car as well. Kaleigh will be disappointed if she doesn't get a new seat too.

I'll still be 1 seat short due to dh's MA expiring.

Do you think they'll clearance the old BLVD covers? They never did make any cute boy ones though. /pout

Oh, and I haven't tried the FR in the middle of the 2nd row yet. Truck is being detailed now so I'll try it when we get home.