Brainstorming... Pilot + Spectra + 8 Kids

Carrie_R

Ambassador - CPS Technician
I'm taking my crew on our annual end-of-summer field trip on Friday (early this year.) It's about a two-hour drive to a local amusement park, and we've invited a few friends (former charges) to come along. My BFF is also coming, and driving. The baby (well, toddler) is staying home.

The primary challenge is that my third row three across more-or-less requires a RF Radian and a RF MyRide, puzzled. I only have 25" from belt stalk to belt stalk. But, I only have one child on this trip who can RF, since the baby is not going, so I can't use that configuration.

I have a Honda Pilot (seats six,) and my roommate has a Kia Spectra. My second row will have a three-across, and I'm leaning towards putting a three-across in the Spectra and therefore just needing to fit two seats in my third row. The only possibility I have in my third row for a three-across involves having a FF MR center and a Cosco Highrise outboard, but I don't think it would be comfortable for the child riding in it. (And the child in the MR has no leg room at all.) ZT, the largest child, passes the 5-step test in my third row, except that he has trouble staying in position for long rides, so I really need him boostered for this trip. (Absolute worst case scenario, he could ride in a booster in the front seat, but I just don't think that's necessary.)

Kids, oldest to youngest:

AM, 9yo, 50", 60lb, booster
ZT, 8.75yo, 56", 90lb, booster
CK, 8.5yo, 52ish", 65ishlb, booster *girl
MF, 8.25yo, 54ish", 55ishlb, booster *girl
JF, 6.75yo, 44", 37-38lb, booster (he is tiny!)
CT, 6.5yo, 50", 65lb, booster
NM, 5.5yo, 46", 52lb, harnessed in Nautilus (or boostered, but only in Monterey)
JT, 3.5yo, 40", 41lb, RF in Radian

I am okay with turning JT for the trip, but if the RN fits somewhere RF I may as well leave it RF.

I will have the following seats at my disposal. Any child may ride in any seat. All vehicle positions have l/s belts and tethers, one less thing to fuss about, lol :)

HWH:
Radian80SL
Nautilus Elite
MyRide

Boosters:
Cosco Pronto
Cosco Highrise
Graco Turbo (one backless, two hbb, but one of the hbb is girly and I think both of the girls have outgrown the highback. It would avoid drama to not put a boy in this.)
Evenflo Big Kid (two backless and one hb)
SK Monterey (three)

I'm not completely opposed to buying an additional inexpensive booster (highrise, Harmony Literider, backless Turbo) but it seems like it shouldn't be necessary. I would like as many in HBB as possible, but 8yo+ are acceptable in backless.

I'll be back later to brainstorm with myself; I just really needed to lay it out somewhere and figured may as well get others' input. Most helpful would be some ideas for three across in the Spectra -- then I can take who/what's left and go from there.
 
ADS

PHaley

New member
I love carseat puzzles! Heres my 2 cents:

CK, 8.5yo, 52ish", 65ishlb, booster *girl...SK Monterey...Spectra
MF, 8.25yo, 54ish", 55ishlb, booster *girl...SK Monterey...Spectra

JF, 6.75yo, 44", 37-38lb, booster (he is tiny!)...MyRide...Pilot 3rd Passenger
AM, 9yo, 50", 60lb, booster...Graco Turbo (nb) or LiteRider (nb)...Pilot 3rd center
CT, 6.5yo, 50", 65lb, booster...Graco Turbo (hb)...Pilot 3rd Drivers

ZT, 8.75yo, 56", 90lb, booster...Evenflo Big Kid? (backless)...Pilot (access/flip) 2nd Pass
JT, 3.5yo, 40", 41lb, RF in Radian...Radian80SL...Pilot 2nd center
NM, 5.5yo, 46", 52lb, harnessed in Nautilus...Nautilus Elite...Pilot 2nd Driver Side

No real life experience with either car but would try something like this...godd luck! Have fun :)
 

Carrie_R

Ambassador - CPS Technician
Some good thoughts! That Pilot second row would work well, and the girls will most likely want to sit together. I hadn't thought about leaving a seat in the second row that would allow me to access the third, since I normally put my RFers in the third row and load through the hatch! I've been transporting adults lately, too, so you'd think I'd think about that, lol.

The problem with my third row is that you can't fit two backless boosters side-by-side center/driver... in fact I can't fit the Turbo, alone, on the passenger side. That row is, um, challenging.

I was leaning towards putting the girls in the third row, CK in the Monterey (I know it fits her well) on the passenger side (and I know it fits there,) and MF in the center, either in a backless or the EBK. I don't know how the EBK fits her there, though. It does not fit JF well 2nd row center, although the fit is acceptable in his parents' vehicle. (It's his seat.) She also may be too tall for it; she just outgrew the Turbo's back. The 'big boys' (AM, ZT, CT) in a three-across in the Spectra, Monterey/backless (High Rise?)/Monterey. I was going to put ZT in the Pronto there, but he falls out of it when he sleeps and after 12 hours at an amusement park, these kids WILL sleep. Between the Montereys, I think he could lean on one of them for support.

That leaves JF, NM, and JT for my second row, and I'm almost positive I can do Nauti/Turbo on the 60 part of that bench, and I know I can do RF Radian driver side. If I LATCH it, I can scoot the seat back and forth to let the girls in.

I think that's a good balance of kids riding with buddies, best practice, and least protected in most protected position (with the center positions being my two backless riders, and my lightweight booster rider. All outboard kids are harnessed or in a Monterey, which has substancial wings.)

If I can't get that three across in the Spectra, I can put the RF RN there with... some other stuff (lol) and I'm sure I can get it to fit. It's a decent-sized backseat, not huge but also not tiny. I can get many, many three-acrosses in my second row, so whatever the 'leftovers' end up being, they can go there. The Nautilus is my widest seat, so if all else fails it can go in the third row on the 60 portion of the bench, by itself. It can usually go three-across in the second row, though.

The biggest problem is that I don't have access to some of these seats, or my roommate's car, really, until Friday morning. I'm trying to plan as best I can from knowledge.

Fatal flaws in that plan?
 

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