help me!

amy&girls

New member
Arrange my car... I have a 2006 Kia Sedona and this school year is going to be insane with transport. I'd like to keep my 20 month old rear-facing behind the drivers seat in her EFTA. I will have to transport:

on MON WED FRI
almost 7yr old (in about 5 weeks, weighs about 56lbs)
5yr old (weighs almost 40lbs)
3 1/2 yr old (weighs about 40lbs)
20 month old (weighs about 26lbs)
18 month old (no clue on the weight, he is my nephew, just know that he is under 30lbs)

on TUES THURS
same kids as above only instead of an 18 month old, it would be another almost 7yr old, who weighs about the same.

I'd like to only change out the seat in my captains chair behind the passenger seat.

The seats I have:
1 big kid booster
1 scenera
1 turbo booster
1 harmony lite rider
1 EFTA
1 nautilus
1 apex65

Those are the seats everyone fits in, I guess. Well, no one fits in the scenera anymore by height other than my two little ones. My 3yr old is pushing it, the straps are right at her shoulders, but her weight is my concern on riding in the scenera. and my 5yr old is just a smidge too tall. School starts tomorrow, so I need to figure out something QUICK. Currently the only ones who ride in a booster are the 2 almost 7yr olds. I suppose I *could* make the decision to finally let my 5yr old booster, but I'm not sure if *I* am ready for my baby to ride in a seatbelt, LOL!
 
ADS

Carrie_R

Ambassador - CPS Technician
It sounds like you need to figure out a workable 3-across for the third row, with the 7, 5, and 3 year olds. Are you okay with the 3yo RFing, if need be? Can the 7yo be harnessed? What is your budget for new seats?
 

yetanotherjen

CPST Instructor
hmmmmmm, I am trying to figure out a way to make the passenger captain chair the easy one to change out but I can't because I don't think you can fit both the Apex, GN and a booster in that 3rd row...... And you need the 3 year old in a harness.... has your 5 year old been booster trained at all??? If not you don't want to just go straight to a booster.

This isn't what you asked for but its what I came up with.

MWF
2nd row
Driver side: RF EFTA 20 month old
Passenger side: Apex 3 year old

3rd row
DR side: turbo booster 7 year old
middle: Scenera 18 month old rf
Ps side: GN 5 year old

T/Th
2nd row same
3rd row
DR side:turbo 7 year old
middle: big kid (it is high back correct???) 7 year old
Ps side: GN 5 year old
 

Pixels

New member
Well, if you want to keep the 20mo behind the driver, and the 18mo/7yo will switch out seats behind the passenger, that leaves the 7yo, 5yo, and 3.5yo across the back.

Hmm, I'm only seeing 4 harnessed seats. Three of them are pretty wide (EFTA, Nautilus, Apex) so I don't know that you'll be able to put any of them, let alone two of them, across the back bench. The Sedona's third row is pretty narrow, IIRC. You may have to get at least one new seat, probably two.

The Scenera is pretty narrow. The only way I see you squeaking by with the seats you currently have would be two boosters and RF Scenera in the third row (7yo, 5yo, one of the babies on MWF; 7yo, 7yo, one of the babies on TTh), leaving the captain's chairs for two of the wider harnessed seats (3.5yo Nautilus, EFTA RF for baby on MWF, 5yo and 3yo FF on TTh). This means putting your 20mo in the third row in the Scenera on TTh, putting your 5yo in a booster on MWF, and switching the EFTA between FF and RF daily. And that's IF the two boosters and Scenera fit across the back. I'm not thrilled with the 5yo learning to sit properly in a booster with a van full of distractions.

If you want to keep your 20mo in the EFTA and not move seats except the 2nd row passenger's, then look at the Evenflo Maestro or Generations 65 for the third row. The Maestro has taller top slots than the G65, but the Maestro goes to 50 pounds and the G65 is 65 pounds. Maybe one of each, the Maestro for the 5yo and the G65 for the 3yo. Then only the 7yo in a booster has to squeeze a hand in, and you can keep your 5yo harnessed. I don't know that they will all fit, though. You'll have to try it and see.

If you can't get three across the back bench, then the 5yo goes in the front seat, with the seat all the way back, harnessed in the Nautilus. The Nautilus performs well without the tether, which is why I picked it over the EFTA or Apex.
 

mydogteaser

New member
I have no recommendations on the seat arrangement, but wanted to pipe in about the third row of the Sedona. There is no way you will get three across in the third row. I don't know what Kia was thinking with the middle seat in the third row as it is incredibly narrow. The center seat is a whole 7 inches wide! My four-year-old's butt is about 8 inches wide. At that age he would never ride without a seat, but even he would not fit in the center, so I have no idea how an older child is supposed to fit there. The ironic thing is that the manual gives instructions on installing a car seat in the center, but I would think it would be impossible since I don't know of a car seat that is 7 inches or less wide. Even if the two outboard positions were empty, the seat would have to sit on top of the outboard seat belt buckles and I imagine that is probably not safe.
I would follow Pixel's advice and put the oldest harnessed child in the front seat with the seat all the way back.
 

amy&girls

New member
So I've been outside digging around and so far the only thing I can get to fit in the 3rd row is the two boosters and the scenera. IF I don't unbuckle the seatbelts and have the booster kids squeeze under them, then I can fit the GN back there, but is there really a point to that? Since I'd have to put my 5yr old in a booster in the back anyway b/c I'd have to take her seat out to put the scenera in? (She rides in the Apex65) I've put her in a booster before and she did pretty good, she's just my baby and I'm not sure I am ready for her to be in a booster. (Heck, I didn't let my almost 7yr old booster till she was almost 6!)


And what's sad is it just occurred to me that on MON WED FRI my oldest will be at school, so IF I would need to go anywhere, I could just move her Turbo out of the car and put the scenera in its place. So its really just TUES THURS I need to work out and I guess for those days I can let her ride in a booster on the way home from school (only about a 5 minute drive) OR I can get someone to come sit at my house and (UGH at this thought) move the Apex or Nautilus and stick a booster in its place while I go pick up the girls from school and let her ride in the HWH seat that is remaining in the car. *sigh* why can't they just let her ride the "little people" bus home from school? :confused:
 

firemomof3

New member
I have an 06 Sedona and 3 days a week I have 5 car seats installed :rolleyes: I can get a few combinations across the 3rd row but so far the easiest is Radian-Britax RA50-Radian.
I find that having at least 1 Radian in the 3rd row is almost essential (I say almost because I know at least 1 other member has had luck without using Radian in the 3 across)


Here are some other combos
garretintruefit001.jpg

threeacross013.jpg

installhelp015.jpg
 
Last edited:

Carrie_R

Ambassador - CPS Technician
...but wanted to pipe in about the third row of the Sedona. There is no way you will get three across in the third row...

Firemom posted above me, but just so you know, there are a number of hits for Sedona third row 3-acrosses in the Successful Three Across thread. :) It can be done, just takes the right combo of seats.

Amy, if you're open to buying a Radian, I have a feeling it would make your life tons easier.
 

mydogteaser

New member
Firemom posted above me, but just so you know, there are a number of hits for Sedona third row 3-acrosses in the Successful Three Across thread. :) It can be done, just takes the right combo of seats.

Amy, if you're open to buying a Radian, I have a feeling it would make your life tons easier.


I stand corrected. I had forgotten how narrow the Radians are. But I don't think it would be possible to do without at least one Radian.
 

Carrie_R

Ambassador - CPS Technician
Sorry -- I didn't intend it as a correction, more of an FYI so you know it's possible! (And IIRC there's even a non-Radian combo or two... so funny when seats puzzle together in ways you never thought possible!)
 

mydogteaser

New member
Sorry -- I didn't intend it as a correction, more of an FYI so you know it's possible! (And IIRC there's even a non-Radian combo or two... so funny when seats puzzle together in ways you never thought possible!)

I was just looking at the three across thread and am so impressed by the combos! Good to know for future reference!
 

yetanotherjen

CPST Instructor
I just have to say that the 3rd row looked a lot bigger in the internet pictures I looked up before responding!!!! WOW that is a tiny 3rd row!
 

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