2 radians + tb HELP

I am 38 weeks PG and have an 05 honda civic, I have been researching carseats and obsesing for months about how to get 3 across. So I finaly got 2 radians (a 65 & 85) and a graco hiback tb for my two year old (31lb) new baby and four year old (42 lb). I thought surely this would work and they do all fit ( after two hours of very Pg me crunched in the back seat with 3 seats ) the problems are the way they fit the tb ends up out board driver side and it doesn't really matter because I CAN NOT get the (insert very frustraited explitive here) thing buckled! I am so frustraited and i really can't afford another radian. I don't know what to do..... and before coming up with this configuration I tried going to the safe ride gal at the health department for help with what to install and her suggestions were buy a van (not an option) or put my 4 yr old in the front seat inspite of the air bag(uuuuuuhhh not an option). Does any one have an idea that could help?

my husband suggested we use some type of narrow device to get the seat belt buckled or leave it buckled and have ds climb in then adjust the seat belt each time?

I am wondering can the Tb be used without the arm rests maybe that would hlp me or him get our hands down there?

Is there another reasonably priced option, I like the TB because of its EPS sides?

TIA I have found this site and all of the ppl here very valuble in my research so far!

I am bumping this and hope somebody else can give you a good answer...

First of all, let me say I can't even imagine your frustration - esp being so pg and trying to get the seats in there!! Second, I know that you have spent a lot on the Radians and probably may not want to hear this, but what about using them for your older ones, and getting a (narrow?) infant seat for your baby. (or you could even return the TB, and exchange the R80 for a 65, to fund the infant seat) That way if you can fit them all installed (what is your car btw?), at least no one has to reach for the seatbelt buckle, they will just be doing up the harness buckles. When the baby outgrows the infant seat, he/she should be big enough to be ok in the 65 without all the padding that the 80 has, and then you can look at what narrow boosters are out there...or possibly be in a position to look at a new vehicle

About using the TB without armrests, that would NOT be a good idea, but there are two other boosters that I can think of without armrests - the parkway and the evenflo confidence, both of which are completely lined with EPS foam.

I have been reading past threads and it seems like the narrowest booster is the britax parkway...I am also finding it is the easiest to buckle because it has no armrests....

Maybe someone else can chime in here...

Here are some parkways on sale...http://www.babyage.com/products/e9041a_britax_britax_parkway_booster_closeout.htm

http://www.babyuniverse.com/man/baby/105/customman/yes/manuprod/Parkway/manucat/0/manusec/0/custom/no/cusmanid/204/BritaxParkwayBoosterCarSeat.html

There are some on there as low as 79.99. Those are closeout fabric patterns so if you want one you might want to get it before they run out...

An infant seat with the two radians would be a good option..

or if you want something that will last longer you might want to look at putting a touriva RF in the middle of the two radians for the baby...The touriva is available at most walmarts and is reasonably priced and it also has a 35 lb RF limit...

I think the touriva is the skinnier than the scenera (2" skinnier I think) maybe somebody else will remember...

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4083774

I would return the 80, since those slots are no higher than the 65's, and your kids don't sound big enough that they'll hit even 65 pounds in the Radians. That'll give you an extra $100 back. I'd return the Turbobooster too. That would give you another $60 or so. That would give you the money for another Radian 65.

Wendy

Unregistered said:

I am 38 weeks PG and have an 05 honda civic, I have been researching carseats and obsesing for months about how to get 3 across. So I finaly got 2 radians (a 65 & 85) and a graco hiback tb for my two year old (31lb) new baby and four year old (42 lb). I thought surely this would work and they do all fit ( after two hours of very Pg me crunched in the back seat with 3 seats ) the problems are the way they fit the tb ends up out board driver side and it doesn't really matter because I CAN NOT get the (insert very frustraited explitive here) thing buckled! I am so frustraited and i really can't afford another radian. I don't know what to do..... and before coming up with this configuration I tried going to the safe ride gal at the health department for help with what to install and her suggestions were buy a van (not an option) or put my 4 yr old in the front seat inspite of the air bag(uuuuuuhhh not an option). Does any one have an idea that could help?

my husband suggested we use some type of narrow device to get the seat belt buckled or leave it buckled and have ds climb in then adjust the seat belt each time?

I am wondering can the Tb be used without the arm rests maybe that would hlp me or him get our hands down there?

Is there another reasonably priced option, I like the TB because of its EPS sides?

TIA I have found this site and all of the ppl here very valuble in my research so far!

Click to expand...

Yeah, try a Parkway for the 4 yo, or, preferably a Scenera for the baby, which will eat up a LOT less of your front room space. Two Radians and a Scenera should fit.
You definitely must use the armrests on the turbo, or the belt will ride up and crush the abdomen in a crash. What other seats do you have already? A Comfortsport or Cargo or baseless alpha omega are all narrowish (they are just populare models many people have is why I mention them).

wendytthomas said:

I would return the 80, since those slots are no higher than the 65's, and your kids don't sound big enough that they'll hit even 65 pounds in the Radians. That'll give you an extra $100 back. I'd return the Turbobooster too. That would give you another $60 or so. That would give you the money for another Radian 65.

Wendy

Click to expand...

I was going to suggest this too.

It's possible that the Fisher Price Safe Voyage Deluxe will work with the 2 Radians since it sits up high on a base. If you can get to a Babies R Us, they will let you try seats in your car. The Marathon is the same basic shape as the seat I linked. Other possible solutions include a Safety 1st Intera without its base, an infant seat without its base, a Cosco Scenera or Uptown, or a Britax Parkway booster (no armrests to get in the way).

Hi,

I drive a 2002 Toyota Echo and help out a family from my church with 3 kids (who are in foster care due to their mom's disabilities). I also researched how to get 3 across and I've been able to do it-a RF Cosco Regal Ride/Touriva (the most narrow seat), a Parkway and a Radian. It's very tight, but it works. The most difficulty is doing up the buckle on the Parkway with the Regal Ride right up against it (but it can done!). I'm hoping all will work when I need to turn baby forward at 30lbs (our RF limit in Canada is 30lbs) as she is already 26 lbs at 11.5 months!

HTH

K.
"Adopted Auntie to Many"
Child Development Consultant

Maybe use the radian for the two older children and purchase a regal ride for the baby. The regal ride is only 16 inches wide. It is the same as a touriva. I bought mine from albeebaby.com and paid $50 including shipping. I use it in a three across in my tiny toyota corolla with two fisher price safe voyage boosters. I am going to be putting my radian in there for my 5 year old soon instead of the booster and it fits fine next to the rear facing regal ride. I bet that would work out great for you.

You just described my scenario almost exactly - I have a very narrow backseat too, and I had pretty much had it down to getting two radians (65 for my almost 2yo and an 80 for the new baby becuase of the extra padding) and either a Parkway or a Compass B510 (depending on if it would fit - I was planning on testing that after the two radians were in place). We already have a turbo booster, and it's impossible to buckle with anything next to it

The turbo booster with the armrests removed also doesn't solve any problems (and introduces some serious safety concerns)..if you look at how they are attached, you can see why. The parkway was probably going to be the booster that would work best for us, because while it is listed as being 17" wide, it's narrower at the back where the buckles are, and it has no armrests in the way. However I never got as far as trying one out in my car.. because DS wants to be in the Radian The compass was also a contender because of the flip-up armrests.

Anyways, while my plan was to put the two youngest in the radians and get a new booster for DS, he's currently sitting in the radian 65 (with probably a year of growing room left), and the new baby will most likely go into DD's boulevard when they arrive, and DD will go into the other Radian... all 3 fit fine, even with two RF right next to each other, and we'll re-evaluate when DS outgrows the radian and probably move him back into a booster of some sort. I even momentarily considered getting an infant seat just to make getting a newborn in and out of the car easier (as in, not having to reach over other seats/kids to buckle), but since the longest we've used one was 6 months, it just didn't seem worth it when I wouldn't be using it as a carrier anyways.

FWIW - I'd concure with the plan to put the older two kids in Radians. (Return the 80 for another 65 for the reasons discussed.) Then look at a 3rd Radian or a Cosco seat for the infant (which ever seat has low harness slots for a newborn and is narrow enough to fit).

3 harnessed seats buckled in will be safer than using a booster AND will be easier than trying to buckle a seatbelt next to another seat. (You can buckle the seat and then tighten it in.)

The unless is: If your oldest is tall or long torsed, he/she might have outgrown or have much grow room in the Radian. If this is the case I'd look at a Parkway instead of the Turbo (still returning the Radian 80 for a 65) because the Parkway is taller.