Positioning

BlessedMama10

New member
I have a 12 passenger Ford E350 van. I have 5 in carseats at the moment. My 2year old twins are in TF's, Micah is in a Frontier 85 and the baby is about to be moved out of his snugride and into a Marathon. Jonah just got a Monterey booster and I am having a hard time figuring out where to put him. I have him outboard behind the passenger seat now since that shoulder belt is undisturbed by people getting in and out of the van. I have the snugride in the middle of that seat and Micah on the inner side behind the driver seat. The second row I have the outer seat empty since that shoulder belt gets pulled on as the other kids get in and out. Then the twins are in the other two positions on that seat. It is HORRIBLE trying to get the babys seat across the booster and into the center position. I would switch him and Jonah so I could use the LATCH feature with the booster but I'm not sure if I can or should put the baby outboard since that has the shoulder belt that stretches so far from the roof/side mount of the van. Is that even doable? I just figured it would be ok for a booster that you restrap each time but wasn't sure about a stationary seat. Should I just move Jonahs booster to the very back seat? Any suggestions?
 
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Pixels

New member
It's fine to put the baby's seat with that seatbelt. As long as you have less than an inch of movement at the belt path, it's fine.

Just to be sure, the center position (where you are considering placing the booster) has a lap shoulder belt, right?
 

BlessedMama10

New member
Ack no it doesn't have a shoulder belt there. I swear I keep doing that, I think "oh I can put him there" and when I get out to the van to switch seats around is when I realize "Ugh there's no shoulder belt there".:(

Ok so maybe I could put him behind the driver seat, switch Micahs Frontier to the middle and use LATCH with it then put the baby outboard so I could reach him easier to strap him in. If I did that Jonah and Micah could crawl through to their seats and I could strap them in once I get in the front of the van because they would both be easier to reach.

I know that boosters are the only seats that are suppose to be ok to put in the back of a van like mine but are boosters really even safe back there? What is the difference with that? It makes me really nervous about my kids riding back there since I heard that.
 

Pixels

New member
What year is your van? I'd like to look up the owner's manual.

Do you have other people riding in the back, other than the five in seats? What exactly is the layout of the van? How many seats in each row, which positions have head rests, which positions have shoulder belts?
 

Keeanh

Well-known member
Where are your tether anchors?

You could put the twins in the back row and load them over the back. Frontier middle row, Marathon & Monterey front row maybe?

Basically, forget LATCH for now & pick the 3 easiest positions for you to load RF and go from there.

I have RF 2yo back row, Monterey & Frontier middle row (well, it will be a FR when I get one ;)), Snugride & MyRide front row.

ETA: Baby outboard with the crazy-long seatbelt is fine. It still locks. I use all locking clips and don't lock my seatbelts because they tip too much for my liking in the big van.
 

Keeanh

Well-known member
You could also have the Monterey in the back row outboard, Marathon middle row passenger side, TFs front row. But that would only work if Micah can buckle himself and you have an anchor driver's side middle row, and you don't mind him stepping over / crawling under the Marathon.

Can you fit 3-across in your front row? Maybe 2 RF seats & the Frontier in the front row, Monterey & RF seat middle row, especially if you want the back row out for trunk space.

ETA: That thing about not putting seats in the back of the van comes from a mis-understanding of the manual, I believe. At least with GM vehicles, the manual is saying in a rather convoluted way that you shouldn't put FF seats on that bench because there aren't any tether anchors. So boosters & RF seats are fine. But check your manual because I haven't read Ford's.
 

BlessedMama10

New member
It's a 2006 E350. There are 3 bench seats behind the drivers and passenger captain seats. The first row and second row are both 3 seaters with LATCH in the middle of each one. The front seat has an arm rest outboard but the second row doesn't. The middle seats have LATCH and lap belts only and the outer of each of those rows have shoulder/lap belts. The very back row seats 4, no LATCH and has a sholder/lap belt on each end only. Micah has to be watched like a hawk, he is an unstrapper. The twins are actually FFing now as bad as I hate for them to be because I am so scared of them taking their arms out of their seats while rear facing and me not knowing it. They stay in their seats, just slide their chest clip down and take their arms out the top. I spend lots and lots of time on the side of the road or in a parking lot fixing seats needless to say. If anyone has a solution to that I would love to hear it. I want them RFing and they are fine like that as long as the older kids are riding in the seat behind them and can keep an eye on them but it's a problem when they are in school. As for who else rides in the van, I have 13yo and 16yo dds, a 15yo and 9yo ds (who I am about to put in the Monterey when Jonah gets his parkway that I think he's getting). The problem with RFing a seat in the front row is that my dh is 6ft tall so if he drives he can't let the seat back and since we take turns driving sometimes he is in the passenger seat. Therefore I have the baby in the middle since he is the only one RFing at the moment. If I turn the girls back RFing then I guess they need to be in the middle row maybe. I think I heard somewhere that convertable seats can't be put on the back row for some reason but I don't understand why.
 

Pixels

New member
Page 85 of your owner's manual (available on Ford's website if you don't have yours) lists the rules for where you can and cannot use child restraints.
If you install a forward-facing child safety seat using the vehicle safety belts:
• use only seats equipped with lap-shoulder belts;
• forward-facing child safety seats can be used in the center of the three-passenger 2nd row bench seat only if a top tether strap is used;
• Ford recommends placing forward-facing safety seats in the 2nd row and using top tether straps for added protection.
Because the last row of seats is not equipped with either child tether or LATCH anchors and is spaced closer to the row of seats in front, Do not use forward-facing or rear-facing child seats (other than belt-positioning boosters) in the last row.

Frankly, a lot of these restrictions are puzzling to me.
• Carseats are tested with lap-only belts. Most carseats will derive very little, if any, benefit from being installed with a lap-shoulder belt.
• Is there a difference between installing in the second row center with lap-only belt and top tether, and installing in the third row center with lap-only belt and top tether? Ford provides a tether anchor for that spot in the third row, yet reading the manual makes it seem that it's not allowed to be used. :confused:
• As long as you can fit the seat and get a proper install, space between the fourth row and third row shouldn't matter for a rear facing seat. Also, the lack of top tethers doesn't matter for rear facing seats.
• Head excursion limits are identical for untethered harnessed seats and boosters, so I don't know why boosters are allowed but untethered harnessed seats are not.

The manual shows that your second row bench should have tether anchors for all three seating positions.

Let me summarize so I'm sure I've got it all straight:
Vehicle: 2006 E-350
Second row: Lap/shoulder (maybe tether), lap-only with tether, lap/shoulder (maybe tether)
Third row: Lap/shoulder no tether, lap-only with tether, lap/shoulder no tether
Fourth row: Lap/shoulder no tether, lap-only no tether, lap-only no tether, lap/shoulder no tether

Passengers:
Baby: Snugride/Marathon
2yo twins: FFing TrueFits, escape artists
Micah: Frontier85, escape artist
Jonah: Monterey/Parkway
9yo: Monterey?
13yo
15yo
16yo

Everybody needs upper torso restraint. That means either a lap-shoulder belt or a harness. Since you're not supposed to put a harnessed seat in the fourth row, that makes your fourth row a two-seat bench. :( You are going to have to decide if you would rather put a harnessed seat (or two) in the fourth row, or put an older child in a lap-only belt in the fourth row.

Ideally, everyone would also have head support. There's not much you can do for adult-sized people, but it is a good idea to keep your kids in high back boosters for as long as they fit. Even if the lap/shoulder belt fits properly without the booster, the head restraint provided by the booster provides additional protection.

Here's what I suggest for arrangement:
9yo, 13yo, 15yo, and 16yo: outboard in lap-shoulder belts, third and fourth rows.
Jonah: Sounds like he's new to boostering, therefore younger and may need help with his belt from time to time, or at least a visual check. Second row in lap-shoulder belt. If he doesn't need help or checking, it doesn't really matter what row he goes in. He could swap with any of the older kids.
That leaves baby, 2yo twins, and Micah to go in the fourth row centerish, third row center, second row center and second row outboard. Would it be possible to put the baby in the fourth row, rear facing, and someone still be able to get to the seat on the other side? That would leave tether anchors available for all your forward facing kids, but I'm guessing it's not possible.
 

BlessedMama10

New member
Page 85 of your owner's manual (available on Ford's website if you don't have yours) lists the rules for where you can and cannot use child restraints.


Frankly, a lot of these restrictions are puzzling to me.
• Carseats are tested with lap-only belts. Most carseats will derive very little, if any, benefit from being installed with a lap-shoulder belt.
• Is there a difference between installing in the second row center with lap-only belt and top tether, and installing in the third row center with lap-only belt and top tether? Ford provides a tether anchor for that spot in the third row, yet reading the manual makes it seem that it's not allowed to be used. :confused:
• As long as you can fit the seat and get a proper install, space between the fourth row and third row shouldn't matter for a rear facing seat. Also, the lack of top tethers doesn't matter for rear facing seats.
• Head excursion limits are identical for untethered harnessed seats and boosters, so I don't know why boosters are allowed but untethered harnessed seats are not.

The manual shows that your second row bench should have tether anchors for all three seating positions.

Let me summarize so I'm sure I've got it all straight:
Vehicle: 2006 E-350
Second row: Lap/shoulder (maybe tether), lap-only with tether, lap/shoulder (maybe tether)
Third row: Lap/shoulder no tether, lap-only with tether, lap/shoulder no tether
Fourth row: Lap/shoulder no tether, lap-only no tether, lap-only no tether, lap/shoulder no tether

Passengers:
Baby: Snugride/Marathon
2yo twins: FFing TrueFits, escape artists
Micah: Frontier85, escape artist
Jonah: Monterey/Parkway
9yo: Monterey?
13yo
15yo
16yo

Everybody needs upper torso restraint. That means either a lap-shoulder belt or a harness. Since you're not supposed to put a harnessed seat in the fourth row, that makes your fourth row a two-seat bench. :( You are going to have to decide if you would rather put a harnessed seat (or two) in the fourth row, or put an older child in a lap-only belt in the fourth row.

Ideally, everyone would also have head support. There's not much you can do for adult-sized people, but it is a good idea to keep your kids in high back boosters for as long as they fit. Even if the lap/shoulder belt fits properly without the booster, the head restraint provided by the booster provides additional protection.

Here's what I suggest for arrangement:
9yo, 13yo, 15yo, and 16yo: outboard in lap-shoulder belts, third and fourth rows.
Jonah: Sounds like he's new to boostering, therefore younger and may need help with his belt from time to time, or at least a visual check. Second row in lap-shoulder belt. If he doesn't need help or checking, it doesn't really matter what row he goes in. He could swap with any of the older kids.
That leaves baby, 2yo twins, and Micah to go in the fourth row centerish, third row center, second row center and second row outboard. Would it be possible to put the baby in the fourth row, rear facing, and someone still be able to get to the seat on the other side? That would leave tether anchors available for all your forward facing kids, but I'm guessing it's not possible.

I know there are tethers in the middle of the second and third row. I get confused with the tethers but let me see from memory, I know for a fact there are tethers for the middle seat position in the second and third row and behind the front passenger seat. To be honest I have never seen a top tether anywhere in this van. I don't think there are tethers anywhere on the fourth row seat. I get so frustrated with this van when it comes to strapping in seats. It just seems the Chevy Express is so much more carseat friendly. So will the way I have to configure my seats affect what kind of seat I need to buy for the baby when I get his new seat? Like instead of the new MA 70 or Blvd 70 like I had thought about getting would a TF with the lock offs be better in anyway?
 

Pixels

New member
No, I can't see why any seat would be any better than any other. Lockoffs are for non-locking seatbelts, which you don't have.
 

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