Arrange my seats in my vehicle.

cryswilkins

New member
I can't make a decision and its cold out so I don't want to be moving seat 18 billion times before I find something I like. :p

Here are the facts:

I drive an 07 Ford Freestyle with second row captains chairs and two seats in the third row. There are 3 seats of LATCH, one in each captains chair, and passenger side third row. There is not a top tether in the drivers side third row, so no FF seat can go there.

I have two spawn, DS RF in a RA50 and DD in a FR85 and on Tuesdays I have a spare kid that is RF in a KF30. I have other seats, but for now lets pretend these are the only players.

Other important tidbits: I am short, loading a RF kiddo through the hatch is not an option here. You have to flip one of the second row seats to access the third row, unless you want wet, salty, slush covered footprints all over the center console, and that is not doing it for me. I also would likely leave the base for the KF30 installed in the car even when I don't have the spare. DD can not buckle herself, because she is stubborn. ;)

Whats the easist configuration? On Tuesdays we are in and out of the car about 8 times with all three kids so I need this to make sense.

1, 2, 3, GO!
 
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Chely7425

New member
Can you remove one captains chair? If so I would put the KF base and the FR85 back in the 3rd row and the RA in the remaining captains chair :)
 

amelia222

New member
Just did some googling and came up with this

Not sure if it's something you would want to do, but it might be an option. And from searching it doesn't look like the captain's chairs are removable, but is there enough room to fit the KF through when a seat is flipped forward?
 

amelia222

New member
How difficult is it to install the KF baseless? If it's not too much of a PITA you could do both RF kiddos in the second row and the ff'er in the back.
 

cryswilkins

New member
If your standing in your van can you lift the keyfit over the center console and into the third row?

Well, its not really a van more like and overgrown station wagon. :rolleyes: I don't think that the KF would fit width wise through the middle.

How difficult is it to install the KF baseless? If it's not too much of a PITA you could do both RF kiddos in the second row and the ff'er in the back.

I didn't have a base last week and with how many times were are in and out of the car for preschool pickup and drop off it was a major pain in the butt. I didn't think that it would be. If it wasn't so cold I would just leave the seat installed and wear the spare but that would require snow gear.

I think that I may try DD 3rd row passenger, DS second row passenger and the spare drivers side 3rd row. I don't know if I am going to be able to reach to put the KF back there but it seems like the best option.
 

mamakc

Active member
Wow that is a challenge! I also have an 07 Freestyle, but I have a second row bench.

First wanted to mention that you can't put the key fit in the 3rd row w/ the 2nd row captains chair folded because the chairs must be in the upright position if someone is sitting in the 3rd row. That's in the vehicle manual. The 2nd row chairs cannot be removed either.

Honestly it doesn't seem like there is going to be an easy solution for you. Sorry! lol I feel your pain though, truly. How old is DS?

If it were me, I would probably put DD and the KF in the 2nd row and the RA 50 in the 3rd row and load DS through the back hatch. I has a RA50 in my 3rd row before, braced. I have also fit a complete air and a base less SR22 successfully in the 3rd row. Nothing else has fit appropriately. You said you don't like the idea because you're short. I am too, and it's totally do-able. I climb in the back and lean over the seat to buckle lol. It's really no big deal because the hatch shields the rain/snow more than leaning in the side doors does :) Then you could open the doors and let DD climb in, snap the KF in the base, and then climb in back and buckle DS while encouraging DD to try to buckle herself! Then check on her/buckle her and you're off! Should only take 20 minutes ;-P lol

ps. I worked long and hard to get my DD to buckle herself! We did a reward system. She got a sticker every time and when she got 20ish stickers she got to pick out a new toy lol. Now she can do it almost every time.
 

emtb79

New member
OK how bout this. I used to have a daycare parent with the Freestyle. She put the oldest in the back in his FF seat folded the the other half of the third row and allowed him to climb through the hatch into his seat and then she would sit there and buckle him in. Then put the other 2 in the Captains shair however you like. It worked real well for her and seemed pretty easy enough.
 

BookMama

Senior Community Member
FYI, Crystal is short, and in the winter here cars get very, very messy. Absolutely filthy. I just don't see climbing into or reaching through the hatch as an option for her.

Crystal, were you able to confirm whether you can remove one of the second row seats? (hard to go back and check on my phone.)
 

mamakc

Active member
My suggestion was assuming that the KF doesn't fit in the 3rd row w/ the 2nd row captains chair in front of it upright. If it does fit, then I'd put the KF and Frontier in the 3rd row and the RA50 in the 2nd. If it does not fit, then there's going to be trouble!

If loading through the hatch is truly not an option, and using the KF base less is undesirable, AND you don't want your DD climbing over the console to get to the 3rd row, the only other option I can think of is not using the 3rd row at all. Put the two RF seats in the 2nd row and the frontier in the front passenger seat. Unfortunately that vehicle is just not great for mixing several car seats + third row access.
 

cryswilkins

New member
FYI, Crystal is short, and in the winter here cars get very, very messy. Absolutely filthy. I just don't see climbing into or reaching through the hatch as an option for her.

Crystal, were you able to confirm whether you can remove one of the second row seats? (hard to go back and check on my phone.)

Well come on Andrea, I am not that short, lol. :whistle: (Well, maybe I am....)

Second row seats are not removable.

I spent some quality time in the cold today and we will see how it works out tomorrow morning. For now we have DS second row passenger, DD third row passenger and the spare drivers side third row. When its not so gross and snowy I can see keeping the RFers 2nd row and letting DD climb thought the hatch, but not an option in this weather.
 

abbi_n_nadia

New member
Oh wow, I know this is an old thread but I have this same car and same situation exactly! Mines an 06 but the exact same seat arrangement! We ended up taking the 2nd row console out and that has helped a ton! It does leave some metal things exposed but it hasn't been a problem and I think you could put a floor mat over them if you needed to.

our current set up

Dd1 5 1/2 yo FR85 3rd row drivers side long belt path (no tether but feel ok about it with the LBP)
Dd2 2 1/2 yo RFing TF 3rd row passenger side latch
Dd3 5 months RFing MA70 2nd row passenger side latch and rf tethered

So we have the 2nd row drivers side captains seat empty plus no console so plenty of room to maneuver and get everybody in and buckled. Only issue we are having is the older two fighting in the back! Lol but errr! So we might move dd2's TF to the middle row soon and see how that would go. As long as dd1 can duck under the RFing seats to get to the back (duck under and walk straight back between the captains seats since no console) it should work. And that way we can move the fr85 to the 3rd row passenger side with the tether anchor.

Anyways just wanted to throw that out there in case it might help another freestyle owner. :)
 

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