Would they be safe in a HBB

jb28kds · Apr 28, 2011

Hi, I'm new to the board and have a question. We had to downsize our car to a Dodge Caravan from a Yukon XL and we don't have as much room for our carseats and people that need to fit in a car. Without boring you with all the ages of my kids and who all we need to fit in our car I have a question.
My question:
I currently have 2 Graco Nautilus for 2 of my kids but they are so wide. I was wondering if they would be safe in a Graco turbo HBB.
DD (5 1/2 yr) 37 lbs & 45 in.
DS (4 1/2 yr) 44 lbs & 44 in.

joolsplus3 · Apr 28, 2011

Feel free to bore us with all the details, we really do need them to recommend seats that will work in exactly the configuration you want them to. 4 and 5 are a bit young for full time booster riding, I've found with my own kids, and it's not easier to buckle boosters than harnessed seats, so the Turbo might not be the first seats I'd be considering. But it would really depend on the other kids and seats you have in there.
Welcome to the board!

canadiangie · Apr 28, 2011

Yes, please feel free to write us a novel.

jb28kds · Apr 28, 2011

Ok, I'll try

. I have 5 kids that ride regularlly in the car and sometimes 6 + DH and I.
15 yr
10 yr
6 1/2 is in a booster
5 1/2 is in a Graco Nautilus (GN)
4 1/2 is in a Graco Nautilus (GN)

Sometimes my 19 yr. (I have 8 kids total). When he comes home from college.
Right now I have a GN in the middle and the booster and GN in the 3rd seat in back.
When all 7 ride together that puts: 15 yr & GN in bucket seats in middle and in 3rd row I will have booster, 10 yr old, and GN. This ends up being very crowded and squashed. This is where I was wondering if I had a few more inches (3 1/2) it would be better. I can't afford an expensive one that is why I was thinking if I sold my GN and got a turbo booster it would give us space as well as not cost us any more money.
Also, is it ok if the front bottom of the GN comes off the seat in the front of the middle bucket seat? It seems sturdy but wanted to ask since I had you here

I hope this all makes sense.

carseatcoach · Apr 28, 2011

Short answer: 5yo maybe (but probably won't be able to buckle himself in a tight three-across), 4yo probably not.

We can give much better answers with more information.

Jillybeans5 · Apr 28, 2011

I would try Maestros for them. At their ages they shouldn't be packing on the pounds too fast, so even with a 50 lb weight limit it would likely get them to a safe booster age. If you plan to keep one of your harnessed kiddos in a captains chair you could keep one nauti, sell the other and buy one maestro. The maestro is usually $80 and you could probably sell one of your nauti's on craigslist for close to that.

Defrost · Apr 28, 2011

I think since the crowding isn't an everyday problem, you should look into the Ride-Safer Travel Vest. The kids can use their GNs for most rides, but when you've got a packed van and need some room, you can remove one of the carseats (maybe two depending on how you want to arrange things & how much you can spend) and use the RSTV instead. It's just complicated enough that most parents don't want to replace their regular carseats, but it easy enough to make it worthwhile for occasional trips.

Pixels · Apr 28, 2011

The front edge of the Nautilus can overhang in harnessed mode only. To use it as a booster, the GN must be 100% on the seat with no overhang.

I agree with the suggestion of the Maestro.

hrice · Apr 28, 2011

jb28kds said:
Also, is it ok if the front bottom of the GN comes off the seat in the front of the middle bucket seat? It seems sturdy but wanted to ask since I had you here

As long as 80% of the base of the GN is touching the seat you are ok. In booster mode, however, 100% of the base must make contact with the vehicle seat.

lorismurph · Apr 28, 2011

One other question: Do you have shoulder belts in all positions in your car? If not, the lap only positions should absolutely be harnessed. It is not safe for anyone to ride with a lap only belt, not ever.

jb28kds · Apr 28, 2011

lorismurph said:
One other question: Do you have shoulder belts in all positions in your car? If not, the lap only positions should absolutely be harnessed. It is not safe for anyone to ride with a lap only belt, not ever.

No the middle back is lap belt only. When I tried the Nautilus in that spot there wasn't room for the booster next to it so I'm stuck putting my 10 yr old in that spot only when we go somewhere as a family and my DH is with us. I wish all cars made shoulder belts for all seats.

I checked the width of the Maestro and it was just as wide as the Nautilus if not a tad wider.

monica-m · Apr 28, 2011

jb28kds said:
No the middle back is lap belt only. When I tried the Nautilus in that spot there wasn't room for the booster next to it so I'm stuck putting my 10 yr old in that spot only when we go somewhere as a family and my DH is with us. I wish all cars made shoulder belts for all seats.

I checked the width of the Maestro and it was just as wide as the Nautilus if not a tad wider.

The Maestro is narrower than the Nautilus. You might want to try a Maestro in the lap belt only position. It really isn't safe to have any one ride in a lap belt only position, they are at much greater risk of injury in a collision due to their upper body not being restrained.

mamakc · Apr 28, 2011

The maestro is narrower. One paper it doesn't seem that much smaller, but in real life, it is shaped very differently than the Nautilus. The nautilus is not conducive to puzzling at all. I second (or third or whatever) the Maestro. It is all around less bulky (and it still has cup holders!)

jb28kds · Apr 28, 2011

Ok I moved 1 nautilus to the center back at the moment (lap belt only). But have decided to sell both of the Nautilus and buy 2 slimmer convertible seats with the money. Then I will put both convertibles next to each other in the back and put the booster in the 2nd row.

I just tried to put both Nautilus next to each other in the back and it doesn't work. Any suggestions for a slimmer seat? I'll keep the Maestro in mind, I just want some options.

Pixels · Apr 28, 2011

With your kids' sizes and budget, I think the Maestro is your only option.

momtoo3 · Apr 28, 2011

I would try:
Nautilus for your 4 yr old and booster for your 6 yr old in the captains seats and then a Maestro in the middle of the 3rd row for your 5 yr old with your 10 and 15 yr olds on either side. I have a 2003 caravan and I can get the Maestro in the middle with the lap belt and my 10 yr old on one side with just as much room on the other side.
I would keep one Nautilus for your 4 yr old since the Maestro only goes to 50 pounds. If you keep it on the captains chair it shouldn't really matter. Good luck!

jourdysmom · Apr 28, 2011

What year is the new Caravan?

Does it have captains chairs or a bench in the center?

jb28kds · Apr 28, 2011

jourdysmom said:
What year is the new Caravan?

Does it have captains chairs or a bench in the center?

It is a 2005 and has captains chairs in the center.

Kat_Momof3 · Apr 29, 2011

what gets a flag going up for me... you have the same year caravan I do, which means that the center seat in the third row is a lap-only belt... the ONLY thing that should ever go there is a harnessed seat, ride safer vest, or booster with the use of an 86-Y harness.

This is what I'd do...

15 yr - third row, outboard
10 yr - third row outboard
6 1/2 - booster in 2nd row captain's chair
5 1/2 is in a Graco Nautilus (GN) - 2nd row captain's chair
4 1/2 - get an evenflo Maestro or Ride Safer Vest and put in the middle of the third row.

momtoo3 · Apr 30, 2011

Kat_Momof3 said:
what gets a flag going up for me... you have the same year caravan I do, which means that the center seat in the third row is a lap-only belt... the ONLY thing that should ever go there is a harnessed seat, ride safer vest, or booster with the use of an 86-Y harness.

This is what I'd do...

15 yr - third row, outboard
10 yr - third row outboard
6 1/2 - booster in 2nd row captain's chair
5 1/2 is in a Graco Nautilus (GN) - 2nd row captain's chair
4 1/2 - get an evenflo Maestro or Ride Safer Vest and put in the middle of the third row.

:yeahthat: Except I would put the 5 1/2 yr old in the Maestro since it has a 50 pound limit and the 4 1/2 yr old in the Nautilus since he is heavier than your daughter.

Would they be safe in a HBB

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