Question need quick advice

mamakc

Active member

• Jun 6, 2011

• #1

I have a rental car while my car is being repaired today. I told them I need a car big enough for 3 car seats. They gave me a chevy HHR. I just have dd & ds with me now, but I am watching my niece today also. I am worried about whether her seat will fit and what to do if it doesnt. I currently have ds (2.5) RF driver side in the ca65LX, dd (4.5) in the maestro in the middle, and praying the SS1 will fit on the other side. If not I will try turning ds FF & trying the SS1 in the middle. If that doesnt work, should I put the maestro in the front passenger seat, scooted all the way back, w/ ds FF behind her & dn behind me? Any other ideas? This will only be for today.

 

Shanora

Well-known member

• Jun 6, 2011

• #2

Make sure you install with seat belts as you'll have more play with being able to move the seats around.

I would highly recommend that IF you end up with a child in the front you top tether it (Temp tether it to the seatbelt behind that seat and install that child's seat with the LATCH), so that in the event of a collision the tether will help with the head excursion.

 

CTPDMom

Ambassador - CPS Technician

• Jun 6, 2011

• #3

I think it would just be easier to stay home with the 3 kids today! LOL

 

mamakc

Active member

• Jun 6, 2011

• #4

I will stay home the rest of the week if I have to, but today I had to drive into town to switch the cars & I need to pick up my niece while here lol I did notice when I flipped through the manual that there should be an anchor on the front passenger seat. If not, can someone share how to tether to a seatbelt?

 

Shanora

Well-known member

• Jun 6, 2011

• #5

You would basically clip the top tether onto the male end of the seat belt, pull it out all the way to switch it into locking mode and then make sure that both the top tether and the seat belt are nice and snug. You want to make sure that the top tether is tightened enough that it wont allow the locked seat belt to feed all the way back into the retractor, other wise it switches back.
IF you don't have a locking seat belt, then you'll need to use a locking clip to keep the seat belt nice and tight so that the top tether is used properly.

 

Shanora

Well-known member

• Jun 6, 2011

• #6

http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=49074

 

mamakc

Active member

• Jun 6, 2011

• #7

Well that was awful! There was no way those seats were going in there! The headrest wouldnt come off the front seat so I could not install either ff seat there. I ended up putting dd up front in booster mode & driving straight back to the rental place and demanding a bigger car! That was a stressful drive, but it was the best I could do. We are now in a dodge charger & I still barely got the seats in w/ds ff. I have spent a good two hours wrestling seats today and I am exhausted.

 

Kat_Momof3

New member

• Jun 6, 2011

• #8

clearly the person giving out the rentals is either stuck with only small cars in stock... or has never had to put 3 seats in a car.

 

Ducky5306

New member

• Jun 6, 2011

• #9

If it ever happens again can you request a mini van? Even if there is a extra.charge it might be worth it!

Sent from my HTC using Car-Seat.Org

 

mamakc

Active member

• Jun 6, 2011

• #10

I literally watched them give their only available vans to the two people in line in front of me. They had the Charger and a Chevy Tahoe left. I probably should have asked for the Tahoe, but I was thinking about gas mileage & we all believed that 3 seats would fit in there no problem. Lesson learned.

 

Carrie_R

Ambassador - CPS Technician

• Jun 6, 2011

• #11

Kat_Momof3 said:

clearly the person giving out the rentals is either stuck with only small cars in stock... or has never had to put 3 seats in a car.

Click to expand...

Usually it's the latter. Last year, when my van was breaking down a bunch, I had more than my fair share of rental cars. The vehicles the agents gave me -- often free upgrades, with the absolute best intentions -- were a joke. Usually they ended up being small SUVs. I always explained that I needed three seats across and the young guys working were just clueless... My favorite was a soft-top Jeep Wrangler. (Because that's exactly what I would give to someone saying, "I need to put three carseats in this car..." LOL.) To their credit, one time I was given a brand new T&C (I think it had 3 miles on it) for the price of a compact... But I digress.

If you have internet on your phone, and can do it from the rental place, I would suggest googling "vehicle name hip room." That's going to give you a decent idea as to what should fit in a vehicle, if you can work out how wide your combos are.

 

L

lorismurph

Senior Community Member

• Jun 7, 2011

• #12

I told them that once and they gave me a PT Cruiser. I had to put my ds (4) up front and drive to the ped's office. When we were done, I drove straight back to the rental place and told them I could not leave until they got me the van I had reserved. Amazing, they had a van there within 30 minutes.

This was a rental while my Caravan was being repaired after someone rear-ended me. I specifically told them I needed a van so I could fit all 3 kids.