Rental car dilemma

So I have a little problem. I took my car in Tuesday for some repair work that was supposed to be done by the end of Tuesday. They called and found a bazillion things wrong and some parts had to come from Chicago. Needless to say, it's friday and it's still not done. Tuesday night the dealership called a rental car place and they came and got me and gave me a rental (2011 Dodge Avenger). Which is fine. We thought we would have it one day and DH could come in our other van with the kiddos.

That won't happen. Car won't be done until tomorrow and DH starts a 36 hour shift tonight. I'm the only one "allowed" to drive the rental AND the rental has to be brought to the dealership before I get my car back. So not only will I only have this car for like 38 hours(meaning I may have to drive the kids somewhere tomorrow), I need to get my car back tomorrow. I can't wait till Monday (nor can I afford to). Actually DH works Monday too so it would be Tuesday before we get the car.

The dealership is 35 minutes away and I have no nearby childcare (and couldn't afford it anyways). So the kids need to come with to drop the rental car off tomorrow and get my van back

Problem? Half my seats are in said broken car 35 minutes away. I have to somehow cram all 3 kids in the rental car with only the seats I have at home. Which all kinda suck.

So at home I have a probooster, a frontier 85, a roundabout 50(all in DH's car), and a spare radian that hasn't been used in forever and a backless Harmony booster. That's it. Not very friend for 3 across.

WTH am I supposed to do? I'm thinking one kid is gonna have to go in the front. WHich kid is supposed to if you absolutely have to? The harnessed kid? If push comes to shove, would a radian in the front with the seat all the way back be okay? It's so low profile. Gah, I don't want anyone in the front!

Kids are 6.5 and 38 lbs (fine in a booster but has never sat in a backless)
almost 5 and 38 lbs (usually harnessed but does short booster trips)
Almost 2. RF's. 26 lbs.

Help! Anyone have one of these cars? I'm wondering if I can somehow puzzle a RFing roundabout in the middle with the Radian on one side (i think it would fit "under" the lip of the roundabout). But what on the other side?

I would try the RN FF and RA50 RF with the Harmony Booster or see if the Probooster would fit but I doubt it with the side wings.
Otherwise the RN or Frontier 85 in the front with the seat all the way back with the oldest harnessed child.

momtoo3 said:

I would try the RN FF and RA50 RF with the Harmony Booster or see if the Probooster would fit but I doubt it with the side wings.
Otherwise the RN or Frontier 85 in the front with the seat all the way back with the oldest harnessed child.

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So oldest child that can be harnessed or just oldest normally harnessed child?

I would put the oldest child that can be harnessed in the front.

drive by yourself to pick up the other seats before dh's shift starts tonight?

britax convertibles and radians only play well together if they're facing the same direction. so any rf/ff combo where they're opposite doesn't work in close quarters.

crunchierthanthou said:

drive by yourself to pick up the other seats before dh's shift starts tonight?

britax convertibles and radians only play well together if they're facing the same direction. so any rf/ff combo where they're opposite doesn't work in close quarters.

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Well that sucks. I thought a rfing britax would puzzle with a ffing radian although I admit ive never tried it cause We have two vans.

I could get them...but that car only has a gn, ra50 and probooster so I'm not sure its gonna help me out too much lol. I just have big ol wide seats I guess. Never had a need to have narrow seats. Blah.

Does your radian rf to 40lbs? If so, I'd put your two youngest rf so the radian and roundabout will puzzle and then booster E and hopefully that keeps everyone in the back.

babyherder said:

Does your radian rf to 40lbs? If so, I'd put your two youngest rf so the radian and roundabout will puzzle and then booster E and hopefully that keeps everyone in the back.

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I'll try. She went ffing at 4 and had about an inch to grow rfing so I'm not even sure she will fit. But ill try. Xts are all 40 right?

Too bad I have like the widest freaking booster on the face od the earth!

I would put the RN with the largest child who fits it in the front passenger seat. I would put the other children in the back. It doesn't sound to me like seats in the broken vehicle will change the situation much.

You do the best you can with what you have at this particular moment. In your situation, IMO, that is the best you can do.

GL!

Radian RFing center, Marathon RF'ing on one side and one of the other seats on the other (no idea which one...Harmony backless does well in our car next to Radian, but not sure how much room the backseat of an Avenger has)? I've only got experience with a Radian out of all those seats, and no experience with the Avenger...but it sounds like one of most likely possibilities to get them all in back.

That being said, I have no issues with a FF'ing harnessed 6.5 year old in front when need be...so if I couldn't make three across work in back, I wouldnt sweat harnessing the the largest child possible in either the Radian or Frontier in the front seat.

Did you call the rental company and ask what the policy is regarding spouses driving/ being added?

Can you drop DH off at work and drive his car for the next few days?

I have a 2008 Avenger. Have you tried doing the three across with what you have available? I'm not familiar with your seats, but I've done a RFing MR between FFing CA's before. So if you have two narrow seats and one wider one you should still be able to get it done.

LISmama810 said:

Can you drop DH off at work and drive his car for the next few days?

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No. The rental has to be given to the dealer in order to get my car back and We can't afford the rental till Tuesday so it needs to go back tomorrow since my car is done. Tuesday is the earliest I can get it back if I don't go tomorrow. They are closed Sunday and We both work Monday 24hrs. Blah

Emi's Mommy said:

I have a 2008 Avenger. Have you tried doing the three across with what you have available? I'm not familiar with your seats, but I've done a RFing MR between FFing CA's before. So if you have two narrow seats and one wider one you should still be able to get it done.

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I think I only have one narrow seat lol. The probooster, Frontier and ra are all wide. But ill give it a shot with what I have when I get home. That should be fun to buckle a booster back there

Emi's Mommy said:

I have a 2008 Avenger. Have you tried doing the three across with what you have available? I'm not familiar with your seats, but I've done a RFing MR between FFing CA's before. So if you have two narrow seats and one wider one you should still be able to get it done.

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By the way, how do u like it? I actually loved it. It might just be my next car when our sedona dies!

fyrfightermomma said:

By the way, how do u like it? I actually loved it. It might just be my next car when our sedona dies!

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2008s are very different from 2011s. I'm liking the styling of the 11s. But I only have one kid and it makes me insane. The lack of trunk room once you account for even an umbrella stroller(specifically a Maxi-Cosi Perle) for groceries annoys me. I should have bought a Journey or a 300. I worked for a Chrysler dealer so I was limited in my vehicle choices.

Before I had DD and I was using it to/from work with about 40km of highway it was great. Now I wish I had something with more cargo room, a hatch instead of a trunk and a bit higher off the ground for ease of getting babe in and out.

ETA-It has a weirdo hump in the middle of the backseat which is making it nearly impossible for me to install the TF more upright. The CA installs and fits like a dream though. I also find it difficult to access the LATCH. But that might just be my own personal issue
Mechanically it's been quite good to me. The only issue I've ever had is I blow power steering lines each winter. But it's stupidly cold here and it's a common issue among Dodge vehicles(at least the 2008-2010 Avengers, Sebrings and Grand Caravans)

Thanks! I never looked in the trunk. I'll have to do that. It would be our second, non kid car. Only used with kids if We have had to. We would keep our grand caravan for all the hauling stuff.

I only took one kid in it in a booster and yeah it was awkward buckling it. And the one I have has a weird bump too. I put the booster there first and she tipped over lol.

Thanks for the scoop!!

I'd rather have less than an inch RF than a 2yo FF or 6yo in the front seat. Try it out and see where you're at. At least it is just a one way trip. Glad you'll have your van back!

marchofemily said:

I'd rather have less than an inch RF than a 2yo FF or 6yo in the front seat. Try it out and see where you're at. At least it is just a one way trip. Glad you'll have your van back!

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I'm going to have to disagree with this. This would explicitly go against manufacturer's instructions. Doing this in the radian which actually require 1.5 inches would make me more nervous. With its tendency to over recline, the results of ramping up would not be good.

In this situation I think I would be most comfortable with the six year old harnessed in the front, with the seat pushed all the way back.