How the heck do you get kids into their seats in a 3rd row?!?!?!?

denimmeitai

New member
We have a Ford F-150 Supercrew and currently have 3 seats across the back. We test drove an Excursion today (baby #4 is on it's way, so we are needing to upgrade to a large SUV). Holy cow, getting the two boys into the 3rd row was a major PITB!! The 2nd row had a Nautilus and a Graco Snugride 35(empty for the moment) that barely fit next to each other. The third row had another Nautilus on the drivers side and a Safety 1st All in One Deluxe (rear-facing) on the passenger side (middle was empty). DH climbed into the cargo area to get DS2 buckled into the Safety 1st, totally not practical for me on a daily basis.

It just strikes me as horribly inconvenient to have to crawl into the 3rd row each and every time I need to buckle and unbuckle someone. For those of you with babes in the 3rd row . . . how DO you do it? And if you do have a good system, what do you drive? Help me wrap my mind around this, please!
 
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glockchick

New member
I've only ever had FFing kids in the 3rd row. It was always too much of a pain to put anyone rear facing back there. Then I just have to climb half way in to buckle them in. :)
 

An Aurora

Senior Community Member
We had a smaller SUV (Explorer) and I'd leave one of the middle row seats folded down so the kids could climb into the back. DD1 would go in the far corner in her booster, and she could buckle herself; DD2 was in a FF seat and I'd kneel on the folded seat to buckle her.
 

canadiangie

New member
I drive a Honda pilot with tether anchors in all seating positions so that I can have only FF kids back there, and RF's in the 2nd row. The '40' of my 2nd row tips forward and slides along the seat tracks with the flip of a lever (so easy breezy) thereby giving me full access to my 3rd row. I just step up and in and buckle kids. I keep my 2nd row riders side by side on the '60'.

Things that are invaluable to me as I haul anywhere from 3-5 kids in my SUV:

-running boards
-tether anchors everywhere
-Radians o' plenty
 

VoodooChile

New member
I've only used my 3rd row with kids once. We took my Pilot to the zoo--my sister drove, my mom rode up front with her. My dd and niece rode in the 2nd row, and ds and I were in the 3rd row. I had to use my mom's ETA for ds, which I could NOT get to fit rf in the 3rd row :(, and had to put it in the center (outboard installs kept popping up on the side). I remember posting a few colorful threads on here. Anyway, ds and I had to get in though the rear hatch, b/c at the time dd was using the FR80 as a booster on the "tumble" seat. So yeah, if I needed to use the 3rd row on a regular basis I'd either have to do some major rearranging, or I'd shoot myself.
 

MorgieBear'sMama

New member
I could not imaging rf'ing seats in the back of an excursion. I drive a van with almost no cargo area so it's pretty easy. I just plop them in the seats and stand in so called cargo area to buckle.
 

Pixels

New member
We have a minivan (Sienna) and we will soon have three kids, none of whom can buckle themselves. With one who can't be trusted next to anyone else, someone has to go in the back row. We can't open the hatch at all in the garage, so loading through there is out (and that's where the stroller is anyway, so it would be awkward at best).

We have had DD in the third row for a while already. I just flip the second row seat, she climbs in, and I climb in after her. I sit on the empty seat next to her to buckle, and I think it's much easier since she is rear facing.
 

momtoo3

Well-known member
I would put the 2 Nautis in the 3rd row and the 2 RFers in the second row next to each other if it is a bench so you can flip the one side forward for the Nauti riders to climb back. You can then climb back and help buckle or lean over the 2nd row seat and help. If you get a Suv with bucket/captains seats in the second row I would climb in before locking the SR35 into the base and buckle the 3rd row and then snap the SR35 into its base.

I have a van and do everything in my power to avoid putting RFing seats in the 3rd row.
 

njkj

New member
I drive a Tahoe so loading a RFer in the 3rd row would be quite easy sine with the 3rd row up there is NO cargo room (should have listened to DH and got a Burb :rolleyes: ). That being said when we do use the third row I just fold the pass 2nd row seat down and up and climb in behind Ds to buckle him. Though this last time he actually buckled his booster all by himself :love:.
 

mkmama

Active member
I drive a Sienna...we load through the hatch. The kids climb over the seat (I keep a small step stool in back for this reason) or I lift them over, then I step into the hatch to buckle them, its really not too much of a hassle.

It was much harder in my Windstar, where I had to climb up into the hatch of the van (Sienna has a recessed area behind 3rd row where seats stow, so I step down into it...Windstar did not so I had to climb up and kneel in cargo area)...but we just dealt with it. In the Windstar I just carried a cheap little rug...I'd put it down to kneel on after the kids were in their seats so that I didn't get my black work pants dirty from stuff on their shoes.
 

Brigala

CPST Instructor
I don't know about the Excursion, but if it were a Suburban I would "permanently" fold away the 2nd row passenger side seat to provide easy access to the 3rd row. I'd put the two Nautiluses in the back, the Snugride and the other RFing seat in the 2nd row. If the Safety 1st seat doesn't fit there, I'd ditch it and get something else.
 

glockchick

New member
I don't know about the Excursion, but if it were a Suburban I would "permanently" fold away the 2nd row passenger side seat to provide easy access to the 3rd row. I'd put the two Nautiluses in the back, the Snugride and the other RFing seat in the 2nd row. If the Safety 1st seat doesn't fit there, I'd ditch it and get something else.

:yeahthatlove:
 

momtoo3

Well-known member
We have had DD in the third row for a while already. I just flip the second row seat, she climbs in, and I climb in after her. I sit on the empty seat next to her to buckle, and I think it's much easier since she is rear facing.

OT but:
I wish I could do this but I have 3 across in the 3rd row of my van and a bench seat for the second row so the only way to the 3rd row is to climb in the opening next to the 2nd row bench. At times I need 2 boosters in the 3rd row and have only a lap belt in the middle so a harness must go there. It is close to impossible for a kid to climb under a RF seat to get to the drivers side position back there. I have been lucky to only have 2 RFers at a time so far. I bought an extra 3 person bench for the 2nd row so I have more possibilities but it makes it really hard to get to the 3rd row.
 

ElfJewel

New member
I have an Odyssey and load through the hatch. We had 3 RF back there until last week, now it's actually harder to buckle J FF.
 

christineka

New member
I drive a sienna. For the last many months, I just stick my 10 year old in the third row and she buckles everyone she can reach that can't buckle by their own self. In the days before a helpful older kid, I could step up and lean over the captain's chair (no headrest and rfing seat installed on it) into the back to buckle rfing kiddos. It was easier to do rfing kiddos than ffing. When 10 yo isn't in the van (which happens when I take ds to and from preschool), I just go into the third row and buckle the boy. I love my sienna! I push the outboard seats all the way forward and we can easily get into the third row without tumbling anything.
 

Katy

New member
When I have 4 kids with, I try to put 3 across in 3rd row and one in 2nd. That way I have better access.
 

scoutingbear

New member
For my friends that do foster care, they put the infant buckets in the back and a convertible seat. They tumble one of the captains chairs and have one seat installed on the other captain chair. Then they plop the infant buckets in and buckle in child 3. So, in other words, they fill up the 3rd row to leave climbing room in the 2nd row of their Sienna.

I have a Highlander with the fold away 3rd row. When we have extra kids, I end up with 2 back there. I help buckle boosters from the hatch. Most of the time I try to put a harnessed seat and 1 booster and make my kids ride because I know they can buckle properly. Then just climb in either through the hatch, or, if the seats installed in the third row aren't compatible with that, they climb over the seats in the middle row, using M's RFing seat as their passage point.
 

bobandjess99

Senior Community Member
It's been my personal choice/philosophy not to have 4 children so close together that the older ones can't just climb in and buckle themselves and/or help with younger ones. Sorry, that clearly doesn't help you much, but for someone reading this thread for general information, I feel it's a valid viewpoint to throw out there for consideration.
 

mamakc

Active member
I worked hard teaching DD to buckle herself asap. She learned how to buckle every seat we have before she turned four. She goes in the third row. If necessary she can buckle her brother also. I don't put rf seats in the third row if I can help it.
 

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