New vehicle and new carseats??

Hi

Really looking for some advice! Right now I drive a chevy venture 2003 8passenger(hopefully upgrading but might not be till september so hope carseats could work in both vehicles) I need to buy two new carseats possibly three.

I will have five kids in carseat and two in boosters(usually the two booster will not be at the same time) right now the venture has one built in than I have a graco MR RF in center center, the driver's side center has latch thinking of putting another RF there(might have to be FF though or booster) the back only has tether middle so am thinking could put FF either radian or evenflo 400 there than RF beside it possibly move the MR there? and put booster drivers side? So I need one new RF seat hopefully till at least 40lbs, may just FF the almost 3yr old in the titan I have RF now. Hope this makes sense.

Than what would work three across in the traverse, thinking the back could do a MR RF outboard drivers FF evenflo 400 than booster.

My seats currently are a number of boosters evenflo hbb, dorel hbb, parkway hbb, than harmony low back, Graco MR, evenflo titan. I will have a 2yr old(32lbs? this one is FF in parents vehicle would perfer to RF), 2 almost 3yr olds one about(30lbs other 32lbs this one is FF in parents vehicle so would be fine FF her), 2 4yr olds one close to 50lbs so need a high weight seat. than a 7 and 8 yr old.

Thanks for any advice given. May also consider getting an Odyssey

For the 3 across in the Traverse, are you talking 2nd row or 3rd row?

3rd row is a tight fit for 3 across, but I have done it with 2 scenera and a Radian, all rf'ing. The Radian would be much easier now that there is the angle adjuster available, but I'm not sure if it would interfere with the Scenera or not.

So far as ff'ing the Titan goes, how much growing room does the child have left in it? The Titan's top harness height is very low and I know my ds had outgrown it by height by 2.5yrs old. Granted my ds is long in the body, but at 14 to 14.5" (depending on who's measuring,) the Titan just doesn't last most kids very long and some kids will outgrow it both rf'ing and ff'ing at or near the same time.

Now the other question I have is regarding the built in restraint in the venture. Is it the full time seat of a child? The built in restraints are typically ok in a pinch, but they're not really that comfortable for an every-day kind of seat. The restraint is also getting up there in age and I would suggest contacting GM to see if there is a maximum recommended lifespan on the built in restraint system.

Would you be able to list the kids like this to help out with puzzling them in the vehicles?

Child 1: Age, weight, current seat and direction
Child 2: etc etc

If you're comfortable putting an initial for each child that will also make it easier to sort out.

Sometimes when you're working with a more complex seating arrangement, it's easier to be able to identify each kid individually in order to see what's there and if anything can be handed down etc so that you have the best chance of having things work while minimizing the number of seats you need to buy. Age and weight helps in terms of knowing if there may be an alternate method of restraint that would make it easier to do 3 across. :thumbsup:

Set up now L 7yrs hbb rear passenger, Ann 2yrs RF rear middle titan(almost outgrown height and weight wise for RF), D 8yrs hbb parkway rear driver's, built in S 4yrs, middle middle H 2yrs RF MR, middle driver's Al 4yrs hbb booster(shared with another 8yr old). Al will be leaving and than I will have B 20months(32lbs)and W 4yrs (probaby 50lbs). Hope this makes sense. So idealy I need 3RF and 2FF though one will be the built in for now(the reason I was thinking Titan is I could put either H or B in it for now basically to save money FF.(the parents of both have them FF).

The reason I wonder about the MR in the traverse is I know in my venture it sits over top of the consoles on the side leaving more room I have no idea if this would work. I did read on here the Radian fit RF in the middle but am hoping to put a FF seat there will the Radian not work FF there? Or am interested in the evenflo 400 possibly with a MR or secenera beside it and a booster on the other side.

Your tentative plan is to get an 8 passenger Chev Traverse, is that correct?

The total number of children at one time will not exceed 6, is that correct?

And you're open to considering a Honda Oddy, is that correct? If so, what model year?

As pp said, can you come back and put an intital for each child with their stats and current seat.

child 1: Ann 2yrs RF 28lbs close to the one inch mark on titan(she's mine will stay RF
child 2: L 7yrs booster hbb
child 3: D 8yrs booster hbb
child 4: S 4yrs 34lbs FF built in
child 5: H 2yrs RF MR just over 30lbs(parents have her FF)
child 6: B 20 months 32lbsish(parents have him FF)
child 7: W 4yrs 50lbish(he is not quite 4yrs so needs to stay harrenessed)

I fixed the initial thing. Sometimes I do drive with 7 with my son in the front 8yr old. We are looking at new vehicles so nothing older than the 2011. I read the Honda odyssey is better for these years. I personally only have two kids and run a dayhome so this is a M-F job my hubby would really perfer the Traverse but if the carseat and my stroller won't fit I'll go for the Odyssey. I didn't see any other 8seaters in the price range I'm looking at that'll work if you have another suggestion I am also open to that. I need one booster and five carseats that'll work occassionaly one carseat may be swapped out for another booster.

should also add child 6&7 do not come here yet so they don't have seats.

Should also add I don't think I'll have the new vehicle till September and B&W start with me middle of next month but am hoping to possibly get seats that would work in the new vehicle as well. So I for sure need two new seats possibly three. Thanks sorry for the confusion.

Okay found a good deal on a traverse looking at one this week so any feedback would be great Would the back seat be alot smaller than the venture, guess I'll take a tape measure with me as well and a couple seats but I don't have a very good selection right now.

Nimommyof2 said:

child 1: Ann 2yrs RF 28lbs close to the one inch mark on titan(she's mine will stay RF
child 2: L 7yrs booster hbb
child 3: D 8yrs booster hbb
child 4: S 4yrs 34lbs FF built in
child 5: H 2yrs RF MR just over 30lbs(parents have her FF)
child 6: B 20 months 32lbsish(parents have him FF)
child 7: W 4yrs 50lbish(he is not quite 4yrs so needs to stay harrenessed)

Click to expand...

Wowsers.

Okay...

Well, the 3rd row of a Traverse (Acadia, Enclave, Outlook) is pretty narrow, and it only has 1 tether anchor, that's in the middle seating position. Buckling any boosters in the 3rd row is going to be very tough if you're running 3 across back there, which will be touch and go anyway, and only possible with the narrowes of well puzzled seats -- basically not any boosters.

So what I'm saying is you probably want to keep your booster riders in the 2nd row, both for the increased width of the 2nd row, and also so you're able to easily remove a booster for tumbling your 2nd row "40" forward to access the 3rd row.

This however has you accessing your rf kids from the 3rd row -- and that's assuming you get 3 seats puzzled together and installed well.

What I would do is gather up your seats, go down to a lot, and see what you're able to accomplish. You may take one look at the seating configuration and decide its not for you.

canadiangie said:

Wowsers.

This however has you accessing your rf kids from the 3rd row -- and that's assuming you get 3 seats puzzled together and installed well.

Click to expand...

If you hope/plan to access them from the hatch, it only works really well for me if my trunk space is empty. I have a Ford Freestyle, and really do not like having 2 RF'ers in the 3rd row (I only have 2 seat positions in any row). I tend to put one in the 3rd, and one in the 2nd ... the littlest in the 2nd row, the older RFer in the 3rd, so they can walk themselves to the spot, then I can climb in and help them.

Putting my stroller in the back means trying to climb over it to load kids which is not any fun at all!

Just something to keep in mind as you're testing out the seats -- if they fit, great, but make sure you can access them even if you have the stroller etc.

Okay a couple more questions. Does the new Radian/Diono install diffferently than the old, as I can borrow an old one hopefully to play with install. Also is there anywhere you can buy the evenflo 300/400 off the shelf? Did the scernera change any as I can borrow one of those but think its 4yrs oldish. So the Acadia/Outlook would have the same back seat? Besides the Honda Odyssey are there any other 30,000-35,000 range vehicles that seat 8 passenger that would work?

Sorry another questions what is the smaller complete air like for width and usage?