I'm a tech. I should know this but...

glockchick · May 11, 2012

Is this ok?

I'm trying to get 3 across in my civic with 2 boosters. :banginghead:

I don't need this to work because I have the Suburban if I need to take more kids, but I'd like it to so I don't have to shell out the gas for the suburban unless I have to take more than 4 kids somewhere. I usually only take the younger 3 when I go to the store and stuff during the summer.

The BLVD is for my 4 year old and the boosters are for my 5 1/2 and just about 8 year olds.

I don't like the gap behind the boosters. It's hard to tell, but hardly any of the back is touching the back of the seat due to those stupid side bolsters. The seats are actually a little cock eyed, so much that backless would never work because they're butts would fall in the crack between the booster and the seat back.

Then I tried putting the BLVD on the side and seeing if Abi 5 steps in the middle. Here's the gap on the BLVD.

With the camera right up against the seat you can see straight through.

I don't like it, but is it safe? My gut is saying no because not 80% of the car seat is in contact with the vehicle seat.

What do you think?

monica-m · May 11, 2012

It's 80% if the bottom of the seat on the vehicle seat. If the BLVD is acceptably tight, i would be fine with it. The boosters look okay to me but boosters are not my forte and they have different rules about the gaps.

glockchick · May 11, 2012

The bottom of the seat is 100% on the seat. I guess I'll stop being lazy and go read the manuals.

ketchupqueen · May 11, 2012

While that's fine for the harnessed seat (the top is in firm contact, the base is all the way back, the base is on the vehicle seat all the way), those boosters do not allow a gap, I'm afraid. Does the gap remain when the children sit in them? If so, they are incompatible with those seating positions if the gap is as significant as I think it is (worse than it looks, as you say.)

glockchick · May 11, 2012

Yeah, the gap stays with them in them. The boosters are actually angled towards the middle of the car.

If Abi doesn't 5 step in the middle (I'll check when she gets home from school, but I doubt she will), I think I'll just put his FR back in on one side and have the booster on the other. That allows room for 2 younger kids. I could put Abi up front in a backless but I think I'd rather take the Suburban since I do have that option available.

bubbaray · May 11, 2012

I would call Britax about the PW. The manual says to remove the vehicle headrest if there is a gap. To me, that means that they don't want any gap there (even though in your case, the gap isn't caused by the headrest but by the bolster). Not sure what Graco says.

What LBBs have you tried? I am using a Monterey backless right now because of the stupid headrest issue and the (HUGE) gap when I put the headrest back on. It works well in my car, but I have it installed with LATCH so that it doesn't slide forward. I'm not super jazzed about the shoulder belt fit, but it is *just barely* acceptable. Oh well...

christineka · May 11, 2012

I don't like how the boosters sit on the seatbelt and then are kinda sideways. That's why I gave up and use an rstv for the middle child.

I had issues with the booster having to sit over the seatbelt in my middle seat in the sienna and was told that was not allowed.

luckyclov · May 11, 2012

A couple of things about the PW.

Britax does not require additional vehicle head support for the PWSG/L (per manual and confirmed via telephone - multiple times). In fact, the recommendation (in the manual and via telephone) is to remove vehicle head support if it allows for a better backrest-to-vehicle seatback fit.

It's only the "backrest" portion of the PW that needs to be gap-free/flush against the vehicle seatback. The extendable/headwing portion (the "head restraint") does not need to be flush/gap-free (the head restraint is actually set in a little deeper, so for that to be flush in any vehicle would be difficult).

Does that help at all?

Kat_Momof3 · May 11, 2012

I'd let the 8yr old go backless in that car if need be... the 5.5yr old... hmmm... I wonder if the curved back of the evenflo big kid/amp hbb (which works great with headrest issues like these) would have that booster work.

glockchick · May 11, 2012

Unfortunately, that probably won't work. In addition to the way the head area protrudes, there are side bolsters. If the seat fit inside them it's great. If not you get this.

I've tried the pw, TB, and literider backless. The LR would work if those armrests didn't poke out so far, but they're all too wide. I'll get a pic of what I mean.

glockchick · May 11, 2012

Ok. Here are pics of the bolsters that make me cuss. See on the far right how far forward it comes? And it's solid under there, not foam.

This shows what a booster looks like when there's a seat in the middle. Pretend. I didn't feel like moving his seat again today.

Here's the PW latched in with nothing next to it. It fits perfectly, but you can see how much I lose on the sides. If I had to the edge of the seat, 3 across would be a cinch.

Murphy's Law · May 11, 2012

Ugh! That's my car. It's infuriating, isn't it!? I just picked up a bubble bum to use with dd or her friends (7 and 8 year olds) in a 3 across. I also have a RSTV to use too. The kids are at the age where we are now frequently transporting a friend in addition to my two kids. That civic back seat is NOT 3 across friendly with traditional car seats. Hope you find something that works!

Brigala · May 11, 2012

I have an '05 Civic and the back seat is very similar to yours.

So far the only thing I've been able to get to work - barely- is a RF Radian in the center and a Parkway SG outboard. I haven't tried it with a 2nd Parkway on the other side and I'm not positive it would work; after I installed the Radian I got in there and shoved with all my might to scoot it over a bit and make room for the booster.

The Parkway puzzles with the Radian in such a way that you can wiggle it into place and it sort of wedges between the Radian and those side bolsters. I had to remove the head rest to make it work. I'm pretty sure it would also work backless - I'll know soon because the top of the parkway hits the roof of the car now, and with the next growth spurt I'll have no choice but to take it off.

It's super duper duper hard to buckle the Parkway this way. Takes me about 5 minutes each time. Fortunately the kid who needs the booster isn't mine so it's not like I'm doing it every day.

My motivation is identical to yours - I don't want to have to drive the Suburban every time I have a booster rider with me.

ketchupqueen · May 11, 2012

Have you tried a BubbleBum?

glockchick · May 11, 2012

No, I haven't tried a bubble bum.

I checked and she does not 5 step, not even close. The belt fit is atrocious.

Plus the frontier is so big that she can't squeeze between it and the PW. I think it might work better with CJ in a Radian, but Abi would still need a booster. I know that installs well outboard. I was really hoping not to buy any new seats though. I'm sure I wouldn't spend enough on gas in the suburban to justify a $250 seat since it's just for quick runs. He'd be outboard so I'd want the head wings.

So no one would put the 8 year old in a backless in the front seat?

Thanksgiving_Twins_Mom · May 11, 2012

I have a '97 Civic and got a RideSafer vest before DDs started 1st grade b/c in Kindy I often was in situations where "can you give so and so a ride" and with 2 HBBs outboard and a lap belt only in the center, it was the only thing that would work. They're finishing up 4th grade now and I'd say I definitely got my money's worth out of the RSTV - takes up hardly any space and convenient to have on hand "just in case" I needed to give someone else a ride. Plus it helps that DD2 is a peanut and still fits it, b/c that way she can use it, DD1 5-steps, and a 3rd child or adult can fit in the back seat. So I'd suggest RSTV for your 5YO and LBB for your 8YO, and then the 4YO could use it later since it doesn't expire.

ketchupqueen · May 11, 2012

I'd get a new backless that fit in the back. The BubbleBum is $40. Or a RSTV is $120-ish. Front seat is for when you REALLY cannot make it work or HAVE to transport 4 kids in a 5 seater car. In this case, you can either figure out a way to make it work or take the other car. In either case she doesn't NEED to go in front so I wouldn't do it.

glockchick · May 11, 2012

That's what I was thinking. I'd just take the other car. I might try a Bubble Bum but I'd probably have to buy a RN too. I could probably trade a FR 85, but I

my Frontier's and idk if I can bear to let one go.

christineka · May 11, 2012

I happened to be online during the 3 hour window when rstvs were on super sale. (the price of the bubble bum) The bubblebum sounds like a good option, unless you could pick up an rstv.

farrbabies · May 11, 2012

Kat_Momof3 said:
I'd let the 8yr old go backless in that car if need be... the 5.5yr old... hmmm... I wonder if the curved back of the evenflo big kid/amp hbb (which works great with headrest issues like these) would have that booster work.

I have the same car and I have a radian in the middle rearfacing but I'm sure ffing is fine too. My booster I found that worked best was the evenflo amp or high back with fold up armrests. The curved back helped a lot! The lbb that worked almost 95% was the litrider.

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