What's your favourite setup for 3 in a mini van?

Chila88

New member
I am expecting baby #3 in a few weeks and its time to get my van rearranged. What's your favourite way to arrange 3 kids in a minivan?

Here's our stats:
DD1: Frontier, harness mode, belt install (over 40lbs). Turning 5 in a few weeks and will likely start to booster train in new year and switch full time to booster sometime in the next year. Can do up own harness, but usually needs someone to pull the adjuster strap to tighten.

DD2: Frontier, harness mode, UAS/Latch install (but no reason I couldn't do belt). Needs help with harness.

Baby: SR35.

We drive a 2004 7pass Sienna. 1 power door on passenger side.
 
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flutie128

New member
I would probably do DD1 in back, DD@ in a captain's chair and the new baby in a captain's chair as well. I might put the baby on the passenger side since the power door is there.
 

karlatta

New member
Your captains chair can push together, right?

I'd do DD2 in the third row, passenger side. Baby in the passenger captains chair, pushed to the middle. Oldest DD next to her.

This allows you to easily reach DD2's harness when you're getting in. And you don't have to lift the heavy infant carrier all the way across the van. And while you're doing those two things, the oldest can get in her own seat and buckle up. When you get in, reach around and pull the strap to tighten her harness. This also puts the oldest next to the baby, too help you out.
 

AmandaR

New member
I put mine three across when I had only three. I would do one center in the back FFing and two in the middle row.
 

mlohry

New member
When DD was a newbie, I slid the passenger side captains chair to the middle, well as far over as it would slide, then oldest DH in a booster next to her because he would help. Then middle child at the time harnessed in a Nautilus 3rd row. When DD got old enough to swing her car seat harness adjuster at her brother I slid her seat back over to the door. They switched sides for loading convenience, but it's still the same set up, just 3 years later and different seats :)
 

Chila88

New member
So most of you keep 2 kids in the middle row and just one in the back, hey? This is what I had thought we'd do, and then 2 of my friends told me they put the 2 older ones in the back and roll the extra captains chair so they can crawl in and out easily. This doesn't seem bad....anyone tried it?

I was going to keep DD2 in the middle row and put DD3 in the back since she needs less help and it leaves DD2 more accessible to do up her harness. However, most of you have your middle kid in the rear....do you find it hard to reach back to access the back row to do up a harness? Does the captains chair being slid to the center give enough room for the kid to scoot back and you to reach?

I would just go play with my van but its COLD here....so I'm trying to make a plan ahead of time!!! :rolleyes:
 

Phineasmama

New member
I drive a grand caravan, but usually I have my oldest in the middle 3rd row because she can do the harness herself, and then the two younger kids in the captains chairs.


But right now I have DS forward facing in the 3rd row right next to her, and the passenger captains chair stowed.
 

crunchierthanthou

New member
So most of you keep 2 kids in the middle row and just one in the back, hey? This is what I had thought we'd do, and then 2 of my friends told me they put the 2 older ones in the back and roll the extra captains chair so they can crawl in and out easily. This doesn't seem bad....anyone tried it?

That was my first thought, but I don't know if you can get two Frontiers side by side back there, and that generation of Sienna doesn't have a Ta 3rd row driver's side. If you can fit them both back there, I'd probably take out the passenger side captain's chair completely so you have a nice space for climbing in to buckle, changing diapers, putting on heavy coats before getting out...
 

Chila88

New member
You are right Crunchy.....there are only 2 sets of UAS/TA's back there....passenger and middle....however the middle set is offset a bit to give more space. I forgot about the TA positioning and how huge FR's are....good point. They would probably leave the 3rd seat unusable wouldn't they, which kind of sucks.
 

bnsnyde

New member
My favorite is 3 across the middle row but if you don't have that option, then probably 2 in the middle and 1 in back middle.
Actually with 3 I'd prefer the car as I'd have to think about a van setup. :)
 

soccer_widow

New member
My favorite was to slide the passenger side captain's chair over to the middle. I put my baby on that seat, my middle child behind the driver, and my oldest in the center position of the third row(he was RF, and I liked being able to sit on the seat next to him to buckle).
 

kellief11

New member
I have your exact same van, well except the power sliding door :(

I would slide the captain's chair over, use the 2 captain's chairs and put the 3rd child in the middle seat 3rd row. The 2nd row is far away from a rear end accident and the middle 3rd row would be farther away from any side impacts. I wouldn't want to leave the 2nd row or any middle seats (imo, the safer seats) vacant.
 

Chila88

New member
I have your exact same van, well except the power sliding door :(

I would slide the captain's chair over, use the 2 captain's chairs and put the 3rd child in the middle seat 3rd row. The 2nd row is far away from a rear end accident and the middle 3rd row would be farther away from any side impacts. I wouldn't want to leave the 2nd row or any middle seats (imo, the safer seats) vacant.

Good points about safety....I was so concerned with convenience I forgot to think about impact points! :eek:

Well DD's have really started fighting in the car this week for some reason (read mittens on strings being winged between captains chairs at each other...sheesh!) so while driving today, frustrated at telling them to stop AGAIN, and consoling tears because someone took one in the eye, this whole debate settled itself. Definitely won't be putting them side by side in the 3rd row (even if I could get their FR's to fit) for my own sanity :rolleyes:.

I will start with DD1 in center of 3rd row, DD2 and baby in the captains chair, pushed together. Thanks for all of the input everyone!!!
 

Mags462

New member
I'd probably take out the passenger side captain's chair completely so you have a nice space for climbing in to buckle, changing diapers, putting on heavy coats before getting out...

This is EXACTLY how i "roll" and i :love: it. OMG the space is amazing. I have two on the back bench and the drivers side captains chair. But i do have a booster rider to make "separation" on that back bench possible. Honestly, even if i had an infant seat to install i would still go with removing one captains chair and put the infant in back.... even if you take out the drivers side chair instead it will still be easier. I 110% recommend ditching one of the captains chairs :D
 

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