installing eddie bauer 3 in 1 in caravan

We have 6 month old twins who will outgrow their infant car seats in about 2 pounds. We purchased the eddie bauer 3 in 1 convertible car seats so we can still have rear facing and then graduate when needed. We can't get these seats to fit in our 96 dodge caravan. The problem is there is not enough space needed for these seats to recline properly. We have them positioned in the 2 bucket seats behind the front seats (there is no way that we could fit them in the rear) and when they are fully reclined (as it says they should be for rear facing) the front seats are jammed up against them and the marks indicating "level with ground" aren't even close to being level. I would have to remove the front seats or sit with them at the dash to accomplish this. The drivers seat is at the max for me to be able to drive (comfortably away from steering wheel) and my husband (who is 6 foot 5 inches) would never be able to drive the van as we couldn't put the seat back. I don't know what I'm doing wrong???? Do I have to buy different seats or a new van? I don't think that we could even put these seats in our Yukon as there isn't enough room there either. We also use the Yukon to haul our boat for family outings so we would need to be able to transfer the seat from the van to the truck. Please help if you can.

I am sure a tech will have more suggestions, but I believe the 3 in1 seats have base on them that you can remove to fit them rear facing better.

Also, for informations sake, the 3 in 1 seats tend to be outgrown before a child is ready to use it as a booster seat. They have low top harness positions and kids are frequently still under 40 pounds(the limit for harness weight) when they are over the top harness slot. They do have a high rearfacing weight limit (35 pounds, the highest on the market) so if you get a better install rearfacing, then they will last you for quite a while. Just be prepared to possibly need a couple more seats to keep you kiddos harnessed until they are old enough to properly use boosters.

HI i (very briefly ) had a safety first AOE ( the same seat as the eddie bauer) and was never able to get a proper 45 degree angle with that seat. It in turn never got used and we decided to get the evenflo triumph. We have just had our triumph replaced (due to an accident) with the evenflo triumph advance. this seat RF up to 35lbs (same as i do believe the AOE does) and FF to 50lbs (an advantage over the AOE that only harness up to 40, before becoming a belt position booster, and from what i understand, not a very good one at that) With 3 in 1 seats they market it as beign the "last seat you'll ever need to buy" but they are way off base. MOst kids outgrow the AO's by height far before weight and far before they are old enough or mature enough to sit properly in a booster seat.

A safe carseat is one that fits the child, fits the car, fits the parents budget and will be used correctly every single time. IMHO If you still have the boxes I would think about returning the AO's and looking at other seats. IMHO they are alot of money for a seat that doesn't harness beyond the 40lbs mark. With the evenflo advance, by the time they out grow the harness (between ages 5-6 yrs depending on torso height) they will be ready for a high back booster seat. The Evenflo has a just over 17 inch harness height from seat bottom to top harness height (as does the MA, and the radian i do believe) And may fit your vehicle better. Best bet is to go to BRU or TRU and actually take the carseat out ot your car and install it to make sure it will fit, adn then place you child in it. (both these stores allow you to do this, and employee will walk out with you to help you). that way you are getting a seat you know will fit both your car and your child.

HTH

Beth

Unregistered said:

We have 6 month old twins who will outgrow their infant car seats in about 2 pounds. We purchased the eddie bauer 3 in 1 convertible car seats so we can still have rear facing and then graduate when needed. We can't get these seats to fit in our 96 dodge caravan. The problem is there is not enough space needed for these seats to recline properly. We have them positioned in the 2 bucket seats behind the front seats (there is no way that we could fit them in the rear) and when they are fully reclined (as it says they should be for rear facing) the front seats are jammed up against them and the marks indicating "level with ground" aren't even close to being level. I would have to remove the front seats or sit with them at the dash to accomplish this. The drivers seat is at the max for me to be able to drive (comfortably away from steering wheel) and my husband (who is 6 foot 5 inches) would never be able to drive the van as we couldn't put the seat back. I don't know what I'm doing wrong???? Do I have to buy different seats or a new van? I don't think that we could even put these seats in our Yukon as there isn't enough room there either. We also use the Yukon to haul our boat for family outings so we would need to be able to transfer the seat from the van to the truck. Please help if you can.

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As another poster mentioned, try taking the base off the 3-in-1 (instructions are in the manual). Without its base, it is one of the less 'greedy' seats in terms of the front-to-back space it requires. We own two Alpha Omega seats, and they make decent rear facing seats (in our experience), and fit even in our (small) '96 Corolla at newborn recline angle, without putting the driver or front seat passenger up on the dashboard. When we first got the AO, we tried it with the base, and figured we would have to return the darn thing, since there was no way it would fit in the Corolla that way.

That being said, the warnings you received about the seat are also valid -- it is NOT the only seat you will ever need, it has a relatively low top harness position (the top headrest position CANNOT be used with the harness), and it makes a rotten booster.

Another poster recommended the Marathon and the Radian as other possibilities, but I would worry that these may also cause you trouble at the newborn recline angle, as they are both tall seats (quite a bit taller than the AO without its base). The Marathon (and other related Britax seats) are up on a base, so they take up a lot of front-to-back space when at that angle. The Radian is not on a base, but it is a really tall seat, and it has an enforced rear-facing recline angle (difficult to install it more upright in many vehicles) which just makes it take up a lot of front-to-back space when rear-facing. For example, I can only install it RF in our Corolla in the center position, sort of protruding forward between the two front seat backrests; in either outboard position, the front vehicle seats can't even move up far enough to clear the Radian.

I just went back and saw that your children are already 6 months old, and will probably be somewhat older still by the time you move them into convertibles -- at that point they probably won't need the newborn (45 degree) recline angle, and the Marathon and its relatives would definitely be worth considering. It is relatively easy to install those seats more upright for older rear-facing children, and they'll give you a lot more use for the money than a 3-in-1.

Katrin

FWIW, I agree w/the other posters responses and wanted to add the following:

Another carseat, such as a Britax or the Evenflo Triumph Advance, which sits up on a base may actually fit better b/c the top of the carseat can lean flush against the headrest of the seat in front of it. That may work much better than a carseat that hits directly into the middle of the back of the front seat. Personally, I'd go for returning the 3-in-1's and getting another seat first (hate those seats for the reasons others posted).

Also, the recline indicator that indicates the seat is level isn't always correct. You have to make sure that your car is parked on level ground first. Then, use the level indicator as a general guide. From there, keep in mind that to be safe, a rearfacing carseat needs to be b/t a 30 and 45 degree angle. The older the baby, the less reclined (and closer to a 30 degree angle) the carseat can be. The 45 degree angle is for newborns, esp. The easiest way I was told to figure it out is to make a backwards "L" out of your thumb and forefinger w/your right hand, hold it up in front of the side of your carseat so you can see the side of the back of the carseat just behind your hand (w/thumb parallel to the ground), and compare where the back falls. If it is evenly spaced b/t your thumb and forefinger, that's a 45 degree angle. It can be less than that and more upright, but not more.

hths

henrietta

I think you'll have better success with installing the seats without bases. You will need a pool noodle or some rolled towels though to help get an appropriate angle.

Were your twins born early at all? What's their head control like?

The line that says level to ground, is an indicator for the 45* angle that's needed for newborns. As babies get older and get better head control, they gradually become able to be ok with more upright angles. The 45* angle is important with a newborn because it protects their airway. As long as your twins chins aren't going straight down towards their chests when they falls asleep once you've put them into the convertible seat, then it's reclined enough for their age and development - this may mean one twin needs the seat more reclined than the other for a period of time even...

Provided that their chins aren't dropping towards their chests when they fall asleep, I would completely ignore that little line. Given that you're stuck for room, you're not going to have a problem with over-reclining the seat.

The pool noodles or rolled towels will need to be put in the crease of the vehicle seat so that the car seat bottom sits on it. This will help get the car seat reclined enough. You may need to experiment with different sized towels or more than 1 pool noodle piece to achieve an angle that works for your twins.

I'm also not a fan of the 3in1 seats, but I think that probably can be said for many of the posters here. They're just a commonly misused seat, the harness can be difficult to adjust and they can be a pain to install. Add it all together and you get a seat that many techs don't like. It may be worth taking a trip to Babies R Us and trying out some different seats to see what will fit best. And you very likely may be able to spend less money for seats that will fit better and last just as long if not longer than what the 3in1 seats you currently have will. :thumbsup:

Is it possible for you to remove the 2nd row captain's chair and just install the car seats in the 3rd row? That might also give you some more options.