I'm flying to Grandma & Grandpa's alone with my 4.3 year old DD (avg. size -- probably right at 40 lb, but not quite 40" yet) and my 20 month old DS (short but heavy for his age), and then we'll be driving a really long way (8 hours + time for stops). They have a 2007 Toyota Sequoia, but the back row of seats was taken out to make room for their two big dogs (free to roam in the car I assume...).
G'ma & G'pa have an Evenflo "5 point harness" they've used with the other grandchild who was 4-5 (I assume it's a combination car seat, but waiting to hopefully get more details...). I was planning on simply taking the Cosco Scenera for DS to use RFing in the cars and then using G'ma & G'pa's combination car seat for DD, but will we fit? --update: see below
Biggest questions is what to do for the really long car ride? Will I (5'5", 130 lb) fit with DD & DS in the backseat of the Sequoia with any inexpensive car seat combinations? Should I look into maybe the Safety 1st Go Hybrid? Or using the Ride Safer Vest for DD? My concern with both of those is if she falls asleep in the car (which I assume she will give the amount of time we'll be in the car). Or the Evenflo Maestro? But how long will we be able to use it? But my absolute biggest concern is if we get there and can't all fit!
We also just picked up the Harmony Defender 360 3-in-1, so I could take that with us, but I'd really rather not have to carry two car seats through the airport. (I could probably order one and have it delivered and then leave it with G'ma & G'pa for future use, but we don't visit that often...) Also, I tried it out in a VW Passat Station Wagon (and Prius) together with the RFing seat (both Scenera and Britax Marathon) but could not get them to fit tightly next to each other, and while I can still squeeze in between in the Passat (no way in the Prius except for maybe 1 mile in an emergency) there was a little less room than between the Britax Marathon FF with the Scenera RF. (The Harmony sits directly on the seat whereas the Britax is raised up and out a bit, so I gain a little space to squeeze under the Britax that I lose with the Harmony.)
Additional note: We do not visit G'ma & G'pa very often. However I do fly with the kids to visit my sister. That involves a 2 hour car ride in a Prius, and it would be great to be able to fit me in the back with the kids in the Prius if DH came with us instead of having to rent a car... (We were able to do this with the Scenera FF and the Graco snugride without the base back when DS was really little...)
Thanks for the help!!!
UPDATE 5/1 2:30pm: Apparently G'ma & G'pa have an "Evenflo Chase LX." I looked and DD was 40.25" tall and 37.5 lb at check up in January. Therefore I assume she'll be too heavy to use the Evenflo LX harnessed and only technically be able to use it as a booster. That means I'll have to bring a carseat for both kids... SUGGESTIONS??? We currently own Britax Marathon , Cosco Scenera, and Harmony 3-in-1 (which I may or may not keep). Cosco Scenera was purchased for travel and I like that it's lighter weight for travel. We'd be willing to purchase another inexpensive car seat for DD for travel as well.
I've traveled alone with both kids and two carseats through airports before but would prefer not having to do it again since DD should be fine without carseat on the airplane. But if I check a seat, I'm concerned of what shape the carseat arrives on the other end -- particularly if it's an expensive seat, so I may simply have to use take both carseats through the airport. (And then DD will have to sit next to a stranger on part of the flight home (2:2 seat configuration on the 2 hour leg of our flight home).)
G'ma & G'pa have an Evenflo "5 point harness" they've used with the other grandchild who was 4-5 (I assume it's a combination car seat, but waiting to hopefully get more details...). I was planning on simply taking the Cosco Scenera for DS to use RFing in the cars and then using G'ma & G'pa's combination car seat for DD, but will we fit? --update: see below
Biggest questions is what to do for the really long car ride? Will I (5'5", 130 lb) fit with DD & DS in the backseat of the Sequoia with any inexpensive car seat combinations? Should I look into maybe the Safety 1st Go Hybrid? Or using the Ride Safer Vest for DD? My concern with both of those is if she falls asleep in the car (which I assume she will give the amount of time we'll be in the car). Or the Evenflo Maestro? But how long will we be able to use it? But my absolute biggest concern is if we get there and can't all fit!
We also just picked up the Harmony Defender 360 3-in-1, so I could take that with us, but I'd really rather not have to carry two car seats through the airport. (I could probably order one and have it delivered and then leave it with G'ma & G'pa for future use, but we don't visit that often...) Also, I tried it out in a VW Passat Station Wagon (and Prius) together with the RFing seat (both Scenera and Britax Marathon) but could not get them to fit tightly next to each other, and while I can still squeeze in between in the Passat (no way in the Prius except for maybe 1 mile in an emergency) there was a little less room than between the Britax Marathon FF with the Scenera RF. (The Harmony sits directly on the seat whereas the Britax is raised up and out a bit, so I gain a little space to squeeze under the Britax that I lose with the Harmony.)
Additional note: We do not visit G'ma & G'pa very often. However I do fly with the kids to visit my sister. That involves a 2 hour car ride in a Prius, and it would be great to be able to fit me in the back with the kids in the Prius if DH came with us instead of having to rent a car... (We were able to do this with the Scenera FF and the Graco snugride without the base back when DS was really little...)
Thanks for the help!!!
UPDATE 5/1 2:30pm: Apparently G'ma & G'pa have an "Evenflo Chase LX." I looked and DD was 40.25" tall and 37.5 lb at check up in January. Therefore I assume she'll be too heavy to use the Evenflo LX harnessed and only technically be able to use it as a booster. That means I'll have to bring a carseat for both kids... SUGGESTIONS??? We currently own Britax Marathon , Cosco Scenera, and Harmony 3-in-1 (which I may or may not keep). Cosco Scenera was purchased for travel and I like that it's lighter weight for travel. We'd be willing to purchase another inexpensive car seat for DD for travel as well.
I've traveled alone with both kids and two carseats through airports before but would prefer not having to do it again since DD should be fine without carseat on the airplane. But if I check a seat, I'm concerned of what shape the carseat arrives on the other end -- particularly if it's an expensive seat, so I may simply have to use take both carseats through the airport. (And then DD will have to sit next to a stranger on part of the flight home (2:2 seat configuration on the 2 hour leg of our flight home).)
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