Question 3-Across in a Jeep Grand Cherokee?

FarmWifeGina

New member
Hi! Wondering if anyone can give me some insight on fitting 3 carseats across the backseat of a Jeep Grand Cherokee. We're expecting a new baby in November and when that happens I plan to be using 2 Sceneras, 1 RF (the newborn) and 1 FF (almost 3-year-old), and a Nautilus harness booster for a 5-year-old. Would I put the booster in the middle seat, between the Sceneras? Will these fit?
Or do we cough up the bug bucks for a Suburban or something similar sooner than we'd planned?
Thanks for any perspective you can offer!
 
ADS

jordansmom

New member
What you are able to do will definitely depend on what year you have, but the backseat is wide enough for a three across. Do you have headrests in all positions? Is your center seat a lap belt only?

I have a 2001 and can easily fit a Graco infant seat in the center with a Frontier 85 and a Scenera outboard. I have a lap belt only and no headrest in the center with tether points only on the outboard seats. I have also used a Radian rear and forward facing and a Coccoro rearfacing. I don't think I have had a three across not work with the seats we have!
 

soph's mom

New member
Ok, my grand is considerably older but here are the guidelines as I know them. I am not a tech so hopefully someone will chime in who is also. Rear facing children go outboard bc they are statistically safer. You do however need to check your owners manual for the top tether points. I'm not sure there is one in the center. If there isn't you will want to put the nautilus outboard to so it can be tethered. In that case put the nautilus and oldest rear facing child out and the newbie in the middle... I know it will be a pain to load the newbie in a convertible there but the rule of thumb in deciding who is outboard is to put the oldest rear facing child out...

Hope that helps some and feel free to ask us any questions! :)
 

FarmWifeGina

New member
Ok, my grand is considerably older but here are the guidelines as I know them. I am not a tech so hopefully someone will chime in who is also. Rear facing children go outboard bc they are statistically safer. You do however need to check your owners manual for the top tether points. I'm not sure there is one in the center. If there isn't you will want to put the nautilus outboard to so it can be tethered. In that case put the nautilus and oldest rear facing child out and the newbie in the middle... I know it will be a pain to load the newbie in a convertible there but the rule of thumb in deciding who is outboard is to put the oldest rear facing child out...

Hope that helps some and feel free to ask us any questions! :)

Uff. Ok. I will dig out the owners manual for sure. I know nothing about the tethers, I've just been using the seatbelts for securing. Oops. Putting baby in the middle does sound like a royal pain. But just maybe we will have the Jeep sold by then and I'll be driving a 3500 GMC crew can pickup until we upgrade. Got any tips on those, lol.
 

soph's mom

New member
You can still use the seatbelt. The tether is a strap the goes from the top of the child seat to aN anchor point behind the seat.

It's not unsafe to put the newborn outboard... It's still very safe... It's just that the newborn is the most vulnerable and the center is the safest. I don't think anyone here would fault you for putting the newbie outboard though...

I don't put my oldest child rear facing outboard bc that's my daughter and her seat is always installed in the middle. I have two others I babysit that are 7 and 9 months younger I have outboard when I take them somewhere since their seats are not always installed and I don't want to move my daughter's radian...

We are looking at a suburban ourselves but three across is doable and if you put one of the older ones in the middle they can crawl over the baby's seat to get to theirs...
 
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nannykates

New member
Because your 3 yo is ff its important to have both older kids outboard and tethered (tethers reduce how far a child's head moves forward in a crash called head excursion).
 

FarmWifeGina

New member
You can still use the seatbelt. The tether is a strap the goes from the top of the child seat to aN anchor point behind the seat.

It's not unsafe to put the newborn outboard... It's still very safe... It's just that the newborn is the most vulnerable and the center is the safest. I don't think anyone here would fault you for putting the newbie outboard though...

I don't put my oldest child rear facing outboard bc that's my daughter and her seat is always installed in the middle. I have two others I babysit that are 7 and 9 months younger I have outboard when I take them somewhere since their seats are not always installed and I don't want to my daughter's radian...

We are looking at a suburban ourselves but three across is doable and if you put one of the older ones in the middle they can crawl over the baby's seat to get to theirs...

I actually want a Suburban with the same seat "floor plan" as a minivan- two captain's chairs in the middle (would put baby's seat in one of these seats) and the bench seat across the back (both FF seats would go back there).
But thanks for the info! I'm going to look up the tethers, for sure.
 

soph's mom

New member
I missed one scenera was ff... Both ff seats need to have top tethers... You'll either need to make sure all three positions have tethers, or put the two ff seats outboard if both seats have tethers, or purchase a seat to rear face the 3 year old.

You may also be able to have another tether anchor installed at the dealer but youd have to call and ask...
 

jordansmom

New member
It's a 2005, no headrest, and only a lap belt in the middle. Thanks for the input!

In your first post you asked if you could put the booster rider in the center but because you have a lap belt only in this position, you can not do so. If you do indeed have tether points in all spots, I would put your forward facing harnessed seat in the middle, your booster rider outboard, and your newborn rearfacing outboard. All three seats will be installed with seat belts, or latch if you prer and your vehicle is equipped, and your forward facing harnessed seat should be top tethered. In my 2001 model, the tethers are located in the ceiling of the trunk area. Hope that helps!

ETA: just retread your original post and I've confused myself...is your oldest using the Nautilus in harness mode or booster mode? If harnessed, you could also put that seat in the center position, although your youngest forward facer would be most protected there.
 

FarmWifeGina

New member
In your first post you asked if you could put the booster rider in the center but because you have a lap belt only in this position, you can not do so. If you do indeed have tether points in all spots, I would put your forward facing harnessed seat in the middle, your booster rider outboard, and your newborn rearfacing outboard. All three seats will be installed with seat belts, or latch if you prer and your vehicle is equipped, and your forward facing harnessed seat should be top tethered. In my 2001 model, the tethers are located in the ceiling of the trunk area. Hope that helps!

ETA: just retread your original post and I've confused myself...is your oldest using the Nautilus in harness mode or booster mode? If harnessed, you could also put that seat in the center position, although your youngest forward facer would be most protected there.

Yeah, we would be using the Nautilus as a harness booster- until high school, at least, lol.
 

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