Help! 4 carseats in a 2005 Explorer

The babysitter is getting the 3 mo old younger sibling of another child she watches in a few weeks (but will have her this Thursday). In anticipation of the added child, I went to re-install our seats tonight and I'm completely flummoxed! Here are the stats:

3 mo old RF in Keyfit
1 yo RF in EFTA or Evenflo Triumph - it looks slightly different than our EFTA's
2 yo - 29 lbs normally RF in classic MA
4 yo - 35-37 lbs FF in SecureKid 300

The car has 2nd and 3rd row seating (2 positions in 3rd row). She needs to put 2 kids in the 3rd row - ideally my boys (2 & 4 yo). I can get the MA RF, but only in the position where the 3rd seat will be removed from the second row. This makes it difficult, at best for my 4 yo to climb between the MA and the second row seats.

So I've conceded that since Peanut is 2 yo, and the sitter doesn't drive far (usually just to school and back, or maybe the library in town), I'll let him sit FF in her car. This is kinda killing me.

So then I try to install Stachio's SecureKid 300 in the 3rd row. I can get the belt tight enough so that the seat moves less than 1/2 and inch side to side at the belt path. But because of where the seatbelt is anchored (4-5 in forward of where the seat back and seat meet) I can move the car seat forward about 3 in. It doesn't matter how tight I get the seat belt - the car seat will move forward. There are no LATCH anchors in these positions.

After trying to install the SecureKid 300, I tried the EFTA. I got a better install with this seat, but the side of the carseat where the seatbelt is anchored forward can move at least 2 inches.

The MA does not move forward if installed FF or RF.

Is this just a matter of vehicles and carseats not playing nice? I get the feeling that the relatively high belt path through the Evenflo's combined with the forward anchor position of the seatbelt is what is leading to the problem.

Anyone have any BTDT experience? I wish I could take a picture, but I was trying to install at the sitters house and didn't have my camera with me.

I'm able to get these seats securely installed in the 2nd row, but I only have 2 positions there, and we have to have the keyfit in one of those positions.

For now my solution is:
3 mo -2nd row driverside outboard RF in Keyfit (independently tight LATCH install)
1 yo - 2nd row center location, RF independently tight seatbelt install
2 yo - FF 3rd row driverside outboard
4 yo - 3rd row TravelSafer vest

Any thought on how to get the SecureKid back in the car. The vest will work for now, but as winter approaches I don't see it being a great option as we are in WI and the weather gets COLD.

Can someone also confirm that you can't wear winter coats under the TravelSafer Vest? I'm 99.9% sure of that, but want to confirm. If the vest is the best option what is the solution for winter weather?

NO budget for new seats. I do have 2 other SafeKid300's another MA and another EFTA BUT I need to be able to accommodate 2 yo RF in 2 addn'l vehicles and 4 yo in 2 addn'l vehicles.

I hope this all makes sense! And thanks for hanging in there if you've read this entire thing.

Thought I would add a picture to show what I mean about the seatbelt anchor point. Hopefully you can see that the lap portion of the seat belt anchors several inches forward of the crease where the seat back and seat bottom meet. I can get the belt tight enough that the seat won't move side to side, but if you pull forward on the seat, it will move the 3-4 inches forward to where the seatbelt anchors.

I'll PM trippsmom to come in here. She just got rid of her 2005 Explorer, and routinely had a variety of seats in there. For now, the only thing that stands out to me is that maybe you can get it with your installation method. Generally, when I install a FF seat, I'm trying to shove the bottom of the seat as far back as I can. Third row seats are usually more upright, and harder than 2nd row seats, though, and don't take being forced into position as easily as in the 2nd row. Try installing by allowing the seat to start out those 3-4" forward. If you can get it tight there, where it naturally wants to be, you may eliminate the movement. I know in my 2006 Explorer, I had to do this with the True Fit. If I tried to install as upright as it would sit, it slid forward every time.

jess71903 said:

I'll PM trippsmom to come in here. She just got rid of her 2005 Explorer, and routinely had a variety of seats in there. For now, the only thing that stands out to me is that maybe you can get it with your installation method. Generally, when I install a FF seat, I'm trying to shove the bottom of the seat as far back as I can. Third row seats are usually more upright, and harder than 2nd row seats, though, and don't take being forced into position as easily as in the 2nd row. Try installing by allowing the seat to start out those 3-4" forward. If you can get it tight there, where it naturally wants to be, you may eliminate the movement. I know in my 2006 Explorer, I had to do this with the True Fit. If I tried to install as upright as it would sit, it slid forward every time.

Click to expand...

Hmm...interesting thought. I found the seat belt anchored forward of the bight on one side, and back near the bight on the other to be the difficult thing. It seems to want to be as far back as possible in the center, but few inches forward on the other side.

ETA: I learned the word Bight - so hopefully that makes more sense now...

I will say this about the seat. It is actually not very upright...there is a pretty good backward angle on it. Additionally, the outside of the seat nearest the door/wall of the car is VERY hard and has little to no give. I think it my be right above the rear wheel well. The inside of the seat, closest to the center is soft and squishy, coupled with the seatbelt connecting a the bight...so I can get it really tight on that side. When I install the EFTA FF, I can get it so that the seat won't move forward on the side toward the center of the vehicle seat, but it moves forward on the other side. I hope that makes sense.

The seat belts should come out at the same spot on both sides. You can remove the bottom of the third row seat and be sure that it hasn't been hung up somewhere. To do that, there are two black tabs under the seat edge where it meets the floor well. You'll pinch both of those and lift up at that end and pull out. To reinstall just put it in the bight first and snap down.

To get a tight install with most seats in the third row, I found it helpful to install the seat as far as I could, then I would unbuckle it and let a couple of clicks go back into the retractor and buckle the belt again. If you'll be installing the seats for her and they'll be left alone, this is probably an option. Seats with lock-offs do exponentially better back there. Also, installing the seat in a natural position helped too, as Jess said above. The radian is a good example of one of the seats that required being installed while not jammed into the bight. The third row is a very flat seat that sits very upright. Most seats are on sone sort of slant/recline at the bottom or back and handle car seats better. Also, be aware that Ford does recommend that the second row be in the upright and locked position when driving. I have out it down for an rf seat to go back there, but it wasn't ideal. Would the sitter consider loading a kid via the hatch? Sometimes I would have my three across the second row and my nanny boys would need to tag along. If I didn't want to move my kids, I would just take the headrest off on one side and have them load that way (if their booster allowed, I'd leave that hr off so I didn't have to reinstall the hr each load/unload).

trippsmom said:

The seat belts should come out at the same spot on both sides. You can remove the bottom of the third row seat and be sure that it hasn't been hung up somewhere. To do that, there are two black tabs under the seat edge where it meets the floor well. You'll pinch both of those and lift up at that end and pull out. To reinstall just put it in the bight first and snap down.

To get a tight install with most seats in the third row, I found it helpful to install the seat as far as I could, then I would unbuckle it and let a couple of clicks go back into the retractor and buckle the belt again. If you'll be installing the seats for her and they'll be left alone, this is probably an option. Seats with lock-offs do exponentially better back there. Also, installing the seat in a natural position helped too, as Jess said above. The radian is a good example of one of the seats that required being installed while not jammed into the bight. The third row is a very flat seat that sits very upright. Most seats are on sone sort of slant/recline at the bottom or back and handle car seats better. Also, be aware that Ford does recommend that the second row be in the upright and locked position when driving. I have out it down for an rf seat to go back there, but it wasn't ideal. Would the sitter consider loading a kid via the hatch? Sometimes I would have my three across the second row and my nanny boys would need to tag along. If I didn't want to move my kids, I would just take the headrest off on one side and have them load that way (if their booster allowed, I'd leave that hr off so I didn't have to reinstall the hr each load/unload).

Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. I think I wasn't clear about the seatbelt. Next to the vehicle door/wall the belt is anchored forward of the bight. Where that same seatbelt latches with the buckle, it is near the bight at the center of the vehicle seat. So the anchor points on the seatbelt are not on the same plane. That said, I will confirm that the seatbelt is not hung up on anything, though I don't think that it is because I could see the seatbelt anchor point and the belt came straight from there.

As for hatch loading, etc. I thought that was what she was going to do, but it turns out that they are actually going to have one of the seats in the 2nd row permanently removed. I had 3 across in the 2nd row and was hoping we could do 3 across plus 1 in the 3rd row. Unfortunately, that would have been tough at best since there are 3 RF (ideally) and regardless she has to help whichever kid is in the 3rd row with their harness. She and her DH decided that with one seat removed she can best access the kids in the back to assist. Such a crazy mess.

It is a crazy mess. I always worry when people alter rows like that in a vehicle. Will it be done by professionals? Especially if they reinstall it? I never had an issue helping a child buckle from standing outside the vehicle at the 2nd row door. I'm 5'6" and have weighed 150-225# and been extremely pregnant and managed to do so.

I never noticed the third row being that off. Wish I could look at it again. She sold yesterday morning. it really is a great vehicle for car seats. I hauled 5 kids in mine regularly. I love the space in my odyssey. I miss the car seat compatibility of my explorer.

trippsmom said:

It is a crazy mess. I always worry when people alter rows like that in a vehicle. Will it be done by professionals? Especially if they reinstall it? I never had an issue helping a child buckle from standing outside the vehicle at the 2nd row door. I'm 5'6" and have weighed 150-225# and been extremely pregnant and managed to do so.

I never noticed the third row being that off. Wish I could look at it again. She sold yesterday morning. it really is a great vehicle for car seats. I hauled 5 kids in mine regularly. I love the space in my odyssey. I miss the car seat compatibility of my explorer.

Click to expand...

Yes, they are having it professionally removed. Our sitter is super short...maybe 5' so I know she has a hard time reaching into the back. I'll see if I can take pictures tonight. We're going to try to SK300 one more time - with a more natural fit.

In your Explorer did you notice the stiffness on the outside of the 3rd row seats? I feel like that part of the seat is right above the rear wheel well and has less give than the center of the seat - which is also throwing my installs.

MommyO said:

Yes, they are having it professionally removed. Our sitter is super short...maybe 5' so I know she has a hard time reaching into the back. I'll see if I can take pictures tonight. We're going to try to SK300 one more time - with a more natural fit.

In your Explorer did you notice the stiffness on the outside of the 3rd row seats? I feel like that part of the seat is right above the rear wheel well and has less give than the center of the seat - which is also throwing my installs.

Click to expand...

I did. It is because of the way it is made. If you lift it up, you'll know what I mean.

Rachel & Jess - Thank you for the tips. I was able to get it in last night. I had to scoot it over so the entire base was on the softer portion of the seat, and not shove it back into the bight - though the SK300 is pretty upright and wants to fit snugly there anyway. You're suggestions are much appreciated!

Glad you got it!