3 across in 2012 dodge caravan

HELP we have just been given emergency custody of two children in my husbands family. We have to fit 5 car seat in our Van needing the cheapest way to do this. We currently have our 9 month in a graco myride she needs to stay in that seat, our 4 yr old 40lb size 5 clothes he is in a nautalis harnessed I am guessing this seat will need to go it is too wide, our 7 year old 7 clothes she is 55lbs in an evenflo hbb, I need to get a 5 yr old boy he is 44lb in a size 6, and a 18 month old she is in 24mos and weighs 25 lbs. I need to get everyone in our van and I need to go buy seat ASAP any help on what seats and where they need to be in the van would be greatly appreciated. I measured the seat is 49 inches which means each seat needs to be about 16 inches. TIA

Hi, thanks for providing the weights, it helps!

What positions are your three children currently sitting in?

And I assume your Caravan has lap/shoulder belts in all positions right, being a 2012? Which positions have latch (lower anchors) and top tethers?

Do you have two buckets in the second row or a bench seat?

My 9 month old is rf she is in the passenger side bucket, my other two are ff in the bench seat in the third row. All seats have lap/shoulder belts, latch is only available in the two buckets, the 3rd row only has one latch but it is in the middle of the 60 split for stow in go so the 3rd row will all be lap/shoulder belt installs.

MNMmomma23 said:

HELP we have just been given emergency custody of two children in my husbands family. We have to fit 5 car seat in our Van needing the cheapest way to do this. We currently have our 9 month in a graco myride she needs to stay in that seat, our 4 yr old 40lb size 5 clothes he is in a nautalis harnessed I am guessing this seat will need to go it is too wide, our 7 year old 7 clothes she is 55lbs in an evenflo hbb, I need to get a 5 yr old boy he is 44lb in a size 6, and a 18 month old she is in 24mos and weighs 25 lbs. I need to get everyone in our van and I need to go buy seat ASAP any help on what seats and where they need to be in the van would be greatly appreciated. I measured the seat is 49 inches which means each seat needs to be about 16 inches. TIA

Click to expand...

So you have/need:

Current seats:

1) 4-year-old, 40 pounds, in a Graco Nautilus
2) 7-year-old, 55 pounds, in an Evenflo HBB
3) 9-month-old in a Graco MyRide

Need seats for:
4) 5-year-old, 44 pounds
5) 18-month-old, 25 pounds



Okay...


Option 1

~~ Across rear seat:
1) 7-year-old in Evenflo HBB
2) 9-month-old in MyRide
3) 5-year-old in either a HBB or a Harmony Defender (very narrow combination seat)

~~In captain's chairs:
4) 4-year-old in Graco Nautilus
5) 18-month-old in Evenflo Sureride

The Myride's base is very narrow, which should allow the booster rider(s) to buckle the booster(s).

You'd probably have to load the baby through the back hatch.



Option 2:

~~ Across rear seat:
1) 18-month-old in Evenflo Sureride (RF)
2) 5-year-old in Harmony Defender (very narrow combination seat)
3) 9-month-old in Graco MyRide

~~In captain's chairs:
4) 4-year-old in Graco Nautilus
5) 7-year-old in Evenflo HBB


This would prevent you from having to worry about getting that booster buckled with seats next to it.





Both of the above options would mean you would have to purchase only two seats, both of which are relatively inexpensive, and both of which you could use for a long time to come.


If these options won't work, you might have to get a Radian for the 18-month-old.

The cheapest route would to get a turbo booster for the 6 year old and a scenera for either your baby or the 18month old. Good luck!

If I buy a scenera would it fit in the third row rf with two hbb? Or best option to put the My ride in there? We are in a small rural area with not a lot of options at our local stores I know they have Scenera's and turbo boosters.

Just an FYI, boosters are really tricky to fit properly in the 3rd row. We tried several and the only ones that retract properly were the Evenflo Big Kid and the newly designed 2013 Britax Parkway.

Unless the 2012 is diferent than than 2005, a turbobooster in the third row, on the end, does not work very well. The Big Kid works better with the wonky seatbelt geometry.

I know you need your 9 mo old in the MyRide but does your 4 year old fit in it forward facing? If so try it forward facing in the middle of the 3rd row with the evenflo booster on one side and then the other. If that works I would use that combo for the oldest 3 and get seats for the younger 2 to rear face in the captain seats. You could get another MyRide or 2 or go with something different.

Also an Evenflo Sureride may work in the middle of the 3rd row for your 4 yr old. If they fit in the Nautilus they will fit in the Sureride. If it doesn't work you can use it for one of the younger ones rear facing.