Long road trip WWYD

Dillipop

Well-known member
We are headed out on a 3000 mile road trip at the end of June. We will be in the car for between 7 and 12 hours each day for a total of 6 travel days.

DD is currently riding rearfacing in a clek foonf. She is 3.5 and weighs about 35 pounds. She has plenty of room in the seat. But she recently potty trained and complains that her butt hurts if we're in the car for more than an hour. We drove to PA, which is a 7 hour drive and she complained a few times about her butt hurting. When we were running errand this week and she was in the car for about an hour, she also complained. There is really no padding in the seat of the foonf, which is frustrating for such an expensive seat.

So, my options are to trade it out with a rearfacing radian, which I don't particularly like how it installs in the Sienna. It installs ok but slips over time to be pretty reclined, even with the angle adjuster.

Or I could try ffing the foonf for the trip and see if forward facing, the comfort is better. Or I could ff the radian. Other ffing seats available are the true fit premier (weighs too much to use rearfacing) or a frontier 85.

This is going to be one long, hellish trip and I need help deciding what to do!
 
ADS

BookMama

Senior Community Member
What about putting a cloth diaper under her rear end? If you can do so without loosening the straps, I'd be OK with that.
 

Dillipop

Well-known member
What about putting a cloth diaper under her rear end? If you can do so without loosening the straps, I'd be OK with that.

It's worth a try. We'll try it this week to see how it works. I just don't want to get 500 miles into the trip and have a super cranky 3 year old for the remainder of the trip. Why couldn't clek just put in some padding??? The ollis we have are so much more comfy than the foonf.
 

BookMama

Senior Community Member
I hope it works. I feel for ya - when we went to Florida (from Michigan) when DD1 was barely 3 (and barely potty-trained), she complained about her bottom so much that we stopped at a store to get some Desitin, thinking she must have diaper rash. (She didn't.) I seem to recall sticking a couple of burp cloths under her for comfort, and I don't think she had a problem on the way home.
 

MommyShannon

New member
I'd have her wear a diaper. With that much time on the road, it will add padding and avoid messy accidents. Just explain to her that there isn't always a place to stop though you will try to. We always take a small potty along on trips, but it's not always convenient to pull over. That's hard for a newly potty trained kid.
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
Can you recline it a bit more at all? Changing the angle sometimes helps with this complaint. I agree a cloth diaper under might help. I feel pretty sure dangling legs ff would lead to MORE complaints if it were one of my kids.
 

T4K

Well-known member
Foonf isn't all that great FF even with a recline. With such a long trip, I'd keep her RF if you can. Or, depending how easy the seat is to install, forward when she is awake and RFing if you think she'll sleep. with the Foonf that sounds...not fun.
 

YinzerMama

New member
I know I will be in the minority here but ... I'd be inclined to move her to ff in the fr85. It's a tried and tested comfy road seat in our family and I'd want everyone comfy and with a good view for a trip of that length. You can always stick something under the legs for dangling.

I have absolutely zero love for the foonf though.

Take lots of breaks to stretch and pee and try to stop and see something cool every day if the time allows.
 

gigi

New member
I'd do the F85 with leg support too. Cup holders, roomy seat, easy to pass back items to her...win, win, win.
 

MommyShannon

New member
I'd hate to get on the road and discover she sleeps better RF and only have the FR at that point. My big kids love it for traveling, but my newly 4 year old flops forward when sleeping in it (or any ff seat). She hasn't complained but we haven't gone a road trip either.
 

Baylor

New member
I know I will be in the minority here but ... I'd be inclined to move her to ff in the fr85. It's a tried and tested comfy road seat in our family and I'd want everyone comfy and with a good view for a trip of that length. You can always stick something under the legs for dangling.

I have absolutely zero love for the foonf though.

Take lots of breaks to stretch and pee and try to stop and see something cool every day if the time allows.

Yep. To me this gets you a good comfy ride and more peace.. :)
 

YinzerMama

New member
I seem to think the foon's recline is not super remarkable, rf? I didn't keep ours long. My kids begged not to sit in it. I really have no love for that seat But my girls have been in their fr85s since a little after 3 and have always slept great.

FF slump in a harnessed seat doesn't bother me so much as slump in a booster though so even IF she slumped, not a safety issue. And odds are she won't. (I actually seem to find my rf kid slumping more than I ever see my girls in their ff seats... but he doesn't care so...)

At any rate - I agree with a diaper for the trip, since she is newly trained especially. But unless you use a cloth diaper, I don't think you will get any serious padding out of it - so I'd still get behind cloth dipes as butt padding. But then you run the risk of bunching and complaints of feeling bunchy.
 

safeinthecar

Moderator - CPS Technician
I'm not even the tiniest bit concerned about a bit of padding under the butt of a rfing kid. It can't compress because the movement is upwards along the seat back in a rfing crash, the only concern is if it lifts her up to where she's too tall or interferes with the hip straps.
Even ffing, I'm wouldn't think too much about padding that is equivilant to a diaper, since kids are allowed to be in diapers anyway. I might maybe have even put a gel mousepad into DD's Futura ( hard as a rock) the time she backed her bare rear end into the heater and kinda on purpose never got around to taking it back out because she'd cry when I even mentioned that it needed to be removed.
 

wavegal

New member
I would also put a pf folded over under her bum if you have one, I would think although the FR85 is super comfy the legs dangling would be worse even with leg support.
 

Baylor

New member
I would also put a pf folded over under her bum if you have one, I would think although the FR85 is super comfy the legs dangling would be worse even with leg support.

MY kids love the Fr85 and one reason is they can cross their legs on it because the seat is nice and big and open. I would use the Fr85 and maybe bring a pack of paper towels to rest her feet on.
 

wavegal

New member
MY kids love the Fr85 and one reason is they can cross their legs on it because the seat is nice and big and open. I would use the Fr85 and maybe bring a pack of paper towels to rest her feet on.

I am very familiar I owned one and used it with my son for Many many 12 hour trips but even with that the angle can be uncomfortable over time

Sent from my iPhone using Car-Seat.Org
 

Baylor

New member
I am very familiar I owned one and used it with my son for Many many 12 hour trips but even with that the angle can be uncomfortable over time

Sent from my iPhone using Car-Seat.Org

WE have taken it on many long car rides.. Hours in the car with the kids and neither have ever said it was uncomfortable. They both prefer it on long rides..
 

Dillipop

Well-known member
Lots to think about. I'd really prefer to keep her rfing if possible. Why make it to 3.5 rearfacing, then take a 3000 mile trip ffing? That's like shoving 6 months worth of her riding in a car into a week. I want her the safest possible.

She does have head flop in the foonf. Maybe I'll try the radian again and see if I can make it work. At least it has padding in the butt.
 

2BunniesMommy

Well-known member
I would go with the Radian rear facing, even if you have to do some adjusting on the road. I think that is how she will be most comfortable. She is used to rear facing and I don't think she would be comfortable with no recline for so much car travel. Sounds awful to me, I would sure want to recline if I were going to be in the car that long!
 

Car-Seat.Org Facebook Group

Forum statistics

Threads
219,656
Messages
2,196,897
Members
13,530
Latest member
onehitko860

You must read your carseat and vehicle owner’s manual and understand any relevant state laws. These are the rules you must follow to restrain your children safely. All opinions at Car-Seat.Org are those of the individual author for informational purposes only, and do not necessarily reflect any policy or position of Carseat Media LLC. Car-Seat.Org makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis. If you are unsure about information provided to you, please visit a local certified technician. Before posting or using our website you must read and agree to our TERMS.

Graco is a Proud Sponsor of Car-Seat.Org! Britax is a Proud Sponsor of Car-Seat.Org! Nuna Baby is a Proud Sponsor of Car-Seat.Org!

Please  Support Car-Seat.Org  with your purchases of infant, convertible, combination and boosters seats from our premier sponsors above.
Shop travel systems, strollers and baby gear from Britax, Chicco, Clek, Combi, Evenflo, First Years, Graco, Maxi-Cosi, Nuna, Safety 1st, Diono & more! ©2001-2022 Carseat Media LLC

Top