Need help - likely need a new vehicle but maybe not?

Mamacolleenct

New member
So 5 years ago I bought a new Rav-4 (2009). I love it. I love everything about it, the size, the height, the space. What I don't love is that it was sold as a 5 passenger vehicle and because of the @#&*ing seat belts, it's really a 4 passenger vehicle. Fast forward, and I'm now pregnant with #3.

My husband (he's a stay at home dad) drives an 09 Sienna so we are fine for a large family vehicle. The dilemma is what to do about mine. Here are the options:

1. Do nothing. Anytime we go somewhere with all 3 kids, we always take the minivan. This is the most economical option, but it's inconvenient and makes me uncomfortable because what if I somehow end up with all 3 kids but no way to transport them. Not a great reason but whatever.

2. Buy a little passenger seat for the Rav. But that makes me scared because I feel like it won't be as safe. Does anyone know about the little passenger seats?

3. Buy a new vehicle + 3 new Carseats to fit 3 across. Our budget would be in the neighborhood of 15k and we don't want a car payment. I want a small suv or crossover that is comparable to the Rav but doesn't have a messed up seat belt configuration.

So which would you choose? If you got a new vehicle, which would you purchase? I'm having a hard time narrowing it down. There would only be 3 kids on the back of my car VERY infrequently, but switching out Carseats every time I go somewhere will get old fast.

Thanks!
 
ADS

rew829

New member
Not a lot of help, but have you seen the newish evenflo platinum seats with the click-click-push latch? Super easy to latch - and get tight - installs in seconds. Makes going back and forth between cars easy and it's narrow. I fit two of those with a booster in my Civic. Only easy I enjoy installing.
 

DawgDad

New member
What's the issue with the seat belts on the RAV-4? Honestly, there is no reason you should buy a new car if you rarely if ever need to transport the kids. Infant carriers can seatbelt in without a base. Not sure of the ages of your kids or what car seats you have, but perhaps different car seats to maximize space?
 

T4K

Well-known member
What's the issue with the seat belts on the RAV-4? Honestly, there is no reason you should buy a new car if you rarely if ever need to transport the kids. Infant carriers can seatbelt in without a base. Not sure of the ages of your kids or what car seats you have, but perhaps different car seats to maximize space?

There are lots of threads on here about it. Basically the back seat is a 3 across's worst nightmare with overlapping seatbelts galore.
 

Mamacolleenct

New member
Basically, the seat belt for the middle seat and the seat behind the driver's seat overlap. As far as what I've come up with so far, it is not physically possible to do 3 across - at least not safely. It apparently can be done if you use the latch system in the center by borrowing from each side to but that's not allowed. If I'm wrong, and someone has figured it out I would be the happiest girl on the planet for at least a day.
 

Kegracin

Active member
Option 1 but make it a priority who ever has the kids has the mini van. We did this for a while one car more or less belonged to the children. We only used the smaller car to transport the booster rider because he had multiple seats already....
 

DawgDad

New member
Option 1 but make it a priority who ever has the kids has the mini van. We did this for a while one car more or less belonged to the children. We only used the smaller car to transport the booster rider because he had multiple seats already....

If that RAV-4 is really a useless 3-across car, then this is your best option. There will be plenty of times where you will need to transport just two of your kids and not all 3...use the little car for that and the minivan for all other 3-child trips. This is much easier for you since one parent is a stay-at-home. I have 3 kids and work from home when I am not on the road flying everywhere. I have a 2014 Ford Fusion for my company car and it's a pain to get 3 across...but I only use it to take the kids to school in the morning when I am home to give my wife a break before she goes to work. Otherwise, it's the Odyssey all the time.
 

aeormsby

New member
Option 1.

I'd get the most versatile seats set up in there. If 2 kids are FF or RF see if there's one seat that's easy to adjust to accommodate either of them. Or set it up with seats that work for the oldest 2 (or which ever 2 end up doing the most things together).

We've always been able to fit everyone in each vehicle, but there was a time when we only had 3 seats between the 2 vehicles. Whichever parent was with both kids had that vehicle (or if DH stayed home with both kids I'd take his truck so he had a vehicle ready if something came up). I think it's pretty common with bigger families that only one vehicle has seating room for everyone.
 

jjordan

Moderator
Are any of your children old enough to ride in front?

:yeahthat: It makes a difference in my answer.

We have two vehicles and only very rarely use the non-minivan. We live literally about 2 minutes' walk from my office and 3 minutes from dh's office. BUT - even in our situation, it kind of stinks to have a vehicle that won't fit all our kids (5-seater station wagon, 4 kids, oldest is 8 so can't ride in the front yet). (Case in point: this weekend, dh is taking our van on a trip and will be gone 2 days. He needs to use the van because he's picking up furniture that won't fit in our station wagon. While he's gone, I am stuck at home with all 4 kids... Not the end of the world, but really inconvenient! While walking distance to our work and lots of friends' houses, we can't walk to any stores, for instance.) So, if none of your kids is old enough for the front, then my vote is for #3, buying a different vehicle that has room for all the kids (even if they are only rarely in that vehicle).
 

Mamacolleenct

New member
Are any of your children old enough to ride in front?

Nope, not even close. My oldest will be 5 when baby comes (she is big, 43" and 45lbs at not quite 4 1/2), my second will be 2 1/2 (also big, around 32lbs at 2),and then a newborn.

I'm thinking that while it's a major pain, we are better off just keeping things as is and switching vehicles when needed, and I keep seats for the older two in my car since I will be driving them both to school/preschool every morning.

In all of my research, the one possibility safe 3 across configuration I've seen is a safe rider harness (we already own one), a bubblebum, and an infant seat. That's the only one that wouldn't require seat belt overlap. It would not be my main setup but since it would only require purchasing the bubblebum, it might work well as a backup worst case scenario. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

Last, has any ever heard of Little Passenger Seats? They are after market 3rd row seats and my gut tells me it's not safe, but it might be another decent backup option.

Thanks everyone!
 

Dillipop

Well-known member
I would never consider a little passenger seat. The trunk/ cargo space of a vehicle is not designed to be a passenger compartment. The crumple zone for a vehicle not designed for a third row wouldn't be reinforced to provide passenger protection.
 

BookMama

Senior Community Member
If I were you and on a budget (which I always am), I'd keep the Rav-4 and use the van for the kids as much as possible.

I'd also figure out what you'd do in a worst-case scenario where you HAD to transport all three in the Rav-4, just so you don't need to figure it out in a time of stress (which I assume would be the only time you'd need to transport all three in that car). Generally you'd put the oldest FF harnessed child in the front, with the vehicle seat as far back as possible to keep the child as far away from the airbag as possible.
 

Mamacolleenct

New member
Thanks again everyone. After further research,we won't be pursuing the Little Passenger seat. I have seen the RSTV + bubblebum + CSR mentioned in this board several times. It is the only setup I can envision that would work and be completely safe. So that's going to be our backup. We will keep the RSTV (which we already own) and an uninflated bubblebum in the lower storage area as super backups. There is no chance that they would be used until after I return to work, when my kids will be 4 months, 3 years, and 5 1/2 years. For normal travel, we will just keep the two older kids' seats installed. Is that a reasonable solution? I feel safer with keeping all 3 in the back than having a 5 1/2 year old in the front even for a short period of time.

Whew. If this works, we will have saved the expense of a new car + 2 Radians. Yay!
 

BookMama

Senior Community Member
Out of curiosity, what does the Rav4 owner manual say about using all three back seat spots at the same time?
 

monica-m

CPST Instructor
Out of curiosity, what does the Rav4 owner manual say about using all three back seat spots at the same time?

It says you can't do that. :mad:

I hate this car with a fiery passion because it's marketed as a 5 seater and it only seats 4 if you follow their instructions. It's horrible to have to tell a parent at a check that there is no approved way for them to transport their 3 children in the car at the same time.
 

jjordan

Moderator
It says you can't do that. :mad:

I hate this car with a fiery passion because it's marketed as a 5 seater and it only seats 4 if you follow their instructions. It's horrible to have to tell a parent at a check that there is no approved way for them to transport their 3 children in the car at the same time.

I thought it only started saying that with a certain model year...
 

SnoGurl

New member
I thought it only started saying that with a certain model year...

Right, I believe it's just the 2013+ that say 'don't do that'. I don't believe my 2012 says it, but it's a statement from the car seat manufactures coalition (totally not the official name!) that says 'do not use overlapping seatbelts'. I can't check my manual right now, but i've been over it quite a few times and don't remember seeing it.
 

bubbaray

New member
I thought it only started saying that with a certain model year...

Correct. Only 2013+ prohibit it in the manual

I have a 2010 RAV4 which I purchased in part due to inability to carry more kids. I had an Ody previously and hated that people expected me to carpool their kids. Esp when I WOTH more than FT and they SAH.

I either put an older kid up front, take DHs truck or just tell people "so sorry too bad I can't bus your kid". I pink sparkly heart love my RAV4 (I have the V6 which is grossly overpowered). I have owned mire luxury cars before and this is by far my favorite.
 

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