'01 Ford Windstar - 3 narrow carseats??

Hello all~

We have a 2001 Ford Windstar. We are looking at needing to have three children in car seats in the last (third) row (bench seat). Here are their stats:

6yob ~ maybe 45 lbs, fairly short for his age
4yog ~ around 40 lbs, about same height as her brother
2yog ~ 30 lbs, not sure of height

I would like all three in harnesses, if possible. I would also like the 2yo in the center.

It is also possible that this arrangement may not happen for about a year or so (therefore, weights would be higher). I know it is hard to *guess-timate* and it's better to have actual heights/weights - I am mainly interested in knowing if fitting three harness carseats is even possible in the third seat of our min-van??

I have heard of the following options:

Graco CarGo
Radian (Sunshine Kids)
Britax Parkway

Cost is *definitely* a factor (we will have five children in car seats and we can't afford $200 car seats for everyone).

HELP!!

Thanks~
Lori in MI

I have a 99 Windstar, same body style as your 01, and it's been an obsession of mine to fit three-across in that third row. I don't have a Radian to physically try, but based on the seats I *have* tried, I think your only hope of fitting three HARNESSED seats is to do three Radians. These are 14.5 inches at the base and 17 inches across the widest part (shoulder area).

My only succesful three-across so far has been with a Britax Starriser Comfy booster seat (identical to the Fisher Price Safe Voyage booster seat currently sold; Britax version is discontinued) outboard, Fisher Price Futura harnessed seat (again, discontinued) in the middle and Britax Bodyguard booster (again, discontinued) outboard.

The SRC booster/FPSV booster is width-adjustable and I think I had it set to about 14 inches wide. The Futura harnessed seat is 17 inches wide (at the base). The Bodyguard booster is also width-adjustable and I think I had it set to about 14 inches, as well. The fit was SO TIGHT that buckling the boosters would certainly need to be done by an adult, reaching the buckles was very difficult.

The Graco CarGo only harnesses to 40 pounds and doesn't make a great booster once the harness is outgrown, so although it's narrow, I think I'd just skip it in favor or a Radian.

The Britax Parkway is a good booster, adjusts very tall and is about 17 inches wide, with no armrests to get in the way of buckling, but I was not able to fit three-across with it and my other seats. Perhaps in conjunction with a Radian (narrower base than the harnessed seat I was working with) it would work, though.

I think three Radians would be fabulous, but if the oldest is too big by that point (my daughter, stats in my signature, finds the Radian mighty uncomfortable, despite technically having a bit of growing room before she's too tall) look at the Britax Parkway or Fisher Price Safe Voyage booster, or whatever new, narrow booster is on the market at that point.

The only time I successfully got 3 accross in the third row of my 04 Freestar was 2 radians and a evenflo chase.