2008 Yukon XL Config for 3 + 1

honeybee+4

New member
I have a 2008 Yukon XL - 60/40 2nd row - 40 autofolds up for access to third row.

I have newborn triplets (in graco infant seats with bases) and a 2 year old (britax marathon).

I'm having trouble finding a config that works - or more specifically, my graco's aren't fitting in the 3rd row like I thought they would.

I'd like to have the 2 year old outboard, behind the driver, if possible.

Can you suggest a config that works, even if it means you need to recommend different car seat/bases than I currently have. Cheaper to buy new car seats than a new vehicle! LOL

I really appreciate any help!
 
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crunchierthanthou

New member
Are they not fitting in the third row at all? front to back? all three side by side? Is it the Graco snugride, or safe seat 1?

Is the 2 yo ff or rf?

What configurations have you tried? Are you leaving the handles up on the infant seats?
 

honeybee+4

New member
They did not fit in the third row, front to back. Neither the second row nor the third row could be moved up or back.

They are the Graco snugride.

The two year old if ff.

I was thinking the Britax ff behind the driver, one base/graco in the 2nd row middle, then the other two graco/base combinations in the back.

When we tried to put the two seats in back, we couldn't get them in, front to back . . . and we felt pretty defeated.

I wondered if we needed a different kind of infant seat. So - looking for any solutions you might have.

Thank you.
 

jen_nah

CPST Instructor
With the infant seats it will be hard in the 3rd row just because the spacing between the 2 seats. It will be this way with any infant seat and the recline angle it needs.

Your best bet with your current seats is to put all 3 babies in the 2nd row and your oldest in the 3rd row with one of the 3rd row seats flipped down for easy access in & out through the tail gate.

Once the babies go into convertibles you won't have this issue as the convertibles sit up higher and then the babies don't require the full 45 degree recline.
 

crunchierthanthou

New member
I would try two infant seats second row driver's side outboard and center, the 2 yo driver's side outboard 3rd row, and the other infant third row passenger side. That way you won't have to uninstall and reinstall the base on the 2nd row outboard to access the third row. You can just leave that seat folded down. The infant seat right behind that will have enough room and you will still be able to get to your 2 yo.

As long as the 2 yo will leave the new baby alone, you could even put the 2 yo 3rd row center. That way you could reach that seat even more easily and that's the third row position that has the tether.
 

jen_nah

CPST Instructor
I would try two infant seats second row driver's side outboard and center, the 2 yo driver's side outboard 3rd row, and the other infant third row passenger side. That way you won't have to uninstall and reinstall the base on the 2nd row outboard to access the third row. You can just leave that seat folded down. The infant seat right behind that will have enough room and you will still be able to get to your 2 yo.

As long as the 2 yo will leave the new baby alone, you could even put the 2 yo 3rd row center. That way you could reach that seat even more easily and that's the third row position that has the tether.


That would actually work. Good job! You would think owning a Tahoe I would have thought of it but my brain is fried today from working our fitting station for 6hrs.
 

honeybee+4

New member
I really appreciate your responses. HOwever - my problem is that my graco's aren't fitting in the third row (too big back to front). Do you have suggestions of an infant car seat we could get that that would fit in the third row?

Thank you?
 

crunchierthanthou

New member
Infant seats do take up a lot of space back to front. I don't know spefically of any that are shorter than the snugride. My suggestion is to put one snugride passenger side outboard in the third row and leave the 40 split of the second row folded down in front of it (with the other two infant seats on the 60 side of the 2nd row). That will give you sufficient space and third row access.
 

TXDani

Senior Community Member
Unfortunetly they really don't get much smaller then the Snugride length wise. I like the previous posters idea with putting two in the middle row and the third one behind the 40 split side folded down.
 

honeybee+4

New member
One more quick question - can I install/use the graco snugride without the base.

So, three accross in row two, with the outboard passenger seat being just seatbelted in, and then the 2 yo' marathon ff in the outboard passenger 3rd row position?

Just wondering. Don't know what will work, but I guess I'll be out ther eplaying around with it tomorrow.

Is there any reason we have to use the base, other than convenience?
 

lynsgirl

New member
So, three accross in row two, with the outboard passenger seat being just seatbelted in, and then the 2 yo' marathon ff in the outboard passenger 3rd row position?

Does your 40 section fold forward in the second row? Because I think I'd try crunchier's suggeston first, since it would be easiest :) :thumbsup:


I would try two infant seats second row driver's side outboard and center, the 2 yo driver's side outboard 3rd row, and the other infant third row passenger side. That way you won't have to uninstall and reinstall the base on the 2nd row outboard to access the third row. You can just leave that seat folded down. The infant seat right behind that will have enough room and you will still be able to get to your 2 yo.

As long as the 2 yo will leave the new baby alone, you could even put the 2 yo 3rd row center. That way you could reach that seat even more easily and that's the third row position that has the tether.

As far as your question about installing the Snugride baseless, yes it can be installed without the base. I wouldn't do it on a regular basis, because then you'd be installing it each and every time you got in the car. The potential to make a mistake goes up (drastically), plus, doing that when you only have one baby is a pain, but if you have 2 other babies and a toddler to worry about, it's not only more of a pain, it's another factor in increasing your "error potential," if that makes sense.

So yes, the base could just be looked at as just a "convenience," but in reality, it's definitely a safety measure, as well, since it doesn't involve reinstalling all of the time. Sure, if you were going in a different car, it would work fine to do it baseless, but I'd try whatever I could to keep that base in your regular car :thumbsup: :twocents:

Congratulations on your new babies and :2thumbsup: for trying to find a workable solution for the carseats!
 

wifeandmom

New member
I would try two infant seats second row driver's side outboard and center, the 2 yo driver's side outboard 3rd row, and the other infant third row passenger side. That way you won't have to uninstall and reinstall the base on the 2nd row outboard to access the third row. You can just leave that seat folded down. The infant seat right behind that will have enough room and you will still be able to get to your 2 yo.

As long as the 2 yo will leave the new baby alone, you could even put the 2 yo 3rd row center. That way you could reach that seat even more easily and that's the third row position that has the tether.

This should work.

Assuming it's on the passenger side of the vehicle where the 40 part of your seat folds down, putting an infant seat in the 3rd row behind the seat that's folded down eliminates the front to back issue.

I'd then put the 2 year old 3rd row driver side outboard. I can access that seating position over a RF infant seat (bucket or convertible) that is directly in front of it in the 2nd row driver side position, so you could either buckle the 2 year old in from the driver's side 2nd row door OR reach over and do so from the passenger side where the seat is folded down. I'm thinking it might be easier to do it from the driver's side though.

It's frustrating to buy basically the biggest SUV on the market and realize that car seats STILL won't work like we thought they would!
 

Kate

New member
Have you tried the two year old behind the 40 split in the back row?

I have five seven and under and this is my configuration, if it helps at all:

one twin (roundabout) behind me
one twin behind the forty split in the back row (roundabout)
3 YO in the center of the second row
5 YO in the back row, driver's side in a booster (can buckle himself)
7 YO in the forty split side - booster goes in front of the child in the center.

It sucks having to 'flip the 40' but this is the best.

When the twins were little, we had

infant seats on the sixy side of the bench w/bases (graco snugrides)
3 YO behind the 40 split in the back row
the boys in the same spot they are now.

I think you should try putting them all across the center row w/one twin w/out the base on the forty side and the two YO in the back row. Would that work?
 

lovemyfamily

New member
I really appreciate your responses. HOwever - my problem is that my graco's aren't fitting in the third row (too big back to front). Do you have suggestions of an infant car seat we could get that that would fit in the third row?

Thank you?


If you leave the 40 portion of your 2nd row tumbled forward, would that give you enough room to put one of the Gracos outboard passenger side in the 3rd row? Then you could put the other 2 Gracos in the 2nd row, outboard driver and center and your 2yo outboard driver in the 3rd row. Might be tricky getting the 2yo buckled in, would have to put her in before adding the infant that is in the 3rd row, but it might also be a good thing to not have her right next to baby. I have a 2001 XL and leave my 40 portion of my 2nd row seat flat. Although from what I understand, the seat doesn't fold as flat in the newer XLs as it does in mine.
HTH!
 

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