Successful Three Across thread

Jewels · Jul 2, 2009

Here are 3 across pictures of seats in the vibe.

RF RN/FF RN/FF Frontier ------------- Front seat with RF RN behind it

FF RN/FF RN/FF frontier ----------------------------------- FF RN/FF RN/FF MA

FF RN/ FF RN/RF MA ----------------------------------- FF RN/clek oto/RF MA

WhatAboutPuppy · Jul 2, 2009

2000 Subaru Outback
RF Radian.....Recaro Start..... Frontier

Sweet Mercies · Jul 8, 2009

2003 Chevrolet Tahoe

Regent, FF Marathon, Regent. All with seatbelt or regent and MA with latch, 2nd regent with SB. VEEERY tight fit...but they were all ON the vehicle seat and nothing was touching either door :thumbsup: (the marathon has been used 1-2 times, so the cover is still 'fluffy'

FF/RF MA, Recaro Vivo, Regent.

Regent, Graco Safeseat, Regent.

(I didn't tether them b/c I was being eaten alive by mosquitos)

Misty-Bug · Jul 14, 2009

2001 Dodge Caravan

all seats installed with seat belts. Lap/shoulder belt in outboard position and lap only belt in center. Bench seat.

FFing Radian, FFing Evenflo Chase, FFing Radian

they have not been checked by a tech. I will get one soon though....

True Blue · Jul 14, 2009

2006 Jeep Liberty

The buckle stalks in this car are a PITA, they take up inches and inches of what would have been usable space...we had more room in our old Cherokee bc the stalks were longer and flexible. That said, after much work, we have:

ff MA, rf RN, Monarch

as our best set up, allowing us to at least get the Monarch buckled without too much wrestling. That said, DS who is 7 and can usually buckle himself, cannot in this set up. RN installed with seatbelt, MA with LATCH worked best.

ff MA, rf RN, FPSV
ff MA, FPSV, ff RN

also work.

A Monterey does NOT work in this lineup at all. The armrests stick out too far and in a bad spot. The giant Monarch fits waaaaaaay better, actually even nicer than the FPSV bc it is a little easier to reach the buckle with the way the armrests are.

It's really difficult to get a seat in the middle as the buckle stalks are stuck there. I had to push the middle one down into its recess to place the RN there, and it JUST made it between the other two buckles.

I'll have another RN shortly, and I imagine it will fit like a dream ffing in place of the MA.

Oh yeah, not checked by a tech but independently very solid!

BookMama · Jul 21, 2009

2003 Ford Focus wagon

driver: FF MA, LATCH
center: FF Radian 65, seat belt
passenger: Nautilus, seat belt

I was planning to use a FF FPSVD originally (passenger) but didn't really like how much that and the MA overhang the Radian. I was surprised how much room was left on the passenger side after installing the MA and Radian, so I decided to try the Nautilus. It worked just as well, if not better, than the Britax seats. Almost makes me wish I had another Nautilus to try instead of the MA!

girlsgonechild · Aug 8, 2009

2008 Scion XB

Radian65 FF latch; Britax Roundabout FF lapbelt; Radian80 FF latch
puzzles together nicely! :thumbsup

I think a Marathon would work in the middle as well)

We have 3 yr old, 18 mo old, and one on the way - the only way I can fit these with a RF is this:

Radian80 FF latch; Radian65 RF lapbelt; Britax Roundabout RF latch (radian in the middle does press up against front seats - but allows more room than if it were directly behind driver or passenger side)

3 radians would not fit 3 across if they are all FF (too wide at shoulder)
I tried very hard to get just the Britax to fit in the middle RF - it was a no go

ketchupqueen · Aug 9, 2009

Well, I'm making use of my 40 lb. RF Radian, since we weighed the kids tonight.

I have a new 3-across! It fits, just barely!

2003 Toyota Corolla

Passenger side, RF Radian, LATCH
Center, FF Radian, seatbelt and tether
Driver's side, RF Boulevard, seatbelt

I am a tech so it was tech-checked.

Jeanum · Aug 9, 2009

girlsgonechild said:
2008 Scion XB

Radian65 FF latch; Britax Roundabout FF lapbelt; Radian80 FF latch
puzzles together nicely! :thumbsupI think a Marathon would work in the middle as well)

We have 3 yr old, 18 mo old, and one on the way - the only way I can fit these with a RF is this:

Radian80 FF latch; Radian65 RF lapbelt; Britax Roundabout RF latch (radian in the middle does press up against front seats - but allows more room than if it were directly behind driver or passenger side)

3 radians would not fit 3 across if they are all FF (too wide at shoulder)
I tried very hard to get just the Britax to fit in the middle RF - it was a no go

Your 2008 xB has a lap-shoulder belt in the center, not a lap-only belt, just to clarify for others who might use this post as a reference. We have an '08 xB, too, and it's good to know of a workable three across combination.

Another concern, though, is that your xB does not allow touching the front seatbacks because it can potentially interfere with the sensors for the advanced frontal airbags - there's a warning about this in the airbag section of the xB's owner's manual. You can probably prevent this by installing the RF seat a bit more upright, and/or by moving the front seats ahead a notch or so on their tracks.

ketchupqueen · Aug 10, 2009

2003 Toyota Corolla

Driver's side: FF Radian
Center: RF Boulevard
Passenger side: RF Radian

All seatbelt installs, and not for the faint of heart!

This 3 across was a whoooole lot of work, and frankly I don't know that the "novice" car seat user could do it without help. I know my Radians well, know my car, know my seatbelts, and have installed a heck of a lot of seats. I used almost every trick I knew to get all 3 independently tight-- and they just fit, with the Boulevard puzzled over the Radian.

So, a lot more work than the other 3 across with the same seats posted above. However, it will be easier to get the kids in and out, which makes it worth the work to me. (Also, will keep the 5 year old happy; she wants to be outboard if she can't be RF.)

mommycat · Aug 10, 2009

munchkin said:
These are the combinations that worked:
(driver-middle-passenger)

Can I just say how much I am drooling over all your pretty seats.

jka1217 · Aug 15, 2009

Make/Model/Year: 2006 Chevy Equinox

Install method: All with lap/shoulder seatbelts and top tethered for FF

Configuration of seats:

Driver, Center, Passenger
FF Radian, RF Baby Trend Flex Loc, FF Radian
FF Radian, RF SS1, FF Radian
FF Radian, FF Nautilus, RF Chicco Keyfit
FF Nautilus, FF Radian, RF Chicco Keyfit
FF Nautilus, FF Radian, RF SS1

Only picture I have is of the FF Nautilus, FF Radian, RF Chicco Keyfit combination

Checked by a Tech: Yes

NannyMom · Aug 15, 2009

2009 Honda Accord

RF Radian with latch
FF Radian with seatbelt
Britax Parkway
Buckling for the PW would be tight, but I'm sure my 9 year old could do it herself.

Also...same car....

Parkway
RF Titan
Parkway
Buckling is pretty easy for both boosters.

todzwife · Aug 18, 2009

I never thought I'd get to post here, but here's mine!

07 Subaru Forester XT (leather seats)

RF Scenera, FF Radian XT, FF Marathon (drivers side).

Not tech checked, but all are independently tight. I want to be clear that this was NOT easy. Seriously. They are all seatbelt installs, and the stalks are UNDER the Radian (center) so it was not fun. My knuckles are torn up and I have bruises on my arm and leg. But I was desperate.They are not coming out unless someone barfs on them.

I could easily have gotten a FF Marathon on the other side of the Radian (where the scenera is). I actually had our marathon there before switching it to the other side. Marathons puzzle beautifully with the Radians.

Emmers · Aug 19, 2009

I never thought I'd post in here either!

We got a Nautilus in the middle and a radian on either side in a Suzuki Forenza, EASY.

It was BEAUTIFUL. I should've gotten a pic, but I will if they become a part of our family

Caimbrie · Aug 19, 2009

I am new here, but I wanted to add my 3 across seat pics! I came across the site and this thread while I was researching carseats last week

We are preparing our 2008 Town and Country for our 5th child.

We fit 3 Radian 65's in the very narrow third row. Anyone who has this van knows what I am talking about lol. (the seat protectors have no slip and we are using them because our vehicle is leather. We did have the seats checked and the mats arent a slipping danger, they are actually helping with that :thumbsup:.) These seats don't MOVE, my husband got them in there perfectly. The children I have in these seats are 7, 4 1/2 and 3 1/2.

I thought I'd throw in my 1 year olds rear facing Radian 80

Our 5th back seat will soon have an infant seat in it

rodentranger · Aug 20, 2009

rodentranger said:
00 Honda Odyssey
3rd row driver's side: ff Marathon
3rd row center: rf Diplomat
3rd row passenger: ff Wizard

(***Did not work with rf MA or with Diplomat outboard.***)

03 Honda Pilot
2nd row driver's side: FF Radian 65, LATCH install or Coccoro LATCH
2nd row center: RF Marathon, belt install
2nd row passenger side: rf Marathon LATCH install

2nd row driver's side: rf Diplomat seatbelt install
2nd row center: ff Frontier seatbelt install
2nd row passenger: rf SnugRide LATCH install

2nd row driver's: rf Marathon
2nd row center: ff Frontier seatbelt
2nd row passenger: rf SR LATCH,

2nd row driver's: rf Diplomat seatbelt
2nd row center: rf or ff Marathon seatbelt
2nd row passenger: rf SR (LATCH) or Marathon seatbelt

2nd row driver's: rf Marathon, seatbelt
2nd row center: ff Frontier, seatbelt
2nd row passenger: rf TF, seatbelt

2nd row driver's rf MA seatbelt
2nd row center Frontier seatbelt
2nd row passenger Nautilus LATCH or seatbelt

Seat Combos I *know do NOT work*:
2nd row Driver's side: BabyTrend FlexLoc with base LATCH or belt
2nd row center: Marathon belt install ff or rf
2nd row passenger side: Graco SnugRide with base LATCH

2nd row driver's side: TrueFit, LATCH rf or ff
2nd row center: Britax convertible, 40 or 65 lb rf or ff belt install
2nd row passenger side: Graco SnugRide LATCH

2nd row driver's side: Frontier FF belt LBP
2nd row center: True Fit rf or ff belt
2nd row passenger side: Graco SnugRide LATCH

3rd row any combo of three Britax convertibles with at least one rf.

2nd row driver:Complete Air
2nd row center: Frontier
2nd row passenger: RF MA

Added one. No edit?

2004 Expedition
2nd row, all seats LATCH installation
Drivers and passenger outboard, rf MA
center ff TF

ame0312 · Aug 20, 2009

stegmanc said:
WOO HOO! Had some time to play carseat swap and here's what I came up with.

Car is a 2006 subaru impreza.
All done with seatbelt and tethered.
Keyfit will not puzzle with the RF RNs with the base, I had to install it with the seatbelt keeping the seat stationary.

First picture:
RF RN
RF RN
chicco keyfit (yes I know the seatbelt needs to go back through the other side, this was the last install of the day and I was nursing a nasty broken nail from the GN install)

Third picture:
RF RN
chicco keyfit
RF RN
By far the best install ever!!! Everything is rock solid and I didn't break nails putting it in

Hope that helps anyone with a small backseat!!!

i saw this awhile back... pretty sure the keyfit is installed wrong (not just in the pic you noted)... im pretty sure the shoulder portion doesnt go thru the belt guides at all... atleast thats how my sister's is...

autumnlily · Aug 26, 2009

2000 Toyota Avalon (no LATCH available)

Behind Passenger: RF Britax Roundabout (shoulder/lap belt)
Middle: FF Graco Nautilus (shoulder/lap belt)
Behind Driver: FF Combi Coccoro (shoulder/lap belt)

A third roundabout or marathon would have fit easily RF in place of the Coccoro

I'm not a CPST and this was not checked - but I did read the method on how to install three across and check for solid install. It was rock solid!

Misty-Bug · Aug 27, 2009

ame0312 said:
i saw this awhile back... pretty sure the keyfit is installed wrong (not just in the pic you noted)... im pretty sure the shoulder portion doesnt go thru the belt guides at all... atleast thats how my sister's is...

whenever I installed an infant seat without the base I always made sure the shoulder portion was out. If you put the shoulder portion in there I think it gives too much of a lean. I am not 100% sure but I think you can also get a tighter install with the shoulder portion out.

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