narrow harness seat, narrow booster?

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RobbyRe

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Here's my situation...we have a 2001 Chrysler Town & Country minivan. Our current 4 children fit into it nicely in their appointed safety seats. :) We are expecting baby #5 this summer, though, and will need to do some shifting.
We will have a 9 yr old, a 6 yr old, a 3 yr old, and a 1 yr old, plus the newborn. Currently the 2 older ones ride in the back, with the 3 yr old and 1 yr old in the middle bucket seat row. I want to move the 3 yr old into the back between the 2 older ones, and need a narrow seat there, and I'd like it to be a 5 pt harness that goes higher than 40 lbs...so far it's looking like the Radian would be the best bet? Any other narrow 5 pt. harness over 40 lbs seats out there that we should look at? I wish I could see a Radian in person before purchasing one, but no stores carry them locally.
I'd also be interested in any recommendations on narrower boosters for the 2 older girls. The 6 yr old is in a Graco TurboBooster, but I fear it will become difficult to buckle with the other seat in the middle. With a narrow booster, 9 yr old could stay in a booster as well, which I'd prefer. I can't put 9 yr old in the center position, as that has only a lap belt...3 yr old and harness seat will go there b/c I can use LATCH in that position.
1 yr old will be moving into 3 yr old's Triumph, which I love and fits like a glove in the van, and new baby will go into a Graco Snugride to start with before moving into a RF convertible.
Anyway, thanks for any thoughts or suggestions! I need to do some buying and switching ASAP, as the almost 1 yr old (will be 1 in three weeks) is still in the Snugride...still within ht/wt. limits, but I've never kept one in an infant seat this long before, and I'm wanting to get her into the convertible seat!
 
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Gypsy

Senior Community Member
I'd get Britax Parkway's for your boostered kids, they are much easier to buckle because they don't have arm rests.

I'd have your newborn and 1 year old rear facing (for as long as possible) in the captains chairs.

And, since you are new here and you have older kids, I just want to make sure you know that carseats expire, usually 6 years after date of manufacture, if you bought the Triumph for one of your two oldest kids, it's expired already and needs to be replaced.
 

AdventureMom

Senior Community Member
I'd get Britax Parkway's for your boostered kids, they are much easier to buckle because they don't have arm rests.

I'd have your newborn and 1 year old rear facing (for as long as possible) in the captains chairs.

And, since you are new here and you have older kids, I just want to make sure you know that carseats expire, usually 6 years after date of manufacture, if you bought the Triumph for one of your two oldest kids, it's expired already and needs to be replaced.

I agree about the Britax Parkways. Then I'd get a Radian for the 3-yr-old. As for the Triumph, it may not be expired yet, but if it is and you really love that seat, the new Evenflo Triumph Advance harnesses up to 50 lbs rather than 40 lbs like the previous one. Hope this helps!
 

ProudMomof5

New member
Wow, we are in the EXACT same situation... kids even the same exact ages.. lol!
Our 9 and 6 year olds are in the back of our ford expedition and the 1 and 3 year old in the middle... baby #5 is due end of July.
I want to to do the same thing, move the 3 year old back.

I was also going to recommend the Fisher Price Safe Voyage Booster because you can adjust the width of the booster. Its much narrower than the turbo booster. That is what we are looking into. The parkways are really nice too. I am kicking myself for not getting one instead of the recaro vivo lite we just got... its kind of wide!
So, once you get it figured out, please let me know what you used in the 3rd row if you get it figured out before I do! When is #5 due?

Good luck!
 

LeeLi

New member
Building on other ideas...
The Fisher Price safe voyage booster is narrow and great for 3 across. Your 9yo may need to use it backless because the back is not that tall. It is being discontinued so it is half price(about 40$) on the web.

The Radian is probably the best choice for the rear middle since it is definitly the narrowest decent convertable. The Radian is a nice seat and people seem to be generally happy with how the harness works etc. It sometimes has isntall problems but generally it does install better with LATCH. So if you do have LATCH for the center position it will likely work. But check your car's manual to be sure that center LATCH is okay.

If the Triumph is expired a new Triumph Advance might be a good choice for the bucket seat. Your 1yo could stay in it RFing for another year or more likely.

With those seats 9yo-3yo-6yo in the back and 1yo-baby in the front should work well.
 
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RobbyRe

Guest
Thanks so much for your replies!
The Triumph was bought for my almost 3 yr old just 2 years ago, so it's still good. We plan to keep the 1 yr old RF for a while yet in it.
9 yr old (she will be 9 next week) isn't thrilled with the idea of staying in a booster, but we're discussing the reasons.
I was hoping the evenflo big kid deluxe would work, b/c the arms rotate up out of the way, but it's just as wide as the turbo boosters we already have.
I will see if I can find Parkways, and see if I can take a look at the FP safe voyage also. First off I need to get the Radian ordered!
I saw that the new Triumph goes up to 50 lbs, but I don't really understand how the infinite slide straps work...how they stay put in a collision? kwim?

Robynne
 
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New Car

Guest
I have a similar problem. I just bought a new car and I need to fit 3 child seats across the back seats - a front facing seat for my 2 year old; and two boosters for my 5 and 8 year olds. My car's rear seats are bucketed, and the flat portion of each seat is just 11" wide, meaning I can't get a good fit with my current child and booster seats as they're all too wide.

My preference is to put my 2 year old on one of the outside seats for ease of entry/exit.

All of the child seat solutions I've seen so far have (at the narrowest) 14" wide bases. Are there any seats out there that have narrower bases?
 

dd9736

New member
Thanks so much for your replies!
The Triumph was bought for my almost 3 yr old just 2 years ago, so it's still good. We plan to keep the 1 yr old RF for a while yet in it.
9 yr old (she will be 9 next week) isn't thrilled with the idea of staying in a booster, but we're discussing the reasons.
I was hoping the evenflo big kid deluxe would work, b/c the arms rotate up out of the way, but it's just as wide as the turbo boosters we already have.
I will see if I can find Parkways, and see if I can take a look at the FP safe voyage also. First off I need to get the Radian ordered!
I saw that the new Triumph goes up to 50 lbs, but I don't really understand how the infinite slide straps work...how they stay put in a collision? kwim?

Robynne

on the triumph advance the straps only slide when really loose, once you have them tightened down, they click in, and can only be pushed down, if they are too high.
 

TerisBoys

Well-known member
We tried a Parkway in Faeanne's 2001 Caravan (basically the same as the OP's T & C)and it did NOT work next to a RF Evenflo Tribute. The torso wings were too wide.

She's now got a Britax SR/C for her 11yo which goes about 2" taller than the FPSV booster and a FPSV-booster for her petite 8yo. And they do fit nicely next to the Tribute. (FWIW - the Tribute gave her more room than a RF Scenera in the same position. It does however have lower top slots and a lower RF weight).

babylove.com DID have them the SR/C on closeout for $39.99 + shipping. DOM on both the FPSV and SR/C was early 2006, but should carry OP's older two through booster age.
 
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