another 3 across Q - 1 or 2 radians

Okay, I have brought this up a number of times on here... but I feel its a different question each time.. lol.. sorry and please just bear with me!

Here are my stats just to refresh memories
We drive a '98 Ford Expedition
DD1, 9 years, 57lbs - highback turbo booster (3rd row outboard)
DD2, 6.5 yrs, 37lbs - recaro vivo lite booster (3rd row outboard)
DD3, 3.5 yrs, 33lbs - evenflo generations (2nd row middle)
DD4, 17mos, 24lbs - cosco scenera RF (2nd row outboard)
DS (7/27/08) will be in a graco SR.. I want him in the 2nd row middle where DD3 is now.

Okay, I already know that I have to get at least one radian in order to make 3 across work in the 3rd row. Since DD2 is STILL under 40lbs, regardless of her age, I would like to reharness her and put her in the radian as long as I can, and then DD1 in DD2's recaro, because I feel its safer than the graco TB. right?

So, do you think that the generations, radian, and recaro would fit in the 3rd row, OR do I need to get two radians.. and do radian, radian, recaro back there?
I guess I have time that if I order one and I need another I can order it still.. we have over 3 months until DS gets here.. but I like to be prepared. I am just really hoping that the generations will fit back there since I will have a radian... right now it would not fit between the two boosters.. just from looking, I haven't tried.

TIA

At least I think its a different question????
Sorry that I keep bringing this up... its just that I can't have a ton of car seats just laying around... we only have one per kid... so I don't want to end up getting more than I have to, or not get enough.. y/k?

Check the torso height of dd #2. Low weight, but just thinking about the age..I don't know just HOW much time you'd get out of a Radian for her. I understand she may not be much bigger than a 4 yr old (I have a few of those in my house as well..my 8, 6 and 4 yr old are so close in size...it's ridiculous! hehe), but, on the other hand, she could be a bean pole.

I don't have any experience with any of the seats you've mentioned, except the Radian and SnugRide. So, I'm not of much real assistance.

What's the width difference of the Vivo and Generations vs a Parkway? That's the only reference I can give for my identical vehicle.

I'd say though, go ahead and order the Radian you KNOW you want. Put that back there and go from there. See how that fits with what you have. Then post back and we'll go from there.

Tara said:

Check the torso height of dd #2. Low weight, but just thinking about the age..I don't know just HOW much time you'd get out of a Radian for her.

Click to expand...

Good point.... it wouldn't be a waste to buy just one, because DD#3 could use it when DD#2 outgrows it... but it may be a waste to buy 2. Then again... I have a DD#4 and son on the way... so someone will use it, lol.

I am sure she'll fit for awhile though... she is very low on the growth chart for height (and weight), like the 5-10%. Her torso doesn't seem especially long either....

Tara said:

What's the width difference of the Vivo and Generations vs a Parkway? That's the only reference I can give for my identical vehicle.

Click to expand...

The difference between the vivo and parkway is the Vivo is a little wider... the generations is WAY wider... its a 5point/BPB though.

Yeah I wasn't sure on the numbers...and was too lazy to go look it up LOL
But, even in spite of 'numbers' it just depends on how they puzzle. I mean, I've had a Marathon, a Bodyguard and a FPSE in the third row for goodness sake! And that FPSE isn't exactly narrow LOL But due to it's design..they all just puzzled together 'well enough'. But if the biggest width of that FPSE were actually ON the vehicle seat, it would not have worked. KWIM?

I wish I had more seats here to play with for ya LOL

Oh, wait..hmm...I'll have to see what this combo seat actually IS..an Evenflo is all I know. It was left in my truck from install day at class. Instructor told me to just keep it, find it a good home. So, anyway, it sits in my room. I'll find out just what it is, its measurements and then I can see how that works back there with the PW and Radian.

Ok, I have the Express. Which, according to the carseat data page (http://www.carseatdata.org/cnt/resources/car-seat-measurements) is 1.5" narrower than the Generations. (good gravy, that *is* a big seat hehe)

So, I'll go see how this fits:
PW (17") Radian (what is it again? LOL) Express (17.5")

Then we'll look back for the Vivo's width and add in the extra needed for your Generations. Sound like a plan?

Alright, here we go.

**Picture heavy**

Not the *best* install, I wasn't *that* into it, ok?
But here's the Express, Radian and Parkway in the 3rd row of a '98 Expedition:



Edge of seat:


Next to Radian:


Radian against PW:


PW seat edge:


I can just squish my fingertips beween Express and Radian at the shoulders:


Arm fits snugly between at the seat:


Bad angle, but, hand fits more easily between Radian and PW at shoulders:


Again, angle, but hand easily slides between Radian and PW at the seat:


Quick comparison shot of PW/Radian/PW:


PW at seat edge:



Did that help any?

I'm having a hard time seeing how you'd fit a Generations back there with a Radian and PW, let alone a Vivo if it's wider than the PW. Not to mention the arms on the Generations impeding things. Does the Vivo have arms too?

After I got back in the house I thought of our Bodyguard..sorry, if I get energetic I'll throw that one back there and see what happens..since it has armrests.

Oh wow.......
It isn't the best fit, is it?

My DD will have one heck of a time buckling the vivo in.... it does have a belt guide.. not so much armrests, as much as the TB. This is the one we have: http://www.babyuniverse.com/Vivo-Lite-High-Back-Booster--Blush/PID/4813682/ctid/17/INstock/Y/D/

So, really two radians next to the vivo would do better then, right? So, the one seat on the end won't tip so much.

Don't you wish that they would have just made the seat go all the way across back there? That would solve a lot of problems.

Well, if all else fails then I guess I can put the scenera RF back there.. it will puzzle better that way I am sure.. I was just uneasy about having my less than 2 year old RF back there... it just seems so high up and close to the back of the vehicle.

Someone gave me the actual measurements of the vivo, parkway and TB... I need to look them up and post them here.

Thanks so much for your help and posting those pictures! I can't wait to show them to DH so he can get a better idea of what we will be dealing with here real soon.
Thanks for taking the time.

Yeah, those PWs fit 'just nicely' back there. They do not slip and tip. It's close, yes, but they stay upright, as long as the boys remember to shift them back to the center after buckling. (they hop outward to give more buckle room, then hop 'em back in...simply because they can LOL)

So, any booster wider than that..eh, a little more tipsy. And they were a bit more tipsy with the Marathon in the middle, as opposed to the Radian.

So who is the prospective Radian for, in your situation?
I'm trying to figure out again what your plan/angle is here

The radian was originaly going to be for DD3 (3yrs, 34lbs) - the one that is currently in the generations, and then I was going to keep DD1 in the TB and DD2 (6yrs,37lbs) in the vivo.... but I figured it would be hard for DD2 to buckle (she is the drama queen) and she is only 37 lbs so I thought I'd put her (DD2) in the radian for awhile.... it'd be easier for her to buckle back there if she was in a 5pt than if she was in a booster (and safer).
Does that make sense or is it too confusing?

So then I'd put DD1 who is currently in the TB in the vivo that DD2 is in now.. because I figured it was safer.... but if the TB would fit better next to the radian then I'll do that.

I did find the measurements of the boosters the parkway and the vivo lite are both 17 inches at the widest point and the TB is only 16. I guess its the armrests that make it hard to buckle and fit nicely.

Thanks again for your help.

You *could* just go ahead and get 2 Radians. Put the 6 yr old back in a harness. And use the other for the 3 yr old. See how long the 6 yr old makes it in the Radian, don't fret over it. You have the 1.5 yr old and baby coming up behind, so you'd get good use out of both Radians. Then..whenever the 6yr old is ready to leave the Radian or one of your other seats needs replaced...THEN look into another Vivo or the TB (again) for her.

Simply put...I don't think you *have* to have 2 Radians (other than your 6 yr old being so light weight..that's a good line of thinking to reharness her). But I sure don't think you could go wrong in getting 2 Radians.

Does that help? hehe

LOL... yeah, it helps.

Your pics REALLY helped though... I'll probably try it with the evenflo generations back there... but I don't have much hope. It'd be nice to not HAVE to get two radians.. because my 3 year old does fit just fine in the evenflo.... by the time she outgrows it by weight my other daughter possibly will have outgrown the radian as well...

We'll see.... Thanks so much, again, for your help. Those pictures are awesome. At least I have a visual now.