I have two children, a son who is 4 and weighs 38 pounds and a daughter who is 21 months and weighs around 23 pounds. I have baby number 3 due October 21st (a huge suprise) we are trying to get a minvan but it may not happen and Im freaking out on how to fit all three kids in a 2004 Nissan Xterra. Right now my 4 yr old has a regent and my daughter has a comfortsport. Someone bought me a snugride carseat for the new baby. How do I fit three in the back? The regent is a beast and I really dont want to move my son to a booster yet so I have no idea what to do. On top of that I can not really afford to buy all brand new seats. This is really upsetting me and I need some advice
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I need your help
- Thread starter angchick
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carseatcoach
Carseat Crankypants
If you switch the Regent for a Radian, there's a chance all the seats will fit.
see that is what my problem is with buying a radian for my son and replacing it for the regent. He will outgrow that seat fast and then I will still be on the look out for something else but I guess I have to do what I have to do to get them all to fit if I cant get a van
I really hate to get rid of the regent, I love that seat
carseatcoach
Carseat Crankypants
My daughter is short but relatively long-torsoed (so I guess that averages out) and she still has room in her Radians at age 6.5. A Radian won't last as long as a Regent, but IMO/IME it will get most kids to an age where they can safely consider booster use.
I have a 2001 Xterra. I can get three across easily, but it depends with what. I've had a Snugride behind me, a Radian in the middle, and a Britax Wizard on the outside. The Radian was forward and the Wizard rear facing.
At what slot is your son now on the Regent? The top slots for the Radian are lower, but you may get several of years out of it. In fact, at four years old you likely would. Piper should fit in her until well after her 7th birthday, if not her 8th. It also has an eight year lifespan, so you'll get a ton of use out of it through all three kids.
I'd try a Radian in the middle, then the rear facing Comfortsport and the rear facing infant seat on either side.
Actually..... I have a super elite, which is the old Regent. I have a Radian. And I have a Snugride. I can play around for you in the back of my car today, see if there's a way to get all three. There are differences between the 2001 and 2004 Xterra, but I don't think the major redesign was until 2005, so they should be pretty comparable. There are also slight differences in my Super Elite and Snugrides, as they're six or seven years old, but they're ok to give this a go. I wouldn't get a lot of hope up, but let me see what happens. I'll take pictures and post back later this evening.
Wendy
At what slot is your son now on the Regent? The top slots for the Radian are lower, but you may get several of years out of it. In fact, at four years old you likely would. Piper should fit in her until well after her 7th birthday, if not her 8th. It also has an eight year lifespan, so you'll get a ton of use out of it through all three kids.
I'd try a Radian in the middle, then the rear facing Comfortsport and the rear facing infant seat on either side.
Actually..... I have a super elite, which is the old Regent. I have a Radian. And I have a Snugride. I can play around for you in the back of my car today, see if there's a way to get all three. There are differences between the 2001 and 2004 Xterra, but I don't think the major redesign was until 2005, so they should be pretty comparable. There are also slight differences in my Super Elite and Snugrides, as they're six or seven years old, but they're ok to give this a go. I wouldn't get a lot of hope up, but let me see what happens. I'll take pictures and post back later this evening.
Wendy
awww thanks soo much!! My son still has 2 slots left on the regent. I have never seen a radian in person so Im not sure about it. I dont plan on using the comfort sport though I do plan on getting my daughter something so if need be I would get two radians and have the snugride. As it is right now with the comfort sport and regent they both take up the whole back seat. Also both the comfort and the regent are latched in
Misty-Bug
New member
see that is what my problem is with buying a radian for my son and replacing it for the regent. He will outgrow that seat fast and then I will still be on the look out for something else but I guess I have to do what I have to do to get them all to fit if I cant get a van
Once the baby outgrows the snug ride you may be able to use the radian for baby and then have the regent in the middle. Don't get rid of it yet. Wait and see what Wendy can come up with too.
also if you use the belt instead of the latch you will get more room. The latch are set in from the seat edges a bit so with a seat belt you have more ability to get it as far over as you can. That is what I have read. *I am not a tech*
also I would do the older FFing child in the middle. The other two will be RFing and the FFing child is less protected then the two RFing kids.
It can be done. Don't lose hope yet!
Ok. Good news and bad news. The good news is that a Regent (or in my case a Super Elite, which doesn't have a recline bar), a rear facing Radian, and a rear facing Snugride can fit side by side in the back of my Xterra. There's a bit of a touch between the Snugride and the door, but nothing I wouldn't feel uncomfortable putting my child in.
The bad news. I installed the Super Elite in the middle with the long belt path and the lap belt (which went in in about three seconds rock solid. I wish this seat wasn't expired!!!). I then put in the other seats on either side. Then I took out the Super Elite to make sure that the outside seats weren't using it as a way to get tight. They were. I took out the Super Elite and the Radian and Snugride just flopped everywhere. Now, I don't have LATCH, so it might be different with LATCH, but probably not too much unless the LATCH anchors are pushed to the outside of the car. Generally, though, if you need more space for a three across you use the seatbelt, not LATCH.
Now I KNOW it can be done with a big Britax, a Radian, and a Snugride. I've done that before and it's all fine. The big Britax can go both rear and forward facing.
So you don't need a minivan, but you need a new seat or two. Sorry.
Wendy
The bad news. I installed the Super Elite in the middle with the long belt path and the lap belt (which went in in about three seconds rock solid. I wish this seat wasn't expired!!!). I then put in the other seats on either side. Then I took out the Super Elite to make sure that the outside seats weren't using it as a way to get tight. They were. I took out the Super Elite and the Radian and Snugride just flopped everywhere. Now, I don't have LATCH, so it might be different with LATCH, but probably not too much unless the LATCH anchors are pushed to the outside of the car. Generally, though, if you need more space for a three across you use the seatbelt, not LATCH.
Now I KNOW it can be done with a big Britax, a Radian, and a Snugride. I've done that before and it's all fine. The big Britax can go both rear and forward facing.
So you don't need a minivan, but you need a new seat or two. Sorry.
Wendy
Fit yes, work no. The Super Elite was so wide that it was on top of the other buckles. So while I could buckle everything in and get it tight while the Super Elite was in there, when I took it out (leaving the others installed) they shifted inward to where the Super Elite had been. All of a sudden there was about six inches of movement on either seat. So by width, yes. And maybe with LATCH it would. But not with the seatbelts.
Wendy
Wendy
Ohhhh that is a good idea. Do you think it would work with two radians and a regent? that way I will just put the two older ones in a radian and when the baby outgrew the snug ride I can put my son back in the regent (I will feel so much safer with that) and the younger ones in a radian. Also that would mean I would not have to buy a new seat for the baby. Thanks for the idea Rosey, Could you let me know if that would work?
I also want to say thank you Wendy for checking that for me. I really appreciate it ((hugs))
Oh, Piper also has two slots above her in the Super Elite. She's just below the middle slots. So she's about the same size as your son, torso, overall, and weight. A good stand in. And she has a LOT of time left in the Radian. If you think a van is in your future in the next two years you won't need to worry about outgrowing the Radian before the Regent can be used again.
I'm with you, though. I'd much rather use the Super Elite than the Radian. That Super Elite is a huge comfortable seat. I keep having to repeat to myself that it expired in March, it can't be used, not even for a trip around the block. So sad. it fits SO well in my truck, too.
I'm sorry there doesn't seem to be a way to get it to work. I may play more in a bit. I need to clean up the now six seats or so in my garage that need to come inside and upstairs anyway.
Wendy
I'm with you, though. I'd much rather use the Super Elite than the Radian. That Super Elite is a huge comfortable seat. I keep having to repeat to myself that it expired in March, it can't be used, not even for a trip around the block. So sad. it fits SO well in my truck, too.
I'm sorry there doesn't seem to be a way to get it to work. I may play more in a bit. I need to clean up the now six seats or so in my garage that need to come inside and upstairs anyway.
Wendy
Mommy2Marcus
New member
Just a question I was wondering that I did not notice you answer. Is your 21 month old still RF? She would be safer RF than FF if she is not RF. Just thought I would ask as I didn't see you say if she was or not!
We may be able to help you out with that, if you'd like to post more details as to what exactly is happening. When was the Comfortsport made? There was a recall for the rear facing LATCH strap for Comfortsports made between January 2 and July 31, 2007. Also there was a recall for ones made on October 22, 2007.
Had you been able to get it in tightly enough before rear facing and something changed, or had you been using a different seat?
Wendy
Had you been able to get it in tightly enough before rear facing and something changed, or had you been using a different seat?
Wendy
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