3 across back row of 2001 Honda Odyssey?

We had twins 7 weeks ago and we are now struggling with car seat placement for our 5 small children. Getting a new vehicle is OUT of the question and buying several carseats would also be a huge stretch for us - we are extremely low on funds.

The twin girls are in rear facing Baby Trend carriers, latched. They are situated in the middle 2 bucket seats.

Then we have:
Caden - 6 yrs old, 48lbs (special needs, but doesn't require special car seats, but also CANNOT be next to a newborn - some behaviors we need to keep close track of)
Avery - 5 years old, 35lbs
Declan - 19 months old, 28lbs

Here are the car seats we have:

Evenflo Triumph, which we LOVE but it is WAY huge and too wide for the back seat, bummer

2 Graco CarGo 5pt harness/belt positioning boosters

Those 3 carseats will not fit across together. Also, we still have Caden in the 5pt harness system but I know at 40lbs he needs to be using the regular buckle with the CarGo. Problem is, with all of the car seats, no one can reach the buckles to get buckled in!

Can you give us ANY help at all? What we're doing right now isn't working and can't continue - we need to be able to all fit in at times (for church, etc.). Caden isn't always with us as he's at school during the day so his seat could come out if it's simple enough to do so. I'd LOVE for him to just use a backless booster but am afraid that he will unbuckle himself (he has done so in the past) and Avery is too light for a backless booster yet I think.

You say these three seats won't fit, but which three? I'd try Avery in a Cargo with the babies in the third row first, then put Caleb in the Cargo as a booster (while he may unbuckle, the harness may rip out in a collision, so you're not doing him a favor by keeping him harness so far past the weight limit. It MUST be used as a booster) in a captain's chair and put Declan rear facing in the Triumph in the other captain's chair.

If Caleb can't sit in a booster a backless is out for him, and we don't like to see kids in backless boosters until they're closer to eight years old anyway. Avery is far too young for a backless, and is still too young and small for a booster (four years AND 40 pounds being the minimum, and most kids don't have the maturity until closer to six years old, and the small six year olds should still be harnessed to prevent submarining).

Are Caleb's shoulders over the top slot in the Cargo? Are Avery's, for that matter? But that'll give us an idea on Caleb's torso height so we can recommend a harnessed seat for him. I think you could probably get away with just buying him a seat for now, provided Avery has room above her shoulder before the next slot. The Graco Nautilus would probably work best, with 18.5" top slots and a 65 pound harness limit. I'm sure someone can help with deals, but you can get it for about $150. That one seat should get you guys by for a while. I'd still put him and it in the captain's chair.

HTH

Wendy

I'm not certain on the slots to be perfectly honest, I will check and find out, but THANK you. I want to be safe and what we're doing isn't what's safe, so thank you for helping. I'd LOVE to keep the twins in the captain's seats because it is VERY difficult to get them in and out from the 3rd row, but we have also tried that arrangement.

I completely understand about that. But sometimes what's easiest isn't safe. Annoying when that happens.

I'd load the twins in through the trunk. Which would actually be easy since you'll be back there with the stroller anyway, right?

Let us know about the shoulders.

Wendy

Hey Wendy - and anyone!

Caden's shoulders are above the top slots in the Graco CarGo. Avery's are between the middle and top slots. Does that help at all?

I'd still love to hear if anyone has fit 3 car seats across the back of the Odyssey without one being an infant car seat.

Ok, I'd buy Caden a Graco Nautilus, which has top slots about 1.5" taller than the Cargo, and with a six year lifespan on the harness and high back portions (65 pounds harnessed, 100 as a booster), and nine year on the low back, between your five kids you'll get a TON of use out of it. I'd put him in a captain's chair in it.

Then try the two babies with Avery in the third row. She still fits just fine in the Cargo. She'll outgrow it either when her shoulders go over the top slot OR at 40 pounds, whichever happens first. That may be one huge growth spurt away, it may be her torso doesn't grow for a year and her weight gain drops off, so you may get 18 months out of her on that. Probably not that long, but some time between now and then. I'd probably start putting pennies away for another seat (possibly a Radian or two, what do you have lined up next for the twins?), but a Nautilus should get you through until the twins are out of their buckets at least.

HTH!

Wendy