Question 3 across VW Golf Wagon advice needed

[Fallbaby]

Hi there,

We have a 2014 TDI Golf Wagon and 2 Diono Rainier Carseats.

We are expecting a 3rd child - so will need to fit 3 across.

Our current plan is to:

-install one Rainer rear facing for the new baby behind the passenger seat

-buy a new R100 for our oldest child (645lbs) forward facing

-install the 2nd Rainer forward facing for our middle child behind the driver's seat.

Is anyone able to advise if the front facing Rainier installed next to the R100 would work and if the combination of 2 Rainier + 1 R100 will fit 3 across in most cars?

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[Cnidaria]

Hello! For starters...Diono seats *can* work for newborns, but they don't always. Recall that for rear-facing, the harness straps have to be coming from at or below the shoulders. Some newborns' torsos aren't long enough to reach the bottom slots on Diono seats. And they take up so much front to back space at the newborn recline (i.e., without an angle adjuster). It's usually a good idea to have a backup plan in case baby isn't big enough (like running out and getting an infant seat, or using a Cosco Scenera NEXT).

Did you use Diono seats with your older kids from birth? Did it work out OK? Do you specifically prefer using a convertible from birth, or would you prefer an infant seat but are you thinking that it's going to be the best way to achieve 3-across?

 

[Fallbaby]

We already own 2 of the Rainier car seats, so I am trying to work with what we have - I don't want to have to buy more seats than I have too, since these are fairly new. We were in an accident, so these seats replaced an older RXT and Infant seat that out middle child was about to grow out of.

The issue with the Rainier seats is the width at the top, not so much at the bottom, so if I can use one rear facing, it gets rid of the problem of fitting 2 side by side, which won't work. I also can't (don't want to) install the infant seat in the back middle and reach over the older kids to buckle the baby all the time...

We did not use the Rainier from birth with our older two, but our 2nd child was 9lb6oz at birth - so I wasn't expecting that the new baby wouldn't fit in the Rainier...something to think about. We have used the Diono rear facing in the car without the angle adjuster before, but our daughter wasn't an infant at that point so we weren't as concerned with the 45 degree angle.

We were going to test the install for an infant to make sure it works at the right angle before going ahead with any purchases.

 

[Cnidaria]

Age, height, weight and shirt size of your oldest child?

And the middle child, while we're at it?

 

[Cnidaria]

Bump

I'm thinking that it may make sense to get something other than a Radian for the oldest child, but it'll be helpful to have more info. :-D

 

[aept]

I do not think it will work to put 2 Dionos (Radians or Rainiers) side by side forward facing. The radian isn't quite as wide at the top as the Rainier but it is still significantly wider at the top (17") than at the base (14")
I rented a Jetta TDI wagon once. Is the one you have larger? The one we rented was quite small. We barely fit two smaller backless boosters (harmony youth) and then a RF radian with AA behind the passenger. For whatever reason I could not get a good install of the radian RF in the center but I didn't try too long. When it worked on the side I was relieved to have a solution and to be able to get in the car and go - so we just kept it that way for the trip.

ANYWAYS - if your middle child is still small enough to RF I would put him/her behind the passenger in a Ranier with the angle adjuster, oldest FF Ranier middle, and baby in an infant seat driver's side.

When baby outgrows the infant seat, pass seats down and get the oldest a booster if she is mature enough at that point.

I found the graco snugride 30 classic connect to be a fairly narrow infant seat choice that is an economical purchase for something to be used for just a year.

 

[featherhead]

Actually I think the golf is smaller than the Jetta. DH owns an old golf, and it is tiny. His middle seatbelt is stuck, so I can't attempt three across, but I would expect very little to work. How old are your kids? You will definitely want to do rear-facing, forward-facing, rear-facing or forward-facing, rear-facing, forward-facing. With most seats that will give you the most room, having opposite facing seats next to each other.

If the oldest still fits in the Diono, I would use that for now. I think it is unlikely that you would fit it at a newborn angle. Maybe a Cocorro would work for the newborn? Narrow, and takes up little space front to back as well. Then when the oldest outgrows the Radian you could give it to the baby who could hopefully tolerate a more upright angle at that point, and get a new seat for the oldest. A harmony defender would maybe work as it is quite narrow as well.