Arranging Seats in an MPV

[ckelly626]

Hi there! I have an 03 Mazda MPV. Currently I have a 6 year old boostered in an Frontier 85 and a three year old rfing in a Radian. They are both in the middle row. I am expecting in Feb 15 and will be using a chaperone. I can install the chaperone in one of the captains chairs but haven't tried it in the third row and honestly I would prefer not to have to put the baby in the third row. There is only one TA in the third row and it's right in the middle of the stinking trunk space making packing up the van for long trips really difficult.

Ideally, I'd put the two older in the back, the baby in the captains chair and leave the other captains chair for my mum who rides with us a lot. But can I install the Frontier without LATCH and a top tether anchor? Does the Radian have to go in the center in the third row or can I install it to the side (by Feb I will be close to turning her FFing.

Are there any retrofit options for TAs in the MPV for the third row?

What would you do?
Thanks!

 

[jess71903]

Pretty sure there is no option for a retrofit. There was only 1 van that did that, and it wasn't a Mazda.

If you're using the Frontier as a booster, then you don't need LATCH or the top tether. LATCHed boosters are really just to keep them from being projectiles when not in use.

That said, it's probably going to be tight to try to get something in the middle and a booster on the side that is easy enough to buckle. That said, someone else may have made that work. I would be hard pressed to have a forward facer not tethered when one was available. I would probably put the harnessed kid in the 3rd row, and the booster rider in the captain's chair, then if you had someone else ride with you, move the booster to the 3rd row...maybe go get a Harmony Youth Booster (Literider?) to keep on hand for just such an occasion if the every day booster was too wide.