Best way to install a RF and FF in 2013 odyssey

Saruca22

New member
My pregnancy brain is driving me crazy with deciding how/where to install my two kids in our new odyssey. Currently have a 3.5 year old FF in a Britax Frontier and will be having a new baby in May. Baby will be RF in either an Uppababy Mesa or Combi Coccoro. In our new 2013 Honda Odyssey I have latch and tether in all 3 2nd row seats but I can't decide which seats to instal which carseat in? Anyone have practical experience with this? Currently I like to put FF daughter in the middle since its safer with her being FFing and i can easily hand things to her but then which side is best for baby? Or should I put baby in the middle and FFer on outboard? The other option is to remove the middle seat in second row and have them both outboard. We regularly have other riders so I'd like to be able to access the third row easily rather by sliding an outboard seat or with the pass through. Sorry for the long post but my baby brain is just spinning with deciding the best/safest set up. Ugh! Thanks for any and all input friends!
 
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MommyShannon

New member
I don't have a new Ody so I can't say how these fit, but I'd put the baby on the driver's side and 4 year old in the middle or passenger side. I like to get the baby out first (put her in the moby or ergo) then get the older kid out. This way the older kid isn't on the loose while I'm getting the baby situated. Keeping the baby drivers side keeps you from going back and forth. Getting in, I put the older child in then go around to load the baby and get in.
 

Saruca22

New member
Thanks! I was kind of thinking that as well bc then my older can't just jump out the side door as fast either ;-) I'm not worried about fit bc practically anything can fit in the three seats bc in the 2013 you can even slide the two outboard seats out a few inches to make room for a larger/wider carseat in the middle.
 

romanoma

New member
Kecia has a great odyssey review on carseatblog where she tries many different seats in the new odyssey, and I think I remember that the fronteir can fit in the center position there. It may have to be a seatbelt install... I'll try to link it for you.

in theory, it would be better to have FF seat in center, RF seat outboard. So if the frontier fits, that's what I would do.

ETA: here is the link to carseatblog
http://carseatblog.com/8090/2011-ho...ids-carseats-review-with-tons-of-pics-videos/
 
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Stelvis

New member
The CCO is very challenging and maybe impossible to install in the middle of the second row, just to keep that in mind. It will go in a captain's chair.

I like to have my baby in the middle because then an adult can sit next to her. DS is outboard.
 

bnsnyde

New member
Here's my take (but there are infinite possibilities with this van!). We have the 2011, and I think it's nearly the exact same.

I would put the baby outboard because it's really hard to get a baby seat or a baby in the middle. (These both involve a twisty back motion that does not work for me). I am pregnant now but even when not I need to be careful.
I would put the FF 3-year-old in the middle for safety (that 8th seat). The Frontier does work there (on harness mode), I've read. So assuming it fits next to your infant seat, that's what I would do. I think put the seats on wide mode, too. This way older child can entertain baby, too (assuming older child is gentle, lol).

We currently have 5 seats installed in our van. It's so nice to have so many options!
 
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romanoma

New member
i added the link to carseatblog above. what she does say is that sliding the empty seat forward to access the back is hard to do with a frontier in the middle. but if you wont need access often, thats still what i would do.
 

Stelvis

New member
It's easy to put a baby in the middle if you have an open seat next to the baby -- you just sit down while buckling the baby in.
 

aeormsby

New member
I liked having the older child on the driver's side (or center) and baby passenger side. I'd load from the passenger side (older child in first to crawl under and around to their seat) and buckle in the baby. Then walk around to the driver's side and finish buckling the older child. Reverse for getting out - unbuckle older child on driver's side, leave them in the car and walk around to passenger side to unbuckle baby (getting stroller on the way if needed) and get everyone out from there.
 

MommyShannon

New member
I liked having the older child on the driver's side (or center) and baby passenger side. I'd load from the passenger side (older child in first to crawl under and around to their seat) and buckle in the baby. Then walk around to the driver's side and finish buckling the older child. Reverse for getting out - unbuckle older child on driver's side, leave them in the car and walk around to passenger side to unbuckle baby (getting stroller on the way if needed) and get everyone out from there.

I think I'd like that if I could actually keep that "tunnel" clear. I end with all the extra diapers, clothes, left behind jackets, etc there!
Every few months I switch everyone around anyway. I can't just let it be. Right now I have seats in for the younger 3 and then put a booster in for dd when she's in and replace it with a second seat for the baby when she's not. You will definitely find what works for you.
 

luckyclov

New member
I have a 2012. As far as I know, it's the same as the 2013. I have 3 kids, but 1 is in the 3rd row. In my 2nd row (I don't keep my 8th seat in), I have a RFing Radian behind the driver and a highback booster behind the passenger. Works great for everyone involved. I don't want any of my kids touching each other in the car.:p
 

Saruca22

New member
Thanks for the replies friends! We got the van and I had no problem installing the Frontier in the middle seat of the second row with latch. You can still slide the outboard seats forward to access the third row and I can even slide that middle seat forward so I can easily reach my three year old if need be. My only concern is that I had to remove the headrest bc the carseat is too tall and then when I put the tether strap over the back it v's out so wide I'm concerned its going to slip off the shoulders of the seat back. Any experience or tips with this? I haven't tried installing it there with the seatbelt but will be curious about that as my daughter gets closer to the 40lb latch limit.
 

Saruca22

New member
Ok so went out to play with the seat again and it must have been leaning to the side a bit when I checked access to third row. It's not impossible to do but doesn't slide forward smoothly and catches a little on the cover clip on the side of the carseat. So might have to rethink putting big girl on the outside. At least when baby comes or I know we need access to the third row. Really don't want to snag my new leather seats! However, I was able to adjust the tether straps a bit though and they seem more secure now. If only the Frontier didn't have those clips on the side or was just one inch narrower and it'd be perfect. :-/
 

maramarrie

New member
The review above says you can't slide a captain's chair forward with a Frontier in the middle and she's right. I tried it in my '13 Odyssey when I was testing other combination seats there. The Frontier just won't do it. It's too wide. If getting more passengers in is something you do often, I'd probably take out one captain's chair and put your FF in the 3rd row, RF in the other 2nd row captain's chair. If you don't want to do that, put the Frontier on the captain's chair outboard and put the RF baby in the center in an infant seat that will fit well there (which may take some more research - I know the Keyfit will fit and allow the 3rd row access).

I agree with wishing it was an inch narrower! I have loved most of our Britax convertible seats (we've had 4 of them) and wanted to naturally go with the Frontier, but it's an inch wider than the rest of their seats. I think they should have just stuck with the same dimensions for those of us that want to just plug it in where a previous Britax seat has been.
 

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