Can I safely fit 3 across in a 2009 Nissan Versa?

[sonatasmama]

We are expecting baby number three in October

We drive a 2009 Nissan Versa and we've tried to see if three carseats would fit in the backseat and we can't do it.

Just wanted to ask here if anyone has safely done it...if it can be done? I know that Nissan just came out with a 2012 versa that WILL fit three across but this car doesn't seem like it will and trading it in or buying a new car is not an option for us.

Would appreciate any feedback from anyone who has safely put three car seats in the back of a Versa 2009, please.

My son is still rear facing at age 21 months and 22 lbs. My daughter is 4 years old, 40 lbs and forward facing in a booster. So I'd still need room for a new infant seat.

This is my first post...would appreciate any advice, pls. thanks!

 

[wendytthomas]

What booster is your four year old in? With a harness, I hope? And what seat is your 21 month old rear facing in? Would you be open to a convertible from birth?

Wendy

 

[sonatasmama]

The booster is a Backless Turbo Booster Seat. DH just installed it yesterday and he said it doesn't have a harness. Is it supposed to? What's a harness? (please educate me and forgive my ignorance! I certainly want to make sure the seat's as safe as possible!)

The 21 month old is in a Safety 1st Alpha Omega Elite Convertible Car Seat.

I would be open to a convertible from birth for the baby as long as I can ERF with it.



thank you for answering

 

[wendytthomas]

Ok. I wouldn't put a four year old in a booster in the first place, and definitely not a backless. Those are for when a high back booster is outgrown, usually about 8-10 years old. A harness is what your 21 month uses. You buckle his harness up, versus using the seatbelt.

Also, in a tight three across, buckling a booster between two seats is difficult or impossible, and it can lead to unbuckling the other carseat. So we generally suggest harnessing for that reason alone, even for five, six, seven, and occasionally eight year olds, just so you don't have to fight between seats every time you get into the car.

Which AOE do you have? The 40, 50, or 65 pound version? Do you have the base on it? Removing the base, if you can, will give you more room.

Do you have an infant seat to use from your other kids? Or are you just getting a new one?

I would look at a Diono Radian for your four year old to use forward facing for now if you get an infant seat. It's VERY narrow, harnesses to 65 or 80 pounds with 17.5" top slots, and if you use an infant seat now, you can pass it down to your 21 month old to rear face in when the infant outgrows the infant seat (who will then go into the AOE, if it's still in the equation). Between a Radian and a hopefully baseless AOE, I'd look at the Graco Snugride 30, Combi Shuttle 33, Chicco Keyfit, Cybex Aton, and Safety 1st onBoard 35. They all are fairly narrow with rectangular bases (rather than some bases that flare out, making them too wide).

If you want to go straight to a convertible, I'd look at maybe a Radian in the middle for the new baby, a Combi Coccoro (very short seat, though), maybe a Graco My Ride if it fits well with others, Cosco Scenera. If you get a My Ride or Radian for the baby, I'd look at an Evenflo SecureKid for your oldest, as it's pretty narrow and has great harness height and weight limits, and then turns into a decent booster.

Wendy

 

[sonatasmama]

I should have mentioned that my 4 year old is 40 lbs and 54 inches tall. For that reason, her ped has suggested we go to the backless turbo booster.


Thanks for the info....researching these seats you suggested...

Another question....how do we try all these diff seat combos without buying the seats until we know what fits?

 

[wendytthomas]

Ok, your pediatrician with no carseat training is telling you to go to a backless booster.

The carseat technician with six years of experience in the carseat world (plus more as a parent) is suggesting that maybe you 1) might have the inappropriate seat and 2) might find it VERY tough to actually buckle when the time comes.

Here's the why behind it. A child's skeleton does not ossify completely until six years old or so. Until then they are at increased risk of internal decapitation. It's rare, but it's hard to survive when it happens. When you hear of kids (and adults) dying of neck injuries in car crashes, this is usually what it is. For that reason, we rear face as long as possible, ideally to about four years old. After that we use a harness with a top tether to reduce head excursion, to keep the head back so it doesn't move as much, and certainly doesn't impact the seat in front of is, snapping it back. Also, most four year olds don't have the maturity to sit properly in any booster seat. About the time you'd trust your four year old to cross streets alone, use the oven, use very sharp knives, etc. then it's ok to move to a booster. That shows understanding that there can be dire consequences. I like a high back booster for a young booster rider (5-6 years old) because it adjusts the shoulder belt (an uncomfortable child will put the belt behind them or under their arm, putting their lives in danger), has a shell to remind them to hold still, and gives them some place to rest their head so they don't slump if they sleep.

Generally pediatricians know nothing about carseats. They also still tell parents to forward face at 1 year and 20 pounds, when that hasn't been the recommendation by their own AAP since 2002.

BRU will let you take seats out so you can try them in your car. They don't carry the Radians, though. Buy Buy Baby usually has Radians and will let you take them out. They often have the other seats as well. If you have one of those, that'd be my first suggestion.

Wendy

 

[Baylor]

Ignore the ped. The 4 yrold needs a harnessed seat.

Take advice about car seat safety from car seat safety experts. Advice about health from ped.

auto correct hates me

 

[monstah]

Hi and welcome! I'm sorry your pediatrician is giving you dangerous advice. Our previous doctor was also giving out bad car seat information so I know how it feels. My SIL's pediatrician told her that her DS needed to be forward facing at one year old even though anyone who spent 10 seconds doing the research knows how dangerous that is. :/

I think Wendy has some good advice and questions RE the 3 across.

Here's a good handout that I like, maybe this will help?

 

[xursusmaritimusx]

I should have mentioned that my 4 year old is 40 lbs and 54 inches tall. For that reason, her ped has suggested we go to the backless turbo booster.


Thanks for the info....researching these seats you suggested...

Another question....how do we try all these diff seat combos without buying the seats until we know what fits?

just curious.. did you mean 44 inches?

in my signature you can see my 5.5 year old 43" 50lb child still comfortably harnessed with room to grow..... just wanted you to see that your child can still ride safely in a car seat and not a booster

 

[mylittlet]

Your ped knows about shots, broken bones and illnesses, unless he is a carseat tech he doesn't know about carseat safety. Our ped recommended me (a cpst) to ff my 18m. I told her that it would not be happening. She is educated in health. I am educated in child passenger safety.

Your 4y needs to be in a harnessed seat. What is his torso height? Have him sit against a wall criss cross and measure from floor to shoulder.

 

[sonatasmama]

sorry yes I meant to say 44 inches tall


I can't see that page one of you linked. it says I don't have access..


thanks for all the wonderful advice! Of course I want to do what is safest for my kids so I will put the backless booster in the closet for at least another year.


Do you think I can fit 2 combi cocorros (one for the 4 year old, one for the 21 month old), and a combi shuttle 35 in the back of the nissan versa?

We measured the length of the backseat and it's 49 inches.

 

[xursusmaritimusx]

unfortunately your 4 year old is more than likely too tall for the combi coccoro.....

im just wondering because i think you def need a radian or two, like wendy suggested. 1 for sure for your 4 year old and i would go ahead and get one for your 21 month old because i know it can rear face in the versa.

then try to find a very slim infant seat for the baby if thats the the kind of seat you want to use, or get a combi coccoro right off the bat.

if you did the coccoro and 2 radians i would install them like this.

coccoro/rear facing radian / forward facing radian all using the seat belt. it will be a SUPER super tight fit with that set up but outside of buying a new car i think thats one of your only workable options

 

[wendytthomas]

The Coccoro also has a 40 pound limit, so your four year old is too heavy.

Glad you're putting the booster back in the closet. I thought we had scared you away.

Wendy

 

[xursusmaritimusx]

The Coccoro also has a 40 pound limit, so your four year old is too heavy.

Glad you're putting the booster back in the closet. I thought we had scared you away.

Wendy

oh yeah.. and that too lol sorry completely over looked that

 

[sonatasmama]

agh! I made a mistake. I meant to say we would be putting the 4 year old in a HBB TB, the 21 month old in a combi cocorro, and the infant in a combi cocorro.

Do you think that will fit?

I'm really trying to avoid having to buy a radian...It's hard enough as it is to afford the combi cocorro!


or does anyone have any suggestions for anything less expensive that would fit all three?

thank you all! not scared away at all...just a learning experience!

 

[wendytthomas]

Which AOE do you have? I don't know if that was answered. Without the base the 40 pound version is fairly narrow. If you have that and can remove the base, you could then get an Evenflo SecureKid for your four year old (need a harness, a high back booster is less than ideal due to maturity and space issues) and then a Cosco Scenera for the baby. Those together are cheaper than one Radian.

Wendy

 

[sonatasmama]

I don't know how to find the weight limit for the one I have because I lost the manual.

But this is the one that the 21 month old rides in:

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Safety-Alpha-Omega-Convertible-Lamont/dp/B0043D2A9O/ref=sr_1_2?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1336180434&sr=1-2"]Amazon.com: Safety 1st Alpha Omega Elite 3 in 1 Convertible Car Seat, Lamont: Baby[/ame]



and guess what else I just found out?! The Alpha Omega that my 4 year old had been riding in has been recalled!


http://www.coscojuvenile.com/usa/en...Restraint-System-Center-Front-Adjuster-Recall

hers is the Alpha Omega 22469BSE.....what do I do now?!

 

[monstah]

You have a 40 pound weight limit on the AOE.
You can call Dorel and have them send you a repair kit (which IIRC is a tube of lubricant :/ ) In the meantime, after you buckle kiddo up, pull on the straps and make sure they don't loosen. If they DO loosen, you can't use that seat again until you get a repair kit and replacing that seat would be on (my) list of priorities.

Which AOE do you have? I don't know if that was answered. Without the base the 40 pound version is fairly narrow. If you have that and can remove the base, you could then get an Evenflo SecureKid for your four year old (need a harness, a high back booster is less than ideal due to maturity and space issues) and then a Cosco Scenera for the baby. Those together are cheaper than one Radian.

Wendy

I think this is a great suggestion. :thumbsup:


Have you looked for a seat check close to you? Now that the summer is upon us, more have been getting scheduled. There may also be a tech from this board close to you who can provide a private check.

http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=59135
http://www.nhtsa.gov/Safety/CPS
http://www.safekids.org/in-your-area/

 

[sonatasmama]

Which AOE do you have? I don't know if that was answered. Without the base the 40 pound version is fairly narrow. If you have that and can remove the base, you could then get an Evenflo SecureKid for your four year old (need a harness, a high back booster is less than ideal due to maturity and space issues) and then a Cosco Scenera for the baby. Those together are cheaper than one Radian.

Wendy

I called and got the repair skit for my daughter's AO.

these three will not fit. We're only working with 49 inches

 

[xursusmaritimusx]

im not sure those seats will puzzle very well in this car?