dodge grand caravan or similar and rfing cco and xtsl

[teekadog]

Can you help me? It's already keeping me up at night

Next month we are flying cross-country and renting a "Dodge Grand Caravan or Similar." I need to (hope to?) install my Combi Coccoro and Radian XTSL rearfacing in the 3rd row.

I'm very particular about my car seats and read the manuals carefully, etc., and of course I know MY car inside and out, but I am not nearly as savvy as most here and have no experience with this car. And I know we will all be tired and at the end of our patience by the time we get to the rental car so I'm dreading that I'll have a hard time installing the seats before we can get on with our 3-hour drive to our final destination.

Can anyone give me any pointers about this particular install? Can I do seatbelt installs or should I be anticipating using LATCH? What can I use to anchor the rfing tethers? How do the seatbelts lock? Is a locking clip necessary?

Many thanks to any advice anyone can offer!

 

[T4K]

Do you need anyone else in the 3rd row? It's small and there is one full set of LATCH but it's off set so if you use LATCH in the 3rd row to install a seat, only one other seat or person can sit in the 3rd row.

I needed a locking clip to install a ComfortSport so it didn't tip wildly outboard. I've only had one experience so I'm sure others will have more advice.

 

[tarynsmum]

I've done a Radian in the 3rd row in pretty much every seating position. The passenger side 3rd row only works if you have the newer style boot (but since they changed boots in what, 2008? Most are probably safe at this point, but just in case you have an older Radian I thought I'd throw that out there). It installs easily with both seatbelt and with the offset LATCH. The seats (3rd row especially) are really sloped toward the bight of the seat, which is great for a Radian because it makes it nice and upright.

I can't help with the CCO though, sorry.

 

[oakster]

We rented one of these last week. I had trouble with the seatbelt baseless install (European routing, I think similar to the Coccoro) in the third row for our infant seat, for whatever reason (but we had other options for places to put it so I didn't spend a lot of time playing with it). The LATCH anchors, as someone noted, are offset and there's just one set of them in that row, so if you want to use LATCH there, it takes up two seatbelt positions. The center seatbelt in the back is a cinch lock (or something?) instead of an automatic lock that the other belts have, though I'm still unclear on exactly what that means for car seat installs. We ended up getting a really good install in the captain's chair in the second row so just went with that in the end and made the adults sit in the third row.

 

[teekadog]

Ugh yes, this is reminding me of installing in my gparents T&C a few years back. I'd never had to use anything other than ALR!

Tell me, what's the trick to getting those seatbelt installs to stay tight? I had to retighten almost every day! I guess maybe this will be the first time I use a locking clip...

I have the newer Radian boot, fwhew.

It's kind of important that I get both seats rfing back there. The plan is to have DH driving, my older kids in the middle captains chairs in RSTV/LATCHable boosters, and me and the littles in the 3rd row. This is to keep the littles entertained. And DH and I from biting each other's heads off. And we want the girls in the capt. chairs because *we* feel they are safest there.

I just remembered that my good friend has an 08 T&C. Do you think it would be worth it to ask her if I can get busy in her third row? You know, to try out new positions

Thanks for the help! And thanks in advance for anymore help anyone can offer!

 

[tarynsmum]

The outboard seatbelts are regular old switchable retractors (the captains chairs are too, but I know you're worried about the 3rd row). Does anyone have to be back there too, or just the 2 RFers? If you're really worried about the center seatbelt, install one seat with the offset LATCH and one seat on the passenger side outboard.

 

[ketchupqueen]

FYI- last time we rented a "DGC or similar," it was a Toyota Sienna... Ahem. Ask for a manual for whatever vehicle you get, hopefully they'll have one. You might want to print out a list of vehicle LATCH weight limits and such to take with you in case you get something totally unexpected.

 

[teekadog]

FYI- last time we rented a "DGC or similar," it was a Toyota Sienna... Ahem. Ask for a manual for whatever vehicle you get, hopefully they'll have one. You might want to print out a list of vehicle LATCH weight limits and such to take with you in case you get something totally unexpected.

Oy. But will do, thanks for the heads up.

And good to know more about the 3rd row seatbelts, thanks.

 

[jourdysmom]

I have a 2008...

Unless you are teeny tiny, don't expect to sit 3rd row with 2 seats... my 12 year old 5'1" 115# has **just** enough room...

I would do the RSTV center with the 2 RF seats 3rd row, and the booster and you 2nd row. You can pass stuff back to the RSTV kiddo to pass around.

Sent from my DROIDX using Car-Seat.Org

 

[teekadog]

Wow, thanks, I totally forgot they redesigned in 08 and I was busy picturing my grandparents' 07...