Question Fitting 5 booster/car seats into 2005 Dodge caravan?

[Denee85]

We have a 2005 Dodge grand caravan with Stow n Go seating.
The middle row is captains chairs (both with Latch) and the back row is a bench seat (with three seat belts and one off-set Latch)

We currently have 4 children:
8yr old-49 inches tall/56lbs *Graco backless booster uses shoulder belt/currently back bench

4 yr old-42 inches tall/41lbs *Nautilus with 5p harness/currently uses the only LATCH on the back bench which is off-set.

3 yr old-40 inches tall/35 lbs *Nautilus with 5p harness/currently passenger side captains chair and uses LATCH.

15 month old-31 inches tall/22lbs *Evenflo Triumph/currently drivers side capt chair-REAR FACES and uses LATCH.

We plan to hopefully have another baby in the next year,and would prefer to NOT need to buy a bigger vehicle yet.
Any seating ideas for the car seats we have now and the potential for another car seat (infant seat RF)?

 

[mylittlet]

You will need some narrower carseats, sorry. The nautilus and triumphs are not 3 across friendly. Would you be willing to put a rf in the 3rd row?

 

[Denee85]

I would be OK with my *now* one yr old Being RF in the third row by the time we would have another baby he would be able to climb in his seat at least...but then my concern is he would be near three yrs old and possibly too heavy to RF :/

I love the nautilus seats and how secure the Triumph is installed in our van-we bought the triumph due to how the seats in our van are slanted and none of our other convertible car seats would install good......Maybe a new vehicle would be simpler....lol

 

[Kat_Momof3]

my in laws have that exact van and I have the regular caravan (not grand... no stow n' go)

this is what I would do... start thinking RADIAN... it will be a running theme for doing 3-across.

first... backless booster in the 2nd row... reasons... 1, the seats are taller and long-term, this child will need the headroom 2, easier to move that seat and flip the captain's chair to let others in first long term as more kids back there are forward facing and kids are getting in from both sides, and 3 - this is the oldest child who can help others get buckled and snug before quickly buckling his/her own seat.

what I would do after that has options, depending on how many new seats you want to end up buying... and whether or not you will be using an infant seat.

Option A
2nd row - backless booster and new baby
3rd row - (depending on what slots the 4yr old is on in her nauti right now) - FF Radians and RF Radian (rf radian behind baby so it won't interfere with the headrest for the booster rider) - push the headrest on that seating position all the way down and you can load the toddler over the back hatch (this is easier in a regular caravan that doesn't have that well if you aren't tall, but it still works if you can get used to it before you add a majorly preggo belly to the mix)

Once baby is out of infant seat, put the evenflo triumph in the 2nd row rearfacing if not expired... otherwise, see if you can put a nautilus there and turn the other outboard radian rearfacing (since the center has the top tether anchor for the forward facer)

Option B - no infant seat

Radians as before in the back.... but how many depends on your comfort zone... I would be fine putting a newb back there because I love how easy it is to load through the hatch, but I'm tall (5'7) and have the regular caravan, so there's no sunken area in the back storage)... if you are fine with that, I'd put a combi coccoro rearfacing outboard, forward facing radian center for the 4yr old (oldest of the younger ones in the middle to help entertain and replace a pacifier and top tether is there) and the other rearfacer in a radian on the other side.

I'd then have the 3yr old in the Nautilus (until you can be sure the 3yr old is able to be between the babies... then maybe switch the two forward facing kids) in the 2nd row.

now, if not comfortable with the baby back there until 6mo-1yr old, I'd do bubble bum or cosco top side for the oldest and put the 8yr old in the 3rd row, then the 3yr old forward facing in a radian, and the 1yr old rearfacing behind the baby and the 4yr old forward facing in a nauti in the 2nd row for the first 6mo... and then move the coccoro back there when you are. And any rearfacing seat will install reclined enough if you use some pool noodle sections/rolled towels... Radians install so well in the dodge/chrysler vans from that year it is scary (may have to twist down 3rd row buckle stalks but if I remember, that's just true of the caravan, not the grand with the stow n' go)

 

[lorismurph]

I would get the 8yo a Harmony or Bubble Bum or Topside (when needed).

I have the Regular Caravan and have fit multiple combos in the back but I think mine is slightly wider than yours. You may need a Radian in the back.

I'd try: Nautilus, Radian, Harmony
Nautilus, EFTA

I can try that combo in my car if you'd like but my Radians are the older version as is my van.

 

[Denee85]

[/QUOTE]
now, if not comfortable with the baby back there until 6mo-1yr old, I'd do bubble bum or cosco top side for the oldest and put the 8yr old in the 3rd row, then the 3yr old forward facing in a radian, and the 1yr old rearfacing behind the baby and the 4yr old forward facing in a nauti in the 2nd row for the first 6mo... and then move the coccoro back there when you are. And any rearfacing seat will install reclined enough if you use some pool noodle sections/rolled towels... Radians install so well in the dodge/chrysler vans from that year it is scary (may have to twist down 3rd row buckle stalks but if I remember, that's just true of the caravan, not the grand with the stow n' go)[/QUOTE]


So basically I'd just need to buy one Radian which would be for my *now* youngest (the one year old) to RF with my 8 yr old (who I'd need to buy a either a bubblebum or harmony for) and the 4 yr old in one of the Nautilus

Then the new baby would be in the Triumph and 3 yr old would be in his nautilus?

I really hope this set up would work because we JUST bought the two Nautilus and the Triumph!!
I am perfectly fine with the *new* baby being in the Triumph since I don't use an infant carrier outside of the car-I babywear

 

[Denee85]

I would get the 8yo a Harmony or Bubble Bum or Topside (when needed).

I have the Regular Caravan and have fit multiple combos in the back but I think mine is slightly wider than yours. You may need a Radian in the back.

I'd try: Nautilus, Radian, Harmony
Nautilus, EFTA

I can try that combo in my car if you'd like but my Radians are the older version as is my van.

That would be great!
I was looking at the cost of Radians and wow....I'd like to have a good idea of the fit before I get carried away!

 

[Phineasmama]

Radians are generally great for RFing in Caravans. *Because* the seats are so angled, and the Radians are very reclined seats in general, they work perfectly. I have a 2010 and have also put them in my in laws older body style Caravan.

And they really aren't super expensive if you get them online, you have time to search around for deals. There are three different models, with the R100 being the least expensive (but only rear faces to 40 lbs) and then the R120 (rear facing to 45 lbs but no head wings) and the RXT (rear face to 45 lbs and has head wings).

 

[LifeAtHome]

I have a 2005 Chrysler T&C Touring, so same van, same year, just Chrysler tags. I also have a new Radian RXT, and a spare GN and I've played with them for a few hours in the third row a while ago thinking about 3 across options in the future. I hate to be a wet blanket, and maybe it's just me because I'm not a tech, but I can't say I totally agree about the Radian installing that easily in the third row, not in all positions anyway. It does install FF outboard great, and I got a good install RF center, but I couldn't get a RF outboard that I was comfortable with because of the hinge on the vehicle seat interfering with the foot on the Radian. But you would want the RF seat outboard and the FF seat center because of the anchor, and better access, and putting the less protected child center. Also, 2 of the 3 belt stalks in my third row have stiff plastic attached to them to prevent twisting, this also prevented a good FF center install. I would be happy to go out and move seats around tomorrow and post pics if it would be helpful, hopefully someone can tell me I'm doing something wrong because booster/nauti/rf radian would be ideal if the Radian will install there.

 

[lorismurph]

Do you have a lap/shoulder belt in all seating locations?
Here's what I found:

Nautilus, RF Radian, Harmony fits

Nautilus, FF Radian, Harmony does NOT fit (a bubble bum would fit though)

Nautilus, Harmony, FF Radian fits

I'm in the same boat. Come May, when this baby comes, I will have kids age 11, 8, 6, and almost 4.

 

[Denee85]

Thank you for taking the time!!
If we keep our current dodge caravan,I'll need to invest in a radian and a slimmer backless booster.....
We are considering either a suburban or a larger van like a 12 passenger since we don't know how many children we'll end up having

Thank you again for posting the pictures!!

 

[LifeAtHome]

I played around with mine too. The stow n go seats are harder to work with than hers look because of the huge hinges for folding them. I only have a manual lap belt in the center and I'm betting you do too. That rules out booster in the middle, and that belt would benefit from a locking clip. I can get the Radian tight at the beltpath RF center but if it gets jostled at the top of the seat that manual belt loosens up immediately and there isn't room between the buckle and seat for a locking clip. Unless it's ok to put the locking clip higher and let it sit inside the beltpath? Seems like that would be a no no but I could be wrong. Otherwise having kids climb around it to reach the outboard seats it would never stay tight. RF Radian outboard is not an option for 3 across either because of those hinges, you have to put it so far in to avoid the hinges that you waste 4 inches of space between the seat and the side of the van. I can get a secure install center with the radian ff (you do have to fight with that plastic piece to get the belt stalk twisted down though.) That leaves 18" on the passenger side where you can fit a nautilus or an infant seat. I think you might be able to fit the triumph there too, if it puzzles with the radian. It looks like it might because the base is narrower but it might be hard to access the tightening knobs. It would be worth trying, My True fit worked there, its a bit narrower but doesn't puzzle great. You can't move the radian further left because of the hinges at the seat split, so that leaves 15" for a booster on driver side, 16" if they puzzle well. You can also put ff radian PSOB with Nauti center and have about the same space left for a booster.
So in short, I would try:
RF EFTA/FF Radian/narrow booster
Nautilus/Infant seat second row
Or if the EFTA won't fit there:
FF Radian/Nautilus/booster
Infant seat/EFTA second row