How is your van set up for 3 or 4 kids?

mom2ari

New member
It is car seat shuffle time at our house. Ds's SS1 just expired with the beginning of the new year. He had been in the passanger side captains chair of our '12 Oddy, but now that the convenience of the bucket is gone I am wondering what other people do for their set-up.

We have 2 RFers and 1 FFer at his point, but will be adding a Newbie in September, at which point we will have 2 RFers and 2 FFers At this point my FFer (age 5.5) can buckle herself, but neither RFer (ages: 1.5 and 3.5) can.

What has worked out best for your with 3 and/or 4 children?

Also, on a side note, does anyone know if the TF installs well on the 8th seat?
 
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Syllieann

New member
I have 2 rf and 1 ff in '07. My ff is in captain chair behind driver. Baby is on plus one and the other captains chair is removed. Older rf kid is 3rd row center. I've been really happy with this setup, but I'm not sure it would work so well with 4. If I needed to add another ff, I would probably move both ff to the 3rd row and keep the rf ers in the middle row.
 

rachelandtyke

Well-known member
We currently have 2 rfing and 1 in a booster, but will have 1 rfing, 1 ffing, and 1 in booster within the next 6 months.

rfing seats are in the second row captain's chairs, booster rider is in 3rd row outboard driver side. When DS turns ffing, he will go 3rd row outboard passenger side (I can reach over back of captain's chair to buckle him) and DD2 will stay 2nd row passenger side. That will leave 1 captain's chair free for easier loading and a guest.
 

stephpook

New member
I have 3 FF'ing (1 harnessed, 1 booster, 1 in the adult seatbelt, although he was in a booster up until a month or two ago) and 1 RF'ing in an '07 Ody (but had 2 FF'ing and 2 RF'ing for awhile too).

Currently, my RF'er is in the drivers side captain's chair and my harnessed kid is in the passenger side captains chair. Booster is third row passenger. The other booster used to be third row drivers side.

When I had 2 RF'ers, I had the 2nd row captains' chairs pushed together and the RF'ing seats side by side (until my older RF'er started hitting his sister). My boostered kids were in the same positions they're in now and accessed the third row from the passenger side.
 

jjordan

Moderator
We currently have 4 kids:

infant RF in infant seat, middle row, driver's side
toddler RF in convertible, last row, driver's side
5 year old FF harnessed, middle row, passenger's side
7 year old boostered, last row, passenger's side

The two older kids (on the passenger's side) can buckle themselves. I usually have the toddler climb into her seat while I'm putting the infant seat in, and then I climb up next to the infant seat and reach over and buckle the toddler into the convertible from behind her. Alternately I can open the hatch, stand in the trunk, and buckle her that way.

Before the baby was born we had the same set-up except that the spot currently used by the infant seat was vacant.
 

canadiangie

New member
You have an 8 pass '12 Ody? If so, life is easy. :)

Remove 1 captains chair, have your two rear facers in the 2nd row (8th & remaining captains chair), and your forward facers in the 3rd row.

No experience installing a TF in the 8th, but there are seats that work well in the 8th. Totally doable.
 

Mags462

New member
You have an 8 pass '12 Ody? If so, life is easy. :)

Remove 1 captains chair, have your two rear facers in the 2nd row (8th & remaining captains chair), and your forward facers in the 3rd row.

For 4 children this is what i would do :D

I have 3 children - and drive a 7passanger Sienna and have one captains chair permanently stowed. it's lovely to have all that extra space! :)
 

bobandjess99

Senior Community Member
Well. My kids are 6, 9, 16 and 17. They each sit on a seat, the 6 yo uses a HB booster and the 9 yo uses a backless. They switch them around at will. The older teens are allowed to sit in the front also.
 

mscarder

New member
You have an 8 pass '12 Ody? If so, life is easy. :)

Remove 1 captains chair, have your two rear facers in the 2nd row (8th & remaining captains chair), and your forward facers in the 3rd row.

.

:yeahthat: Well sort of... in my case its a 09 7 passenger Sienna with the passenger captains chair pushed to the center.
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
We currently have 4 in our 8 passenger 05 Ody. (We only have 3 tether anchors, which limits things somewhat, although the one in the third row is allowed to be used in either the center or the passenger side position.)

We have 2 in high-back boosters, second and third row passenger side, a rear-facer third row driver's side, and a forward-facer in the second row driver's side. We leave the center seat in but folded down and the back-seat booster child hops over to climb in (we stow the seat in the trunk, to be used as needed.) When we had 2 harnessed rather than 2 boostered it was the same arrangement, just with a harnessed seat in back. I much prefer having everyone not directly next to anyone! It really helps reduce fighting. The particular arrangement we have is to ensure everyone FF can see the DVD player, and the loud child is in back and the quiet child close to us, and the child with arms long enough to reach to pass things back without being out of position is directly behind me to pass things.
 

MommyShannon

New member
We have an '06 Ody, 7 pax. We have 2 FF, 2 rf. Mostly we keep the passenger side captains seat slid center so in your van I'd remove a captains seat. I have the youngest rf behind driver, 3.5 year old "middle", 2 in boosters in back. It was the same when the big kids were harnessed. I keep the baby behind me since I have to get her out. The older kids or I can unbuckle the 3 yo while I get the baby, if it's a safe place (like home) for 3 yo to get out without me beside her. In the summer when all 4 were together all the time I kept oldest and 3 year old in 2nd row and #2 and baby in the 3rd row. This was the best set up for the least fighting. Oh and it had to be baby behind the oldest or that'd be a huge fight! The 3 yo watches the tv over her shoulder so she had to stay in the 2nd row. The baby (well 18 months now) is starting to watch too so I guess she wouldn't want the back anymore.
 

thepote

New member
We currently have 4 in our 8 passenger 05 Ody. (We only have 3 tether anchors, which limits things somewhat, although the one in the third row is allowed to be used in either the center or the passenger side position.) <snip>.

I thought this was just with Britax because they ok'd the tether angle for the passenger side. Has Honda ok'd it for all seats in the passenger side position?
 

ed_tricia

New member
I have an '04, 8 pass sienna. I have rf toddler driver side, hb booster center, and just added rf infant seat passenger. I open passenger slidog door, have toddler climb through, big kid climb through and buckle self and toddler, click bucket into base. When I have an extra kid (maybe playdate transport), will move my big kid and extra booster for her friend to third row and have them climb over folded seat. In my third row they would both be outboard bc the boosters I own dont fit center and side.
 

featherhead

Well-known member
We have an '03 Odyssey. The passenger side captains chair is pushed to the middle.

2 month old in Keyfit in driver's side captains chair.
2 year old in rear-facing Radian, passenger side captains chair.
6 year old in Monterey, 3rd row drivers side. She buckles herself.
4 year old in FrontierXT, 3rd row passenger side. I kneel on the floor and buckle her and the two year old. In summer without extra clothing she can buckle herself. In winter it's just too tight.
 

LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician
You have an 8 pass '12 Ody? If so, life is easy. :) Remove 1 captains chair, have your two rear facers in the 2nd row (8th & remaining captains chair), and your forward facers in the 3rd row. No experience installing a TF in the 8th, but there are seats that work well in the 8th. Totally doable.

Exactly what I was going to suggest.

We have three kids in a '10 Odyssey. Middle seat is removed with one chair moved toward the middle. Boostered kid is in third row, then I have one RF and one FF in the second row.
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
I thought this was just with Britax because they ok'd the tether angle for the passenger side. Has Honda ok'd it for all seats in the passenger side position?

It's in the LATCH Manual. I measured the angle, it's only 20 degrees off, so within the statuatory allowance. Therefore I'm good with it for all car seats.
 

YinzerMama

New member
2012 ody ex-l. I don't find the center seat in the ody as useful as I'd hoped. I find a lot of things don't install well on it, at least rf. (I came from a 2008 8-pass sienna and there is just no comparison)

Right now I have the youngest rf in a classic marathon in the middle seat. My oldest kid sits passenger side outboard in the middle row. I have the driver's side outboard seat folded flat and slid forward as far as it will go. My 2 5yo girls sit in the 3rd row, each side, in a frontier85. No room between them for anyone else.

Before the weather got crappy I had the baby rf in a radian behind the driver and the middle seat in armrest mode. My girls would just hop over the armrest to get to the back. Trying to get them to slide their brother's seat forward to access the back was an exercise in futility - it was quicker and easier for them to jump through the middle, and if they did remember to move the seat, they didn't always put it back and then it would flop around. I don't mind them hoping over the seat in nice weather but in snowy/yuck weather they get their big brother's seat wet which he understandably doesn't like.

My long term plan if we keep this car is to remove the middle seat and cook up a way to outfit the captains' chairs with inner arm rests. I have a few ideas. Our marathon expires later this year so I won't be able to pull off my winter time set up next year. The baby will be 3 1/2 though so who knows I might end up turning him ff for logistics, I think most seats will install there ff. OR the girls might get the hang of moving a side seat to get to the back, the possibilities are endless. :)

I wish you could still move a captains chair over in the ody. I really wish they would add that feature back. The center seat just isn't enough of a real seat to make up for losing that feature. It was more of a real seat in the sienna.
 
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canadiangie

New member
2012 ody ex-l. I don't find the center seat in the ody as useful as I'd hoped. I find a lot of things don't install well on it, at least rf. (I came from a 2008 8-pass sienna and there is just no comparison)

Right now I have the youngest rf in a classic marathon in the middle seat. My oldest kid sits passenger side outboard in the middle row. I have the driver's side outboard seat folded flat and slid forward as far as it will go. My 2 5yo girls sit in the 3rd row, each side, in a frontier85. No room between them for anyone else.

Before the weather got crappy I had the baby rf in a radian behind the driver and the middle seat in armrest mode. My girls would just hop over the armrest to get to the back. Trying to get them to slide their brother's seat forward to access the back was an exercise in futility - it was quicker and easier for them to jump through the middle, and if they did remember to move the seat, they didn't always put it back and then it would flop around. I don't mind them hoping over the seat in nice weather but in snowy/yuck weather they get their big brother's seat wet which he understandably doesn't like.

My long term plan if we keep this car is to remove the middle seat and cook up a way to outfit the captains' chairs with inner arm rests. I have a few ideas. Our marathon expires later this year so I won't be able to pull off my winter time set up next year. The baby will be 3 1/2 though so who knows I might end up turning him ff for logistics, I think most seats will install there ff. OR the girls might get the hang of moving a side seat to get to the back, the possibilities are endless. :)

I wish you could still move a captains chair over in the ody. I really wish they would add that feature back. The center seat just isn't enough of a real seat to make up for losing that feature. It was more of a real seat in the sienna.


The one seat I find does not install well in the 8th is very specifically a rf classic Britax. The front edge of the car seat doesn't mesh well with the shape of the 8th - so I find it interesting you do get a good install with one. My experience is a Diplomat, Boulevard & Marathon classic, all weren't great with too much side to side movement for my comfort level. Wonder what you're doing differently?
 

YinzerMama

New member
The one seat I find does not install well in the 8th is very specifically a rf classic Britax. The front edge of the car seat doesn't mesh well with the shape of the 8th - so I find it interesting you do get a good install with one. My experience is a Diplomat, Boulevard & Marathon classic, all weren't great with too much side to side movement for my comfort level. Wonder what you're doing differently?

Funny you should ask that...

I was OK with the installation until I saw the video saying it didn't install right - and sure enough if I really, really tried I could get it to move a lot in that position. But the initial installation is very tight and I had to work it a bit to get it to that point. It's like the straps are fine as long as they come straight down, but once you work it a bit, they pop forward into the curve part and then the seat starts to move. If I recline the seat back just right, and make sure the straps lead straight down, and pull as hard as I can, I can get a pretty tight install. My seat has some rubber grippy on the bottom, I don't know if maybe not all of them did, and that makes a difference?

I was not thrilled with it, since it could be dislodged with effort, so I moved it outboard, but getting to the back of the van then was a pain for my kids. Then when I was complaining about it on the vehicles part of the board, tl01 (a tech) said it installed fine

http://www.car-seat.org/showpost.php?p=2672802&postcount=27

so I thought maybe I was just being too picky.

It's not as tight as tight could ever be but I do have less than an inch at the belt path unless I really really try to dislodge it.

The classic roundabout does not do well there at all.

It has no grippy on the bottom and it has the non-handed latch.

I don't like how the radian is there at all even though I know some other people are OK with it. And my nextfit doesn't work there at all.

I tried a peg because I have seen people with pics of the peg there but I felt like it had way too much slippage there for me.

I don't know if I got a wonky ody seat or not. I do feel like the classic marathon has installed the best of any convertvable I have tried there. Not really sure what the magic is. I'd love to know why I can't get other seats to work there that others have been happy with though! I really thought the peg would be it but the base is just sooooooooo slick.
 

Phineasmama

New member
I have a 2010 Dodge GC and my favorite set up is to have one of the captains chairs stowed so everyone can get in and out really easily. However my back bench is terrible for boosters so I only have my oldest back there in the middle, and my two younger kids in the captains chairs.
 

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