Nauti and top tether

[MommaTooters]

I'm getting ready to switch the seats around in my van and because of the darn integrated child seat (should have never gotten a van with that stupid thing---though it HAS come in handy a time or two when I had someone elses kdis with me!) I only have one set of lower LATCH hooks. Which leaves me with limited seating configurations. I just moved the six year old to the driver side captains chair in his Graco Affix, the new baby will ride on the passenger side with the base installed with the seatbelt and then the four year old will be in the back, in the Nauti...he still cannot buckle himself, well he can buckle, he just can't unbcukle because of the way the crotch strap is made.

SO...after all that, my question is this...
Can the Nauti be installed on the passenger side outboard all the way in the back with the seatbelt and not top tethered? I can only use the tether if he is in the middle of the driver side and both of those places make it impossible for me to reach him to get him strapped in.

 

[wendytthomas]

It *can* be. I'd put the Affix back there, though, and put the four year old where there's a top tether.

Wendy

 

[MommaTooters]

I don't have anywhere to put the Affix back there with a LATCH, the reason I got it...ugh!

 

[wendytthomas]

What van is this?

Wendy

 

[MommaTooters]

It's a 2005 Chevy Uplander - with the darn integrated child seat on the middle passenger captains chair. No lower LATCH, just top tether. Third row has top tether only in center of seat or driver side.

 

[wendytthomas]

My LATCH manual doesn't mention anything about the integrated seats, but it says you have two sets of LATCH in the middle row and one top tether in the third.

Can you remove the seat with the integrated seat, put the six year old in the captain's chair and the Nautilus and baby in the third row?

Wendy

 

[MommaTooters]

My LATCH manual doesn't mention anything about the integrated seats, but it says you have two sets of LATCH in the middle row and one top tether in the third.

Can you remove the seat with the integrated seat, put the six year old in the captain's chair and the Nautilus and baby in the third row?

Wendy

I will double check again (in juse a few minutes when I run out to the van) on the LATCH hooks for the seat with the integrated child seat. I would put two in the back but one would have to go in the middle and one outboard drivers side and I'm not sure I can share a top tether...there is only one top tether in the back and it's in the middle of the back of the seat but the manual says I can either use the middle of the seat or the drivers side. If I remember correctly.

 

[MommaTooters]

wendytthomas...I see you drive a Mazda 5! I really want to trade our van in for one of those but I'm just not sure yet. With three kids I wonder how I would handle carseat configuration once the youngest (he's a small four year old) outgrew the harness. But I'm sure by the time he's ready for that the six year old might be in a backless booster...! Why can't every seat have LATCH now days?!

 

[MommaTooters]

Okay, just went to check and I was right. The ONLY seat in my van with lower LATCH is the drivers side, middle row, captains chair

 

[wendytthomas]

That's so odd. By law they're required to have two sets of LATCH, but I guess the integrated seat counts as one?

You can use the tether either on the driver's or center? Put the baby rear facing back there, the four year old forward facing with the tether on the driver's side, and put the six year old in front of the four year old, then remove the other captain's chair? Would that work?

Wendy

 

[MommaTooters]

Yea, I think I read somewhere that they could get away with it because of the integrated seat. Darn thing. I believe I read that I can use the tether on the driver side and in the middle...I will have to double check but I want to say that's what I read. Just can't share the tether with another seat.

The baby can go rear facing in the back, (would have to use the seatbelt to secure it, but that's fine.) along with the six year old (he would LOVE that, seriously!) but I just wish I could LATCH the Affix since that's why we bought that seat. Guess I should have paid better attention to my seats before I did!

I don't really want to take a seat out though because we don't have anywhere to store it while not in use. No garage and no storage shed

 

[wendytthomas]

I hear you on removing the seat. My spare stuff is in my closet, and I think I'd be hard pressed to put a car's seat in there (though I have a booster back and a couple of seats in there). If you could, though, that would probably get you to an angle where you could help the four year old in the third row, get the baby in, and the six year old could be LATCHed on the driver's side.

Is the trunk big enough for the seat to be stored (you'd have to tie it down so it's safe) and for you to still have trunk space?

Wendy

 

[MommaTooters]

I only wish the trunk was large enough! I finally got rid of my double stroller because I had to take both front wheels off to get the gate to close and then that was all that would fit in there! Forget going shopping and using the double stroller!

 

[snowbird25ca]

Yeah, the Venture really isn't that big when it comes to cargo space behind the 3rd row.

You're right that having an integrated seat changes the number of lower anchor positions they need to have in the vehicle.

It might be nice to have more seating positions with lower anchors in them, but it would probably result in having less seating positions overall then because some vehicles simply aren't wide enough to have 3 sets of lower anchors in a row - especially if you're talking a third row. I'd love to see top tethers required in all rear seating positions though - that would be great to see.

 

[MommaTooters]

Surely there is a way to include the integrated seat along with LATCH?! You would think! And at least one set of lower LATCH in the third row! This van is definately not my top pick for being carseat userfriendly, that's for sure. If was easier to trade it in I would be all over that...but I just don't think my dh would let me trade it in just for more carseat configuring options!