New van PICTURES!

[TXDani]

Jenny~Your van is sooo pretty!!! I wish you many, many, many safe days in it!!! Yeah I am so exicited for you it is almost sick!

 

[scatterbunny]

Thanks, Dani!

 

[Splash]

That looks in really great shape for an 8 year old van! Good pick! I was hoping you'd go with that one.
Is there a drop down shoulderbelt for the rear center, or is it lap belt only? And no headrest Oh well. Four rear headrests with shoulderbelts isn't bad for a van of that era!
Oh, and are there factory installed tethers? I'm pretty sure there would be... what about lower anchors? My friend has a 2000 Windstar with FOUR full sets of LATCH. FOUR! My van is a 2006 and it only has three!

 

[joolsplus3]

The van and the 1/2 ton look so nice together in the driveway (It shows I'm a Ford guy ). They make the little yellow toyota in the background look ugly. Nice choice of a vehicle!

Eeeew, that Ugly Yellow Thing isn't a Toyota!!! That's a Chevy! (Aveo
http://www.chevrolet.com/aveo/photogallery/)

Anyway, that's a gorgeous van, Jenny! I love how all your seats match it in their own way.... either the grey(cover/straps) or green(love that compass!)

 

[RubysGirl]

Oh it's beautiful!!

I'm confused, I thought you wanted a car?

I'm still jealous, that's a beautiful van, one I'd love to drive. LOL

 

[nisi]

Very sharp looking van! The single color with chrome trim is my favorite look for the Windstar. And that's a very pretty green.

Hey, maybe you need a RideSafer for the 3rd row? I keep one back there so I can safely use the lap belt spot when I have a van full. Though Hayley is probably too tall to use it in the center. DD1 just has enough head support, and judging by the Husky pictures, Hayley sits a little taller than she does. But it's a nice narrow option for outboard, too.

The T&C is a nice van, but I couldn't get past the Generation 3 seatbelts. I couldn't afford a Honda or Toyota minivan, and the Venture/Silhouette didn't impress me in crash testing, so the Windstar was it.

That's exactly the line of logic I went through. In a way it makes the car shopping process much easier when you can narrow it down to ONE model you're willing and able to buy.

 

[cpsaddict]

That is sooo nice Jenny! So roomy. I want that much room.

 

[scatterbunny]

That looks in really great shape for an 8 year old van! Good pick! I was hoping you'd go with that one.
Is there a drop down shoulderbelt for the rear center, or is it lap belt only? And no headrest Oh well. Four rear headrests with shoulderbelts isn't bad for a van of that era!
Oh, and are there factory installed tethers? I'm pretty sure there would be... what about lower anchors? My friend has a 2000 Windstar with FOUR full sets of LATCH. FOUR! My van is a 2006 and it only has three!

I thought the same thing--such good shape for an 8yo vehicle!

No shoulderbelt for the middle of the third row. That's why I'm considering a Radian or a narrower booster than the Compass, or something else. I am obsessed with being able to fit three-across in my third row now.

I believe there are tether anchors in all seating positions, but I've only actually checked out the ones in the middle row so far. No lower anchors, those were added in 2000. I tried hard to find a 2000 in my price range, but I could only find 99 and 2001, and didn't like the 2001 enough to pay $1300 more (for a BASE model with no adjustable front headrests).

Eeeew, that Ugly Yellow Thing isn't a Toyota!!! That's a Chevy! (Aveo
http://www.chevrolet.com/aveo/photogallery/)

Anyway, that's a gorgeous van, Jenny! I love how all your seats match it in their own way.... either the grey(cover/straps) or green(love that compass!)

Hehe, I don't think they match well enough! As much as I dislike Onyx, I was thinking how nice that would look on the Husky and Parkway (they have it for the Parkway, right?).

Oh it's beautiful!!

I'm confused, I thought you wanted a car?

I'm still jealous, that's a beautiful van, one I'd love to drive. LOL

I did want a car at first, mainly because of gas mileage--but when I sat down and really figured how much I drive a month and how much a car would save me, it wasn't much more than $20-$30 a month! That savings was not enough for us to trade in the space of a minivan. We just love them too much. When Mark gave me his input, that sealed the deal. He really wanted me to stick with a van.

Very sharp looking van! The single color with chrome trim is my favorite look for the Windstar. And that's a very pretty green.

Hey, maybe you need a RideSafer for the 3rd row? I keep one back there so I can safely use the lap belt spot when I have a van full. Though Hayley is probably too tall to use it in the center. DD1 just has enough head support, and judging by the Husky pictures, Hayley sits a little taller than she does. But it's a nice narrow option for outboard, too.QUOTE]

I hadn't thought of a RideSafer because of the lack of headrest, but it might work for smaller kids. I just wonder how often we'll have smaller kids in the van now that Hayley's getting older? It could work outboard though, instead of that wide Compass, and I could then fit a seat in the center.

That is sooo nice Jenny! So roomy. I want that much room.

Maybe we should take my van to the beach next weekend instead of your Escape!

 

[cpsaddict]

I was just thinking how much fun you and I can have with so many seating configurations and so many car seats! Seriously, we could take your van. You probably know the way better than I, unless we are going to Cape Lookout! I know that way like the back of my hand.

Oh, I've collected a few things for Haley! The BEST watercolors ever!


Maybe we should take my van to the beach next weekend instead of your Escape! [/QUOTE]

 

[Michi]

Congratulations!
It looks SO nice! ( and Hayley looks SO big in her Regent/husky!)
Happy driving!
Michi

 

[scatterbunny]

Thanks, Michi.

Jacky, yes, let's take my van. Bring your seats, and we'll "play" for awhile. :ROTFLMAO: Then we can drive to the beach, as long as we have good weather. What if we don't? It's POURING today.

 

[Kecia]

Congrats Jenny! It's beautiful and I'm jealous of all your TAs! LOL!

Kecia

 

[Laurenc0101]

Congratulations on the new van! Hayley is beautiful!

Lauren

 

[scatterbunny]

Hehe, only on a board like this would you hear something like, "I'm jealous of all your TAs".

Thanks, girls!

 

[Jordynsmama]

Your dd is so tall for 5.5...long legs...she looks like she's 7 or 8! Glad to see her fit so well in the seat. She's very cute!

 

[all together ooky]

Oh, I'm so happy for you! Getting a van is great! (I just got a Dodge with the 3rd gen belts). Having so much room comes in so handy. I can't believe how many times I've had at least five people in it. You'll love it!

 

[cpsaddict]

Thanks, Michi.

Jacky, yes, let's take my van. Bring your seats, and we'll "play" for awhile. :ROTFLMAO: Then we can drive to the beach, as long as we have good weather. What if we don't? It's POURING today.

Ok, so all the seats are coming. That's a Scenera, Snugride, Turbo and Right Fit. I can show you my three across talents! If it's pouring?? Umm, I guess figure it out then? I think the forecast looks "ok" for Sunday, but that could change between now and then. After all, it is Oregon!

 

[scatterbunny]

I'm so excited! I hope I can fit three-across in my third row with my Parkway and your Scenera and Turbo, or maybe with the Scenera and Right Fit. I want to be able to fit my friend's 2yo and my other friend's 4yo and 7yo. I'm already watching the 2yo 2-3 days a week, and may start watching the 4yo and 7yo in the next couple of months.

Heck, even if it's raining we should be able to do it--pile all the seats in the trunk and front seats and close the sliding doors, it'll work!

 

[cpsaddict]

I'm so excited! I hope I can fit three-across in my third row with my Parkway and your Scenera and Turbo, or maybe with the Scenera and Right Fit. I want to be able to fit my friend's 2yo and my other friend's 4yo and 7yo. I'm already watching the 2yo 2-3 days a week, and may start watching the 4yo and 7yo in the next couple of months.

Heck, even if it's raining we should be able to do it--pile all the seats in the trunk and front seats and close the sliding doors, it'll work!

OMG, that's what I was thinking! "her van is big enough, we could turn it into our own little car seat club house!" That would be so funny! We'll have to take pictures for sure. I am also getting really excited!

Oh, in my Escape, I can do a Turbo outboard passenger, Snugride middle and Scenera FF on the drivers side. I think the Parkway would fit better, due to not having the armrests.

 

[TheRealMacGyver]

AWESOME JENNY.

I've been busy and just saw this post, I'm glad you found something you like. At least you don't have to go carseat shopping too!