OH NO!!! Help, wwyd? Lots of questions.

[fyrfightermomma]

Thinking back there just no way you are gonna get a Radian in the 3rd row and still have your boys buckle. And there was no way that bad boy was going in RFing (or would fit even if it would install).

So I agree with everyone else. Go for the other 3rd row. Without putting a RFing seat in the 3rd row (which I also wouldn't want!) I don't see how it will work without boostering someone earlier than you'd like or turning some forward facing earlier than you like. I Hope it all works out. And no I won't be up again until next summer if even then cause of the new babe. Wish I could be more help!

 

[melniemi]

Thanks - I will go get the 3 seater for the middle row. It sounds like the best solution I think. And thanks for the reassurance that the radian won't work - I was thinking that "just maybe they can buckle" but there wasn't even enough room to fit their hands in there.

Otherwise dd2 goes ffing in the third row and I have to climb in to buckle her or ds3 goes in the third row and I have to climb in to get his kf in the back. If I didn't have to climb in and through the captain's chairs, it wouldn't be a big deal. I climbed in w/o a captain's chair on one side and it worked great. But my van is small inside w/o much room to move around, let alone with a kf in tow!

About buckling from standing outside the van - well I'm 5'3" and with the cargo area, I can barely reach the top of the back seat, let alone reach over to buckle. I'd have to climb in the trunk.

eta - called the CL guy on the van seats - he wants $50/seat, not $50 for all 3. hmmm...now I'll have to run it by my dh rather than just doing it.

 

[NannyMom]

I can install a seat in the ALR lapbelt spot right? It's just one that I'll pull out all the way and it'll lock?

Thanks.

Yes, you can install a carseat there. Just no boosters cuz there's no shoulder belt. An ALR lap belt is one that you pull it out, and it locks wherever you stop pulling (you can't pull it out, but it can go back in). So you'd want to pull it out all the way to beging, then just let it go back in and it'll lock.

 

[BW1426]

I think I'd turn her

 

[Michi]

I have an '04 Venture. we have latch on both the driver's side and on the outboard passenger's seat ( the one with the integrated child seat.)

I will say that the middle seat - the one with the ALR lap belt is my FAVORITE seat for installing a MA! Both FF or RF - it goes in really easy there for me, and I get a nice tight install. (Just remember to route the belt under the LATCH bars of the MA when using a lap only belt )

There is also a tether anchor on the middle seat, and a fairly decent spot to RF tether under the passenger's seat (let me know if you need pics.)

If the floor is set up to hold all 3 seats, I would definitely get them - cloth or not.
They would definitely fit 3 across, too. ( My siggy pic is in our venture - 2nd row - middle seat and drivers side)

Oh - and I forgot to mention - what I like about the FF outboard installs is that the tether anchors are right on the seats, (vs the floor,) so if you need to flip the seat forward to let people into the back row you can.

 

[JerseyGirl'sMama]

I would be tempted to turn DD2 FF too, except she is such a peanut. Oh this sucks Melissa. I wish you could get a new van.

 

[BW1426]

I just had a thought. Is your center rear seat a lap belt or 3 point belt?

Could you take the oldest out of a booster and put him in the center to free up some space, or is there not enough head rest? Or could you put DD1 in an 86Y back there? How would a third parkway with an 86Y mesh?

 

[melniemi]

Thanks for all your thoughts. The CL guy called me back and said I could have all the rear seats, 2nd and 3rd rows for $175 so the whole back would match. But I don't know how I could go pick them up with 3 kids in tow?

I had another thought as well. I could maybe do radian/keyfit/parkway in the third row and put the other booster in the captain's chair. That way I could fold down the captain's chair to put the kf in rather than climbing through the van? I think? Maybe I'll go play today with the kf in the third row to see how dreadful it is. Then when baby outgrows the kf, I could put the marathon back there ffing for dd2. She would be around 3.5ish then I would imagine, baby is following her growth curve and she still fit(barely) at 26 months, but I wouldn't use it that long, especially if I'm lifting it into the back.

I wish I had a radian to play with. The closest store that carries them is 2.5 hours away. We got the radian acceptable outboard, but not rock solid like in the center.

 

[melniemi]

I just had a thought. Is your center rear seat a lap belt or 3 point belt?

Could you take the oldest out of a booster and put him in the center to free up some space, or is there not enough head rest? Or could you put DD1 in an 86Y back there? How would a third parkway with an 86Y mesh?

Center is a lapbelt. Another parkway won't fit. I have 14" between the seat portion and a little more between the sidewings. The radian fit flush all the way down between the 2 parkways, snuggly.

There is no headrest in the center. The back seat isn't kid friendly - it'll be a long time before the kids pass the 5 step test, the seat is so long.

2 Otos and a radian center might work. Hmmmm

eta - The cheapest way to do it really would be to put the kf in the third row between the pws, put dd1 in one of the parkways and buy a backless for my 9 yo and put him in a captain's chair. :/ I really don't feel good about this option though.

 

[Judi]

As long as the center belt works, it is easy. This one, I had to use a belt shortening clip. This wouldn't lock.

 

[melniemi]

Well, I went and put the KF base in the third row. I can easily reach to snap it in if I can fold down a captain's chair. So I'm thinking I'll put that in the back and a booster kid in the middle for a bit. Which means I'll need a radian for dd1 in the third row.

 

[Carrie_R]

Since you have a ton of different possible installs with your floor, is it possible to switch your second and third rows? IE, pull your bench seat up to the front, and put the captains chairs in back? If so, maybe your oldest two could stay in the PW in the back, since it would be easy to buckle like that, and since all three across the new front row would be harnessed, they could puzzle as tightly as need be without a problem (assuming the seats actually all fit.)

Not familiar with Ventures, so not sure if that's an option or not.

Honestly though... $150-175 is not that much to spend. You'd spend that much on a good car seat, or the Radian you're thinking of getting. May be just as well to get the extra seats, then you'd have tons more options in the future.

 

[Judi]

Yeah, you can leave a spot open in the back too. Fun vans to play with, really.

 

[melniemi]

The 2nd and third rows are not interchangeable and the 3rd row bench is really narrow. I'm still trying to decide. I really thought I was set until next summer, in which case I would've been more comfortable ffing dd2.

 

[Dillipop]

Since you have a ton of different possible installs with your floor, is it possible to switch your second and third rows? IE, pull your bench seat up to the front, and put the captains chairs in back? If so, maybe your oldest two could stay in the PW in the back, since it would be easy to buckle like that, and since all three across the new front row would be harnessed, they could puzzle as tightly as need be without a problem (assuming the seats actually all fit.)

Not familiar with Ventures, so not sure if that's an option or not.

Honestly though... $150-175 is not that much to spend. You'd spend that much on a good car seat, or the Radian you're thinking of getting. May be just as well to get the extra seats, then you'd have tons more options in the future.

Unfortunately, the ventures only allowed swapping middle seats for middle seats- at least in my 98. I tried numerous times to get my back row into the middle and it just wouldn't work. Unless they changed things...

 

[Judi]

In the 2000, you can take a section or two out of the back row.

 

[northernmommy]

I wish I had a radian to play with. The closest store that carries them is 2.5 hours away. We got the radian acceptable outboard, but not rock solid like in the center.

Just wanted to let you know that I've gotten a RN in solid in the center in mine:thumbsup:

 

[Judi]

I have gotten Radians in ever position in the 2000. The pic I showed is the 2000.

 

[melniemi]

Judi - your pic is a Chevy Venture? My Venture has a solid back row - it doesn't split like some. Stinks cuz then it only has 1 TA. The CL guy has the split one I could get, but I don't know if I want to try to fit them all.

I did get a radian solid in the center of my third row. Outboard, it seemed tight but then if you pushed the top to the side, it totally went off kilter and then wasn't acceptable at the seatbelt either.


Anyway, I think I'll go get the seats because none of my scenarios in my poll sounds like exactly what I want

 

[Judi]

I would buy both. So many options!