recommendations for new seat inorder to fit 3 across

[Unregistered]

I have a 2005 camry and need to fit 3 across. I currently have 2 Sunshine Kids XTSL that are rear facing and a third that is forward facing. I need to replace the forward facing one and am looking for either a convertible or combination seat (must have 5 point harness). I need one with the highest 5 point harness height usage due to behavioral issues for said child. Which 5 point harness seats would puzzle well in a 3 across with 2 rear facing Sunshine Kids XTSL? How would I arrange the seats?

 

[wendytthomas]

Welcome. How old and heavy is the child? The highest non special needs harness is the Britax Frontier 85, but I don't know that you could fit that in a Camry and still have two other seats. It's about 19" wide to the Radian's 14" at the base, 17" at the shoulder.

Wendy

 

[Unregistered]

He just turned 7 and weighs about 52 lbs. I am not really looking for a special needs seat. Can anyone tell me if they have sucsessfully installed 2 rear facing Sunshine Kids XTSL and a Britax Fronter in a 2005 camry. Was the britax able to fit behind the drivers seat? If not where did it go?

 

[Stelvis]

Where are his shoulders now in relationship to the top slots of the Radian, and how much longer are you looking to harness him?

 

[Phineasmama]

I don't have a Camry but it sounds...very unlikely that it would work :/ The Frontier is a very wide seat.

 

[Unregistered]

His shoulders are slightly above the top slots and the tops of his ears reach the bottom rays on the sun logo. Also, his shoulders are near the bottom of the head-wings. How much longer approximately does he have before he outgrows the seat? Does he automatically outgrow it if his shoulders touch the bottom of the head-wings or is that just a comfort issue?

 

[wendytthomas]

It's a comfort issue, to the point that the seat is outgrown. It'll start to hurt after that. You have until that point. He might have a couple of months, tops, depending on how fast his torso grows.

Wendy

 

[tiggercat]

He just turned 7 and weighs about 52 lbs. I am not really looking for a special needs seat. Can anyone tell me if they have sucsessfully installed 2 rear facing Sunshine Kids XTSL and a Britax Fronter in a 2005 camry. Was the britax able to fit behind the drivers seat? If not where did it go?

It might be possible, I just put a frontier in my inlaw's Camry (older, can never remember the year) in the center and a booster (Graco turbo HBB) outboard. It is hard to buckle the booster, but it works ok. My preteen rides on the other side in a seatbelt.
It might be hard to get the older child in, but I would try RF Radian/FF Frontier/RF Radian, that would be the narrowest configuration.

Sent from my iPod touch using Car-Seat.Org

 

[Unregistered]

My son seems to have quite a bit more space in the seat except for the head-wing issue. So, since the Sunshine Kids XTSL has headwings (which seems to limit the max FF height usage even when technically allowed), and the Diono Radian R120 does not, approximately how much extra time does a child have for fitting in the Diono Radian R120 forward facing?

 

[rachelandtyke]

It looks like the Diono Radian has .5 inch more harness height than the XTSL does.

There is a new Harmony seat at some Walmarts called the Defender that has 18.25 top slots and looks to be narrow.

The longest lasting one will obviously be the Frontier.

I actually think you have a shot at getting a Frontier in that 3 across. My parents have a 2005 camry. I was playing with 3 across combos when they were here last month. I was able to get a True Fit (19+ in wide), a high back Turbobooster (I think 16 in wide), and a baseless keyfit (although I think I could have fit the base, but we wouldn't travel with it. ~ 17 inches wide.) I was also able to put 2 True Fits and a no back Turbobooster in there. So it seems to me that with 2 rear facing Radians and a Frontier, that you definitely have a chance. You can try out a Frontier at Babies 'R Us - they will let you take it to the car and install it to see if it will work. I'd do all seatbelt installs and probably put the Frontier in the middle, but it might work on one of the sides as well.