Road trip carseat quandry

[daniele_ut]

We are driving cross country again for my work. We are taking a 2012ish Dodge Grand Caravan from my company motor pool. They are giving me a hard enough time about taking a vehicle for 5 weeks so there are no other options for vehicles. All of their minivans are Caravans anyway, and the 12 passenger vans are Ford E350s with no rear headrests. We have 2 adults and 4 kids ages 2y6m, 6y4m, 9y8m and 14 year old niece.

I own a 2010 Grand Caravan and thought that I had carseat placement figured out until my SIL let me know that my 14 year old niece, who is coming along to help with the kids, gets carsick in the back row. I was planning to put my 2.5 year old RF outboard in the 3rd row and have her sit next to him, but that's not going to work now. She is going to have to switch off with me alternating the front seat and captain's chair in the second row, so 2.5yo now has to be in the second row. That puts my 9 year old and 6 year old in the 3rd row.

My 9 year old normally rides in a Harmony LBB, which has crummy shoulder belt fit in the outboard seats. DD used a Graco Nautilus until about 2 months ago and has been riding in a Parkway SGL in the captain's chair. Info from past threads tells me that the Parkway SGL doesn't play well with the outboard belts either.

So, I think these are my options:

-Put 9 year old in the center with his LBB and DD outboard in the Nautilus untethered.

-Put 9 year old in the center and buy an Evenflo Amp for the 6 year old, since I know it will work outboard.

-Put 9 year old outboard and DD in the Parkway SGL.

-Pray that when I show up they have a 2011+ Ody (NOT bloody likely!)

Any opinions or other good ideas?

 

[MommyShannon]

You could pray for ANY Ody and it'd work better! I think I'd give the 14 year old Dramamine and plow ahead. Is there an air vent in the back to help car sickness?

 

[daniele_ut]

You could pray for ANY Ody and it'd work better! I think I'd give the 14 year old Dramamine and plow ahead. Is there an air vent in the back to help car sickness?

LOL, I've only ever 1 Sienna on the lot and that was years ago. They buy a lot of Toyota Corollas, Camrys and Avalons and I've seen some Highlanders too. I can't remember ever seeing any Hondas other than Civics.

I will ask her mom about giving her some Dramamine. I didn't even think about that. This is a LONG road trip, though. We will be driving for between 7 and 10 hours a day for 4 days.

 

[ltpritch]

My daughter gets sick no matter which row she's in. We keep dramamine in the car. Hope her mom will let her take it. I think that long in the car each day will make her sick no matter what. I have managed to get car sick in the front seat on long rides.