Two boosters outboard 3rd row Caravan 2006?

[jennmrichards@yahoo.]

I am trying to get my two boys outboard in the third row of my 2006 Caravan. I have read the threads that say that there is no way to install any new top tethers in the caravans later than 2001...I only have one top tether anchor in the third row of my caravan. Here are my kids and their stats:

Andrew, 5, 42.5 in tall, 41lbs, Sunshine Radian
Austin, 3, 38.5 in tall, 35 lbs, Marathon - soon to be either Frontier or Nautilus
Ansley, 1, 19lbs, Evenflo Victory - soon to be Marathon

Is there any way to get those boys in the back so that I can stow one of the captains' chairs while the baby is rear-facing (at least one more year)? It's just such a pain to get them in the car (thinking of safety in parking lots) - would love to enter all through one side door. Could I use a D ring to attach to something on the frame of the Caravan on the back row like I do with the rear-facing child in the captains' chair tethered to the front pass seat?

You guys have always been so much help! Glad that you are here to guide me...

 

[CDNTech]

Unfortunately, you are stuck with the tether anchor locations that you have. There is no way to add more and you can *not* use a d-ring. The crash forces placed on a tether anchor from a forward facing child restraint are *very* different from those on a rear facing seat... which is why rear facing seats can use a d-ring and forward facing seats can not.

If you are in Canada, top tethering is mandatory. IF you really want to stow a captain's chair, then the following would work...

RFing Baby, Radian (install using LATCH)
Marathon, stowed captain's chair
passenger, driver

You could switch the two boys to whoever will sit better next to the baby.

If you really want to keep the baby in the captain's chair *and* you are in the USA, then you have the option of not tethering. In this case, the lighter child would go in the non-tethered spot and the heavier child would get the tether anchor.

In this case, the middle child would not get a tether anchor. I would use the forward facing lock-off as that will help act like a tether (not exactly, but somewhat). I would also lean heavily towards the Frontier in this case, as you can use the long belt path which will also help act like a top tether in reducing head excursion.

 

[jennmrichards@yahoo.]

I am in the USA. Chattanooga, TN. Okay, so if I went with the configuration you suggested,

RFing Baby, Radian (install using LATCH)
Marathon, stowed captain's chair
passenger, driver

I would have the two kids - RF baby and Marathon, tethered to the same point. That's not really an option, right? Or are you saying that the one in the captain's chair wouldn't be tethered?

I just wanted to make sure that you couldn't think of another option for the third row besides not top tethering one of the boys. That's not worth it for me. I won't jeapodize the safety of my kids for my own convenience, for sure!

Well, guess I need a new van lol. Thanks for trying....

 

[CDNTech]

The rear facing Marathon would not be able to be top tethered... I don't think there is a place for the d-ring to wrap around in the second row. Both FFing boys would be top tethered.

If you want to tether the Marathon rear facing as well, then you would need to use both captain's chairs to make it happen.

You could do this...

Rear facing Marathon, Radian installed using LATCH
Captain's chair, Forward facing Frontier/Nautilus
Passenger, Driver

The captain's chair would not be stowed, but it would be free of any child restraint and easy to jump in and move around the vehicle that way, buckling in kids as you go. You would then be able to use the tether anchor on the empty captain's chair for the rear facing Marathon behind it.

The baby can only be tethered rear facing in the Marathon... the Victory can *not* be tethered rear facing. So you could do the original arrangement and stow a captain's chair until you have a seat that allows tethering rear facing.

Original Arrangement...
Victory rear facing, Radian (using LATCH which has a top tether)
Marathon (using available top tether), stowed captain's chair
Passenger, Driver