Can this be done?

[birdie]

Ok we will have 3 rear facing in May. DD1 - Almost 3 and weighs about 26lbs, DD2 - 18 months and weighs about 20lbs, and then DS1 will be born in May and I have small babies, usually under 7lbs. Anyway my girls are both rf in the graco myride 65 and we have a 2003 dodge grand caravan. I am still trying to pick a carseat for the little guy, were in an accident when DD2 was a baby and I had to chunk our snugride and just went ahead and bought her a convertible. Anyway I have been obsessing over how I am going to get everyone in, I am only 4 10 so I can't reach back very far. A few people on her suggested taking a captian chair our and putting the older girls in the back and the baby in the remaining captain chair. Is that safe? I don't know why in my head I think the one that has the free space wouldn't be safe. Also another thing I thought of was taking out the captian chairs and putting the bench seat in the middle so I can fit all three on one row but didn't know if that could be done or if it was even safe. Also can the middle seat just has a lap belt not an actual seat belt so I also didn't know if that was safe either. Here in the town I live in no one cares about carseat safety so the fire department or hospitals can't give advice. When I had my babies they just made sure they had a carseat didn't check the date or if it was properly installed or anything. I get flack for keeping my kids rf and most people just move their kids from an infant seat to a HBB, no matter the age. I hate seeing people and their lack of knowledge. Anyway advice please!!!!

[luvsviola]

In your shoes I would use the two captains chairs, stow the big side of the 3rd row seat, and put a RF seat on the small side of the rear bench. We had a rental Caravan, and had the 2 year old RF there, and it worked great, while still leaving enough room for a double stroller.

We did it with a RF Boulevard in the 3rd row and an Evenflo Triumph in the second row, and there was enough room for both.

[Dory]

Lap belts are totally ok for installing car seats. In fact, that's the only thing they're good for.

[birdie]

Originally Posted by luvsviola In your shoes I would use the two captains chairs, stow the big side of the 3rd row seat, and put a RF seat on the small side of the rear bench. We had a rental Caravan, and had the 2 year old RF there, and it worked great, while still leaving enough room for a double stroller. We did it with a RF Boulevard in the 3rd row and an Evenflo Triumph in the second row, and there was enough room for both.

Its not a stow and go and the back seat is one long bench seat.

[luvsviola]

Originally Posted by birdie Its not a stow and go and the back seat is one long bench seat.

Boo. The one we rented was 66/33 stow and go.

[birdie]

Yea ours is a 2003 I don't think they started making them that way til later on. We were going to get an SUV or something where they could be three across to make it easier, my mom has an expidition and you can do it in hers, but we are trying to buy a house and pay my midwife so we can't swing it. Maybe eventually but for now we are stuck with the van.

[babymakes3.4.5....]

I'm sorry I don't have too much to add, but I do have a caravan with seating like yours. IMO, it would be about impossible to get 3 My Ride 65s on that bench in any combination of back/forward facing. They're just too big. In your spot I would remove one of the captains chairs, put two in the back and one in the middle. Or, if your oldest DD can climb into the seat herself, put her in the back, you could put the other two in captains. I'm 5'5" and I can stand next to the captain's chair and reach in back to buckle in pretty easily. It's not convenient, but it works. I have never heard of it being unsafe in the back row of the van, and I certainly hope not! I take some other boys to preschool so our van has 5 carseats (I do have 3 across the back, just not 65s) and I have no choice but to use the backseat!

[luvsviola]

Honestly, you don't want 3 across. We are 3 across in DH's car. DS can't keep his hands off the girls. Then, when the oldest went FF and he was still RF, he kicked her in the face to the point we had to FF him earlier than I wanted because it was a true danger to her to be kicked constantly in the head. He reaches over and grabs DD and pulls on her has hard as he can, and pulls her hair. He also draws blood on DD in the car by scratching at her. A DVD player helped to distract him some, but he knows there is nothing you can do about it at 60 mph, and he does anything he can think of to make her scream. Yes, we are in therapy. But it isn't getting any better.

If we go anywhere, its in the van with the kids not within arms reach of each other. We have DD1 in the back, and the other two up in the captains chairs.

[Dory]

Since you mentioned being smaller, I don't know that 3 across would work even if you had a middle bench seat. I'm 5'8" and I don't want a RFer in the middle.

[Nerissa]

If you can avoid 3 in a row I would. We have 3 in a row in the back of DH's truck and the older two are way to close. Drives me crazy

I would take out the one captains chair so you can climb in and out two in the back and the one in the remaining captains chair.