[momtoS]

Okay...when I tell people this...most have just told me to sell my vehicle and buy a van. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/greensad.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="greensad"><br><br>
I have a Honda Pilot. I have two girls in high back boosters, in 5 point restraints. One is 3 years old, and the other is turning 6 this month (but is barely 40 pounds).<br><br>
I am due in January.<br><br>
I have 13 inches of space between the two seats. Infant carseats are about17-18 wide.<br><br>
POOP.<br><br>
So I talked to a carseat installer.<br><br>
My choices are:<br><br>
Flip down the 1/3 seat, put oldest daughter in third row seating, but I need to read the manual, and I may have to put the seat up everytime she gets in and out. (Not practical at all). And we have to see if the infant seat would hang over......<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/greensad.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="greensad"><br><br>
in that case.....I may have to buy a booster and she can use a lap belt (not what I wanted)....to fit in the second row.<br><br>
I may be able to find the infant seat inbetween the two seats if I remove the base and strap it in. (Which means no bringing baby anywhere in the seat, even a sleeping baby).<br><br>
Or the carseat person said that prehaps the two seats that are in right now can be repositioned outwards a tiny bit giving more room for the infant seat in the middle.<br><br>
I am so frustrated. I have a Honda Pilot...certainly not the smallest vehicle in the world and I may not be able to fit three seats across? Are you kidding?<br><br>
So....my only options may end up being....buying a new vehicle (which is a truly suck.) buying a booster and using a lap belt (another sucky idea) or never leave the house again.......

 

[seagull]

Have you looked at a Sunshine Kids Radian? It is a convertible that I think will fit newborns, but you should check that. Is your 3 year old rf? If so you could probably fit 2 radians rearfacing with your oldest child in the middle.

 

[khaoskat]

Trust me, we have rented cars numerous times...most of the time they are full sized cars (like a ford taurus, Toyota Camery, etc)...to get a better idea, just check out what is considered a full sized car from a rental agency.<br><br>
I have been able to get 3 kids in the back, and it was tight but doable. I had 1 high back booster (Parkway by Britax), Britax Roundabout, and an Evenflo Convertible.<br><br>
Also, my Aunt and Uncle have a pilot and I think they leave the center fold down section down all the time with their kids...

 

[momtoS]

I tried to add this to the orginal post...but the computer won't let me right now.<br><br>
I should also include that I am in Canada, and can not use US carseats.

 

[momtoS]

seagull--do you have one of these? could you measure the widest point for me?<br><a href="http://www.skjp.com/product/97556/165XX/_/Radian65%26%23174%3B" target="_blank">http://www.skjp.com/product/97556/16...65%26%23174%3B</a>

 

[momtoS]

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<table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="99%"><tr><td class="alt2" style="border:1px inset;">
<div>Originally Posted by <strong>khaoskat</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/15848735"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">Trust me, we have rented cars numerous times...most of the time they are full sized cars (like a ford taurus, Toyota Camery, etc)...to get a better idea, just check out what is considered a full sized car from a rental agency.<br><br>
I have been able to get 3 kids in the back, and it was tight but doable. I had 1 high back booster (Parkway by Britax), Britax Roundabout, and an Evenflo Convertible.<br><br>
Also, my Aunt and Uncle have a pilot and I think they leave the center fold down section down all the time with their kids...</div>
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Just to clarify...are you thinking I should sell my SUV and buy a car? To me, this is just not practical.

 

[mamasthree]

Check out this <a href="http://www.car-seat.org/search.php?searchid=2843735" target="_blank">thread</a> for your year Pilot...you should be able to get some combo to work, though you will probably need to buy at least 1 new seat for one of your older kids. Some seats puzzle well together, but boosters/combination seats are very wide, so you'll probably have to ditch one of those. I'd get a convertible for your 3 yo--you'll get a lot of use from it if you choose wisely. Most kids can get to 6 or older in quite a few convertibles these days.<br><br>
And you cannot use a lap belt only with a booster seat (or combination seat in booster mode). But does your car really have a lap only belt? I thought newer cars had shoulder belts in all seating positions. Maybe you meant that she would have to use her seat in booster mode.<br><br>
HTH!

 

[momtoS]

I should also mention...this is the carseat I am considering.

 

[StoriesInTheSoil]

I have a Pilot and two days ago I had three carseats across in the second row- a rearfacing Radian XTSL for my 2 year old, a front-facing Radian XTSL for my friend's 4 year old, and a rearfacing TrueFit for my friend's 16 month old.

 

[Drummer's Wife]

If you do have to put your oldest in the 3rd row, you can have her climb in and out from the trunk. We do this often, and I see other families with 3-4 kids do it as well. You'll find a combo of seats that work, that I'm sure. People do it with sedans, and since you drive a Pilot, you have even more space to work with.

 

[chickabiddy]

Three across in a Pilot is definitely doable, but you may need new seats. What seats do you have now? Are they boosters or five-point harnesses?

 

[MariesMama]

Do you have the current seats installed with LATCH or with the seatbelts? Often, the LATCH installs are closer to the middle - if you switch to seatbelt installs you will have more room for a seat in the center.

 

[MamieCole]

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<table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="99%"><tr><td class="alt2" style="border:1px inset;">
<div>Originally Posted by <strong>MariesMama</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/15849424"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">Do you have the current seats installed with LATCH or with the seatbelts? Often, the LATCH installs are closer to the middle - if you switch to seatbelt installs you will have more room for a seat in the center.</div>
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I'd definately try this first.<br><br>
From the sound of your initial post, it seems like you are going to have the two oldest kids outboard and are trying to put a bucket w/base in the middle so you can easily remove a sleeping baby. If that's the case, and installing w/seatbelts doesn't give you enough room, then I suggest you leave the oldest in her 5 point booster, get a narrower convertible for your 3yo and install it center w/seatbelt, then install the bucket base outboard w/seatbelt. That way you can leave the base in the car, still remove the bucket (more easily than if it were in the middle) plus your 3 year old who is FF is more protected by not being outboard.<br><br>
Yes, you'll have to purchase one more seat than you had planned, but it's cheaper than a new car. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/thumb.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="thumbs up">

 

[Drummer's Wife]

Another thing - you might decide you much prefer to have one kid in the 3rd row (likely your oldest, who could buckle herself in). We can fit 3 car seats in the 2nd row of our SUV (pathfinder), but, especially when one is rear-facing, it is much calmer to have the kids separated a bit. Maybe my kids are the only ones that mess with each other and would possibly even poke at a newborn. With four kids, we like to have 2 in the 3rd row, and 2 in the 2nd row - separated by an empty seat.

 

[~Amy~]

What about putting the 2 older girls in the third row and just leaving a second row seat folded all the time to allow them access to the third row? Can the 6 year old buckle herself? She might even be able to buckle the 3 yo too and you can just lean over to check tightness, etc. Then put baby in the second row. I wouldn't worry about infant seat overhang. Just don't buy a massive infant seat. Stick with a basic 22lb limit seat and you'll have plenty of room front to back for it.

 

[surrogate]

I would buy 3 new carseats before I purchased a new vehicle! $600 is cheaper than $30,000...<br><br>
I don't know what the width is, but I would just buy 2 Radians, put the 2 youngest rear facing outboard and then measure the space left in between to put the oldest, you should have plenty of room!

 

[khaoskat]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>momtoS</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/15848766"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">Just to clarify...are you thinking I should sell my SUV and buy a car? To me, this is just not practical.</div>
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No, that is not what I am saying. The width of full size car and a pilot are about the same, with pilot generally being a bit bigger...<br><br>
And there are some carseats that are approved in both the US and Canada..for instance Britax are usually a world wide carseat....

 

[~Amy~]

<div style="margin:20px;margin-top:5px;">
<div class="smallfont" style="margin-bottom:2px;">Quote:</div>
<table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="99%"><tr><td class="alt2" style="border:1px inset;">
<div>Originally Posted by <strong>khaoskat</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/15851433"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;"><br>
And there are some carseats that are approved in both the US and Canada..for instance Britax are usually a world wide carseat....</div>
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No, there aren't seats that are approved for use in both countries. There are seats that are basically identical in both countries, but none that are dual-stickered (meaning they have both CMVSS & FMVSS approval stickers on them).

 

[StoriesInTheSoil]

I feel like I should add here since no one else has that:<br><br>
1) a booster might make things HARDER, not easier, because you have to have room to slip your hand in to buckle and<br><br>
2) you CAN NOT use a booster with a lap-belt only. They MUST have a lap-shoulder belt.<br><br>
Really, just buy 2 Radians and use them for the older two (one RFing and one FFing or both FFing) and then you can fit whatever car seat your heart desires for the baby. I know you probably aren't excited to buy three new seats but it's way cheaper than buying a new car and the Pilot WILL work- I have one and I've done it.

 

[chely7425]

There are definitely ways to do it! I have a Jeep Liberty (smaller backseat than a Pilot) and have 3 RF seats across it. Just might mean you need to buy some new seats <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="smile">