# Can't fit three carseats across.....frustrated and sad....



## momtoS

Okay...when I tell people this...most have just told me to sell my vehicle and buy a van.









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).

I am due in January.

I have 13 inches of space between the two seats. Infant carseats are about17-18 wide.

POOP.

So I talked to a carseat installer.

My choices are:

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......









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.

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).

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.

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?

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.......


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## 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.


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## 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.

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.

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...


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## momtoS

I tried to add this to the orginal post...but the computer won't let me right now.

I should also include that I am in Canada, and can not use US carseats.


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## momtoS

seagull--do you have one of these? could you measure the widest point for me?
http://www.skjp.com/product/97556/16...65%26%23174%3B


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## momtoS

Quote:


Originally Posted by *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.

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.

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...

Just to clarify...are you thinking I should sell my SUV and buy a car? To me, this is just not practical.


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## mamasthree

Check out this thread 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.

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.

HTH!


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## momtoS

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


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## 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.


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## 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.


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## 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?


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## 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.


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## MamieCole

Quote:


Originally Posted by *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.

I'd definately try this first.

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.

Yes, you'll have to purchase one more seat than you had planned, but it's cheaper than a new car.


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## 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.


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## ~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.


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## surrogate

I would buy 3 new carseats before I purchased a new vehicle! $600 is cheaper than $30,000...

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!


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## khaoskat

Quote:


Originally Posted by *momtoS* 
Just to clarify...are you thinking I should sell my SUV and buy a car? To me, this is just not practical.

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...

And there are some carseats that are approved in both the US and Canada..for instance Britax are usually a world wide carseat....


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## ~Amy~

Quote:


Originally Posted by *khaoskat* 

And there are some carseats that are approved in both the US and Canada..for instance Britax are usually a world wide carseat....

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).


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## StoriesInTheSoil

I feel like I should add here since no one else has that:

1) a booster might make things HARDER, not easier, because you have to have room to slip your hand in to buckle and

2) you CAN NOT use a booster with a lap-belt only. They MUST have a lap-shoulder belt.

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.


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## 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


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## an_aurora

It is definitely possible to get 3 across a Pilot! What seats do you have now? You can't go off just the numbers; seats often times will puzzle together and take up less room than the given distance between them!


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## carmel23

We fit 3 across in an 03 CRV (not the new, bigger one). It can be done...


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## Michelle Renee

Quote:


Originally Posted by *momtoS* 
I tried to add this to the orginal post...but the computer won't let me right now.

I should also include that I am in Canada, and can not use US carseats.

Canadian Tire sells radians. Usually cheaper than here and they do go on sale.


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## Twinklefae

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Michelle Renee* 
Canadian Tire sells radians. Usually cheaper than here and they do go on sale.


Not anymore - specialty stores and online only. They haven't had Radians at CT since they moved to the 65lb seats.


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## SubliminalDarkness

If you have third row seating, I don't understand how a van would improve anything. Put one or two children in the third row, problem solved.


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