# If You Drive A Minivan & Have a RF Toddler...



## MamieCole (Jun 1, 2007)

I have a few questions for you.









What kind of minivan do you have?
Do you like it and would you recommend it? Why/Why Not?
Where do you have your RF toddler's carseat?

Here's why I am looking for info:
We currently have a Nissan Murano which ironically, is worth more than we owe on it. We are in a money crunch and are looking to trade it in on a pre-owned minivan which will significantly lower our monthly payment. We are looking at minivans because we are planning on having more kids, plus my DD is a teenager and we need to room to haul around her and her friends. I've been doing a ton of research on minivans and I seem to keep finding conflicting info on which ones are most reliable, safest and mom-friendliest.

I am also in a quandry about what to do about my DS's carseat placement. We have a Britax Boulevard and right now he is RF, outboard passenger side with LATCH. He is 30 lbs, so we still have 5 lbs to go before we have to FF. With our current car, I am able to see him well in the mirror and am able to reach back and hand him toys or books or whatever when we are at stoplights etc. We recently went out of state to visit family and rode in a friend's Kia Sedona with DS riding RF, outboard driver side in a middle row captains chair. What I found is that it is impossible to reach him from the driver's row and I am not sure how good the visibility is from the driver's seat to the mirror on the headrest of the seat where he will be. It just feels so far away, especially with him turned around backwards. My DS has never been a very happy carseat rider. Usually can't go more than 10-15 minutes without some sort of intervention/distraction from me. So I am wondering how other parents deal with RF toddlers that you can't "reach" in a minivan.

Thanks in advance for any info you can provide!


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## UltimateSerj (Apr 9, 2002)

i have a 2003 dodge grand caravan which i love! my dd is rear facing behind the driver seat in the middle row ( bench seat).
i can't see her or touch her... but my 10 yr old sits with her and that helps a ton.

anyway i don't like the new dodge vans







but i love the toyota sienna!! i mean LOVE it! i want one lol it has a middle middle seat that comes forward so that its closer to the driver and you can reach baby.


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## True Blue (May 9, 2003)

We have a Toyota Sienna, 8 seater. If you want to be able to reach your son, this is great. The middle row middle seat can be pushed forward in arm's reach if wanted. We have it set up as a 7 seater, but add in the 8th when we need it. I hate vans but I LOVE THIS VAN!!!!!!


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## Peony (Nov 27, 2003)

I drive a Toyota Sienna and love it. Almost 2y old DD2 is RFing, I have her in one of the captain's chairs in the 2nd row, it doesn't matter which one, I can hand her things from either one. I do have the R captain's chair scooted over towards the center which is an option in (some?) Sienna's. I'm 5'5 so not that tall. I can move the seat forward to make it closer to me. She isn't that fond of the car, I keep a basket of toys in the front seat and hand them back to her one by one. I don't have a mirror on the head rest so I don't know how that would work. DD1 is in the third row and just tells me what is going on with DD2.


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## ferretfan (Nov 13, 2005)

we got a sienna a few months ago, quite the upgrade from our 98 jeep cherokee that's for sure! dd is ff behind me in a boulevard (she reached the weight limit) and the new baby will go in that awesome center seat that, as pps mentioned, can shift forward. we love our van (even though it's a van







)


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## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

I have a 2001 Chevy Venture, which I wouldn't recommend since it's a Chevy and all. It works for us and I love love love the seating arrangement--I have 3 bucket seats in my 2nd row and 2 bucket seats in my 3rd row. I love that I can fit 2 adults comfortably (or 2 Regents) in the 3rd row. The 2nd row is nice and roomy too and I can flip any of the seats forward. Now I only have 1 child RF'ing, and she is behind the driver's seat. When both my kids were RF, I had them both outboard and I could reach both of them just fine. We were just visiting my inlaws who have a 2005 Chrysler Town & Country and I wasn't impressed with their van. I couldn't reach DD in the captain's chairs at all.


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

I just got a 2008 sienna and LOVE it. I have the 8 pass. and the center seat comes forward. ds is still little and in a blvd and I can reach his head and face.

-Angela


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## thepeach80 (Mar 16, 2004)

We have an 06 Caravan w/ bench seats, NOT captain's chairs. They are near impossible to get a good configuration w/ more than one rfing seat. Evan and Ilana are rfing on the middle bench and AJ sits in the back middle. When baby comes, baby and Ilana will be rfing in the middle bench and Evan will be in the back driver's side corner w/ AJ still in the back middle. This leaves an open shoulder belt for an adult or frined w/ a booster.


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## Patchfire (Dec 11, 2001)

We just got a Sienna specifically for that middle seat that can come forward... well, that, and so we could actually fit three carseats in our vehicle. Even in the outboard driver's side seat, where ds is ff, I *can* reach him, it's just more of a stretch.


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## AfricanQueen99 (Jun 7, 2008)

We have a 2003 Honda Oddysey. My kid (RF at 30 months) sits behind the passenger's seat. I can reach her and hand her anything she needs - I keep a little bin between us with books and snacks.

We bought a minivan because we were planning on having more children much sooner...but that is no longer the case. Anyway, we're probably going to downsize, but I do love this vehicle - easy to get around, lots of space for transporting large things, auto doors, etc.


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## elmh23 (Jul 1, 2004)

What kind of minivan do you have? 2001 Toyota Sienna (7 seats)

Do you like it and would you recommend it? Why/Why Not? LOVE it, just wish it wasn't so old. But even with 100k miles on it, it runs pretty good!

Where do you have your RF toddler's carseat? Passenger side captains chair in the middle row.

I can reach him if I stretch. I usually just load him up with stuff before we leave.


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## gretelmom (Jun 22, 2005)

I have a 2007 Honda Odyssey and LOOOVE it. I have a FF Boulevard in it and a RF Boulevard. I have the 7 seater + the bonus "jumpseat" you can take out. When DS2 was smaller I had the two kids on the outside seats, by the doors and I would sit between them in that jumpseat. Now that he's bigger and more independent, I took that middle seat out, moved RF toward the middle and kept FF right behind me (driver).

I love having the little guy toward the middle because I can fold up his umbrella stroller and pop it beside him and don't even have to open the back hatch.

I love my mini. You're going to LOVE the power slider doors. If your preowned doesn't have power sliders, keep looking! Those sliders are harder than a regular door if they aren't auto. But the auto doors are the best.

PS I also had a 2005 Toyota Sienna that was totalled in a crash last year, and it protected us really well, but the side airbags didn't go off (they should have) so I chose the Honda to replace it with. Just FYI, though I believe wholeheartedly that it's a very good, safe car.


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## BethSLP (Mar 27, 2005)

I have a 2004 Mazda MPV that has been great for us. It drives like a car (driving some vans feels kind of loose and springy to me. soft suspension or something).

Everyone wants Hondas and Toyotas right now, so its hard to deal them, even used.

XOXO
B


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## MamieCole (Jun 1, 2007)

Thanks for all of the great info mamas! Lots of great input. I knew y'all could help me out.









I had no idea that the Sienna had the adjustable middle seat. That sounds like it has a lot of potential for us. I'm pretty short, (5'1") so having a middle seat that can be moved forward will help a ton I am sure.

The Oddysey sounds like it might work for us as well. Looks like we have some test drives in our future. Thanks again mamas!


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## mimie (Mar 7, 2003)

We just bought a 1999 Honda Odyssey for $7000. I really love it. The middle bucket seats do slide forward, but I never really try to reach DD from the drivers seat, so I'm not sure how easy it is (she is RFing).

It is sooooo easy to get a RFing toddler into and out of a minivan compared to a car/SUV. And the power sliding doors are a must have. The only complaint I have is that the 1999 model year does not have top tether anchors for the middle row bucket seats (not a problem now, but will be when DD is FFing). The 2000 model year apparently does.


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## red_canuck (Feb 7, 2008)

We have a 2003 Dodge Caravan, and fit my DS's Britax Mrathon RF behind the drivers seat (middle row has captain chairs) just fine. I could easily reach back to give him something if I told him it was coming and he reached his hand to the side.


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## JenMidwife (Oct 4, 2005)

We just bought a 2008 Honda Odyssey (we got a great deal on the end-of-year models).

DD is not RF anymore (I have no idea where we'll anchor the RF tethers when new baby comes) but I wanted to add that the "middle seats" slide forward & backward (just like the front seats do). The Toyota Sienna does this too fwiw.

One of the main differences we found b/w the current Honda & the Toyota is that you can't fit 3 car seats across the middle of the Honda, but if you have the Toyota 8 seater (they make a 7 or an 8 seater), you can truly fit 3 car seats across the middle (though it's impossible to access the rear row if that's the case!)

HTH!


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *JenMidwife* 
We just bought a 2008 Honda Odyssey (we got a great deal on the end-of-year models).

DD is not RF anymore (I have no idea where we'll anchor the RF tethers when new baby comes) but I wanted to add that the "middle seats" slide forward & backward (just like the front seats do). The Toyota Sienna does this too fwiw.

One of the main differences we found b/w the current Honda & the Toyota is that you can't fit 3 car seats across the middle of the Honda, but if you have the Toyota 8 seater (they make a 7 or an 8 seater), you can truly fit 3 car seats across the middle (though it's impossible to access the rear row if that's the case!)

HTH!











That's a big reason we ended up with the sienna over the odyssey. That and the fact that the sienna has 5 LATCH anchors instead of 3 on the odyssey.

-Angela


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## MamieCole (Jun 1, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *JenMidwife* 
We just bought a 2008 Honda Odyssey (we got a great deal on the end-of-year models).

DD is not RF anymore (I have no idea where we'll anchor the RF tethers when new baby comes) but I wanted to add that the "middle seats" slide forward & backward (just like the front seats do). The Toyota Sienna does this too fwiw.

One of the main differences we found b/w the current Honda & the Toyota is that you can't fit 3 car seats across the middle of the Honda, but if you have the Toyota 8 seater (they make a 7 or an 8 seater), you can truly fit 3 car seats across the middle (though it's impossible to access the rear row if that's the case!)

HTH!


Quote:


Originally Posted by *alegna* 









That's a big reason we ended up with the sienna over the odyssey. That and the fact that the sienna has 5 LATCH anchors instead of 3 on the odyssey.

-Angela

Oooh...more helpful info. I didn't realize that Odysseys had the adjustable middle row seating OR that the Sienna had more LATCH anchors. If you know offhand, where does the Odyssey have the 3 LATCH anchors? (or where do they NOT have them might be a better question?)

Thanks again mamas!


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## Mama Mko (Jul 26, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MamieCole* 
Oooh...more helpful info. I didn't realize that Odysseys had the adjustable middle row seating OR that the Sienna had more LATCH anchors. If you know offhand, where does the Odyssey have the 3 LATCH anchors? (or where do they NOT have them might be a better question?)

Thanks again mamas!

The 2 Captain's chairs in the Odyssey have LATCH, and the middle back seat has LATCH.

So the middle middle seat doesn't and the outer back seats do not.







If that makes sense.

I have a 2007 Odyssey and we love it. I have driven several rental minivans and the Odyssey drives the best in my opinion.


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## aja-belly (Oct 7, 2004)

i have a pontiac montana and we have had dd rf in her blvd in every seat in the 2nd and 3rd rows. i can reach her in the passenger side middle row captains chair, but that is really it. we have the fold down dvd player screen though and she can see it even while rf in her blvd in either middle row seats.


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## mbhf (Jan 8, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *JenMidwife* 
One of the main differences we found b/w the current Honda & the Toyota is that you can't fit 3 car seats across the middle of the Honda, but if you have the Toyota 8 seater (they make a 7 or an 8 seater), you can truly fit 3 car seats across the middle (though it's impossible to access the rear row if that's the case!)

HTH!

I can put three across in my middle row (2006 odyssey) easily, three boulevards or two marathons and a companion. There's no top tether anchor on the middle seat, so I put a RF seat there, but that's not a big deal to me. And while I wouldn't want to climb into the third row with all of the middle seats in use every day, with the outboard seats (at least one of them) pushed all the way forward, it is doable, especially for a child.

eta- I have two RF seats in my odyssey, my 23 mo is behind the drivers seat, tethered underneath (I had to pop some covers off to find a place, there is a really easy spot for the passenger side or middle, though) and a currently unused companion in the passenger side captains chair, pushed into the middle. I used to have my toddler there, and the driver's side captains chair was folded down for me to sit on while I buckle everyone. That worked really well but I needed to make room for the baby somewhere!


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## KayleeZoo (Apr 8, 2003)

We have 2- a 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT and a 2000 Ford Windstar LX. Captains chairs in the second row and 3rd row bench in both.

I love my GC (the Windstar is DH's, I don't like it as much as my GC), but I can get 3 across the 3rd row better in the Windstar. There is only one tether anchor in the 3rd row in the GC and 3 in the Windstar, come to think of it. That makes it much better for FF seats in the Ford.

My 3yo is RF in one of the captain's chairs in both vans. He rides in a Radian and True Fit.


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## riversong (Aug 11, 2005)

We have a 2007 Sienna. Ds is Rf in the driver's side captain's chair. I can't reach him from the driver's seat, but I can stretch and pass him something if I'm in the front passenger seat.

I rely on dd (FF in the other captain's chair) to pass things to ds and tell me if he's asleep. We took out our mirror above ds's seat because the car seat tech told us it was unsafe.


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