I need advice on another vehicle. We are soon to have #5 and could still fit into our seven passenger mini van except that my 9 year old is very petite so will have three in boosters and then one in an infant seat. With two boosters in the back of the van, there isn't much room for our 12 year old son in the middle. It is a tight fit. Also, our current van is a '99 and I don't know if things have changed but that back seat also has no leg room for a growing 12 year old boy. I would appreciate any suggestions on what works and what doesn't for the larger family. Thanks, Diane

Could you start with a car seat shuffle? Put the 12 yr old or a booster up in a captain's chair.

Let me know your present vehicle; kids ages, weights and torso height (child seated on floor, measure from floor to shoulder); as well as current car seats and maybe I could help direct ... then we can go from there.

Oh, I'm a certified child passenger safety technician aka car seat geek I love this sort of thing. I rearrange car seats in my vehicle for FUN

Get back to me w/as much of that info as possible and we'll try to work with what you have first.

We are limited within our vehicle (99 Plymouth Voyager) because we have a bench seat in the middle. I do think buckets would be a bit more flexible.

The best thing I could think to do would be of course having the baby behind the driver. I expect we will use some kind of Evenflo infant carrier type seat there. We threw out our first one and borrowed a hardly used one for #4. That was then given to us but it says to throw it away in December of this year (Cozy Carry 5). We will most likely try to get something new that would fit into the two bases that we have already.

Next to the baby, on the middle bench would be our nine year old. She is 44 lbs, 16" torso height and sits in a Cosco booster #22-210-T1M.

Behind the baby would be the six year old. She is 44 lbs, 17" torso height and sits in a Century Brevera Contour without using the 5 pt restraint.

All the way across on the other side is where we would put the three year old (four by the time the baby is born). She is 36 lbs, 16" torso height and sits in an Evenflo booster with 5 pt restraint. Model # 3271451 P1.

That leaves the middle of the back for our twelve year old who is 81# with a 20" torso height. We are not all that comfortable with him there because the seat only has a lap belt and there is no head rest.

The total width of boosters is 56" and the seat is only 48". With two boosters there is only 11-12 inches in the middle for our oldest.

We do have to buy a new vehicle as my husband drives a 1990 Nissan Maxima with over 225,000 miles. He has really done about all he can on it mechanically to keep it running. At this point we are just in drive and wait to die mode.

Thanks for your input. Diane

We bought a 2003 Yukon XL right before we found out that #5 was on the way. We have LOVED it! It has plenty of room in the back and seats 8. The middle seat has a single seat that folds down (we usually keep that down except when we have extra passenger) and the double part could fold down also. We were past car seats with the older girls at that point but I think there would be enough room for multiple car seats. And concerning gas mileage, I average 16 mpg for mostly around town driving.

Hope you are able to figure it out.

June in Florida
TOG Y3 Redesigned

Wife for 15 happy years
Mom to:
K - 13 dd (D/R)
V - 12 dd (D)
H - 10 dd (UG)
A - 10 dd (UG)
G - 3 dd

Well, all 3 of your youngers *could* still be harnessed in one of the higher weight harnessed seats. A Sunshine Kids Radian could work nicely for your situation as they are so narrow. They harness to 65 or 80 pounds, depending on the model. Though the 65 really is more economical. Maybe you could at least get one of those for the youngest. Install that in the 3rd row center, lap belt only position and that would free up more room for your eldest to use the shoulder belt from either side. Or to put boosters on either side leaving one of the shoulder belts from the middle row open for eldest. Do you have head rests in all positions? Eldest needs to have a shoulder belt AND head rest.

As for new vehicles to replace the van...depends on price range, new/used. But some great options: Toyota Sienna, Honda Odyssey, Kia Sedona, Hyundai Entourage, Honda Pilot, GMC Yukon XL/Suburban (there's that new/used thing coming into play). We have a '98 Expedition, 8 seater. Yep, we're packed in there. 2 boosters, 1 forward facing harnessed, 2 rear facing harnessed. Eldest just recently got out of a booster.

HTH a bit. Give me a holler if you need anything else. I like this sort of thing..really.

No other wisdom than to add that if you purchase another vehicle - think bigger. We went from a 7 passenger to an 8, and if we have more children, we will yet again have to find a bigger vehicle. Think bench seats for the front, etc.