Help! 3 Seats Abreast in Mazda MPV 3rd Row?

[AZDad]

All right: I have what may be your ultimate challenge. We've got a Mazda 2000 MPV minivan. We've got 4 kids, with another on the way in about 5 months.

We need to find a way to fit 3 car seats in the rear/third row of the minivan. Cost is ceasing to be an object as we're discovering that it's going to be hard to come up with the money to replace the existing minivan.

The bright side is that we have enough kids that we've got just about one or two of every size kid you can imagine, up to age 8. If there are options, I'd like to put three older ones in the rear/third row, forward facing, because that way they can climb back there under their own power. We usually keep the littler ones in the 2nd row, as that's more easily accessible from the side doors and the front.

Here are the details. 2nd row is two single seats, in what I think may be called "captain's chair" shape. One child seat each will be the minimum and maximum for that.

3rd row is going to be tricky. Each of the "side", or "outboard" seats has a shoulder belt. The middle seat, however, has only a lap belt. I did a test-run using Graco Turbo-Booster booster seats in the two outboard seats, and a narrow regular child seat (I think a Cosco something-or-other) almost fit between them, but I realized that the kids in the boosters on the sides would not be able to buckle their seatbelts anymore, because they'd have to reach way down into the narrow, too-dark-to-see recesses between their boosters and the seat in the middle.

Let's see--kid sizes will be as follows in the summer, when newborn comes along:

Eldest: 8 yrs old, maybe 45 pounds? Maybe about 4.5 feet? I'm guessing. Kind of a small 8-year-old.

2nd: 6 years old, maybe 41 pounds, maybe 43 inches tall.

3rd: 4 years old, maybe 30-35 pounds, maybe 37 inches tall.

4th: 2 years old, maybe 25 pounds (?)

5th: Newborn; probably 8 pounds, 20.5 inches.

Let me know if you really need more detailed stats about anything, and I can get more precise measurements. Basically, my kids are very small for their ages--chalk it up to my quite-petite wife.

Really, I think the only real answer, if there is one, is going to be to put some kind of super-narrow car seat in each of the 3 third-row seats. I'm thinking about the Sunshine Kids Radian 80, maybe trying for 3 in a row, but I'm not sure even they will fit. I tried to measure at seat-cushion height across the very narrowest part of the 3rd row between where the walls come in, and the very narrowest spot was about 48 inches. (I was deliberately looking for the very narrowest part; once you're up off the seat cushion, things open up rapidly.) If the Radian really is 17 inches wide, and 3 x 17 = 51, then I'm not going to fit 3 Radians across if the widest spots of the Radian seats correspond to where the MPV's third-row bench is only 48 inches. However, I'm not sure I'm measuring the right place, and I'm not sure that if I actually get the seats in there, the combined 51 inches width of 3 radians is going to end up right there where the narrowest measurement was. It may be that I really do have more than 48 inches to work with--but I'm not sure exactly where to take the measurements.

If I really can get 3 Radian 80s (or any 3 seats with a high weight capacity) into that 3rd row, I'm safe until the first kid reaches 80 pounds, or until we have another kid--whichever comes first. Can this happen? Is there some other kind of seat besides the Radian I ought to consider? It seems to me that even if there is some other seat out there that's not a Radian but that has its narrow spots where the Radian is wide, or vice versa, I might be able to put them together, puzzle-piece style. But I'm getting pessimistic.

HELP!

P.S.: Actually, if I can get away with just plugging the Radian (or whatever) into the middle, and leaving the Graco TurboBoosters in the outboard seats, if that would leave enough room that the kids on the sides can still buckle themselves in, that might be the best of both worlds. That way, the 6- and 8-year-olds can stay in their status quo, and I only have to shell out the $250 for a Radian one time. But if it's a choice between buying 3 Radians at $750 or a new van for $10,000, I think I'll stick with the Radians.

	Forward Facing Car Seats A forward-facing car seat is one in which the child sits facing the front of the car. The seat should be installed in the back seat of your vehicle. Most forward-facing only seats are for children above 20 pounds.

	Booster Seat A booster seat raises your child up so that the car's lap and shoulder belts fit correctly. The lap belt should fall across the upper thighs. The shoulder belt should go across the middle of the shoulder and chest. A booster seat is used for older children up to about 80 pounds. Some states have passed laws requiring booster seats for children up to age 8 or 80 pounds. Check your state's law.

	Graco - Click for more info Graco is one of the world's best known and most trusted juvenile products companies. They started the entire juvenile products industry with an invention called the Graco Swyngomatic. Since then they have invented products that have changed the way that parents travel with their children such as the travel system, which has made it so parents can lock an infant car seat into a stroller easily, without waking their sleeping baby. Their Graco SnugRide Infant Car Seat is pretty much synonymous with the term “infant car seat” because of its safety and design features coupled with its affordability. Today Graco continues designing and developing top-quality products that inspire parents and keeps children safe. Check out the new Infant Safe Seat Step 1 and Toddler Safe Seat Step 2 for proof of Graco’s continued commitment to child safety.

	Sunshine Kids - Click for more info Makers of a number of accessories geared towards making parents lives easier, Sunshine Kids has recently embarked in a new direction. In 2005 they unveiled their first car seat, the Radian. Their years of experience working in children's products focusued on child comfort and parent convenience shine through in this unique convertible car seat. The Radian is packed with safety features and is the first ever folding convertible car seat appealing to parents who car pool or travel often.

	Sunshine Kids Radian 80 or 65 - Click for more info If "the Sunshine Kid's Radian 80 convertible car seat is (probably) the only car seat you will ever need," the "probably" part of this statement comes into play when you directly compare the Radian 80 with the Britax Regent. While the Radian 80 has a very high weight capacity, the seat width is only 10" vs. the Regent's 14" seat. The Britax Regent may be a bit wider, but it is very bulky, is only forward facing, and does not fold like the Radian 80. Because the Radian 80 is so narrow, you can potentially put three of them side by side in the back seat. Three Regents side by side? Impossible.

	Graco Turbo Booster - Click for more info The Graco TurboBooster Safe Seat (Step 3) is a sporty and detailed booster seat. The headrest is made of EPS foam for support and side-impact protection, which is now the standard for booster seats. The head support is height adjustable, and the seat can be converted into a backless booster for older kids. The adjustable armrests are a nice touch that add comfort and support for your growing child. We were a little surprised by how thin the padding was on the "Lazy Daisy" version of this seat (the Fairfax TurboBooster has padded armrests and additional GracoPedic memory foam in the seat).

[AZDad]

All right: I have what may be your ultimate challenge. We've got a Mazda 2000 MPV minivan. We've got 4 kids, with another on the way in about 5 months.

We need to find a way to fit 3 car seats in the rear/third row of the minivan. Cost is ceasing to be an object as we're discovering that it's going to be hard to come up with the money to replace the existing minivan.

The bright side is that we have enough kids that we've got just about one or two of every size kid you can imagine, up to age 8. If there are options, I'd like to put three older ones in the rear/third row, forward facing, because that way they can climb back there under their own power. We usually keep the littler ones in the 2nd row, as that's more easily accessible from the side doors and the front.

Here are the details. 2nd row is two single seats, in what I think may be called "captain's chair" shape. One child seat each will be the minimum and maximum for that.

3rd row is going to be tricky. Each of the "side", or "outboard" seats has a shoulder belt. The middle seat, however, has only a lap belt. I did a test-run using Graco Turbo-Booster booster seats in the two outboard seats, and a narrow regular child seat (I think a Cosco something-or-other) almost fit between them, but I realized that the kids in the boosters on the sides would not be able to buckle their seatbelts anymore, because they'd have to reach way down into the narrow, too-dark-to-see recesses between their boosters and the seat in the middle.

Let's see--kid sizes will be as follows in the summer, when newborn comes along:

Eldest: 8 yrs old, maybe 45 pounds? Maybe about 4.5 feet? I'm guessing. Kind of a small 8-year-old.

2nd: 6 years old, maybe 41 pounds, maybe 43 inches tall.

3rd: 4 years old, maybe 30-35 pounds, maybe 37 inches tall.

4th: 2 years old, maybe 25 pounds (?)

5th: Newborn; probably 8 pounds, 20.5 inches.

Let me know if you really need more detailed stats about anything, and I can get more precise measurements. Basically, my kids are very small for their ages--chalk it up to my quite-petite wife.

Really, I think the only real answer, if there is one, is going to be to put some kind of super-narrow car seat in each of the 3 third-row seats. I'm thinking about the Sunshine Kids Radian 80, maybe trying for 3 in a row, but I'm not sure even they will fit. I tried to measure at seat-cushion height across the very narrowest part of the 3rd row between where the walls come in, and the very narrowest spot was about 48 inches. (I was deliberately looking for the very narrowest part; once you're up off the seat cushion, things open up rapidly.) If the Radian really is 17 inches wide, and 3 x 17 = 51, then I'm not going to fit 3 Radians across if the widest spots of the Radian seats correspond to where the MPV's third-row bench is only 48 inches. However, I'm not sure I'm measuring the right place, and I'm not sure that if I actually get the seats in there, the combined 51 inches width of 3 radians is going to end up right there where the narrowest measurement was. It may be that I really do have more than 48 inches to work with--but I'm not sure exactly where to take the measurements.

If I really can get 3 Radian 80s (or any 3 seats with a high weight capacity) into that 3rd row, I'm safe until the first kid reaches 80 pounds, or until we have another kid--whichever comes first. Can this happen? Is there some other kind of seat besides the Radian I ought to consider? It seems to me that even if there is some other seat out there that's not a Radian but that has its narrow spots where the Radian is wide, or vice versa, I might be able to put them together, puzzle-piece style. But I'm getting pessimistic.

HELP!

Edit: AHA! Browsing through other threads, I found a thread in which moderator "Papooses" said that the base of a Sunshine Kids Radian is only 14 inches wide. There is HOPE!!! That really MAY let 3 fit abreast, since the 3rd row of the MPV widens up significantly when you get up past the very bottom, seat-cushion area. We MAY be able to keep our beloved MPV until it wears out, or the (aging) stork returns in 2 more years. MAY be. Your advice and creativity are still very much requested!

	Forward Facing Car Seats A forward-facing car seat is one in which the child sits facing the front of the car. The seat should be installed in the back seat of your vehicle. Most forward-facing only seats are for children above 20 pounds.

	Booster Seat A booster seat raises your child up so that the car's lap and shoulder belts fit correctly. The lap belt should fall across the upper thighs. The shoulder belt should go across the middle of the shoulder and chest. A booster seat is used for older children up to about 80 pounds. Some states have passed laws requiring booster seats for children up to age 8 or 80 pounds. Check your state's law.

	Graco - Click for more info Graco is one of the world's best known and most trusted juvenile products companies. They started the entire juvenile products industry with an invention called the Graco Swyngomatic. Since then they have invented products that have changed the way that parents travel with their children such as the travel system, which has made it so parents can lock an infant car seat into a stroller easily, without waking their sleeping baby. Their Graco SnugRide Infant Car Seat is pretty much synonymous with the term “infant car seat” because of its safety and design features coupled with its affordability. Today Graco continues designing and developing top-quality products that inspire parents and keeps children safe. Check out the new Infant Safe Seat Step 1 and Toddler Safe Seat Step 2 for proof of Graco’s continued commitment to child safety.

	Sunshine Kids - Click for more info Makers of a number of accessories geared towards making parents lives easier, Sunshine Kids has recently embarked in a new direction. In 2005 they unveiled their first car seat, the Radian. Their years of experience working in children's products focusued on child comfort and parent convenience shine through in this unique convertible car seat. The Radian is packed with safety features and is the first ever folding convertible car seat appealing to parents who car pool or travel often.

	Sunshine Kids Radian 80 or 65 - Click for more info If "the Sunshine Kid's Radian 80 convertible car seat is (probably) the only car seat you will ever need," the "probably" part of this statement comes into play when you directly compare the Radian 80 with the Britax Regent. While the Radian 80 has a very high weight capacity, the seat width is only 10" vs. the Regent's 14" seat. The Britax Regent may be a bit wider, but it is very bulky, is only forward facing, and does not fold like the Radian 80. Because the Radian 80 is so narrow, you can potentially put three of them side by side in the back seat. Three Regents side by side? Impossible.

	Graco Turbo Booster - Click for more info The Graco TurboBooster Safe Seat (Step 3) is a sporty and detailed booster seat. The headrest is made of EPS foam for support and side-impact protection, which is now the standard for booster seats. The head support is height adjustable, and the seat can be converted into a backless booster for older kids. The adjustable armrests are a nice touch that add comfort and support for your growing child. We were a little surprised by how thin the padding was on the "Lazy Daisy" version of this seat (the Fairfax TurboBooster has padded armrests and additional GracoPedic memory foam in the seat).

[MnMadhouse]

The first thing that came to mind WAS the Sunshine Kids Radian...it is the narrowest convertible seat on the market...my ONLY concern is the 3rd row seatbelts. Let me explain. The buckle portion that comes up from the bight of the seat..if the plastic cover is pretty long, then it likely won't work with the Radian. The belt path (where the seatbelt goes through to attach the seat to your vehicle) on the Radian is very low, so SOME vehicles are incompatible with this particular seat. Do you have a USA Baby or a specialty baby store near you that possibly carries the Radian? Sunshine Kids has 2 Radians. The Radian 65 (which will harness to 65lbs) and the radian 80 (which will harness to 80lbs). There only difference between the 2 is the weight limits--they are both the same shell, so same height.

Another idea is to head to a carseat tech and see if they can help configure some seats for you

congrats!

	Convertible Car Seats Convertible seats are for infants and toddlers. The seat can be used as a rear-facing seats for younger children, and switched to a forward-facing seat on the child's first birthday if the child weighs at least 20 pounds. However, experts recommend keeping the child in a rear-facing position until he or she outgrows the weight or height allowed by the safety seat.

	Sunshine Kids - Click for more info Makers of a number of accessories geared towards making parents lives easier, Sunshine Kids has recently embarked in a new direction. In 2005 they unveiled their first car seat, the Radian. Their years of experience working in children's products focusued on child comfort and parent convenience shine through in this unique convertible car seat. The Radian is packed with safety features and is the first ever folding convertible car seat appealing to parents who car pool or travel often.

	Sunshine Kids Radian 80 or 65 - Click for more info If "the Sunshine Kid's Radian 80 convertible car seat is (probably) the only car seat you will ever need," the "probably" part of this statement comes into play when you directly compare the Radian 80 with the Britax Regent. While the Radian 80 has a very high weight capacity, the seat width is only 10" vs. the Regent's 14" seat. The Britax Regent may be a bit wider, but it is very bulky, is only forward facing, and does not fold like the Radian 80. Because the Radian 80 is so narrow, you can potentially put three of them side by side in the back seat. Three Regents side by side? Impossible.

[AZDad]

Happily, the rear seatbelts in the 2000 MPV don't have the plastic covers on the part that gets snapped-into; the buckles are just attached to what I think is nylon cloth webbing, so there is great flexibility.

What's the going rate for car seat techs?

[AZDad]

Update: It looks like the Sunshine Kids Radian seats will work! In fact, it looks like we will be able to get away with using just one, and using the bottom parts (only) for our existing Graco TurboBooster booster seats on the left and right in the rear row. (By removing the backs, which the TurboBooster lets you do for kids 40 pounds and over, which ours are, we can give the kids who sit in the booster seats enough access to the seatbelt sockets to buckle themselves in, as they do now.

Since the store I was at had two Radians in stock, I was able to see if I could get two into the rear row, one in the middle and one on the side. Since they fit, I believe I could get 3 Radians into the rear row at a time, if that became desirable or necessary. I might want to double-check with 3 seats, just to make sure.

	Booster Seat A booster seat raises your child up so that the car's lap and shoulder belts fit correctly. The lap belt should fall across the upper thighs. The shoulder belt should go across the middle of the shoulder and chest. A booster seat is used for older children up to about 80 pounds. Some states have passed laws requiring booster seats for children up to age 8 or 80 pounds. Check your state's law.

	Graco - Click for more info Graco is one of the world's best known and most trusted juvenile products companies. They started the entire juvenile products industry with an invention called the Graco Swyngomatic. Since then they have invented products that have changed the way that parents travel with their children such as the travel system, which has made it so parents can lock an infant car seat into a stroller easily, without waking their sleeping baby. Their Graco SnugRide Infant Car Seat is pretty much synonymous with the term “infant car seat” because of its safety and design features coupled with its affordability. Today Graco continues designing and developing top-quality products that inspire parents and keeps children safe. Check out the new Infant Safe Seat Step 1 and Toddler Safe Seat Step 2 for proof of Graco’s continued commitment to child safety.

	Sunshine Kids - Click for more info Makers of a number of accessories geared towards making parents lives easier, Sunshine Kids has recently embarked in a new direction. In 2005 they unveiled their first car seat, the Radian. Their years of experience working in children's products focusued on child comfort and parent convenience shine through in this unique convertible car seat. The Radian is packed with safety features and is the first ever folding convertible car seat appealing to parents who car pool or travel often.

	Sunshine Kids Radian 80 or 65 - Click for more info If "the Sunshine Kid's Radian 80 convertible car seat is (probably) the only car seat you will ever need," the "probably" part of this statement comes into play when you directly compare the Radian 80 with the Britax Regent. While the Radian 80 has a very high weight capacity, the seat width is only 10" vs. the Regent's 14" seat. The Britax Regent may be a bit wider, but it is very bulky, is only forward facing, and does not fold like the Radian 80. Because the Radian 80 is so narrow, you can potentially put three of them side by side in the back seat. Three Regents side by side? Impossible.

	Graco Turbo Booster - Click for more info The Graco TurboBooster Safe Seat (Step 3) is a sporty and detailed booster seat. The headrest is made of EPS foam for support and side-impact protection, which is now the standard for booster seats. The head support is height adjustable, and the seat can be converted into a backless booster for older kids. The adjustable armrests are a nice touch that add comfort and support for your growing child. We were a little surprised by how thin the padding was on the "Lazy Daisy" version of this seat (the Fairfax TurboBooster has padded armrests and additional GracoPedic memory foam in the seat).

[Papooses]

Originally Posted by AZDad

using the bottom parts (only) for our existing Graco TurboBooster booster seats on the left and right in the rear row. (By removing the backs, which the TurboBooster lets you do for kids 40 pounds and over, which ours are, we can give the kids who sit in the booster seats enough access to the seatbelt sockets to buckle themselves in, as they do now.

Did your Turbos come with the high back option? If so, I do encourage you to use them as highback boosters keep kids safer during side impacts by reducing the risk of head injury by about 70% (the page titled "Preschool -- Preteen" in my website includes crash test videos showing why/how)

I believe I could get 3 Radians into the rear row at a time, if that became desirable or necessary. I might want to double-check with 3 seats, just to make sure.

That would be great ... I'd be very interested to hear how you make out! Good luck