Mini Van Help - Car Seats

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  • illini40

    Sharpshooter
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    Nov 28, 2010
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    Hey INGO

    Going off topics to mini vans and car seats...

    We just had our third son, and we will have three car seats for a bit. We currently have Chrysler Town and Country. I just noticed that we cannot fit our two oldests front facing car seats in the back third row.

    Does anyone have any insight if the Toyota or Honda has hookups for two in the third row? Ideally, we put the new born in the middle, the two oldest in the back, and have one middle seat folded down.

    Thank you!
     

    Tactically Fat

    Grandmaster
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    How old is the Chrysler?

    Are there just no LATCH attachments back there? Or are they just on 1 seat?

    All those front-facing seats should also be able to be attached, securely and properly, using the vehicle's seat-belt.
     

    russc2542

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    Oct 24, 2015
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    If you're asking about LATCH, it'll depend on the year. LATCH was mandated in the early 2000s. ANYTHING will have it in after that time. Not necessarily everywhere you want (My Frontier didn't have one in the middle in back, only on the sides).

    Or do you mean they physically don't both fit?
     

    nightgaunt

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    Feb 2, 2012
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    I have a 2015 Town and Country, and it does only have one latch setup in the 3rd row. Not sure why. We have our 7 yr old on a low profile booster and 4 yr old on a high back booster attached with the latch in the 3rd row. 2 yr old in middle, with 1 seat stowed.
    Maybe find a more compact seat, or simply use the seatbelt to lock in the 2nd seat in the 3rd row. Or just have seats in the latch equipped middle row and 1 in the back? Would be cheaper than a new minivan.
     

    illini40

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    Thanks for the responses. In our 2015 Town and Country, the third row seat only has one set of latches and one tether for one car seat. Even if we wanted to use the seat belt method, we cannot since there is only one tether anchor.

    I stopped by the Toyota dealer this evening, and the Sienna has the ability for two car seats in the third row. They are just right next to each other. Want to check out the Honda.
     

    illini40

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    I have a 2015 Town and Country, and it does only have one latch setup in the 3rd row. Not sure why. We have our 7 yr old on a low profile booster and 4 yr old on a high back booster attached with the latch in the 3rd row. 2 yr old in middle, with 1 seat stowed.
    Maybe find a more compact seat, or simply use the seatbelt to lock in the 2nd seat in the 3rd row. Or just have seats in the latch equipped middle row and 1 in the back? Would be cheaper than a new minivan.

    So only one booster uses the latch? The older child's booster doesn't physically attach?

    We currently have our oldest in the back by himself, with the other two in the middle. It's just a pain in the butt to get him in and out with the other two in the middle row.
     

    Cameramonkey

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    Our 07 T/C doesnt have LATCH on the 3rd row. For those rare occasions we went the old fashioned route and used the belts like they did pre-LATCH days. Just as safe, just not as fast to install.
     

    nightgaunt

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    So only one booster uses the latch? The older child's booster doesn't physically attach?

    We currently have our oldest in the back by himself, with the other two in the middle. It's just a pain in the butt to get him in and out with the other two in the middle row.

    Yes, the older child's booster only clips to the lower portion of the seat belt (BubbleBum). He is 7, so he's almost out of a booster.
     

    Cameramonkey

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    Thanks for the responses. In our 2015 Town and Country, the third row seat only has one set of latches and one tether for one car seat. Even if we wanted to use the seat belt method, we cannot since there is only one tether anchor.

    I stopped by the Toyota dealer this evening, and the Sienna has the ability for two car seats in the third row. They are just right next to each other. Want to check out the Honda.

    I just noticed this post. You dont need latch if you are using the seat belt to secure the car seat. Its an either or situation. Either attach with latch or use the belt to secure the car seat. If you use the seat belt, it is secure enough if you read the directions on the car seat carefully.
     

    amboy49

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    I am forced to weigh in here, although not in response to your original question. I currently own a 2015 Chrysler Town and Country van. I refer to it as a "sports utility van." Your designation of a "mini van" is an affront to all of us middle and old age men who proudly own one of these multi faceted vehicles. I have used mine to haul everything from a full sized washer and dryer to 800 pounds of lead shot I that I found on sale at a trap shoot one time.

    Although, as a young family man you may think of your vehicle as a mini van. However, I think you should reconsider the descriptive term you used. It will go a long way in helping you preserve your man card status and won't allow a reduction of testosterone levels to occur ! !

    Oh, BTW, good luck with your search for a more child user friendly "sports utility vehicle.
     

    CountryBoy19

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    Nov 10, 2008
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    I think there is some terminology confusion going on here, possibly with the OP, most definitely with the responders.

    LATCH is, as mentioned, is an either or thing with the seat-belt. It is a belt that is often fastened to the child-seat and has hooks that connect to wire-loops or "latch points" in the seat. You can use seat-belts in lieu of the LATCH belt.

    Rear tether, rear anchor, over-seat anchor is a complete separate system from the LATCH and IS NOT an either or thing. Many front facing toddler seats require this anchor/tether, and even when using a seatbelt in lieu of the LATCH you MUST still use the tether if the child seat calls for it. A good example of this would be my 2000 Buick Lesabre. It does not have LATCH points, but it DOES have the rear tether points. If I install a toddler seat using the seat-belt I MUST still install the tether as well.

    With that out of the way, IF the OPs seats call for this tether and there is no tether point in the 3rd row of his van, he cannot install those seats there whether he uses seat-belts or not. It stinks, but it's the safety of his children at play here. I don't play around with safety of my children or anybody else's. If the OP's seats don't call for it then he can definitely install them using the seat-belts in-lieu of the LATCH belts.
     

    Leo

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    I know it is not exactly the same, but I used to line up 4 toddlers across the back seat of a Mustang. I was able to add two more seat belt sets without too much effort. If you look at how the factory one is designed, there really is not much trick to mounting it just as securely. I have also added multi point racing harness seat belts to cars for competitive use.

    Can you have a friend who is somewhat handy help you mount a couple more attachment points? That would have to be cheaper than a new car.
     

    Cameramonkey

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    I am forced to weigh in here, although not in response to your original question. I currently own a 2015 Chrysler Town and Country van. I refer to it as a "sports utility van." Your designation of a "mini van" is an affront to all of us middle and old age men who proudly own one of these multi faceted vehicles. I have used mine to haul everything from a full sized washer and dryer to 800 pounds of lead shot I that I found on sale at a trap shoot one time.

    Although, as a young family man you may think of your vehicle as a mini van. However, I think you should reconsider the descriptive term you used. It will go a long way in helping you preserve your man card status and won't allow a reduction of testosterone levels to occur ! !

    Oh, BTW, good luck with your search for a more child user friendly "sports utility vehicle.

    No sir! They are called "Swagger Wagons. Get it right, man.
     

    russc2542

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    I know it is not exactly the same, but I used to line up 4 toddlers across the back seat of a Mustang. I was able to add two more seat belt sets without too much effort. If you look at how the factory one is designed, there really is not much trick to mounting it just as securely. I have also added multi point racing harness seat belts to cars for competitive use.

    Can you have a friend who is somewhat handy help you mount a couple more attachment points? That would have to be cheaper than a new car.

    It was one thing to do it back in the day. In this day and age, kiss your medical and auto insurance goodbye should you ever need to use them for the kids in those belts. I am not at all saying anything against your workmanship or physics (nor am I nearly sinless enough to throw stones for modding cars), but with the modern legal system and insurance the way they are they'd have a field day with you for "recklessly endangering poor defenseless children with homemade car mods"

    Thanks for the responses. In our 2015 Town and Country, the third row seat only has one set of latches and one tether for one car seat. Even if we wanted to use the seat belt method, we cannot since there is only one tether anchor.

    I stopped by the Toyota dealer this evening, and the Sienna has the ability for two car seats in the third row. They are just right next to each other. Want to check out the Honda.

    Are you sure there aren't tethers hidden on the walls/fenders? That seems bizarre for a Carvan/T&C to have only one set of LATCHes and anchor for as much as dodge/chrysler likes to toot their horn about how great the vans are.
     

    bigus_D

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    Dec 5, 2008
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    Odyssey will hold two forward facing seats in the back with rear tethers, but without the quick latch system for one seat, have to run the seatbelt for that one. Totally fine though.
     

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