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Three boosters in the 3rd row?

15K views 16 replies 7 participants last post by  apnar 
#1 ·
Any paciifca owners out there have success with putting three highback or harness boosters (combination of both or with one convertible is ok too) across the 3rd row? I know they would have to be installed using seatbelts and maybe tethers rather than LATCH, which is ok with us.

We have been going back and forth between buying the Pacifica and the VW Atlas and we honestly can’t agree which would be better for 5 car seats/boosters (we have 4 children right now but might have one more baby while owning this next car). I thought minivans would be self evidently best for maximum car seat installations but the more I read about this issue the less sure I am.

(Yes, we could try three across with the 8 seater middle bench and two in the back but I read most car seats installed in the center 2nd row seat on the Pacifica impede the easy tilt functiion of the outboard seats. So we’d like to be sure we could do three in the back as an option anyway).

I replied on an old thread about this topic but want to start a new thread too in case it catches someone’s eye. Thanks for your insights!
 
#2 ·
I’ve done three boosters in the back but the one in the middle I had to use a much smaller one (bubble bum). Outside ones were standard graco boosters. Little effort making sure everyone’s clipped but all worked out and felt like all were safe and secure.
 
#4 · (Edited)
Any paciifca owners out there have success with putting three highback or harness boosters (combination of both or with one convertible is ok too) across the 3rd row? I know they would have to be installed using seatbelts and maybe tethers rather than LATCH, which is ok with us.

We have been going back and forth between buying the Pacifica and the VW Atlas and we honestly can't agree which would be better for 5 car seats/boosters (we have 4 children right now but might have one more baby while owning this next car). I thought minivans would be self evidently best for maximum car seat installations but the more I read about this issue the less sure I am.

(Yes, we could try three across with the 8 seater middle bench and two in the back but I read most car seats installed in the center 2nd row seat on the Pacifica impede the easy tilt function of the outboard seats. So we'd like to be sure we could do three in the back as an option anyway).

I replied on an old thread about this topic but want to start a new thread too in case it catches someone's eye. Thanks for your insights!
Not exactly what you were looking for, but I couldn't resist posting the link to a photo of a van with lots of carseats.
https://www.pacificaforums.com/forum/504378-post21.html

I assume the 3rd row carseats or boosters in the photo must be seatbelted in as opposed to using the LATCH system. I don't know what the rules on child seats are, but at some point your oldest child might not need a carseat. A minivan with sliding doors makes getting kids into carseats so much easier. My four children are out of carseats, but I really liked having a van with young kids. The older ones sat in the back and the younger ones sat in the middle.

If you end up with an 8 passenger van and want the baby in the center of the second row, here is a link with a suggestion for car seats.
https://www.pacificaforums.com/forum/548343-post15.html
 
#7 ·
Thanks for that info!

I did see that picture before posting and the kid in the back middle isn't in a booster so it's still a mystery! She also didn't say one way or the other if that configuration, with three convertible car seats in the center row, impeded the use of Easy Tilt - which is actually our main requirement for a vehicle. So if we can't reliably use that feature we won't buy. It is now recommended that children should be in boosters (preferably the high back kind) until at least 10, probably older. And they keep inching up all these recommendations every year, which is why it is obnoxious so many car companies haven't caught up with that changing reality. Wherever a child passenger could be seated a car/seat booster of some kind should fit/be accommodated.

The Pacifica is decent on this issue and there are other perks to consider, but they not the best. Safety first and all that. ;-)
 
#8 · (Edited)
This was from an earlier post in the same thread mentioned above about three carseats in the center row.
Yup! And you can still tilt the seats to access the back without difficulty. I LOVE the 8th seat and flexibility the Pacifica offers. During the winter we’re thinking about stowing a seat and putting a kid in the third row.
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While we all want our children to be safe in the vehicle and may follow the extended safety recommendations, I would also check your state laws on what age/weight/height is required to be in a child seat or booster. The shape, size, height, and weight of the child may also factor in to figuring out the appropriate carseats after legal requirements are met. It may also depend on the type of vehicle you have and the type of shoulder straps available.
 
#10 ·
The linked article above about the Atlas basically proved the point of our conundrum. We think mini vans are the obvious choice for big families but the more we map out logistics the more complex the Pacifica gets for us. We currently drive an Explorer and the only real issue is third row access. Sliding doors and more cargo capacity is definitely on our pro list for the Pacifica, and we'd welcome an aisle if the third row truly saw three across, but the loss of AWD and the car seat conundrum is a major issue. We don't need an 8 passenger car with 2 barely usable seats, we need a 7 passenger car with 7 usable seats. SO...if you know of specific configurations of three across in the 3rd row I'd love to hear them.
 
#11 ·
Just a thought -- if you are going 7 seat and need access to the center aisle, using the stow+go access button on the powered front seats to advance the seat all the way forward will both ease the access to the center aisle AND give you working room to strap the child in. Only downside is someone can't remain seated in the front seat when it is pushed forward. (This may also give you tilting room with a rear facing seat..)
 
#15 ·
I found that I couldn't safely put a Britax Frontier/Pioneer harness 2 booster in the outer third row seats. The permanent headrests were at an angle that either pushed on the boosters headrest if up or, if folded, impeded the tightening straps. I ended up getting a backless Graco Turbo Booster since my son was 8 and tall enough to use a belt. If I had the option, I wish I could have gotten the harness 2 booster back there for him.

Really I wish I could remove those headrests...
 
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