The car

I thought I would do a post on my three across issue.  Where to put who, who will be less likely to kill each other more quickly, and where will the baby survive the longest.

I drive a Jeep Commander which has a 3rd row.  However, with the 3rd row up, there is no cargo space.  Which in time will be fine, like when children are out of carseats or one is in a booster, etc.  I can fold one of the 3rd row seats up and stick one kid back there and still have some cargo space for groceries, etc.  But right now when I need that space for a stroller, its just not feasible.  So, this is what I started out with:

The infant seat in the middle and the two Radians on the outboard positions.  I really wanted this to work because the boys don't fight.  However, they would each grab a side of the infant seat handle and start shaking back and forth.  Not good.  So, I left Bennett on the outside and moved Peytonn's seat in the center position.

This is the view from the drivers side.  The nice thing about Radians (which is the whole purpose why we bought them) is that they are the narrowest carseat out there. Their width is only 17 inches which is nice for being able to fit 3 seats across.  As you can see, it leaves the entire seat open behind the driver.  I have fit a full sized adult back there with no problem. 

Then I installed the infant seat base:

It fits with no problem. Now, you will notice that about 20 % of the base hangs off the end of the seat.  You have to be careful about this because most bases will not allow you to do this. However, Britax approves it.  This is usually due to the anti-rebound bar on the base.  The actual seat of my old van was a lot longer and therefore the base did not hang over on that seat.  So, it just depends on your vehicle.  Then I placed the infant seat in the base to check to make sure it was at the proper angle.

I actually get a better install and better angle on the infant seat in the outboard position than I did in the middle position.  The bubble is in the middle of the angle thing (technical term, you know!), so we are good to go.  I moved my driver's chair back to where I prefer it and it fits just fine.  Now, Hubby (who is 6'3") will not be able to drive with the infant seat in.  He will not be able to move the seat back.  Now, I could just install the seat on the passenger side, however, it blocks my view to my side and then I can't reach whoever is sitting behind me.  I prefer it behind me.  Plus, then I can get out, get the infant seat, walk around and get the other two out without worrying about trying to control 2 kids while I get the infant seat out. 

 Bennett wanted to get in on the pictures too!

And here is what the other two hooligans were doing while I was installing carseats. The sunshade can be very entertaining apparently.

So, there you have it.  Three across in a Jeep Commander.  Now mind you, I am very anal about installing my carseats correctly and tightly.  I actually get on or inside my carseats and then tighten them down.  You are allowed a 1 inch wiggle room in each direction for a proper install.  However, I am not satisfied with that. I prefer mine to be rock solid and not move at all.  I have achieved that with each of these seats.  I can also get a Britax Marathon, Graco Nautilus, and First Years TrueFit correctly installed in this vehicle.  Now, I can't use them for 3 across, but if I have just 2 seats, I can use all of those. 

Hope this helps those out there wondering about 3 across!