? for Minivan owners....

ktspj

We have a 7 passenger Toyota Sienna. 

How do you have your carseats configured?  I was thinking of putting the twins snugrides in the center row captain chairs and my 2 & 3 year olds Marathon carseats in the third row (passenger side and middle). They do not know how to strap themselves in and I really don't want them to learn how either.  So I will have to be able to get back there and strap them in.

Did anyone move the passenger captain chair to the middle position?  Does it really give move room to get to the third row?  Or is it just easier to leave them the way they are?  Also, did you have to remove the headrests on the seats?

 Sorry for all the questions but I am lost!   Thanks!

bellasmom27

I have also been thinking about the same thing but we have the 8 passanger Sienna. Three seats on the last row and 3 seats in the middle row where you can remove the middle seat and just have the 2 captain seats with space in the center to reach the back row. So I was thinking putting the twins infant seats in the second row on each captain seats and put my toddler in the center seat on the third row. Or..I was thinking of switching my toddlers convertible seat to the slimmer booster seat one. The one with the weight reccommendation of 30 lbs+? My daughter is exactly 30 lbs. That way, because the middle seats are slimmer, it can perfectly fit on the center seat and she can be between both babies. We haven't decided yet, but she'll either be at center 3rd row or center 2nd row.

jettagurl

I have an Odyssey.... we moved the middle row passenger seat to the middle (like what you are thinking.  Then DS1 (oldest) is on the driver side of the back row - he can buckle himself - I can reach over baby in middle row to tighten/loosen the harness.  DD1 is on passenger side of back row,  and I can totally reach in without climbing in to get her buckled.  The to seats in the back row are Graco Nautiluses and are secured with the belt, not the LATCH (the Odyssey only has one back row LATCH attachment). 

And we removed all the headrests as well.  

 

schoolsoutbride

We haven't bought our minivan yet, but I've been thinking about this.

I'm tempted to take out one of the captain's seats to leave a big open space in the middle and then have one seat in front and two in back.

I really can't decide.

I don't think it's very easy to get to the backrow in any of the minivans we've driven, and my son can't buckle himself into his Radian (nor do I want him in a booster)