Baby seats in the 200 (1 Viewer)

[Imola Red]

hopefully somebody has some experience with this.....

We are expecting a new bundle of dirty diapers coming soon. That’s on top of the 3 other kids we have produced.

Can you put two baby seats in the middle row right next to each other to where a kid could still access the 3rd row? One would be behind the driver (forward facing) and one in the middle (rear facing) allowing the seat behind the passenger to be free to move forward to let a kid get into the 3rd row.

Don’t have a 200 but wanting to get another LC after having a 60, 80 and 120 in past years. Hoping we don’t have to get a Tahoe or Yukon instead.

Thanks for the help.

 

[Willy beamin]

Nope. The baby seats are to bulky to sit side by side. We do one behind the driver, one behinf the passenger and then my 9 yr old takes the middle seat or just sits in the third row, her choice. Its tight man. Honestly My tahoe with the rear bucket seats was a better set up for hauling car seats and still having access to the rear third row. Get use to loading a kid through the rear lift gate.

 

[TexAZ]

we usually have 2 seats in the back row, but have had guests come in town with additional 2 seats.
2fwd 1 rear facing in 2nd row. my son in 3rd row behind drivers side. we put him in through the rear hatch.
depending on your kids age, getting them buckled up from the 2nd row was harder than just climbing through the back.

 

[Willy beamin]

Feed them PB&j's so they hit the weight requirement to move on to a booster.
Good luck and congrats on the new addition!

 

[NLScooby]

I used to be in the Child Passenger Seat business....and these things only seem to be getting bigger and wider. If you are referring to infant car seats (with bases), I would say you could likely keep a base only (and have the infant carrier removed) in the center of the middle row and still have access to the third row - but if you are referring to "convertible" car seats - then I would say no.

My children outgrew restrained harnessed seats by the time I got my 200. Most folks with 2 kids in car seats (and with required access to the third row) tend to go with mini-vans or SUVs with captain's chairs in the second row. I believe you can find Sequoia's with this configuration if you are against owning one of the GM products you mentioned.

Good luck!

 

[bjowett]

2008+ Sequoia. They share quite a bit with the 200 Series...

 

[Imola Red]

Thank you everybody, I figured it would be too tight.

Great recommendation on the sequoia! Didn’t know they did them with captain seats. I’ll check that out.

 

[SQRRRL]

hopefully somebody has some experience with this.....

We are expecting a new bundle of dirty diapers coming soon. That’s on top of the 3 other kids we have produced.

Can you put two baby seats in the middle row right next to each other to where a kid could still access the 3rd row? One would be behind the driver (forward facing) and one in the middle (rear facing) allowing the seat behind the passenger to be free to move forward to let a kid get into the 3rd row.

Don’t have a 200 but wanting to get another LC after having a 60, 80 and 120 in past years. Hoping we don’t have to get a Tahoe or Yukon instead.

Thanks for the help.

Yes. Baby seats go to the far left and center. This leaves the single right seat open for folding for access to 3rd row.

 

[Climbingnut]

Well, I've got 3 kids and keep the two older ones in their car seats behind driver and center, and put the infant car seat (rear facing w/ removable base) behind the passenger. This makes it easier to fold up that seat for access to the 3rd row. It's still not easy and I do have to push on the kids chairs to make the squeeze as the seat comes forward, but it can be done. Depending on who or what is going into the 3rd row, sometimes it's just easier to have them climb in from the back, or if it's adults and we're wheeling or traveling a good bit, I move the kids car seats to the 3rd row and leave the baby seat in the 2nd row.

 

[BabaBear]

It can be done! Our rear-facing Cybex infant seat fits in the middle seat and you can still access the third row folding down passenger side second row seat. Our Cybex full-back booster is behind the driver. No issues at all.

 

[SQRRRL]

I'm using Diono Radian RXT. The low profile makes folding the passenger side single seat fold with no problem. Child in baby seat uses no base. Just belt them in.

 

[Imola Red]

It can be done! Our rear-facing Cybex infant seat fits in the middle seat and you can still access the third row folding down passenger side second row seat. Our Cybex full-back booster is behind the driver. No issues at all.

That’s great to hear! Especially since the sequoia captain chairs have the middle section that you can’t go between in the higher end models so wouldn’t work for us.

Might need to look at this more......

 

[Climbingnut]

We use Britax seats and they've been working for us in the 200. If you like the 200, and have the coin, get one, then get creative with the car seats. It seems more sensible to me to buy car seats to fit the vehicle you want, rather than buying a vehicle to fit the car seats you have. Car seats are relatively inexpensive and your kids will grow out of them fairly quickly. The 200, much more expensive, and your kids will grow into it fairly quickly. It'll become a family favorite. =)

 

[jameyFL]

we haul at max 6 kids around, 2 are in boosters.... max you could have in seats are 3 on the outside edges (except the pass middle it has to go down to get to back) only problem is if your older ones are too big for that middle seatbelt.

my 6 year old has to sit middle rear and has to put a pillow because of the plastic humps at his tailbone.

we downsized from a suburban, but rarely use all 8 seats (couple times a month and when we go on vacation)

 

[LouisianaFJ]

we picked up a 200 for same reason
my 2 year old and the baby ride in second seat, two big kids in 3rd

For about a month it "worked" but when its time for carline pickup or drop off at school and you are trying to be quick it was not a smooth process, and the seat was unused, basically a waste of space for us.

So I removed the passenger 2nd row seat so the big ones can get in (think minivan setup)
worked great for past 5 months, also gives me a spot to stack pallet of water or other large things after a Sams/Cosco trip

 

[marketShark]

I don't have kids yet, but I appreciate this thread, as it will come in VERY handy someday soon.

This is the kind of real life, "tribal" knowledge that I come here for!

LC 200 Series... Will it Baby?... YES!

 

[longranger]

Yeah, we have a 2010 Highlander and just got a 2011 200-series thinking that it’s going to be a much bigger truck. Specifically, we were looking for a second row that can fit three (3), count ‘em, three baby seats. Good luck! It worked in the Highlander, but my wife almost lost a finger making the Latch connectors work, and I almost lost two fingers trying to un-Latch the seats she had latched.

Lesson No. 1: 200 is bigger than Highlander, but not by much.

Our kids are under 2, under 1, and under 0 — so all three theoretically need convertible seats.

200-series has Latch connectors in the 2nd row passenger seats behind driver and behind passenger, NO dedicated LATCH CONNECTORS for middle seat. There are also Latch connectors with the third row seats.

What we’re experimenting with are D-rings/O-rings/carabiners to extend/multiply the Latch connectors. 300lb rated hardware will do the trick. Be careful, this may or MAY NOT be legal in your state, so after you do an install that you think may work, be sure to stop by a firehouse and the firefighters will do a proper inspection and will let you know the honest-to-goodness truth about what you’ve created. If it’s solid as a rock, they’ll tell you that, and you’ll have peace of mind. If there’s a raised eyebrow at the fire station, chances are, there will be a raised eyebrow (and potentially a ticket) if you’re ever pulled over. ...and at home.

The key thing that emerges from all the threads on different forums is the need to try different seats/configurations, and ideally in real-life settings (with sticky crying kids trying to jump out of their booster seat while another is squeezing a bottle of milk in a fountain onto your spotless sharkskin headliner, while laughing maniacally).

Sequoia and 200-series rigs are awesome family movers, with tons of advantages over competition. Subaru Ascent, Honda Pilot, and the AWD Highlander are also worth a look.

This needs to be said again for emphasis — the only thing that works is what will work for you. For us right now, this has meant getting rid of the third row altogether because we need to be able to throw in a bulky Bob Duallie, with boxes and boxes of diapers and groceries in the back. My wife also has a firm need to be able to reach all three kids from either the drivers’ seat or passengers seat, so the 3-in-a-row configuration is what we are shooting for, even though we can make use of the third row. It just seems easier for US to do it this way at this particular junction.

What we learned though is that these things change VERY quickly. Our goal was to have the ~2 year old in a booster in the middle, the ~1 year old in a convertible behind driver, and the ~0 year old in a back-facing seat behind the main passenger seat. We had it set up that way, with a teddy bear as a temporary occupant in the infant car seat, ahhhhh, how cute, look sweetie, there they will be, awwww ... and listen, sweetheart, they’re giggling and laughing with one another.

... right up until the moment we hear screaming straight out of a Stephen King novel, and we turn around to see the 1 year old clasping a chunk of the 2 year old’s scalp, WHILE the 2 year old was trying to munch on her little sister’s right foot! So, yeah, with a month to go before the 0 year old arrives, the two sisters are sitting at opposite ends of the 2nd row seat, and still managing to fling raisins and milk bottles at one another, despite the laws of physics, and their parents’ extremely stern warnings.

So, good luck, and we are anxious to learn what YOUR seating solution will be.

We’re also seriously considering extending the chassis to get some more interior room. It’s a HUGE project. But so is raising kids from 1 and 2 year old wannabe cannibals to responsible young folks who will one day be cleaning and cherishing the family ‘Cruiser and asking to take it on weekend adventures and whatnot.

 

[I Eat Glue]

Yeah, we have a 2010 Highlander and just got a 2011 200-series thinking that it’s going to be a much bigger truck. Specifically, we were looking for a second row that can fit three (3), count ‘em, three baby seats. Good luck! It worked in the Highlander, but my wife almost lost a finger making the Latch connectors work, and I almost lost two fingers trying to un-Latch the seats she had latched.

Lesson No. 1: 200 is bigger than Highlander, but not by much.

Our kids are under 2, under 1, and under 0 — so all three theoretically need convertible seats.

200-series has Latch connectors in the 2nd row passenger seats behind driver and behind passenger, NO dedicated LATCH CONNECTORS for middle seat. There are also Latch connectors with the third row seats.

What we’re experimenting with are D-rings/O-rings/carabiners to extend/multiply the Latch connectors. 300lb rated hardware will do the trick. Be careful, this may or MAY NOT be legal in your state, so after you do an install that you think may work, be sure to stop by a firehouse and the firefighters will do a proper inspection and will let you know the honest-to-goodness truth about what you’ve created. If it’s solid as a rock, they’ll tell you that, and you’ll have peace of mind. If there’s a raised eyebrow at the fire station, chances are, there will be a raised eyebrow (and potentially a ticket) if you’re ever pulled over. ...and at home.

The key thing that emerges from all the threads on different forums is the need to try different seats/configurations, and ideally in real-life settings (with sticky crying kids trying to jump out of their booster seat while another is squeezing a bottle of milk in a fountain onto your spotless sharkskin headliner, while laughing maniacally).

Sequoia and 200-series rigs are awesome family movers, with tons of advantages over competition. Subaru Ascent, Honda Pilot, and the AWD Highlander are also worth a look.

This needs to be said again for emphasis — the only thing that works is what will work for you. For us right now, this has meant getting rid of the third row altogether because we need to be able to throw in a bulky Bob Duallie, with boxes and boxes of diapers and groceries in the back. My wife also has a firm need to be able to reach all three kids from either the drivers’ seat or passengers seat, so the 3-in-a-row configuration is what we are shooting for, even though we can make use of the third row. It just seems easier for US to do it this way at this particular junction.

What we learned though is that these things change VERY quickly. Our goal was to have the ~2 year old in a booster in the middle, the ~1 year old in a convertible behind driver, and the ~0 year old in a back-facing seat behind the main passenger seat. We had it set up that way, with a teddy bear as a temporary occupant in the infant car seat, ahhhhh, how cute, look sweetie, there they will be, awwww ... and listen, sweetheart, they’re giggling and laughing with one another.

... right up until the moment we hear screaming straight out of a Stephen King novel, and we turn around to see the 1 year old clasping a chunk of the 2 year old’s scalp, WHILE the 2 year old was trying to munch on her little sister’s right foot! So, yeah, with a month to go before the 0 year old arrives, the two sisters are sitting at opposite ends of the 2nd row seat, and still managing to fling raisins and milk bottles at one another, despite the laws of physics, and their parents’ extremely stern warnings.

So, good luck, and we are anxious to learn what YOUR seating solution will be.

We’re also seriously considering extending the chassis to get some more interior room. It’s a HUGE project. But so is raising kids from 1 and 2 year old wannabe cannibals to responsible young folks who will one day be cleaning and cherishing the family ‘Cruiser and asking to take it on weekend adventures and whatnot.

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My wife has a sequoia and I have an lc. We can fit three car seats across the second row in both vehicles just fine. The two older kids (3 & 4) are in diono rainier seats which are pretty narrow. The youngest (1) is in a graco seat of some sort. We have a fourth on the way so we'll have to split 2 and 2 between the second and third rows. We use the seat belts to anchor by the way and not the seat anchors.

 

[longranger]

My wife has a sequoia and I have an lc. We can fit three car seats across the second row in both vehicles just fine. The two older kids (3 & 4) are in diono rainier seats which are pretty narrow. The youngest (1) is in a graco seat of some sort. We have a fourth on the way so we'll have to split 2 and 2 between the second and third rows. We use the seat belts to anchor by the way and not the seat anchors.

Thank you for the Diono Rainier suggestion — did you get the seats at a brick-and-mortar store or online. I don’t recall seeing this brand when we were looking at Babies-R-Us/Target/etc.

 

[I Eat Glue]

Thank you for the Diono Rainier suggestion — did you get the seats at a brick-and-mortar store or online. I don’t recall seeing this brand when we were looking at Babies-R-Us/Target/etc.

It's been a while, but it was online and either amazon or babies r us. They are pricey, but very convenient due to the narrow size. They are convertible as well so there is a base for rear facing to recline it then it comes off for forward facing. The seats are back in my wife's sequoia or I'd post a picture of them in the lc.