Pics of new install. Scatterbunny look (and any other techs.)

[Misty-Bug]

from what I know the camera is NOT angled. Please tell me this looks ok and he is not too far forward. Sigh....

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f12/Misty-bug/Dancing012.jpg

from the hatchback. inside trunk (I have a Ford Taurus station wagon)
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f12/Misty-bug/Dancing011.jpg

he is sick and didn't really want to be doing this
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f12/Misty-bug/Dancing008.jpg

full on how the seat looks
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f12/Misty-bug/Dancing001.jpg

the tacky yellow noodles. LOL
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f12/Misty-bug/Dancing002.jpg

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f12/Misty-bug/Dancing004.jpg

please tell me this is ok and looks right. If there is anything I need to pmod. wiht the pics or try again I will. Thanks for your help

ok....looks like some of the last shots are angled a little. just turn your head. LOL

[scatterbunny]

Looks good to me! If you notice his head flopping forward when sleeping (to the side is fine), maybe add one more noodle, making it a pyramid.

And seeing those armrests, I'd feel totally fine removing them. I had the AO (prior to the AOE version), and the shell was identical except mine had NO armrests. They look like Dorel added them on as an afterthought, to make parents think the seat had more comfort features. For kids small enough to be harnessed they are too far apart to be useful, and for booster mode they are not functional in the sense that they hold the lapbelt low; the grooves in the seat shell are for the lapbelt.

[Misty-Bug]

Looks good to me! If you notice his head flopping forward when sleeping (to the side is fine), maybe add one more noodle, making it a pyramid.

And seeing those armrests, I'd feel totally fine removing them. I had the AO (prior to the AOE version), and the shell was identical except mine had NO armrests. They look like Dorel added them on as an afterthought, to make parents think the seat had more comfort features. For kids small enough to be harnessed they are too far apart to be useful, and for booster mode they are not functional in the sense that they hold the lapbelt low; the grooves in the seat shell are for the lapbelt.

alright
thanks
so he looks ok??
and everything looks good?
I AM SO ANAL and paranoid

[DaniCPST]

I can't see any problems with the install or with how he is in the seat! All looks good from here!:D

[Jewels]

The install looks good to me. Are the straps below his shoulders? For RF you want the straps at or below the sholder, sorry I can't tell whether they are or not in the picture.

[Starlight]

Looks good, but as a tech, I should tell you that the mirror thing is technically a no-no. It's considered an aftermarket product, and in the event you are in a collision, the mirror could potentially fly off and become a projectile. Potentially. Maybe. Oh, and what Jewellee said.

He's too cute.

[Gypsy]

It does look like the harness slots are above his shoulders, I'd move them down a bit.

[momof2kiddos]

Looks good to me

[stayinhomewithmy4]

Looks good, but it is hard to tell if the harnesses are above his shoulders. I'm thinking those are just the empty slots that we're seeing above his shoulders, but maybe not. Hope he's feeling better soon!

[cdncasper]

I would move the harness down one notch and if that is the UAS/LATCH tether sticking out the back I would remove it. It the manual it says to remove if not using it. Very simple to do, pull headrest up all the way and pull up the little flap thing and there will be a screw holding the UAS/LATCH in place so just unscrew and take the UAS/LATCH out and put the headrest back down.

[Patriot201]

It looks good!!

He is a cutie!

[SamPacey&Joshua]

Is the latchplate in the beltpath or sitting at an angle on the beltpath? If it is, you need to twist the buckle stalk down (up to 3 full twists) to move the latchplate away from the beltpath.

[scatterbunny]

To me, it looks like the latchplate is just outside the belt path.

And also, to me, it looks like the straps are right at his shoulders, maybe a hair above. Nothing drastic, nothing I would worry about with a seat shell that tall above his head.

[skaterbabscpst]

It does look like the harness slots are above his shoulders, I'd move them down a bit.

Yep. :thumbsup:

[Misty-Bug]

the actual slots are just a hair above the shoulder. It was pushing him down too much and making him scream everytime he got in the car. There is never more then 2 finger widths at the shoulder. you can see that the belt itself actually goes down a bit more then what it looks like. and it was taken the day after his birthday, almost 2 months ago

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f12/Misty-bug/Apr122007220lighter-1.jpg

the buckle is just outside of the belt path.
Scatterbunny is right.

and I am confussed cause in the manual it says to latch them out of the way. I am gonna have to re read the maual. They are hooked and done up in the back so they won't fly around and the top tether is hooked behind so it will not fly either.
I just really feel like he is too far up and down. Like he is not angled enough. I will wait until the next time he falls asleep in it to judge.
I was thinking that about the mirror. What if I get one that sticks to the back window. Will that help? It is funny cause now all of a sudden he can reach the darn thing and pulls it down and plays with it.
Also, I am noticing that his feet are actually touching the seat back now. And his knees are bent where as before with the base on they didn't. Is it just cause now the seat is closer to the seat back? Should I be keeping the base off? This is what it looked like with the base: (he was also 7 months here) or could it really be that it is not angled as much as it was. look above to compare
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f12/Misty-bug/MVC-369F.jpg
you can see how thick the blanket was.
man...I wish one of you lived near me. I so badly want and need a second opinon in person.
Thanks for all your help and patience so far with this.
oh and also..........he is straining a lot more now to look out the window. He tilts his head and chin up to try to see more. I hope this all makes sense

[scatterbunny]

As I said before, I think the slots are close enough to his shoulders that it isn't a big deal. :)

My friend's 3-in-1 says the same thing re: LATCH straps (to hook them together out of the way).

His knees being bent is fine, really. :) No safety or comfort concern. Check out these pics:

http://cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/April.aspx
http://cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/Remy.aspx
http://cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/TaivenAO.aspx (this little boy is in the same seat as your son, and the base does seem to give more room for the legs than without the base)

Recline angle is really very subjective. As long as it isn't more than 45 degrees or less than 30 degrees, you can do it how it seems best and most comfortable for your son. Base or no base, that's up to you. Go with what gives a good, tight install and with what feels best for your son.

That blanket definitely had to go. ;) Pool noodles are much better.

[Misty-Bug]

As I said before, I think the slots are close enough to his shoulders that it isn't a big deal. :)

My friend's 3-in-1 says the same thing re: LATCH straps (to hook them together out of the way).

His knees being bent is fine, really. :) No safety or comfort concern. Check out these pics:

http://cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/April.aspx
http://cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/Remy.aspx
http://cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/TaivenAO.aspx (this little boy is in the same seat as your son, and the base does seem to give more room for the legs than without the base)

Recline angle is really very subjective. As long as it isn't more than 45 degrees or less than 30 degrees, you can do it how it seems best and most comfortable for your son. Base or no base, that's up to you. Go with what gives a good, tight install and with what feels best for your son.

That blanket definitely had to go. ;) Pool noodles are much better.

the last pic of the little boy. He looks like he is REALLY inclined? Is he inclined too much? Is Cooper not enough? LOL. I know you said it is subjective but it is so hard cause I just really want the best for him and for him to be safe. Guess I just gotta wait until the next time he falls asleep and possibly put another one on top of the one closest to the seat back?

[Misty-Bug]

As I said before, I think the slots are close enough to his shoulders that it isn't a big deal. :)

My friend's 3-in-1 says the same thing re: LATCH straps (to hook them together out of the way).

His knees being bent is fine, really. :) No safety or comfort concern. Check out these pics:

http://cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/April.aspx
http://cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/Remy.aspx
http://cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/TaivenAO.aspx (this little boy is in the same seat as your son, and the base does seem to give more room for the legs than without the base)

Recline angle is really very subjective. As long as it isn't more than 45 degrees or less than 30 degrees, you can do it how it seems best and most comfortable for your son. Base or no base, that's up to you. Go with what gives a good, tight install and with what feels best for your son.

That blanket definitely had to go. ;) Pool noodles are much better.

oh and thank you so much for your patience. For all of you having patience with me! LOL!

[SamPacey&Joshua]

I think the angle on Coopers' seat looks great! As long as his head doesn't fall forward when he falls asleep (if it falls to the side, that's fine), I'd leave it alone. Most of the time, older babies/toddlers prefer being more upright AND it's actually safer too, as it allows the back of the carseat to absorb more of the crash forces. If you do decide to add another noodle, yes, just put it right on top of the one closest to the seatback. If you can, get some duct tape and tape all 3 together in a pyramid.

You can sort of see in my signature how upright Pacey and Joshua are...but I have tons more pics if you need to see.

[scatterbunny]

To me, that last seat looks to be at an exact 45 degree angle, which is acceptable. We are taught that more upright is safer, up to 30 degrees, but 45 degrees is acceptable, and necessary for newborns.

I would personally install my child's seat rear-facing as upright as possible while still allowing for sleep support. That can be different for all kids, though, depending on age, the carseat, etc.

And no worries--we're here to answer these questions because we love to help. :) We were once full of the same types of questions. ;)

[snowbird25ca]

and I am confussed cause in the manual it says to latch them out of the way. I am gonna have to re read the maual. They are hooked and done up in the back so they won't fly around and the top tether is hooked behind so it will not fly either.
I just really feel like he is too far up and down. Like he is not angled enough. I will wait until the next time he falls asleep in it to judge.
I was thinking that about the mirror. What if I get one that sticks to the back window. Will that help? It is funny cause now all of a sudden he can reach the darn thing and pulls it down and plays with it.
Also, I am noticing that his feet are actually touching the seat back now. And his knees are bent where as before with the base on they didn't. Is it just cause now the seat is closer to the seat back? Should I be keeping the base off? This is what it looked like with the base: (he was also 7 months here) or could it really be that it is not angled as much as it was. look above to compare
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f12/Misty-bug/MVC-369F.jpg
you can see how thick the blanket was.
man...I wish one of you lived near me. I so badly want and need a second opinon in person.
Thanks for all your help and patience so far with this.
oh and also..........he is straining a lot more now to look out the window. He tilts his head and chin up to try to see more. I hope this all makes sense

The older 3-in-1's told you to remove the LATCH strap when installing the seat with the seatbelt. I read a manual for a 2006 DOM today though and it now says to hook the latch anchors on the back of the seat shell to secure them.

Personally to me I do think he's likely a little too upright in the pictures without the base. But if he's not having problems with his head when he falls asleep, he's probably ok.

The legs I wouldn't focus on in terms of whether to use the base or not. In terms of tightness at the belt path, do you have a more secure installation without the base? ie less wiggle room when you move the seat side to side at the belt path. The less the better, but the absolute most that's allowable is 1". If you have a better installation without the base, then I wouldn't put the base back on. If there's no difference in the tightness of the installation, then you can just make the personal decision as to if you want to use the base or not.

I'm sorry I haven't read all your threads, so I apologize if it's been said before, but kids are just fine with feet touching the seatback and will remain quite comfy. There haven't been any documented cases of broken legs or dislocated hips as a result of being rf'ing. There have been kids that have had spinal cord injuries as a result of being ff'ing too early. So anyways, all that just to say that the legs are really a non-issue. You want to go with whatever is going to give you the best installation - and usually the 3-in 1's tend to isntall better rf'ing without the base.

Comparing your 2 pictures I think the seat is more upright now then what it was when you had the base on it. It's hard to tell for sure, but using the car pillar as a guide, it looks like the seat was more reclined when you had the base on

What province are you in? St John's Ambulance is in some provinces getting quite an active tech training program. I just completed the course in AB today and there were 6 of us. We were the 3rd class our instructor has taught in the last 3 wks and she's responsible for southern and central AB. So depending on the area you're living in, you may just be able to contact st john's and they'll point you in the right direction.

[snowbird25ca]

I just went back and looked at the other thread and looking at the seat, I don't believe she actually took the armrests off, she just flipped them up into the upright position. Unless the manual specifically states that they must be down, then I would have absolutely no concern with using the seat like that.

However - if the armrests have been removed, it is a seat modification and in Canada it's a ticketable error. Would it affect the safety in a collsion? I tend to agree with the others that it likely wouldn't. But physically removing the armrests unless they're designed to be physically seperated from the seat and the manual specifies the circumstances under which it can be done, just should not be done.

But from looking at your picture - and having seen a seat today with the armrests completely removed, the tech just flipped yours up. :thumbsup: And there's nothing wrong with that.

[Misty-Bug]

The older 3-in-1's told you to remove the LATCH strap when installing the seat with the seatbelt. I read a manual for a 2006 DOM today though and it now says to hook the latch anchors on the back of the seat shell to secure them.

Personally to me I do think he's likely a little too upright in the pictures without the base. But if he's not having problems with his head when he falls asleep, he's probably ok.

The legs I wouldn't focus on in terms of whether to use the base or not. In terms of tightness at the belt path, do you have a more secure installation without the base? ie less wiggle room when you move the seat side to side at the belt path. The less the better, but the absolute most that's allowable is 1". If you have a better installation without the base, then I wouldn't put the base back on. If there's no difference in the tightness of the installation, then you can just make the personal decision as to if you want to use the base or not.

I'm sorry I haven't read all your threads, so I apologize if it's been said before, but kids are just fine with feet touching the seatback and will remain quite comfy. There haven't been any documented cases of broken legs or dislocated hips as a result of being rf'ing. There have been kids that have had spinal cord injuries as a result of being ff'ing too early. So anyways, all that just to say that the legs are really a non-issue. You want to go with whatever is going to give you the best installation - and usually the 3-in 1's tend to isntall better rf'ing without the base.

Comparing your 2 pictures I think the seat is more upright now then what it was when you had the base on it. It's hard to tell for sure, but using the car pillar as a guide, it looks like the seat was more reclined when you had the base on

What province are you in? St John's Ambulance is in some provinces getting quite an active tech training program. I just completed the course in AB today and there were 6 of us. We were the 3rd class our instructor has taught in the last 3 wks and she's responsible for southern and central AB. So depending on the area you're living in, you may just be able to contact st john's and they'll point you in the right direction.

He has yet to fall asleep in the seat so I know wether or not his head is too far forward when completely relaxed. I am thinking that I need another pool noodle.
The base was taken off cause we were trying to get two AOE side by side for when I have a daycare kid in september. I know, long way off. I had a really good, tight install with both the seat on and the seat off. I just don't know if it is safer to have him lower in the car like he is now or what. But now I gotta figure out and install the seat correctly if I decide to put the base back on.
She said it was fine without it.
It gives more room in the back seat though too. I am just so hesitant. but if everyone is saying it is fine then I gotta let it go. I had zero to a wee little bit of movement when I had it installed with the base. Now there is a little bit of movement but not more then the "allowable" 1". but either way I have to get a pool noodle. I don't know if I will get a better or more comfortable install with the pool noodle and the base. Part of me wishes she just didn't touch my seat. It was perfect. LIke I said it is lower in the car now. And I believe the other posters said that is better. BUT he is straining to look out the windows now. So part of me is wanting to put the base back on. I would rather him not strain then be straining and we happen to get in an accident and get injured more.

[Misty-Bug]

oh and I am in BC

[scatterbunny]

It sounds like you were more comfortable with the base, and that's perfectly fine. It was a tighter install before, as well? Then I'd switch back. ;)

[Misty-Bug]

I do think this one is an ok install but the other one is just more familiar to me I guess. And provides more room in the back seat for my other passengers. I need to let it go if you all say it is fine. Just so weird. LOL
Cooper has a temp of 102.5 so we may be trying out that seat today

[scatterbunny]

Yes, it really is okay being that low to the vehicle seat, and that upright, provided he doesn't slump when sleeping. :) I might try to get out a little bit more slack in the belt, though, to tighten it up that last little bit. ;)

I hope Cooper's temp goes down, it's no fun with a sick little one.