Do you ever just give up?

[brightredmtn]

Horrible experience today. We're carless right now. My car was stolen in August and insurance hasn't settled yet and DH's car is at the body shop getting repaired from when someone hit him. His parents have an extra car that is a 93 Honda Accord and they came to pick us up at the airport from our trip in that car and were going to let us borrow it until DH's car got fixed.

I couldn't for the life of me get our Roundabout installed at all in any of the positions. I first saw the car and it had just a lap belt in the center, I thought wow this is going to be a cinch! Ha ha, no matter what I did, twisted the belt stalk, rolled up a sweatshirt (didn't have a noodle or blanket) going over and under the rear facing lock offs, could I get this seat in without major movement. Finally I just gave up and we got a rental. I felt defeated, and wondered what I'd do if I was ever in that position as a tech at a check event. Do you ever just give up?

We got some cheap Chevy from Enterprise and I couldn't manage to get a decent center install (with the center LATCH) because of the curvature of the back of the center position. This was the same problem I had with the Mazda we had on our trip (that and you can't make a center LATCH with rigid LATCH attachments which I'm assuming Britax has.) What will help with curving back problem? I'm going to pick up a noodle tomorrow and see if that helps. Thank goodness we live in LA where I shouldn't have a problem finding a noodle in October!

Thanks for reading what turned into more of a rant!

[jen_nah]

Just want to state that Britax does not have rigid LATCH on any of their seats. Rigid LATCH is like the Baby Trend Latch Loc 22 or like the Clik booster where the LATCH hooks are hard fixed to the seat and don't have any harness webbing to pull tight.

In these situations we try outboard positions to see if we can get a good install. While we like to use the center but if we can't get a good install in the center we try outboard then.

[brightredmtn]

The LATCH positions were too far apart on the Mazda and the LATCH strap wouldn't reach. I figured it was Britax type of connector vs. a simpler hook. Good to know!

[Patriot201]

Didn't one of Britax's older seats have rigid LATCH? I think it was a FF-only seat?

It is 6:30 a.m. and I am functioning (somewhat) on about 2.5 hours of sleep, so I am not thinking clearly enough to remember the seat.

[Patriot201]

I found it. It was the Britax Expressway.

I tried to pull a picture off the pictorial guide, but, as always, the guide froze (program not responding), so I couldn't get the picture.
I HATE that the pictorial guide freezes for me about90% of the time. I keep trying, HOPING that it will work.

[joolsplus3]

That seat, those cars, no, I've never just given up... I think you would have had NO problems if you weren't sort of stressed by the whole situation. (((HUGS))). Yes, Chevy, Mazda, and Britax allow all center LATCH installs, but you're right, the humps are a pain in the center (I'd have just used the outboard position: ANY seat in the back in a properly installed carseat is phenomenally safe, so I don't stress the center if it doesn't work).

:)

[skaterbabscpst]

That seat, those cars, no, I've never just given up... I think you would have had NO problems if you weren't sort of stressed by the whole situation. (((HUGS))). Yes, Chevy, Mazda, and Britax allow all center LATCH installs, but you're right, the humps are a pain in the center (I'd have just used the outboard position: ANY seat in the back in a properly installed carseat is phenomenally safe, so I don't stress the center if it doesn't work).

:)

As usual, what Julie said. ;)

[jen_nah]

I found it. It was the Britax Expressway.

I tried to pull a picture off the pictorial guide, but, as always, the guide froze (program not responding), so I couldn't get the picture.
I HATE that the pictorial guide freezes for me about90% of the time. I keep trying, HOPING that it will work.

Well I was talking from their current line up. Did they even offer the rigided LATCH Expressway in the US?

[brightredmtn]

That seat, those cars, no, I've never just given up... I think you would have had NO problems if you weren't sort of stressed by the whole situation. (((HUGS))). Yes, Chevy, Mazda, and Britax allow all center LATCH installs, but you're right, the humps are a pain in the center (I'd have just used the outboard position: ANY seat in the back in a properly installed carseat is phenomenally safe, so I don't stress the center if it doesn't work).

:)

I couldn't even get a tight install in an outboard position in the old Honda either. In that car the belt stalk was too long, even twisted three times. For it to have been tight enough it would have needed to wrap into the seat. I was so smug with installs before because I never had this much trouble.

Thanks!

[Patriot201]

Well I was talking from their current line up. Did they even offer the rigided LATCH Expressway in the US?

Oh, I didn't mean that you were forgetting it! :o I just meant that there USED to be one. :) You are right, though, that it is not available in this country anymore.

[Defrost]

For it to have been tight enough it would have needed to wrap into the seat.

It's okay for the buckle to be in the belt path. It needs to be either all the way in or all the way out, not "propped" at the edge of the belt path, but if the only way you can install the seat is to pull the buckle into the belt path, it's acceptable.

Of course, in a RF install, it might not work for comfort reasons, but as far as installing it, it's okay.

[UlrikeDG]

Did they even offer the rigided LATCH Expressway in the US?

Yup. Darren has (had?) one.

To the OP, I didn't have any trouble installing the RA in my friend's Accord. I think hers was a '95. It has been a long time since then, though, so I don't remember the details. I used my RA in her car, and then she bought one for her kids. We used them rear and front facing.

[brightredmtn]

It's okay for the buckle to be in the belt path. It needs to be either all the way in or all the way out, not "propped" at the edge of the belt path, but if the only way you can install the seat is to pull the buckle into the belt path, it's acceptable.

Of course, in a RF install, it might not work for comfort reasons, but as far as installing it, it's okay.

When we fly it's in the belt path and it's a fine install. Though in this car it's length made it only long enough to get into the curve of the seat to get into the path. Too short to get into the path and too long (even with the stalk twisted) to be tight enough not in the path. I experienced the same problem in the outboard positions too. I'm sure there has to be some way to do it, I'd love to have a tech give it a try so we could return our rental and save some money. We have a major shortage of techs in LA and an appointment with the CHP is about a three week wait at which point DH's car will be out of the body shop.

Thanks for the help!