True Fit recline foot?

[snowbird25ca]

I was trying to get the TF installed more upright in my truck this afternoon, and encountered the usual problem due to the slope of my seats... in order to have the bottom of the carseat touching the vehicle seat, the base ends up pulled away from the seat bite quite a bit. (This was the same situation with the MA too.)

Here's a pic before I go further, to help explain what I'm talking about before I ask my question. :thumbsup:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y194/snowbird25ca/compass%20true%20fit/DSC01360.jpg

The black bar on the bottom is the recline foot - the position it's in in this picture is the ff'ing position. It rotates freely to the front of the seat for when the seat is being used rf'ing. It kind of pops into position, but is mostly just held in whichever mode by the pressure of the install...

Now for the question. I looked in the manual and couldn't find any warnings regarding having the recline foot against the seat shell at all times, but all the pictures show it all the way back or all the way forward and always right against the shell.

When I slid the TF more upright this afternoon, the recline bar kind of dropped down so that it was against the vehicle seat & actually flat against the seat, but there was space between the recline foot and the bottom of the shell - probably about 3 or 4" at the point closest to the seat bite.

I'm assuming at present that that isn't acceptable and that the foot must be fully in one mode or the other and in full contact with the vehicle seat, but I'd appreciate some other opinions. I'm guessing that how I have it right now is as upright as I'm going to be able to get it ff'ing, so I guess I'll have to decide if I'm ok with that. It doesn't seem to bother dd right now anyways. :shrug-shoulders:

I'm thinking I'll call Compass on Monday to find out for sure, but past experiences posted on the board lead me to believe they aren't always confident in the installation answers they provide. ;)

(Hopefully I've explained this well enough as it's kind of confusing to say. I didn't have the camera out with me to take a picture of the recline foot when it dropped slightly away from the shell, otherwise it might be easier to imagine...)

[CDNTech]

I agree with you Trudy... I think that's as upright as you're going to get it. I wouldn't be comfortable with a gap under the seat... whether it's between the vehicle and the foot OR the foot and the child restraint.

[supermommyof2]

My opinion would be that it depends on how much of the base is in contact with the foot (and therefore the seat). Isn't there an 80% rule, or was that a brand-specific rule?

I had a similar experience with the Radian and sb installs. If the seatback was more upright the RN was more inline with the forward-of-the-bight sb but it left a gap in the bottom 1/4-1/3 of the seatbacks.

The FFing recline was one of the deciding factors in returning the TF, I just couldn't get used to it.

[snowbird25ca]

I agree with you Trudy... I think that's as upright as you're going to get it. I wouldn't be comfortable with a gap under the seat... whether it's between the vehicle and the foot OR the foot and the child restraint.

Yeah, this is my gut reaction too. I was hoping that maybe I was wrong though. (How often does someone want to be wrong I wonder? :p)

The more frustrating thing, is that the EFTA fits like a glove ff'ing...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3029/2312304640_096e23c02e.jpg?v=0

But dd loves her TF, and I really like the deep side wings. The EFTA I don't think is quite as deep... I don't know that weight will even be an issue for either of them anyways, and I still plan to get a Nautilus.. although who knows if this will occur with it too?

Argh, so frustrating... I'm on the fence about waiting to see how long the Nautilus takes to get here, or just getting another EFTA and putting the TF in the basement as a spare seat. :rolleyes:

(You think the Frontier would have issues with the bottom touching the vehicle seat similar to the TF? I really haven't looked at it closely enough yet to have an idea...)

[snowbird25ca]

My opinion would be that it depends on how much of the base is in contact with the foot (and therefore the seat). Isn't there an 80% rule, or was that a brand-specific rule?

I had a similar experience with the Radian and sb installs. If the seatback was more upright the RN was more inline with the forward-of-the-bight sb but it left a gap in the bottom 1/4-1/3 of the seatbacks.

The FFing recline was one of the deciding factors in returning the TF, I just couldn't get used to it.

The 80% rule more addresses the amount of the overall base on the seat - as in no more than 20% of it can overhang the end of the seat. (Although some brands don't allow any overhang.)

The Radian is different in how the base is shaped - because of the angles at the back corner of the seat, it would be unlikely to have all of it in contact with the vehicle seat. The flat bottom of the radian though, would be in full contact with the vehicle seat - if that makes sense.

The problem I'm having, is that the bottom of the seat near the seat bite would essentially be sitting lifted off the vehicle seat - supported by air in the back basically... if the recline foot drops down then there's contact, but there's still that air between the foot and the carseat shell - IYKWIM? So that's the difference between the 80% rule and what's happening here.

The MA has quite a recline when ff'ing in our truck too for the same reason. It's just the slope of the vehicle seat. (And on a similar note, it's near impossible to get a newborn recline with the Radian even with tightening the rf'ing tether to the max, so that tells you how the seats are sloped...)

What are you guys using instead of the TF now?

[CDNTech]

Why don't you put Jillian in the EFTA and Jonas in the TF for now and wait a few months to debate the Nautilus?

ETA: I haven't had issues with my Frontier, but it's only been installed in a few vehicles so far. Our Speed3 had the most reclined seat (A lost close to an inch going from the van to the car), but it still installed really well.

ETA2: I don't think the Frontier would have the same issues for harnessed mode... the foot is flipped forward for harnessed mode to recline the seat more. It *may* be affected in booster mode though. :shrug-shoulders:

[snowbird25ca]

Why don't you put Jillian in the EFTA and Jonas in the TF for now and wait a few months to debate the Nautilus?

ETA: I haven't had issues with my Frontier, but it's only been installed in a few vehicles so far. Our Speed3 had the most reclined seat (A lost close to an inch going from the van to the car), but it still installed really well.

I had that thought, I just really really :love: the EFTA for Jonas and don't want to take him out of it. :o

[CDNTech]

I had that thought, I just really really :love: the EFTA for Jonas and don't want to take him out of it. :o

:D I get that. People knock it, but I *adored* my original Triumph... the memory harness was the best and the seat was so cushy and perfect for sleeping in. :love:

[supermommyof2]

I understood what you meant about the space under the seat, I just had interpreted the 80% to mean all over contact with the seat, not just overhang. Thanks for the clarification!

We have 2 RNs, one short-strapped and the replacement. I haven't tried the s-s RN without the safe-stop, I'm guessing that J won't fit once he passes 40lbs. Hopefully we'll get a Frontier for Isaac by then. It was kinda ironic that I got a BFP the day we got home (3 days after returning the TF :rolleyes:) Oh well, we'll need a new bucket in the meantime, hopefully a Keyfit :D

[emars002]

my TF looks exactly like yours (i would take pics but Dh has the car) - it is in a 2005 malibu - Luckily my 5 yr old like sitting like that - she is used to being much more upright in her BLVD but she hasn't complained in the TF - my seats really are not that slanted either - i'm not sure if compass intended it to be this way or it is our vehicles:)

[snowbird25ca]

my TF looks exactly like yours (i would take pics but Dh has the car) - it is in a 2005 malibu - Luckily my 5 yr old like sitting like that - she is used to being much more upright in her BLVD but she hasn't complained in the TF - my seats really are not that slanted either - i'm not sure if compass intended it to be this way or it is our vehicles:)

Maybe a bit of both - the ff'ing install diagram in the manual does show quite a recline. Part of me wonders if the recline somehow adds to the side impact protection? I'm thinking the 05 Malibu may be very similar to the seats in my truck. I'm not sure the year it started, but there are quite a few GM vehicles out there with similar back seats now.

Supermommyof2 - Congrats, I had missed that you'd gotten a BFP. :D It is kind of funny that it was just 3 days after you returned the TF. :p