Question re: Evenflo Triumph 5 and Expiration Date

[stephpook]

Hi! First of all, thank you so much for what you do here. I've learned so much in the past few weeks. Feel free to move this thread if it's in the wrong forum.

I have two questions about my Evenflo Triumph 5's (I have two) and may have more questions depending on your answers to the first two.

1. I installed one of my Triumph 5's in my van today ('07 Odyssey) for my 5-month old. Installation seems good - nice and tight, good recline, etc., but I have some concerns about how he fits in the seat. When I buckle him in, the harness clip and crotch buckle are so close, that the harness clip hits the top of the buckle tong on one side. The harness clip is so close to his chin at the top that he tries to suck on it. The harness seems to be tight enough at his shoulders, but there's definitely some slack in the crotch strap. Additionally, the crotch buckle seems to be centered over his abdomen, which I thought I read on here was a no-no. So, is this safe, or is he too small for the carseat? Would this be a problem with any convertible carseat, or just the Triumph?

2. My other Triumph 5 has a DOM of 6/2/03 and the expiration date stamped on the shell is 12/31/07 - so it expires after 4 1/2 years instead of the typical 6. Is it safe to continue using this carseat until 12/31 of this year or should I trash it just to be safe?

If the general consensus is that one or both of these carseats is unusuable, then I'll have more questions since I'll probably be in the market for a new carseat :).

[stephpook]

Anyone? I'd really like to have some peace of mind here - my husband thinks I've gone crazy :o.

After further reading and thought, I'm thinking that the harness is probably fine on my infant (there's nothing in the instruction manual to indicate that it isn't), but that the older Triumph should be destroyed just to be safe?

[NannyMom]

I'd call Evenflo and see what they say. I know I've heard some of their seats have funky DOMs and expiration issues. I think it was porbobly a mistake, but don't take my word for it, call Evenflo :) I'm in a similar situation with a Graco seat right now :)

[valleyfam]

Wow, I'm surprised you haven't gotten any responses. The board is usually so fast! I will answer to the best of my ability and hope this bumps your post up.

1. I am not a tech just an obsessed mom so I'd like to hear what they have to say about the buckle issue but I can tell you it is still more on my dd's belly than crotch at 24 months. Evenflo makes a really long crotch strap. I'd say it will be mostly just be an Evenflo problem and not with most other convertibles. (Our other seat is a BV and the crotch buckle is definitely at the crutch.)

2. Both of my 03 Triumph 5s had the same stamp and I called Evenflo quite upset when I pulled them out for dd but was told no to go by 6 years from the DOM not the stamped on warning. I'd call to confirm the same for you seat. They answered really quick when I called. It does mean you only have less than two months to use the seat though. From what they told me Evenflo does not follow Graco's rule of December of the year they do 6 years from the exact date of manufacture.

See what others have to say and then hit us with your next set of questions.:)

[lorismurph]

The crotch strap on those are really long so it's pretty common to have the chest clip sitting very close to the buckle. Not a problem.
As for the DOM, mine was the same as with other Evenflo seats I've had. I called Evenflo and was told 6 years from the DOM, not what was stamped on the plastic. You can call them to be sure but I'd go with 6 years.

[stephpook]

Thanks for the replies. I feel a lot better about the buckles now.

My husband and I decided that we (well, I) didn't feel completely comfortable using the "expired" Triumph full time, so I destroyed it this afternoon. It was well-loved and probably ready to be retired anyway. Plus, now I have an excuse to buy a new seat that will allow the baby to rearface longer and that has some nice new safety features...:whistle:

So...my next set of questions relates to buying a new seat and who should sit in what. Here are my kids stats and what they are sitting in now:

Vehicle: '07 Odyssey
#1 - boy, 5.5 years old, approximately 45 pounds and 46 inches, currently in a SK Radian 65 (shoulders are about .5 inch below the top slots)
#2 - boy, 3.5 years old, approximately 35 pounds and 38.5 inches, currently in an Evenflo Victory (shoulders are just below the top slots - he won't be in it for long).
#3 - boy, 5 months, approximately 15 pounds and 26 inches, currently in an Evenflo Triumph 5.

This is where everything gets tricky.

The Evenflo Victory expires at the end of this year. I tried installing it rearfacing for the baby since that would allow me to use it until the end of the year, but I just didn't like it - the way it installed or the way the harness fit. I had to install it with the seatbelt because the LATCH straps are missing and I didn't like the way the shoulder belt caused the seat to tilt. It installs fine forward facing for the 3-year old which is why he is in it.

I am hoping my 5-year old will make it in the Radian until he turns six at the end of August at which point I'm counting on him being ready for the SK Monterey. He's definitely not ready for a booster right now. I was originally planning on getting the Nautilus for him, but I like the headwings on the Monterey (he still falls asleep in the car sometimes) and I'm not sure he'll get enough extra harnessed time out of the Nautilus to justify buying it over a dedicated booster.

The Triumph 5 that the baby is in now used to be my 3 year old's and he still has about an inch before his shoulders are even with the top harness slots so there's a good chance he'd fit in that until we got my oldest into the Monterey.

So...I could put the baby in the Victory (assuming I can fix the tilt issue and get past my dislike of the harness) and the 3-year old in the Triumph 5 until we buy the Monterey later this year, then put the baby back into the Triumph 5 and move the 3-year old to his brother's Radian, or...we could buy a TrueFit or another Radian 65 in the next month or two for either the baby or the 3-year old. So in the fall we'd have the oldest in a Monterey, the middle in a Radian, and the youngest in a Radian or TrueFit.

So what do we do? I have no problem spending the money on a new carseat, and like I said earlier, I kind of like the idea of getting something with updated safety features that will rearface longer. The Triumph 5 expires in 2011 (right after the baby turns 3) and it rearfaces to 30 pounds, but looking at it, I don't see any way he won't outgrow it by height before then, which means we'd eventually have to buy another seat anyway.

So...

1. Should I try to fix my issues with the Victory and hold out on buying anything new until we buy the Monterey (which could get tricky if either of the older boys has a growth spurt and outgrows their respective carseat before I'm ready to move the oldest to a booster)? or

2. buy a new carseat now? If I do, which will be better for rearfacing in an Odyssey (passenger side, middle row, captains chair) - the Radian 65 that I can tether rear-facing or the new TrueFit with the anti-rebound feature (or something else entirely)?

If I buy a new carseat, who gets it first - the baby or the 3-year old?

Thanks for the advice and sorry if this is long and confusing!