Installing Tru Fit

[shellrae]

We are trying to install the tru fit into our Nissan Versa rearfacing for our daughter who is 9 months old, weighs between 16-17lbs and is around 26.5" tall.

I called the first years and was told I could install it at a 35 degree angle instead of 45 because my daughter is older and has good head control.

My daughters shoulders reach the 1st strap height without the height insert and the headrest, I assume it is safe to remove these from the car seat?

We are having trouble getting the restraint tight enough so that it doesn't move more than 1" in each direction. Is there any tricks to getting this right?

When we try to adjust the harness tension with our daughter in the seat we can't seem to get it tight enough. When we pull on the tension adjuster we get one good pull and then we have to keep pulling and it adjusts in tiny increments. Is this the way it should work? In order to get it tighter do we have to move the metal plate that attaches the harness straps in the back?

Saint John Ambulance use to have car seat clinics every month in our city but have stopped doing them (very bad idea in my opinion!). They were such a huge help when we installed our infant seat.:confused:

[MOM25BOYS]

One tip I could think of that another Mama on the board here passed on to me that I missed in the manual was with the harness at the splitter plate in the back. You shouldn't have to uninstall it to reach it if you can loosen the harness enough to pull out the back part of the harness straps where the metal plate is that the harness attaches to. Hope I don't sound confusing, but I can upload some pics later if that helps.:o

Check out page 41 in your manual and it shows you how to adjust the length of the straps.;)

If you look at your harness where it loops onto the metal plate you will see 2 sets of loops in the harness straps itself. Yours is probaley set on the end loops, but you can loop the strap on the top ones. This will help you to get a tighter fit on your little one. HTH

[canmom]

Saint John Ambulance use to have car seat clinics every month in our city but have stopped doing them (very bad idea in my opinion!). They were such a huge help when we installed our infant seat.:confused:

I take it you are in Canada? There are a number of Canadian techs on this forum if you need help in person, where are you located?

Are you installing with UAS or the seat belt? If you are using UAS, make sure you are pulling on the tail end of the strap from the inside of the seat... near those lock offs where the fabric can flip up for access (I also recommend leaving the fabric of the seat snapped in and using those panels to access the UAS system), therefore you will be pulling up/away from the buckle on the UAS strap (not sure what it is called but the mechanism on the UAS strap that tightens the strap). It may be a good idea to have one person push down on the trufit while the other person tightens to insure I tight install.

[jimmyfingers]

When they say an inch in any direction, are they referring to the actual strap or the whole seat?

[Unregistered]

I am located in NS Canada. We are using the UAS

[Mommy0608]

When they say an inch in any direction, are they referring to the actual strap or the whole seat?

The seat should move no more than 1" in any direction at the belt path (where the seatbelt OR UAS/LATCH strap passes through the seat). Movement at the top of the seat near the child's head is normal and acceptable, as long as it is tight at the belt path.

I am located in NS Canada. We are using the UAS

First, attach the side of the UAS strap that doesn't adjust to the vehicle's anchor. Then, connect the side with the adjuster strap (tail). Leave the built-in lock-offs open while you tighten the UAS strap. There are slits in the cover of the seat that you can pull open to access the tail of the UAS strap as well as the lock-offs. After attaching both of the UAS clips to the vehicle anchors, reach through the flap/opening in the car seat's cover to access the tail of the UAS strap. Pull the tail up through that opening so that you are pulling straight up to tighten, not out to the side, while pushing down with your other hand in the seat. It may help to have someone else push down while you pull up on the strap to tighten it. I hope this helps!

As long as your daughter's shoulders are above the lowest strap setting, you do not need the infant height insert.

Yes, 35-45 degrees is acceptable. Newborns require the full 45 degree recline angle, but older babies and toddlers with good head control can sit more upright. Of course, the seat must still be in recline mode, but it can be installed so that it results in a more upright angle.

This seat can cause difficulty adjusting the harness tightness while installed rear-facing. Grabbing the harness at the back of the seat can sometimes help, I've actually just started doing that with my True Fit.