Radian XT and '03 Oddysey RF

[wendyjoe]

Is getting ready to make me scream!!!!

Just not nearly tight enough. More than 1" of movement. Buckle on LATCH gets in the way, seatbelt buckle is even worse :mad::mad::mad::mad:

Anyone able to point me in the direction of a thread that helps? I did buy the return shipping insurance although I've worn off part of the "Rear facing belt path" sticker after 30 minutes of trying to install. That's where the buckle falls and I think is why this won't install right! :(

[joolsplus3]

Deeeeeeeeep breath. You can do it. :) Honestly, when I first tried to get my RN into my 03 Ody I thought I could never get it right. I made myself happy with 'good enough' for quite awhile before I was able to tackle it and get it rock solid.
Ok..lemme think... I found the seatbelt to be easier at first for some reason, but this might work with the LATCH (and once you get the LATCH the right length, it's SO easy to just never loosen it again and take the seat in and out all you want with ease).... get the LATCH belt pretty short. It's getting it tightened and shorter while installing that can be the hard part, so just get it almost as short as you need beforehand. And then clip one side, then put a LOT of weight on the other side to get it clipped. Then if you still need to tighten more, pull the LATCH belt tail through the belt path, instead of on the outside of the seat...pull it so the buckle is going into the belt path, really, though you shouldn't have to tighten too much if it was pre-shortened and hard to snap in at first.
You can also really recline the seatback a good deal prior to installing, and then when you raise it back up it kind of locks things into place just that last little bit.

I don't know if that'll help you at all, I know I had to really struggle with it but I did eventually figure it out, and you can, too :)

[wendyjoe]

Funny I was just getting ready to post that I finally got it - though I have no idea what I did differently. :o I was going to say that I guess I just took a deep breath lol. So thanks - I had tried all those things you mentioned - like I said I don't know what finally worked. It still has a little more give than I'd like - I wonder if it's because I'm not used to RF. I can get our FF seats in with no give at all. You expect a little more give with a RF seat, don't you?

I guess I had read so much about trouble installing Radians that I set myself up for trouble. Here's a pic of my install. As you can see, I was one of those parents who turned my kids FF a long time ago and now at 3 y/o and 29lbs and 32 lbs (twins) I'm going to RF them again for the time I have left. Crazy? Maybe.

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h37/wendelljo/348.jpg

Little peanut in the Radian is not the one that's going to ride in it. We're waiting on her Monet True Fit (Can you tell I couldn't make up my mind??). Big sis isn't too impressed with the Radian facing backwards so far. We'll see.

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h37/wendelljo/346.jpg

This one is without a tight install. I think I just got the seat more upright to get it tighter. I hope it's not too upright!

[joolsplus3]

Looks cool. Yeah, there's more wiggle in an RF seat than an FF seat. Did you know you can top tether the Radian RF? There's a big solid crossbar under the Driver's seat that you can tie the tether connector strap to and hook the tether to it pretty easily. Don't tighten too much or you'll get more recline, though! It looks like this... http://www.windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=2092824&postcount=2

Oh, I put my dd ff at 16 months or so...then as soon as a bigger RF seat hit the market I bought it and put her back RF when she was three, and she fit that way till she was 4.5! :)

[Mama Jo]

There's a big solid crossbar under the Driver's seat that you can tie the tether connector strap to and hook the tether to it pretty easily. Don't tighten too much or you'll get more recline, though! It looks like this... http://www.windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=2092824&postcount=2


You can tether to a cross bar?? Rock on!! I have my BV tethered to the track leg and it gets in the way of me moving the seat back as much as I'd like. But I do have a metal cross-bar! But would that affect the SIP since it could potentially move side to side?

[wendyjoe]

THANK YOU :thumbsup::D:love::rolleyes:

That was my next question. You keep reading my mind lol

[joolsplus3]

Well, it could maybe slip a little more to the side, but the very act of being RF is going to be doing most of the protecting, even if the tether slips or stretches it will still be doing it's job (preventing rebound is it's main function, the side impact thing is a new benefit we've all been mentioning lately with no actual proof behind it...just makes sense though, doesn't it?)

:)