can't find a rf convertible that fits!!

K

kntheboys

Guest
can't find a rf convertible that fits!!

Can someone give me advice about what to do about my 20lb son who has outgrown his infant seat?

We have built in car seats in our 2000 Chevy Venture, but because he is only 10 1/2 months old, I know he should still be rear facing. As I would only NEED to use a rear facing seat for another 6 weeks, I don't want to spend a fortune on one. (However, if I do buy a convertible seat, I'll probably keep him in it rf for a number of months at least.)

I have 2 problems:

The seat needs to go in the middle, driver's side position because I have 5 kids, and there isn't enough room for everyone if the seat is in the back, and the carseat and the vehicle seat belt are in the way for enty/exit to the rear if installed on the passenger side center bench position.

The BIG problem I have is that the vehicle seat belts are not right in the crease of the seat. They are forward just enough that a rear facing seat will not anchor without movement!

I don't have the LATCH system, just a tether anchor.

I called a local dealer to see if there is a kit to retrofit the LATCH. I even called Chevrolet to find out, since the local dealer couldn't find anything and didn't sound like he knew what I was talking about after I explained numerous times.

I've tried the Graco Comfort Sport, the Evenflo Titan 5, and another Evenflo I can't remember the name of. The Cosco Touriva and the Safety 1st seat say right in the manual that they won't be able to be anchored tightly with the type of seat belts I have.

So what do I do???
 
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U

UlrikeDG

Guest
The Britax Roundabout & Marathon will fit many vehicles

with belts forward of the bight. My Saturn SW2 has that type of belt, and I get an excellent fit with the Roundabout rear & front facing. In the instruction book for the Roundabout/Marathon, there is a page which shows how far forward of the bight a seatbelt can be and still work with these seats.

Keep in mind that you check for movement at the belt path, not at the top of the seat. Grip the seat firmly at the belt path and tug (you are trying to move the seat, not tear it out of the vehicle!). It should move no more than 1" side to side or front to back. Occasionally, slippery seats (especially leather seats) will allow the child restraint to move more than 1", even after it is installed tightly. This can be corrected by using a small piece of "shelf liner" under the child restraint.

It's always wise to have your installation checked by a certified technician (see user.mc.net/~carseat/check.html ). Techs will often know a few "tricks of the trade" which will allow them to easily get a tight installation in situations that seem impossible without that knowledge.

I do want to comment on the Evenflo Titan. Even if you can get a good fit with that seat, it's probably not the best for your situation. It has VERY low top harness slots, and my 2 year old (who probably has 1.5-2.5 years left in her Roundabout) is too tall for that seat front facing. It will be outgrown much sooner than other seats. The Graco ComfortSport is a nice model, as is the Evenflo Triumph (which has EPS foam). Another seat you may want to try is the Evenflo Odyssey. Again, have a technician check the installation before you give up on these seats, especially if you don't want to spend $200 for a Britax seat (don't get me wrong, I love my Britax seats).
 
U

UlrikeDG

Guest
More...

I called my friend who is a tech and has a 2001 Venture to see if she had any suggestions. She reminded me that we did install my daughter's Roundabout rear facing in that position and got a great fit. (The compatibility database here www.carseatdata.org/selectseat.asp also shows a great fit for a rear facing Roundabout in that position in the 2000 Venture). She also agreed that that position is very difficult to fit, and you'll have a much easier time installing a seat behind the passenger than behind the driver in the middle row. She moved her (almost) 5 year old daughter's seat out of that position, because it was so difficult to use.

In your post, it sounded like you plan to use the built in seat when the time comes to turn your child front facing. Keep in mind that the built in seats provide very little sleep support, which can be hard on a 2 year old who still naps in the car on occasion. Additionally, the straps are very tall, and the height is not adjustable. My friend said she would not feel comfortable using the built in seat as the primary seat for a small child.

A convertible seat will provide better side impact protection and probably be much more comfortable for a front facing child. If you really want to install the seat in the middle row behind the driver, I suggest you get the Roundabout or Marathon and then use it rear facing until it is outgrown that way, then use it front facing. You will probably get a good 3+ years of use out of the seat that way, and those seats do have some very nice features which make them easy to use and comfortable.
 
K

kntheboys

Guest
thanks for the reply....

First, I got the Graco Comfort Sport to fit so it doesn't BUDGE by using a rolled rug, locking clip, and the "mighty tight". I know the mighty tight is not "approved", but it was the only way I could get a tight fit. HOWEVER, after reading your post about not moving AT THE BELT PATH, I went out and was able to get it so it doesn't move more than a smidge (within 1/2 an inch or so) at the belt path by using the rolled rug and locking clip.

I thought the seat wasn't supposed to budge at the top either. With the "mighty tight", I couldn't even budge the TOP of the seat. Without it, , if I push and pull it, the top moves maybe a couple inches each way. Although, if I really push and pull hard, I can get it rockin'.

After the last 3 days of acrobatics trying to get a tight fit with various seats, I did something to my wrist! When I turn it a certain way, I get a sharp pain!

BUT, I've got a tight carseat! I'll try to find a moment to bring it to an inspector, but I'm pretty finicky about the fit (DH is always saying, "it's fine!" and I'm saying, "NO IT"S NOT -- it moves!") I'm always educating friends about correct seatbelt usage for their kids, etc.!

Thanks!
 
C

Caviller

Guest
It sounds like a good install!

Of course, it is difficult to tell when you can't see it in person:)

Really, it is acceptable to have up to an inch front-to-back and side-to-side movement when grabbed at the base where the seatbelt (or LATCH) is routed.

The top of the seat will move and rotate more, though a tether may reduce this when front-facing.

I would definitely recommend a visit to a technician before using ANY aftermarket product that is not specifically recommended by the manufacturer of your carseat for your particular model.

Darren
 
S

safeinthecar

Guest
Re: can't find a rf convertible that fits!!

Sorry, didn't mean to post that yet.
Researching the mighty tight this is what I found. According to the manufacturer, this is how the device is tested. They crash test a carseat installed according to manufacturer directions to observe head excursion. Then they take an identical seat, install it according to directions (read, correctly) add the mighty tight to the belt and run the test. The conclusion, the mighty tight does not interfere with the performance of a correctly installed seat. They do not claim that it improves the performance, just that it doesn't degrade it. So the long and short of it is, if your carseat is installed correctly, it will perform correctly, with or without the mighty tight. I have also heard from parents who say the device has damaged the seatbelts, popped off unexpectedly, and interfered with getting a good installation by butting up against the side of the seat. Also worrysome, although the company told me they would sent a video of the tests they ran, I have yet to recieve anything a year later despite repeated phone calls.
 
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kntheboys

Guest
re: mighty tight

As you can see from my previous thread, I did get the seat to fit WITHOUT the mighty tight.

And if I hadn't been able to get it to fit without it, I would not have used it after having read this post last night on parentsplace.com:
boards2.parentsplace.com/...9/4/1.html
 
S

ssmith

Guest
Installation

If I'm understanding correctly, you have a model year 2000 vehicle. You should not need a locking clip or the mighty-tite at all to get a good installation. All vehicles manufactured after September 1, 1995 (model year 1996) must have Automatic Locking Retractors on their seat belts, which means that if you pull it out all the way and then let it retract, you will not be able to pull it out again. Or they must have some other type of seat belt that does not require any additional hardware to correctly install child safety seats.Check out NHTSA's website. www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/...tml#lboalr If you don't need a locking clip, why make the installation harder than it has to be?
 
U

UlrikeDG

Guest
Not *quite* accurate...

"All vehicles manufactured after September 1, 1995 (model year 1996) must have Automatic Locking Retractors..."

Those vehicles must have self locking belts, but Automatic Locking Retractors (ALR) are not the only acceptable method of locking the belt. For example, my '97 Saturn SW2 has locking latch plates on the shoulder/lap belts. Additionally, it is sometimes possible to get a better fit using the locking clip instead of the ALR.
 
K

kntheboys

Guest
re: installation

Believe me, if I could get a tight fit without that @#!*@! locking clip, I would! The seat just fits much tighter with the locking clip than without it. I tried it without, but even with the locking retractor belt, it just doesn't hold.

(In fact, it was confusing to me when reading installation instructions on the carseat.org website. I didn't think I needed the locking clip because of the locking retractor, but because it said that if I had the sliding seat belt latch "thingee", I needed a locking clip. I never used one with the infant seat because it was tight enough with just the locking seatbelt. Anyway, it was that "confusion" that caused me to TRY the locking clip in addition to the locking seatbelt. That's how I got a tight fit.)

However, right now, after putting him in the seat 2 times, I'm thinking about getting a different one that is easier to buckle him into, doesn't twist, and easier to tighten and loosen the harness! <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/smile.gif ALT=":)"> Live and learn, I guess!!
 
S

ssmith

Guest
re: installation

I had to laugh. I hate those @#!*@ locking clips, too! I think everyone does. In a perfect world we would never need them. Unfortunately, sometimes we do. Luckily, my van doesn't need them. But before we got that, we needed them in our other car and that was about the only time swear words came out of my mouth!!!
 
S

ssmith

Guest
Not quite accurate...

Sorry for the confusion. If you noticed in my posting, I also stated that they have ALRs OR they must have some type of system that doesn't require additional equipment to install car seats. I didn't mean to say that all cars have ALRs, because you are right. Some have other types of seat belts. I just know that if at all possible, I try to stay away from (bleep, bleep) locking clips! : )
 

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