Britax Marathon

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DaveS

Guest
Britax Marathon

I looked at the web sites recommended here and traveled the Twin Cities test fitting our son in car seats. We finally settled on the Britax Marathon, and bought one for each car. (I thought I heard my credit card cry out in pain) For those who might be interested, it is a big seat. We set it on the floor next to the Roundabout and reclined both. It appears to be about 2" longer from front of base to tip of the seat back, than the Roundabout. When compairing it to the On My Way it is replacing, it was only about 1" longer.

The installation in our '01 Caravan (second row, passenger side) was not easy, but it can be done. A Funoodle was necessary to level it, and the van seat had to be reclined all the way during instalation to get the LATCH fittings to hook up properly. (I did put the seat back up after install) It sits against the front seat unless the seat is all the way forward, which wasn't practical. The seat fits quite tight. I hooked the tether to the floor bracing under the front seat. Is it safer to go over the seat to the latch anchor behind the second row with the tether?

The installation in the '97 Malibu was not any easier. The car is not LATCH compatible, and getting the seat belt tight was well... The built in locking clips seem to hold the belt tight, but you have to get the things closed first. When the seat belt angle is a little off center to the angle of these clips the belt tends to roll over on itself while you're trying to secure it. I'd recommend a 2 person install for this one. The tether is under the front seat on this car as well. It could go to the tether anchor I have installed in the rear deck.

Finally, the main reason we chose the Marathon was because it provided a superior fit for our son. The other recommended seats had a crotch strap that was too long, so the belt sat against his belly instead of down on the hips where it belongs. I assume this isn't critical when rear facing, but will be an issue when front facing.

Sorry for the long post. Hope this is helpful. Thanks for the input and the web site recommendations.
 
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cara1

Guest
marathon in malibu

I also have a Malibu, and am planning on purchasing a Marathon (to use rear-facing for now). Sounds like it was a difficult installation. Now that it's in, though, are you happy with it? Is there room for the front seat passenger?
 
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DaveCS

Guest
Re: marathon in malibu

Well... the seat is installed behind the driver's seat. The Malibu is my wife's car, and she is only 5 feet tall. I am almost 6 foot 2, so it is installed on the passenger side in the Caravan. I took some measurements in the car. Maybe these will give you an idea of the available space in the front seat. Put the seat in the full back position and use a tape measure to measure its position to a fixed object, then move the seat forward 5 to 6 inches. Measure from the top of the drivers seat head rest to the middle of what looks like a molded headrest on the back seat. It is 38 inches in our car. This is the important measurement, because the Marathon sits up against the drivers seat just at the base of the headrest. I also measured between the middle of the steering wheel to the seat back (I tried to keep the tape level). This measurement was 21 inches. The first two measurements should be the same for the passenger seat as well. Does this make sense?

I love the seat so far. It fits our son well, and is relatively easy to use. The latch on the front is not as easy to use as the push button on our Freeway Plus, but it is not hard to use either. I would recommend it to anyone who does not own a compact car. I'm not sure the thing would fit a small car. This seat is BIG.

If you have any other question about my install, feel free to ask. I have not had them inspected yet, as I have not had a response from anyone in the area to my queries about inspection. I am not a car seat tech either, so take that into account.

If you would like a picture, I can try. I can take one and scan it, but I've never posted a picture to the net, so...
 
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carsafety

Guest
DaveCS- Thank you!

Your contributions to the forums and community chest are greatly appreciated! Thanks again!
 

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