More on Radians

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dawns

New member

• Feb 13, 2010

• #1

I knew my boys were getting close to the 35lb limit for RF on their marathons but tonight I weighed one of them and it said 34lbs (with clothes, no shoes!). I really didn't think we'd need new seats in less than 18 months. They are just over 22 months and I haven't measured them lately but the taller is probably right at 36 inches. Should I flip him until we get a new seat?

We are also going to be adding an (approx.) 18mo. old girl to our family next fall so I was already carseat shopping so we could fit 3 across in our 06 Honda Pilot. Seems like radians are our only options with that thrown in the mix.

I am having a terrible time deciding which of them to buy. I'll admit, covers come into my thought process but I don't want that to be the deciding factor. I guess I wonder how important those head wings are. They seem annoying and don't even do anything on some of the smaller kids (toddlers) from some of the pictures I've seen. I am leaning towards the 80s since I guess I need the extra weight limit but then also considering two XTs and one 80 (for the cover!) for our daughter in the middle?

seems like I just want someone to tell me what to do since I dont' have as much time as I thought!

 

mommabunch

New member

• Feb 13, 2010

• #2

I just bought Radians for my 30 month old twin boys. Here is my thread on it...

http://car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=116018

 

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sopapia

New member

• Feb 13, 2010

• #3

pilot has lots of room. you can fit a lot of the big seats in there without problems. we have a 2004 pilot and we have a regent and 1 marathon and 1 SS1 flanking it. it also works with regent and 2 marathons. if you want to rear face them longer, then radian maybe the way to go... for 5 more lbs with regular and 10 more lbs with SL. i don't know how fast your kids grow so whether that is worthwhile is up to you. i haven't tried frontiers in the pilot yet... the regent precludes another big carseat. but maybe 2 regents and 1 radian will fit? the frontier is bigger than a marathon. i can imagine 2 frontiers and a marathon fitting in there fine. has anyone those combos?

 

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dawns

New member

• Feb 13, 2010

• #4

Well we have both marathons with latch now and there's not room for my nephew's backless booster right now, poor boy has to sit in the 3rd row and climb through the back gate when he's with us! Does it make a difference if you install with latch or a belt? Maybe with a belt you can position the seats further apart I guess? That would make sense.

Part of my problem is I can't try many seats. We are in AK and originally decided to go with marathons over radians because I could buy locally. We have a small BRU but I've never seen radians there.

 

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sopapia

New member

• Feb 13, 2010

• #5

yeah... if you put 2 MA outboard, it sometimes is hard to put a booster in between. with seatbelt installation, it is easier to install closer to the door and have more room for the booster. have you thought about have 2 MA next to each other and leave the passenger side free? you can fit 3 MA across pilot 2nd row. maybe easier for the booster.

as for 3rd row seat... it's not hard to do the 30/60 split seat and put a booster in the 30 seat. my son wanted to sit back there all the time. he thinks it's cool. i won't let him sit in a booster yet tho.

if you want to try radians, some places offer return shipping insurance for $nominal fee ($5 or $10). i haven't tried installing radian in the pilot yet so i don't know how it will install. BRU doesn't sell radians, at least i've never seen them in the stores. kohl's has them online and sometimes you can get them pretty cheap with free shipping. if it doesn't work out, you can return to the store. Target and BBB also.

 

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dawns

New member

• Feb 13, 2010

• #6

You're solving my booster issue but that's the least of my problems!! I have a cargo mat back there anyway and carry a double stroller full time so he's not with us much.

This is good to know about the marathons but if I left them in those then I'd have to forward face now at just under 2. I was originally planning on leaving them in their marathons and getting the new little girl a new seat but they are nearly at the RF limit.

We're in Alaska so shipping here is a real expensive issue. I don't mind paying for the carseats but if places even ship here then it is often as much as the item. I did find some on amazon for free super saver but don't know if it will really work for her yet.

 

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grouprn

New member

• Feb 13, 2010

• #7

I got a radian XTSL from diapers.com. Don't think it's going to work in my car so may have to send it back but I really liked the seat and headwings. If you are going to need to order it online I really liked their customer service. They will price match and have free return shipping through UPS. I got it in nitro, not wild about the fabric, not as soft as some of the others, but looks like it would be cooler for your hot summers.

 

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grouprn

New member

• Feb 13, 2010

• #8

oops when I saw AK I was thinking Arkansas. Don't know about shiping to alaska on diapers.com. Bummer for you. Not a lot of options. Good Luck.

 

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dawns

New member

• Feb 13, 2010

• #9

We're in Alaska, not Arkansas. Cool fabrics are not a necessity! And, I checked the other day and diapers.com doesn't even ship here. But, I will check Kohl's and Target, we just got those stores and even if I have to pay extra to get them up here I won't have to pay for the return. I thought BRU had them online but maybe I was wrong.

Should I flip my son forward until I get this figured out? He was 34 lbs on our scale with clothes but no coat/shoes. I guess I probably have a little time to get something ordered.

Thanks

 

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LittlePeanut

New member

• Feb 13, 2010

• #10

dawns said:

Should I flip my son forward until I get this figured out? He was 34 lbs on our scale with clothes but no coat/shoes. I guess I probably have a little time to get something ordered.

Click to expand...

I wouldn't. I'd be more inclined to remove the coat and boots once we're in the vehicle, harness him and then cover him with a warm blanket. I'd be keeping him RF much, much longer.

I would look into getting 2 RNs for the boys that RF to 45 lbs and give your DD the MA until she needs a new RF seat.

You should be able to fit them in the Pilot no problem with the MA either outboard or centre. I recently installed that combo in a Ford Focus and it was tight but doable. The Pilot has tons more room than the Focus

 

clmchrissy

New member

• Feb 13, 2010

• #11

You may want to search the Successful Three Across thread
http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=33226

and the Successful Radian install thread
http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=18235

You can search within in each of these threads for your vehicle type.
Pilots are pretty popular so you will most definitely find some answers there.

If your son stays 34lbs dressed & on a full tummy then I would keep him rf with out boots & coat. If he is over 35lbs dressed & full tummy then I'd flip him forward facing. The rf limit is 35lbs so as long as he doesn't exceed 35lbs he's fine.

 

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sopapia

New member

• Feb 13, 2010

• #12

so you would have to get the RN SL for RF to 45lbs.

u want me to try installing my XT in my pilot to see? i have the regular XT. how's the SL different from the old one? i can try installing it outboard to see how it fits. mine is a 2004 pilot but i think it's very similar to yours.

 

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sopapia

New member

• Feb 13, 2010

• #13

this is from the successful RN install thread.

2007 Honda Pilot

RF in both the center and the passenger side of the second row - two seat installed at same time
seatbelt installs

Checked by a CPS Instructor.

Doesn't leave a lot of room in the front row for a tall driver or passenger but I didn't have a problem... I am 5'5".

 

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dawns

New member

• Feb 13, 2010

• #14

Thanks. My immediate panic was realizing how close he was to the RF limit. He just wears shoes and a light fleece jacket so it really isn't much more weight, certainly not 2 pounds worth to get him to 36. I will spend today figuring out how to ship some radians up here the cheapest (I really don't mind the price of the seats, but shipping stuff up here really makes me mad!)

I need a replacement pull strap for one of the marathons and Briatx is charging $12 shipping for regular and then an extra $22 to ship it up here so the total for that will be almost $50!

Thanks again.

 

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dawns

New member

• Feb 13, 2010

• #15

Thanks Sopapia. We are tall and that was another conern w/ the radians. I also just learned by reading more here that the front seats aren't supposed to touch the back of the carseats and ours are. So, this weekend my plan was to sit them up a little more and see if that will solve that problem becasue I don't want to lose another inch! I drive the pilot most but I am 5'9
and my husband is about 6'3.

 

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sopapia

New member

• Feb 13, 2010

• #16

kohl's has free shipping... even to AK. but they don't have radians except for monterey. i know they've had it b/c i bought one from them before. they always has 30% off or some discount going on. target has 10% off if you have AAA but i know their shipping is quite a bit. walmart sells them too with free shipping.

i think the touching headrest is carseat dependent thing... correct me if i'm wrong.

the replacement strap for marathon... you may want to ask if anyone has an extra one... what strap is that? the one that tightens the belts?

 

Last edited: Feb 13, 2010

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dawns

New member

• Feb 13, 2010

• #17

Well I just ordered radians from Amazon and the free shipping did actually work, I was prepared for them to change their minds! So, those should be here early next week probably and then we'll keep a marathon for our daughter once she arrives and probably buy a new cover so I can go a little girly after all the gray! She's 19lbs at 11 months right now so smaller than the boys so we shouldn't run into this problem again so soon but we'll probably get her a third one at some point (I do like to match!)

Our car was manuafactured in 10/05 so in my understanding as long as the seats are SL that means you can continue using latch even past the 40lb limit for the pilots, is that correct?

 

steph_s

New member

• Feb 13, 2010

• #18

You can continue using your latch with the sl seats. If you want to do 3 across though you will get more room if you use the seat belt to install the seats! Also the Radian and Marathon puzzle well if they are facing the same direction. I would keep at least one of the Marathon's for future use and sell the other one to help fund your new Radian's. Then when the new little one comes you can just put the Marathon next to the Radian both rear facing.