Help Installing Graco Snugride 22

geministars26 · Mar 19, 2011

We are new parents and our daughter is coming anytime. They are inducing me Tuesday if she doesn't come by then. We started with an Evenflo Discovery but it was such a pain we just took it back and got a Graco Alano Travel System with a Snugride 22?

So now I need help with installing this. Instead of the middle seat, we will put it behind the passenger seat where we can use the LATCH. I have a 2007 Kia Optima EX V6 I am putting it in but we also got a 2nd base for my husband's truck which is a 2007 Dodge Ram. I have leather seats so my question is, I know mats are a no no, but what about a towel? Would it cause more harm than good if I laid a towel flat under the base? my seats are heated and cooled and have little holes everywhere so any thing sharp can catch in them and I'm scared it will stretch a hole in one and therefore eventually rip the seats. My mom also picked up a base for her car and she has a 2010 Chrysler Sebring Hardtop Convertible with leather. My husband's truck has one of the craziest latch setups I have ever seen and we read the manual for the seat and the truck and it's all french to us, and my mom's latch is in her trunk?

So any advice and tips for those 2 are definitely appreciated. The carseat came with a headrest and the base is adjustable with a level indicator which has taken alot of stress out of the situation.

I think we need help still though. We want her to be as safe as possible obviously.

wendytthomas · Mar 19, 2011

Yeah, that's a rear adjust Snugride 22 you have. The rear adjust systems are more annoying that the front adjust, but they're not less safe provided you adjust the straps as necessary.

A towel is fine under the seat. Make it a thin one, and just one layer.

Your mom's tether anchors are in the back. Her lower anchors are in the seat bight, just as in your car. LATCH stands for Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren. For a forward facing seat the top tether is required when using the lower anchors. But for a rear facing seat you can use the lower anchors without the top tether. So don't worry about the top tethers for three or four years.

What kind of Dodge Ram does your husband have?

When in doubt, use the seatbelt. LATCH is not safer. However, the Snugride 22 has a tendency to tip when using a locked lap and shoulder belt, so LATCH or a locking clip is sometimes require to keep it from tipping. Or simply reinstall it every few weeks.

Wendy

icnee · Mar 19, 2011

If you really want to put a towel under the eat then make sure it is only one layer. But in all honisty it really isnt going to do much for your car but it can creat a fals instal for the car seat. ISo I am going to recomend that you dont do it.

There is nothing sharp on th Snug ride to tear your seats so I wouldnt worry about that.

The tips I can give you for installing the seat with latch is to mak sure that when you hook it the fat side is up. and when you go to tighten the latch reach your hand through the belt path it is alot easierr than pulling it on the side.

the head rest that came with the seat is ok to use but you may find that it dont do much and in that case I would still use the rolled up burp cloths recieving blankets or somthing like that.

you may also find the crotch strap to be kinda far away from her body in that case I would roll up a wash cloth to fill in that gap so she dont slouch down.

I am not sure what you mean about your husbands latch set up and I am confused about gramas car too, the lartch bars should be in the seat bighht maybe you were looking at the top tether anchor (that you wont need for a very long time.)

just be sure that the base does not move more that 1"at the belt path. put weight on it to compress the seat so you can get all the slack out (weight works better then muscles)

and even better try to meet up with the tech from here.

Congrats! on baby

canadiangie · Mar 19, 2011

Look on your snugride down where baby's feet would be. Is there a long strap that you pull on to tighten the harness? If there isn't, it means your car seat adjusts from the rear. Can you check and post back?

geministars26 · Mar 20, 2011

Yes it adjusts from the rear. My husband's truck is a 2007 Dodge Ram 1500 and it's a single cab short wheel base? The ancors are not in the bite? Of the seat but behind the seat on the wall and floor. We never paid any attention til now.

We chose the snugride because it was affordable $150 for seat and stroller and because so many people like it and the safety ratings are good.

The base definitely tilts in my car. All my belts are lap/shoulder belts. Would a summer infant snuzzler be a no no for the seat? The head support it came with is big and I just wonder how much support it will really give?

Thanks for all the help!

wendytthomas · Mar 20, 2011

geministars26 said:
Yes it adjusts from the rear. My husband's truck is a 2007 Dodge Ram 1500 and it's a single cab short wheel base? The ancors are not in the bite? Of the seat but behind the seat on the wall and floor. We never paid any attention til now.

No, the lower anchors are in the seat bight. The top tethers are on the walls/floor. You don't need the top tether for several years until your baby is forward facing. Ignore them.

We chose the snugride because it was affordable $150 for seat and stroller and because so many people like it and the safety ratings are good.

There are no safety ratings. It's a pass fail. The Graco passed the same testing as the Evenflo. There are ease of use ratings. And yes, generally the Snugride is easy to use. The rear adjust aspect of yours will be more difficult than a front adjust Snugride. But like I said, it's safe provided you pay attention, make sure there's no slack at either shoulder (so you can't pinch anything, http://www.carseatsite.com/pinchtest.jpg). It just takes more effort to get that part right in a rear adjust.

The base definitely tilts in my car. All my belts are lap/shoulder belts. Would a summer infant snuzzler be a no no for the seat? The head support it came with is big and I just wonder how much support it will really give?

Use LATCH then if you can, if not, use the locking clip.

You cannot use any snuzzler with the seat. If you don't like the support that comes with the seat (keep in mind, it is made for newborns, and her head doesn't need to be immobile, just have a little pillow) use rolled receiving blankets on either side of her.

Wendy

geministars26 · Mar 20, 2011

It's not that I don't like it....it's just kinda big....and seeing as how I don't know anything about them I had to ask. I will look at the truck when he gets home and look for the anchors.

geministars26 · Mar 29, 2011

Ok, once again I need help. I have taken several photos and everytime i try to upload them it tells me i have exceeded my "1mb" capacity. Seriously? I mean really?

We brought our baby girl home without using the base because I was fairly certain that it was not in right or safe at all. My husband says I am becoming to obsessed with this whole carseat thing.

I told him I joined a board of moms who are way more into than me. He just rolled his eyes like "Oh no". Is being obsessed about our babies and there seats so bad?

So if anyone can help me so I can get this right I would greatly appreciate it!

jourdysmom · Mar 30, 2011

do you have a photobucket account? if you upload to there then just give us the link.

to clear out you limit here... go to user cp (top left, just below the threads box) then in the left box all the way at the bottom says attachments, click that. then click the boxes on the right of the ones you want to delete, then "delete selected" at the bottom.

cookie123 · Mar 30, 2011

Congrats on your baby girl! I have nothing to suggest but perhaps giving your manual a thorough reading. That may help clear things up for you. Also, maybe you could meet with a tech from here. I don't have the link. Hopefully someone will post it? Please?

Here's the link

http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=59135

geministars26 · Mar 31, 2011

Thanks guys. I read the manual to the seat and the car. I think I have it right now but I would like it double checked by someone who knows what their doing.

geministars26 · Mar 31, 2011

http://db.tt/GCb9DbC

Ok..I think I finally got something figured out. Let's see if it works.

geministars26 · Mar 31, 2011

http://db.tt/6PYngbI

Ok, there's one more. I know the mat is a no-no but I used it as reference. It tilts so much to one side that I can slip this mat right under it and back out with no issue and it moves more than 1 inch side to side. I'm more comfortable with her in the middle but it doesn't have LATCH. And this is what it was like AFTER the guy at the fire department installed it and checked it for us. Could this really be right?

monica-m · Mar 31, 2011

Did the guy at the fire department teach you how to install it and then have you do the final install? If not, he probably is not a CPST and if he is, he didn't do his job. Just being a fireman does not qualify him to install seats and if it moves that much he didn't do a good job. A seat that moves more than 1 inch along the belt path is not going to properly protect your child.

geministars26 · Mar 31, 2011

No he didn't do any of that. I asked him about the base tilting like that and he said when I put the baby in her carseat and put her in the car it would level out? And when I asked him about it moving so much he said I wouldn't get a tight install with any seat because the seats in the car are leather? Everyone said go to the fire department so I thought they were all trained?

Judi · Mar 31, 2011

This is why I never say to go to the fire dept. Geez.

Ok, so call and find out if he is a tech. If he is cso is on him.

Undo the install, and do it like you did the last seat you had, but with the locking clip next to the latchplate. Do not pull the seat belt all the way out.

monica-m · Mar 31, 2011

Unless they are a Child Passenger Safety Technician (they have a card with an ID number that shows they are certified) then they probably do not have the proper training. You can get a tight install on a car with leather seats. We installed our SungRide 22 in DH's car that has leather seats without a problem. The CPST will not only show you how to install the seat properly they will educate you on how the child needs to be in the seat and why. The seat must be used 100% correct 100% of the time to provide the best protection. Please find a CPST to assist you with your install.

TechnoGranola · Mar 31, 2011

Ya, that does not look good to me! Take Judi's install suggestion and then post pics agains. Also, cookie123 posted the list of techs in post #10. Take a look there and see if there is someone in your area.

(if you want to post multiple pics with dropbox, go into the folder called "Photos" and make a folder there called "installs" or something like that, and then drag all your photos there. You can then post the link to the album and everyone can see all the pics in album format all at once.)

NatesMamma · Mar 31, 2011

Yikes. That's a lot of tilt! And it's too bad that you got such misinformation from the fireman. Ignore him.

Lots of people recommend getting seats checked by firemen and police officers, but unless they're certified CPS techs, they often do more harm than good with their crappy advice. :thumbsdown:

Sometimes installing with a lap/shoulder belt makes a car seat tip like your SR22 base is. The problem isn't *exactly* that the belt isn't tight enough, it's that you need to have the shoulder belt pulling tightly back into the retractor in order to keep the lap belt (which is the one holding the car seat in place) tight, since the lap and shoulder belt is one continuous piece. However, the taut shoulder belt has a tendency to push up on the car seat and make it tip. The tighter you pull the belts, the more it tips. Vicious cycle.

The fix, as Judi mentioned, is to use a locking clip instead of locking your seat belt at the retractor. Here's a great site all about locking clips. Alternately, you could move the car seat outboard with LATCH. GL! Post back with pics of your final install or any more questions.

And CONGRATS on your baby!!

geministars26 · Mar 31, 2011

I called and he's not certified. He installed it like this and he said that's how him and his wife have always done theirs.

Ok....now I'm a little confused. I know there different seats, but it's the same in the car seat surface and same seatbelt. With the Evenflo we started with everyone said NO locking clip, to just pull out all the way after installing it and tightening it, and now I need to use the locking clip and to not pull the belt out all the way? I'm wondering what the difference is or what changed? I'm really trying to understand this. Definitely a confused new mom. Thanks for having patience with me. Greatly appreciated.

Help Installing Graco Snugride 22

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