Need help!

lourdes · Sep 26, 2011

Hello! My DD in 3.5 y/o and is RF in the CA65, I really like this seat but I need the space in the front seat, I want to buy the radian xtsl but I can't find any store that will make the shipping here or when I find it is way overprice, we plan to have her RF pass her 4 birthday do to her weight to FF is not an option, does anyone here have any suggestion? I don't know what to do, I was going to buy one on our vacation trip but my DH want it now

hrice · Sep 26, 2011

What angle do you have your CA installed at? Dorel has stated that it passed testing at 30 degrees.

I can't help with shipping on a Radian. You are in Puerto Rico, right?

carseatcoach · Sep 26, 2011

I do not want to discourage you from extended rear-facing, as we all know it is safest, but unless she is under 20-25#, forward-facing in a harnessed tethered seat is indeed a very safe option for a 4yo child. It is not accurate to say that it is not an option at her size.

lourdes · Sep 26, 2011

carseatcoach said:
I do not want to discourage you from extended rear-facing, as we all know it is safest, but unless she is under 20-25#, forward-facing in a harnessed tethered seat is indeed a very safe option for a 4yo child. It is not accurate to say that it is not an option at her size.

I understand what you say but she still have around 7 more months to go..... I don't know if anybody from this forum have ever been to PR but here this is crazy driving

luckyclov · Sep 26, 2011

carseatcoach said:
I do not want to discourage you from extended rear-facing, as we all know it is safest, but unless she is under 20-25#, forward-facing in a harnessed tethered seat is indeed a very safe option for a 4yo child. It is not accurate to say that it is not an option at her size.

I agree with this.

I'm not one of those individuals that'd be OK with installing at a more upright angle then advised in the manual, which, as we all know, is 45 degrees. It's advised in the manual because it performed the best at that angle. It may have passed at more upright angles, but, frankly, that's not good enough for me. I want to know that when I'm strapping my kid in a seat, it's going to perform optimally.

Because you need the front-to-back space in your vehicle - and you're having difficulties locating a different seat (Radian) that will allow to continue RF'ing at a more upright angle - I think I would, personally, start to consider FF'ing.

You've done an excellent job keeping your DD RF'ing this long - congratulations!

lourdes · Sep 26, 2011

Her current car seat is not at 45 but is not at 30 either, we are fine if is just us, DH, DD and me but when people are driving with us is when we need the space, we are able to drive without the front seat being on the way, it just gets me mad that the radian is not for sale here

KaysKidz · Sep 26, 2011

The Radian takes up as much, if not more room...so you are not missing out on anything. At least until the new Diono comes out with the new wedge...then maybe you'd gain some space. But the Radian is notorious to take up massive amounts of space when it comes to a rearfacing install.

jourdysmom · Sep 26, 2011

Here is the CA at 30* (parental judgment)

(click photos to see larger)

The RN at 40*

NOTE: These were quick test installs for another parent, the LATCH straps and Top Tethers (and all projectiles) must be secured before actual use.

The radian takes up WAY more room than the CA...

lourdes · Sep 26, 2011

KaysKidz said:
The Radian takes up as much, if not more room...so you are not missing out on anything. At least until the new Diono comes out with the new wedge...then maybe you'd gain some space. But the Radian is notorious to take up massive amounts of space when it comes to a rearfacing install.

The reason why we want the radian is because it allows bracing and my car allows it too, when I first install the CA it was bracing and it fit perfectly in the center but I didn't know that was not allow because the manual didn't say anything, it was when I came to these forum that I realize it was wrong

lourdes · Sep 26, 2011

jourdysmom said:
Here is the CA at 30* (parental judgment)
http://s686.photobucket.com/albums/... stuff/?action=view&current=Carseats003-1.jpg

(click photos to see larger)
The RN at 40*

http://s686.photobucket.com/albums/... stuff/?action=view&current=Carseats002-1.jpg

NOTE: These were quick test installs for another parent, the LATCH straps and Top Tethers (and all projectiles) must be secured before actual use.

The radian takes up WAY more room than the CA...

Thanks for the pics, my CA is install like your radian, I will try to post a picture

lourdes · Sep 26, 2011

It looks like a 40?

bobandjess99 · Sep 27, 2011

even with bracing, the radian is going to take up MORE ROOM than the CA.

lourdes · Sep 27, 2011

I spoke to my brother that lives in SC and he can have it ship here ones it arrives at his house! But all of you are saying here that it won't fit?? Now I don't know what to do.... I have never seen the seat. Does anyone here have the radian install RF in a small car???

KaysKidz · Sep 27, 2011

Unfortunately, with the Radian, it's one of those that you won't know how it will work with your car until you try. What kind of vehicle do you have? I have our Radian rf'ing in my dh's 2000 Pontiac GrandPrix on the passenger side. It is braced and the front passenger seat can comfortably seat a 5'10" adult female (me). The GrandPrix is a midsized car. I think the only reason that I get a reasonably upright install is due to the deep contoured seats in the back...if it were any flatter, the RN would be more reclined and likely not install in that position without making me eat the dash.

This is my RN installed....

ilo · Sep 27, 2011

lourdes said:
I spoke to my brother that lives in SC and he can have it ship here ones it arrives at his house! But all of you are saying here that it won't fit?? Now I don't know what to do.... I have never seen the seat. Does anyone here have the radian install RF in a small car???

It depends on the car. I have had our Radian installed in few cars and it actually fits perfectly on my in laws small car. The bench happens to be sloped so that the seat is installed pretty upright.

lourdes · Sep 27, 2011

I have a Suzuki sx4, is like a Yaris or a Civic

emtb79 · Sep 27, 2011

This is my mom's car she used to have a 2004 Chevy cavailier which I believe is the equivalent to the Chevy Cobalt now. I will try to find a full picture of the seat. The front seat was one click from being all the wat back.

lourdes · Sep 27, 2011

Thanks, I think that's the same space a have in my car

Brigala · Sep 27, 2011

My profile picture shows my Radian installed in the center in my Civic. The Complete Air will not fit because it does not allow bracing. I have my front seats shoved pretty hard against the Radian. In a car where you can't brace, the Radian does, in fact, take up more room than the Complete Air. But if you can push the front seats against the car seat, it allows for a lot more room in the front. In fact, I have the front seats ALL the way back, partly because we're a tall family (I have long legs and DH and the boys are all in the 6 foot range) and partly because with the shape of the seat in my Civic, unless I push it back with the front seats it is over-reclined at 48°.

I am more comfortable now installing the Complete Air more upright. In fact, I did just that in my Suburban yesterday afternoon. The CA doesn't necessarily perform better in crash tests at 45°. Dorel refuses to come right out and state why they recommend their extreme recline for children of all ages. Now that they have produced a new sticker for some of their seats (the CA included), which will be added to new seats sometime in the future, I think I have a clue. Their sticker states that the seat can be as upright as 30 degrees IF your child is over 22 lbs and sitting unassisted. I think the "problems" they alluded to with installing the seat more upright had to do with the safe transportation of smaller/younger children and not to do with crash test performance.

I am not one to recommend that others go against the manufacturer's instructions, and I still do not plan to recommend that anybody buy the CA for rear-facing until the new stickers make their way into the production line. I am going to try to get Dorel to replace my Complete Air with one that has the new sticker because I actually think my CA is defective. But if you have it, and you can install it more upright to make it fit, I don't think you're compromising the safety of your 3 year old by doing so.

lourdes · Sep 27, 2011

Thanks Brigala! That really help! I think my CA is not at 30

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