I thought short strapped radians were rare?

tiggercat

New member

• Jul 10, 2007

• #1

I went to 3 Canadian Tire stores in my area today, and found that every single Radian in the stores were DOM Aug 2006, and at least 2 of them (not displays, I took both out of their boxes since they had no display models out) had really short straps. I've never played with one with a child before, but I could not get the harness around my 55lb 6 yr old (despite being well below the top harness slot), and it didn't have much space when I put my 28lb 2yr old in it. I'm assuming this is what you are talking about when you say short strap?

If I buy one and call SK, will they send me a 65lb one?

 

L

LuvBug

New member

• Jul 10, 2007

• #2

do you mean aug 06?

they want you to think they are rare... but they arent! I think the problem wasnt fixed until after the new year, but unsure exactly when.

 

tiggercat

New member

• Jul 10, 2007

• #3

Whoops, Aug 06 is what I meant. It'd take an Aug 07 one in a month or two though ;-)

What a pain! I finally convinced myself to buy one and try it out, but can't find a newish one.

Do you know if anyone has actually purchased a 65lb seat in store yet?

 

snowbird25ca

Moderator - CPST Instructor

• Jul 10, 2007

• #4

I think all the short strapped ones I've seen talked about had an August 06 DOM and were purchased at CDN Tire. If you could reach Russ, I'm sure that he'd send you a new seat if you ended up with a short strap - not sure if it would have the 65lb sticker on it or not though... How soon are you needing to be able to use the seat?

I briefly had an Oct 2006 bought at Canadian Tire and it had normal length straps. (We returned it because we decided to get ds a SS1 and buy the radian later - and wanted a more recent DOM when we were ready to use it.)

 

tiggercat

New member

• Jul 11, 2007

• #5

Well I bought one today at kiddytown, it was labeleld to 65lbs but had a DOM in Jan 07. I might return it for a newer one, since Megan will probably fit in it for the full 6 yrs. Or is SSK expiry 8 yrs now?

This one definitely has long straps, and reaffirms my belief that the ones I played with yesterday both had short straps.

The seat is a replacement for the Cosco Scenera that is incompatible with our 2nd car FF, and Miss Megan is pushing 30lbs. It's not absolutely imminent.

 

mommycat

Well-known member

• Jul 11, 2007

• #6

I bought mine on-line (babyproofingplus.com) and they were both DOM Jan 07 and stickered for 65 lb. I had checked all my local CTs by phone and all had Aug 06 models. CT sucks as far as Radians are concerned. Since no-one seems to know where they purchase their Radian stock, maybe they got it cheap blackmarket because they bought all the short-strap ones...

 

snowbird25ca

Moderator - CPST Instructor

• Jul 11, 2007

• #7

Radian expiry is 8yrs, and you're not likely to find a newer than Jan 07 DOM unless it's coming directly from Sunshine Kids. Even then it's not all that likely. They run production runs differently from other companies. They run in batches - radian 65 this date, radian 80 this date. And then there's the whole shipping time to the distribution center (comes from overseas,) shipping time to supplier in CAnada and then shipping time to retailer.

A seat that's 6mos old in Canada isn't really that bad. And it has an 8yr expiry date so you'll get lots of use from it. :twocents:

p.s. Even when I ordered my MA from safety superstore, and was sent one that they had just received, it was 2mos old by the time I got it. And that's a seat produced in the US and Britax ships the seats themselves I believe. So just basic transit time that way made the seat 2mos old already.

 

tiggercat

New member

• Jul 11, 2007

• #8

It just bothers me to lose valuable life of a seat. I suppose 6 months isn't all that bad. I think Megan's MA was a few month old when we got it.

So I got a Radian FF/MA FF/Parkway 3 across in the Camry. Yay! Now hopefully it fits in the car I bought it for. LOL.

 

CDNTech

Senior Community Member

• Jul 11, 2007

• #9

mommycat said:

I bought mine on-line (babyproofingplus.com) and they were both DOM Jan 07 and stickered for 65 lb. I had checked all my local CTs by phone and all had Aug 06 models. CT sucks as far as Radians are concerned. Since no-one seems to know where they purchase their Radian stock, maybe they got it cheap blackmarket because they bought all the short-strap ones...

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Good to know yours came with the 65lbs stickers... I'm hoping my Premiere's will come with the 65lbs stickers as well. I'm going to order next week... crossing my fingers.

 

tiggercat

New member

• Jul 11, 2007

• #10

Well drat, it doesn't seem to want to install tightly in the Corolla. Too much wiggle no matter what I do, and it's too old to have latch. I guess it will be going back :/

 

snowbird25ca

Moderator - CPST Instructor

• Jul 11, 2007

• #11

tiggercat said:

Well drat, it doesn't seem to want to install tightly in the Corolla. Too much wiggle no matter what I do, and it's too old to have latch. I guess it will be going back :/

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Do you have locking seatbelts? What are your vehicle belts like in comparison to the bite. Maybe we can brainstorm a bit - I know Jen has gotten the radian to work in most vehicles she's tried it in - she has a lot of tricks up her sleeve. :thumbsup:

 

tiggercat

New member

• Jul 12, 2007

• #12

snowbird25ca said:

Do you have locking seatbelts? What are your vehicle belts like in comparison to the bite. Maybe we can brainstorm a bit - I know Jen has gotten the radian to work in most vehicles she's tried it in - she has a lot of tricks up her sleeve. :thumbsup:

Click to expand...

Yes, switchable retractor lap/shoulder belts. Long buckle stalks right in the bite. Twisting 3 times isn't enough, but it's not quite long enough untwisted to go all the way into the belt path. The other end of the lap portion (where it goes in near the door) is forward of the bite, so even if I get it tight at the latch plate, the far side of the seat can move forward.

I tried in the middle also, and it was almost tight enough, but the latchplate was half in and half out of the belt path, and poking right into the kid's side. And, the parkway didn't quite fit beside it.

This vehicle has major incompatibility issues. I used an MA in it from birth for Megan because I tried every. single. infant seat and none would work outboard (2 kids, narrow car).