To CCO or not to CCO... that is the question

What do I do with the CCO?

  • Use it until she outgrows it for RF.

    Votes: 9 90.0%
  • Put it in the attic for a few months and decide later.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Pass it on to someone else while it's still new.

    Votes: 1 10.0%
  • Other

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    10
  • Poll closed .

Brigala

CPST Instructor
Bear with me while I ramble a bit, and then I'll give you a chance to vote in a poll. We all love polls, right? :) This is long. I'm just trying to organize my thoughts. Feel free to just skip. :)

I jumped on a good NBD deal last week. My brand new CCO in a badly beat up box arrived on my doorstep today. Licorice. Surprisingly, I really like the color. I figured it was worth taking a chance on; it was cheap enough I think I could get most of my money back out of it, minus shipping maybe, if I decided not to keep it.

I was hoping after finding out how hard the Britax lock-off is to close that maybe this seat would work well in the pickup. Having a super lightweight seat for the pickup would be a huge bonus since it's not going to stay installed in there. It's just for occasional use.

Well, it wasn't easy to install in the pickup. I really couldn't get it tight. I haven't finished reading the whole manual in there so maybe there's something I'm missing. The seat belts in the pickup do not lock (it's a '93). The lockoff on the back of the CCO doesn't hold the belt tight enough, or at the right angle, or something. Maybe it will work with a locking clip. Looks like there's a plastic locking thingie included with the seat. I haven't tried that yet.

It installs beautifully in the Civic, though. Goes right in next to the Radian. It's easier to get in there (RF Radian center, RF CCO outboard) than the RA55, although the RA55 fits also. I suspect the RA55 might not fit anymore once I use the angle adjuster (oh, the suspense!!) but I think the CCO will still fit. It doesn't have to overlap or puzzle in quite the specific way that the RA55 does.

But... as of now... I only have one small child. Hoping for another one next year, but I won't know for sure until somewhere between February and April-ish whether it's going to happen. And I already have way way too many car seats. At the moment my list of convertibles include: Two Radians, A RA55, now a CCO, and a CA65 which is on its way back to Dorel at the moment for replacement. One small child, three cars, you do the math.

On the other hand, the Radian really doesn't install well in my Suburban or in the pickup truck. The angle adjuster might solve the problem in the Suburban but not in the pickup. I don't know whether I'm going to keep the CA65... depends on how well I like the replacement, I guess. In theory, I could use the CCO for a while in my Suburban, and I think with some more practice DH could use the RA55 in the pickup. Then I could get rid of the CA65 and the extra Radian, and see what else comes down the line for ERF later (Foonf?).

It sure would be nice to have around for air travel. But I don't know that we'll necessarily be flying anywhere before she outgrows it RF.

I measured the space above DD's head in the CCO tonight. She has 3" to the top of the shell (I stuck the 1" book on her head and measured the difference). So 2" of growing room. She's 16 months old. How long is the CCO likely to last her?

What should I do? Pass the CCO along? Keep it? Use it? Keep it for now but don't use it, in case I have another baby? Use it for now but get rid of it if I don't get pregnant again?
 
ADS

crunchierthanthou

New member
the plastic looking thingie *is* the lock-off. The ones on the back are more belt guides, and whether they hold it tight seems to depend on the vehicle.
 

LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician
crunchierthanthou said:
the plastic looking thingie *is* the lock-off. The ones on the back are more belt guides, and whether they hold it tight seems to depend on the vehicle.

:yeahthat:
 

Brigala

CPST Instructor
Hah. See? I told you I didn't finish reading the manual. I just looked at the pictures and skimmed the instructions.

Any thoughts on average time it takes to grow 2" in the torso for a child this age?
 

Brigala

CPST Instructor
Bumping for more votes & for additional questions...

Now that I've actually sat down and read the manual (which of course I wouldn't put a child in the seat until I'd done it anyway), I have a few technical questions.

1) The manual does not make any mention of the 1" rule for height. It has an overall height limit for RF, and of course a weight limit, but no mention of where the top of head should be in relation to the car seat. Has anybody here ever spoken to Combi about this and if so, what did they say? I would probably go by the 1" rule anyway, but I know some companies use different guidelines (even with top for the Complete Air if not other Dorel convertibles, and 1.5" for SK/Diono). Perhaps with the seat belt wrapped around the back of the seat helps prevent over-rotation and reduces the need for shell above the child's head??? Or maybe it's just an oversight in the manual?

2) The manual basically says you need to use the lock-off unless you have locking latchplates. I seem to recall discussions on this forum that you can use a switchable ALR as well. On the other hand, I can also see how that could be problematic with the shoulder belt wrapped around the car seat (could it cinch back up and change the angle of the seat?). So... IF it's allowed to use the switchable ALR instead of the lock-off, should the seat belt stay against the vehicle seat as the instructions indicate for seat belts that are too short to wrap around the seat?

3) Wasn't Combi coming out with a retrofit kit to allow RF tethering? My seat's DOM is July 2011. The manual says not to use RF tether.

The original question might end up being a moot point... I have a family on the way right now to do a check with 3 car seats that do NOT fit properly across the back of their small sedan. They're coming prepared to buy a car seat or two from me. The CCO isn't on my "list" of car seats for sale, but if they really need it in order to fit everything, I'd let it go. And DD hasn't even ridden in it yet!
 

cupcakepirate11

Active member
There is a trick to locking the britax locking clips. (I believe the blue ones on the newer model seats) when you are ready to lock it you put the first flap down and then the seceond and run your finger down the side and push down on the corner of the lock instead of the end. MUCH easier to lock it.
 

Brigala

CPST Instructor
Yeah, I know. I still can't do it. But I have defective hands. :( After watching the videos, DH thinks he can do it, and that's all that really counts because he'd be the one installing it in the pickup truck. In the other cars, I can use the ALR.
 

LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician
Combi does go by the 1" rule even though it was left out of the manual.

You may lock the belt at the retractor (or latchplate) and skip the lockoff. People have reported locking the belt at the retractor even with the belt routed around the back. If the "belt guide" on the back of the seat holds the belt tight, you can count it as a lockoff. (With mine, the belt will slide freely through the belt guide if I try, but once the belt is wrapped around, it doesn't move unless I specifically do it.

You can tether rear-facing. You can call Combi and order a d-ring or use one from another seat. (Technically only the old-style Britax d-rings are approved, but only because Combi didn't test with other ones.)
 

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