CCO compatibility

Hope this is the right spot for this. Our CCO arrived yesterday. Two quick questions. DOM is 9/10. Cause for concern? It is clearly new, all tags still attached, arrived in its bag in an undamaged box. Keep it or send it back and order from elsewhere? It came from Amazon via Wayfair.

Aside from my initial disappointment in the DOM of 9/10, I really, really want this seat to work! I've been fighting with it in my Sienna and am going to resume the effort later today. DH thinks it's a deal breaker if I can't get it to work in our car, but the odds of it ever actually being used in our primary car are fairly slim. I am going to work on installing it in his car, a Jetta, this weekend...

That being said, the CCO does need to work in a rental car... Looking at a full-size, am told by rental company it will be a Chevy Impala or similar. I would consider a standard car like the Ford Fusion as well, but am worried about getting a 3-across in there, one in a RSTV.

Anyone have any input on whether the CCO installs well in either of these vehicles, or similar? I've done a search, but most of the info is on older cars, not late model ones. Any in put on either the CCO or the cars would be greatly appreciated! Can you all tell I'm nervous about this trip??

Try standing behind the Coccoro and pushing in/back with your hips while tightening. I also had to rock the seat side to side. Push down on the side without the adjuster, the push down on the adjuster side while simultaneously pulling the tail of the belt. Or if you're using seat belt instead of LATCH, same idea but pull on the shoulder belt.

I can't imagine a vehicle where three across wouldn't work with an RSTV and a Coccoro.

As for the DOM, if you're satisfied with it then it's fine. It's lost over a year of life already, so it will expire sooner than one with a more recent DOM. But it's not a safety concern.

I will try those tips when I had back out to install it. Practice, practice, practice, I guess, and if I can learn the tricks before we leave, I'll feel that much better when faced with a different vehicle. I think I can make peace with the DOM now, since I suspect my child will outgrow it RFing long before it expires.

One more quick question. Who ideally sits where in a 3-across? Does the RSTV-user sit in the middle, or the FFer in the XTSL?

The RSTV user is the least protected due to lack of a shell and should go in the center. Also, from a practical standpoint, the RSTV is the most likely to actually fit in the center, since you don't have to fit two seats with shells side by side.

With the RSTV in the center, watch out for accidental unbuckling of the outboard seats. If you use LATCH outboard then you don't have to worry about it. Depending on the vehicle, outboard LATCH might not be practical or might not even be possible, so you'll do what you have to do. A half-twist of the male end of the buckle before buckling will keep the release button protected.

Remember, too, the CCO has a 7yr expiration. If I got a good deal for it, the expiry wouldn't bother me.

You can try Euro routing the seatbelt, I had better luck that way.

Thank you! Just went out and played again, used the tips, and got it rock solid with LATCH. Took a bit of work, but I got it! So excited. I also tried the Euro routing, and got that in this time as well! Then took it out and did another LATCH install to see if I could get it in tight again, and I did. So I am hopeful and have decided to keep the seat. Patience and a cool head prevailed! I'll keep experimenting in different cars. Needless to say, after working with the CCO, DS2's XTSL felt like a TON of bricks when I went to re-install it.

Honestly, I wish I had gotten a better deal on the CCO with that DOM. Didn't pay full price, but still.... I can live with it if the seat does what it needs to do for the next year or so.

I'll keep an eye on the buckle issue if we do seatbelt installs on our trip. Thank you both so much!

Pixels said:

Try standing behind the Coccoro and pushing in/back with your hips while tightening. I also had to rock the seat side to side. Push down on the side without the adjuster, the push down on the adjuster side while simultaneously pulling the tail of the belt. Or if you're using seat belt instead of LATCH, same idea but pull on the shoulder belt.

I can't imagine a vehicle where three across wouldn't work with an RSTV and a Coccoro.

As for the DOM, if you're satisfied with it then it's fine. It's lost over a year of life already, so it will expire sooner than one with a more recent DOM. But it's not a safety concern.

Click to expand...

There is an awesome video by the carseatlady of this

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFufwyPyzTY&list=UURDr4YjUAXbmwv0hWXUIBoQ&index=17&feature=plcp"]Combi Coccoro rear-facing installation using vehicle's shoulder/lap belt (without child in seat) - YouTube[/ame]

Awesome! That is great. I am going to try it all again tomorrow and get that shimmy down pat... I know I'm late to the CCO party, but I am now so wishing I could convince DH to have more littles - just so I can buy more CCOs....