Turning Nautilus into Booster

**tjham** · 03-29-2012, 04:35 PM

OMG! What an ordeal! I THOUGHT I didn't need the manual.

I did not want to undo the top tether because it is in a 2005 Ford Expedition and the anchor is waaaaay down below the back of the back seat and I have the third row seat flat. So I needed to take out the harness straps with it still tethered. I could NOT figure out how to get the side bottom straps undone!

I finally had to go in the house and find the manual.

It was so complicated, I can't believe they made it so hard, (although it would have been easier out of the car on a flat surface.) But I managed to get the straps undone and got it Latched.

Whew! I feel like I had a 15 min workout!

**Car-Seat.Org** · 03-29-2012 04:35 PM

**cookie123** · 03-29-2012, 04:42 PM

I know! I feel your pain. I did it twice and have reinstalled the harness once. It's no picnic. You probably didn't have to do the cleaning that was required that I had to do either. I'm sure the seat has never been cleaned ever in it's life! It was very icky!

**tjham** · 03-29-2012, 04:51 PM

Oh, yeah - mine is icky.

I just can't clean it right now because I have to leave in a bit to go get my grandson. And then there is still the top tether issue. Darn. I guess I will have to undo it eventually.

The weird thing is, he is just above the second to top harness slots. He is almost 7 and 50 lbs and in boosters in all other cars. I decided to make the Nautilus a booster even though he could still have been harnessed because of the rule that the headrest can't cover the harness slot at all. The headrest fits him perfectly now and I don't want to have to raise it. For it to be above the top harness slot, it would be WAY over his head AND make it really hard to see out the back window.

**cookie123** · 03-29-2012, 06:14 PM

I remember it being said here before that the GN wouldn't fit well as a booster until the harness was outgrown. I'll be curious to know if it fits. It worked well for both Hannah and Brett and both had outgrown the harness height.

ETA: I like the booster mode. It feels very protective.

**Baylor** · 03-29-2012, 06:57 PM

Originally Posted by cookie123

I remember it being said here before that the GN wouldn't fit well as a booster until the harness was outgrown. I'll be curious to know if it fits. It worked well for both Hannah and Brett and both had outgrown the harness height.

ETA: I like the booster mode. It feels very protective.

Me too. I love the GN

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**acoro** · 03-29-2012, 07:23 PM

My almost 7 yo is recently boostered in his nauti but can still fit harnessed (all legs) i get a damn good belt fit on him IMO. wait did I read you are leaving the top tether attached to the car in booster mode? I thought that wasn't allowed?

**Baylor** · 03-29-2012, 07:25 PM

Originally Posted by acoro

My almost 7 yo is recently boostered in his nauti but can still fit harnessed (all legs) i get a damn good belt fit on him IMO. wait did I read you are leaving the top tether attached to the car in booster mode? I thought that wasn't allowed?

Mine is tethered and attached with LATCH. In booster mode.

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**Baylor** · 03-29-2012, 07:28 PM

http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=154203

I think this is the right link where it's discussed but I got okay from Graco to use LATCH and or just top tether.

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**snowbird25ca** · 03-30-2012, 02:15 PM

I've tried my ds in the Nautilus in booster mode just as a pre-test before deciding what seat to buy for him for our 2nd vehicle. He wasn't quite 40lbs yet, and had about 1 to 1.5" of harness growing room left.

Belt fit on him was surprisingly good, so I expect we'll be able to use it as a booster for him once he outgrows the harness in it if it still fits him the same then. (I'm thinking it was close to 9 months ago now that I tried it, so he's obviously grown since then.)

**acoro** · 03-30-2012, 06:46 PM

Hmm mine is attached w/ the bottom UAS straps but I didnt top tether in booster mode because I thought it was supposed to move forward with him when a booster