What do I do now?

lourdes

Well-known member

• Nov 11, 2012

• #1

DD is 4y-7m old, she is RF in a TFP. We went yesterday do the pediatrician and she weights 33 pounds! This was with cloths but no shoes. The car seat weight limit is 35 pounds. If she weight 30 pounds by summer and now 33 how much longer do I have? I don't want to turn her becuase I am still waiting on GM to find me a retrofit top tether. The car has no top tether and it install good outboard but I am a believer of top tethers and after watching a video here on car seat crash testing and seeing how badly the TFP perform FF outboard I am terrified. What do I do? Is there a way to get a top tether and paid a mechanic to install it? Do I have a couple of months left?

 

carseatcoach

Carseat Crankypants

• Nov 11, 2012

• #2

If she is 33# without shoes, I would turn her. I am more concerned about being potentially over the limit than a 4.5yo forward-facing. The TrueFit passes all the tests it needs to pass. It is safe to use in any seating position.

Get a top tether installed. If you can't get one from the dealer, buy a heavy-duty tether anchor from EZ-On and make sure the body shop reads and understands the instructions.

 

B

babyherder

Well-known member

• Nov 11, 2012

• #3

If you really don't want to turn her I'd get a seat with a higher rf weight limit.

 

tam_shops

New member

• Nov 11, 2012

• #4

In Canada, we are required to have a top tether, so I'd get a RF seat w/ higher weight limit before I forward faced w/ no top tether or get the top tether if I was planning on keeping this car for a long time.

Since winter is coming and she is 33# with clothes on, I'd weigh her weekly and remove her shoes/boots when riding in the car until I got the top tether organized, or when she got to 34#. Between 4 and 6yo, my guy gained a crazy low amount of weight around 5#, so if she just gained 3#s, personally I'd watch but I wouldn't jump at a change.

If weighing weekly isn't your style or you think you may forget, then I'd change her to FF almost right away.

tam

 

Phineasmama

New member

• Nov 11, 2012

• #5

I would FF and (if possible) buy a FFing only seat that performs well without the top tether. But still try and get one retrofitted.

I believe the Nautilus is one that performs well without the tether, and the Recaro Prosport 3 point seat belt install seems like it would work really well! Or maybe the Frontier with long belt path.

 

Judi

CPST/Firefighter

• Nov 11, 2012

• #6

I would be calling about the tether daily.

 

lourdes

Well-known member

• Nov 11, 2012

• #7

Oh ladies you have no idea... This is the car from hell!!! If you look on my previous posts you can realized how difficult this car is. The Nautilus doesn't work, the Radian and the CA don't work either RF or FF. The Frontier didn't work and the Marathon work FF but she was about to outgrow it by height. Let me think what else..... I don't remember if I try something else. When she is in her car seat I take her boots off and her coat and jacket. I will buy a scale tomorrow and will weight her every morning. She is a slow gainer.
The GM dealer is avoiding me. Every time I call they transfer my call from person to person. Where is the place were I can buy that top tether?

 

S

soccer_widow

New member

• Nov 12, 2012

• #8

THIS is the site for EZ-on. THey have a list of dealers you can contact to order an anchor.

 

lourdes

Well-known member

• Nov 12, 2012

• #9

soccer_widow said:

THIS is the site for EZ-on. THey have a list of dealers you can contact to order an anchor.

Click to expand...

Thanks! I will call tomorrow morning!

 

tam_shops

New member

• Nov 12, 2012

• #10

Have you tried getting a tech to help you? Sometimes two minds (yours and the techs) think differently than you do alone and there may be a trick that you are missing.

Best of luck!

tam

 

Carrie_R

Ambassador - CPS Technician

• Nov 13, 2012

• #11

What car is it? Do you have any photos of the backseat?

 

lourdes

Well-known member

• Nov 13, 2012

• #12

Carrie_R said:

What car is it? Do you have any photos of the backseat?

Click to expand...

1997 Osmobile Aurora

 

lourdes

Well-known member

• Nov 13, 2012

• #13

I call EZ and they didn't know what I was talking about. The man said they oonly work with school buses. I have to call again on Thursday to talk to his supervisor.

 

Spam

New member

• Nov 13, 2012

• #14

I would ff her. I know the crash test video looked a little scary, but we don't know what the actual result was. I thought the TF preformed well untethered in other tests, with low hic numbers? Where does her head sit in the tf? I'd be a little more worried if her head was right in the middle of where the headrest meets the seat, but if she's more in the headrest part, I wouldn't be as worried.

 

S

soccer_widow

New member

• Nov 13, 2012

• #15

You want item #100H on page 15 of the catalog. When I ordered mine, I called a dealer(listed on their site) in my state, and had them shipped to me. IIRC, I had to call 2 or 3 dealers before I found one that would do it.

 

lourdes

Well-known member

• Nov 13, 2012

• #16

soccer_widow said:

You want item #100H on page 15 of the catalog. When I ordered mine, I called a dealer(listed on their site) in my state, and had them shipped to me. IIRC, I had to call 2 or 3 dealers before I found one that would do it.

Click to expand...

Perfect, thanks!