Graco Atlas or Tranzitions?

Katina128

New member
My 5 year old is almost out of her Marathon by height. She is 43" and 43lbs. This would be our seat for DH's truck, a 99 Chevy Silverado extra cab. No LATCH, no tether. I know you're not supposed to use them without tether but there's no other option. I don't feel she's ready for a booster yet. She's never been in one and still falls asleep in the car about 80% of the time. Do either of these HAVE to be tethered in order to use them? She only rides in this truck about 2x a month, so it's a spare seat really, but don't want to have to move my Frontier back and forth if she does ride with daddy.
 
ADS

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
Neither requires a tether, but you can get a tether retrofitted if you contact a Chevy/GM dealership and reference service bulletin #99-09-40-004a: Info - Top tether hardware package for child restraint seats (April 12, 2005). It'll be free for you.

Wendy
 

MamaChirpy

New member
I have tried with two dealerships and they will not do it. So don't count on your local dealership doing this! They might but they might not. :/


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Jeanum

Admin - CPS Technician Emeritus
Staff member
I have tried with two dealerships and they will not do it. So don't count on your local dealership doing this! They might but they might not. :/


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Please don't throw in the towel just yet for yourself or others. :) What was the reason given by the dealerships, and what car are you attempting to retrofit with top tether anchors? ETA: I think I found the answer in a prior thread you posted about your 2008 Suburban. That model isn't retrofittable with additional top tether anchors through GM's retrofit program because it already has some factory equipped top tether anchors, and GM doesn't provide parts for adding more top tether anchors in GM models that are already factory equipped in some seating positions. The OP's '99 Chevy Silverado is pre-factory equipped and eligible for the GM bulletin Wendy cited upthread through which GM dealerships get reimbursed by corporate for providing one top tether anchor retrofit free of charge to owners of any retrofittable 1989-2002 pre-factory equipped GM vehicle model. There have been reports of lack of parts available anymore for some older but previously retrofittable models thanks to parts scarcity/GM's bankruptcy filing several years ago, and a few GM models that were never retrofitttable at all (like the Corvette, or certain model year Camaros), but there have been success stories as well if one is persistent and gets a dealership that isn't completely clueless (a recurring theme, sadly, and not limited to GM dealerships :(), or can be clued in by involving corporate to educate the dealership about the retrofit policy.

For lurkers, if the car isn't a GM brand like the original poster's Silverado, Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep and Ford have top tether anchor retrofit bulletins/policies for their respective retrofittable pre-factory equipped models to provide as many free top tether anchor retrofits as the specific retrofittable model can have added. Toyota has a voluntary contribution voucher program for its retrofittable Toyota and Lexus models through SafetyBeltSafe USA for lower cost retrofits@$5 per top tether anchor voucher. Other vehicle manufacturers have retrofittable models and parts info. listed in the LATCH manual, albeit without free programs.
 

MamaChirpy

New member
Please don't throw in the towel just yet for yourself or others. :) What was the reason given by the dealerships, and what car are you attempting to retrofit with top tether anchors? ETA: I think I found the answer in a prior thread you posted about your 2008 Suburban. That model isn't retrofittable with additional top tether anchors through GM's retrofit program because it already has some factory equipped top tether anchors, and GM doesn't provide parts for adding more top tether anchors in GM models that are already factory equipped in some seating positions. The OP's '99 Chevy Silverado is pre-factory equipped and eligible for the GM bulletin Wendy cited upthread through which GM dealerships get reimbursed by corporate for providing one top tether anchor retrofit free of charge to owners of any retrofittable 1989-2002 pre-factory equipped GM vehicle model. There have been reports of lack of parts available anymore for some older but previously retrofittable models thanks to parts scarcity/GM's bankruptcy filing several years ago, and a few GM models that were never retrofitttable at all (like the Corvette, or certain model year Camaros), but there have been success stories as well if one is persistent and gets a dealership that isn't completely clueless (a recurring theme, sadly, and not limited to GM dealerships :(), or can be clued in by involving corporate to educate the dealership about the retrofit policy.

For lurkers, if the car isn't a GM brand like the original poster's Silverado, Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep and Ford have top tether anchor retrofit bulletins/policies for their respective retrofittable pre-factory equipped models to provide as many free top tether anchor retrofits as the specific retrofittable model can have added. Toyota has a voluntary contribution voucher program for its retrofittable Toyota and Lexus models through SafetyBeltSafe USA for lower cost retrofits@$5 per top tether anchor voucher. Other vehicle manufacturers have retrofittable models and parts info. listed in the LATCH manual, albeit without free programs.


I wasn't "throwing in the towel for others." [emoji16] I just wanted to convey that you might have to go to more than one place, try more than one avenue, etc. It is frustrating when I am researching the crap out of this issue and no one in real life knows what I am talking about. It just has not happened. I have tried numerous times. I have tried calling corporate. I have tried a really big dealership that is further away. So please don't misunderstand. I didn't intend to be flippant. Just wanted to say it may not be easy. [emoji106]🏻


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Jeanum

Admin - CPS Technician Emeritus
Staff member
I wasn't "throwing in the towel for others." [emoji16] I just wanted to convey that you might have to go to more than one place, try more than one avenue, etc. It is frustrating when I am researching the crap out of this issue and no one in real life knows what I am talking about. It just has not happened. I have tried numerous times. I have tried calling corporate. I have tried a really big dealership that is further away. So please don't misunderstand. I didn't intend to be flippant. Just wanted to say it may not be easy. [emoji106]🏻


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Oh man, I'm sorry you went through all that for naught if you were trying to have GM provide additional top tether anchors in your 2008 Suburban. :( The sad reality is GM (and most other vehicle manufacturers) do not have retrofits to provide additional top tether anchors in vehicles which already have some factory equipped top tether anchors, especially frustrating for a three row vehicle used as a family hauler.
 

MamaChirpy

New member
Oh man, I'm sorry you went through all that for naught if you were trying to have GM provide additional top tether anchors in your 2008 Suburban. :( The sad reality is GM (and most other vehicle manufacturers) do not have retrofits to provide additional top tether anchors in vehicles which already have some factory equipped top tether anchors, especially frustrating for a three row vehicle used as a family hauler.


I know! Who does GM think buys large SUV type vehicles????? People with more than the average 2.5 children. [emoji16][emoji16][emoji16]

This just blows my mind why all vehicle makers don't just put LATCH placements in all seating positions. Or at least in most of them. It can't cost that much to do? Oh well. No point ranting.


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joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician
As for which seat... how about having her try them out at Babies R Us? Atlas is the same as a Nautilus, just doesn't become backless, so if she far prefers the Nauti to the Tranzitions, then you could order an Atlas and pretty much know what you're getting.
I've seen a Tranzitions fit well in a smaller truck back seat, so I expect it will work, Atlas, too. You can put them side by side on the floor and see which is more shallow, if seat depth in that vehicle is a problem.
 

kidrepair

New member
As for which seat... how about having her try them out at Babies R Us? Atlas is the same as a Nautilus, just doesn't become backless, so if she far prefers the Nauti to the Tranzitions, then you could order an Atlas and pretty much know what you're getting. I've seen a Tranzitions fit well in a smaller truck back seat, so I expect it will work, Atlas, too. You can put them side by side on the floor and see which is more shallow, if seat depth in that vehicle is a problem.

The Atlas looks like it might not have the head slump problem that the GN does. I've never seen it in person though,does the headrest seem more flush to the seat?
 

kidrepair

New member
Does anyone have experience with the Atlas? I haven't seen much about it? Im so close to purchasing either the Atlas or Tranzitions but can't seem to decide for sure on either.
 

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