I have been battling for what seems like hours with my Diono Radian RXT. I'm about ready to smash it to bits with a giant mallet Hoping someone can save it from this fate...
My 4 year old son has just passed 40 lbs, so as I understand it, I must stop using latch and install with seatbelt instead. Problem is I CANNOT get a tight install with the seatbelt, especially not when using the angle adjuster, which is necessary if anyone is to ride in the passenger seat, which is necessary if our family is to ever go anywhere all together (we also have a two year old in a britax Advocate click-tight). We have a 2002 Audi S6 wagon.
Right now I have the Diono installed without the angle adjuster, using both latch and seatbelt because I cannot get it tight enough with seatbelt alone. I kneel in the seat and rock back and forth to tighten, pulling the lap side of the belt, but I just cannot get enough to retract into the retractor in order to stay tight enough without also using the latch (which I'm not sure is even safe, to use both latch and seatbelt together). And, without the angle adjuster my son is practically lying on his back and can't see out of the car - not to mention, the front passenger has to ride jammed up on the dashboard. It's seriously ridiculous.
Whenever I try to use the angle adjuster, the install gets way worse - no matter how tight I try to get it, the seat slides wildly on the angle adjuster across the seat (they are leather seats in case that's an issue).
Can anyone help?? I want to keep my son RF as long as possible (longer, really! ) and really don't want to have to shell out the bucks to buy another seat. We have a clek fllo in the nanny's car. I have to keep that one there because the diono install is even worse in that car. I don't even love the fllo that much - I've had trouble with the lock-offs popping open and my son complains that the seat is too hard.
Sorry to be so negative here - perhaps some of you can relate to being beaten down by carseat battles - like I said, hoping someone can give me some helpful advice
Thanks for your time!
My 4 year old son has just passed 40 lbs, so as I understand it, I must stop using latch and install with seatbelt instead. Problem is I CANNOT get a tight install with the seatbelt, especially not when using the angle adjuster, which is necessary if anyone is to ride in the passenger seat, which is necessary if our family is to ever go anywhere all together (we also have a two year old in a britax Advocate click-tight). We have a 2002 Audi S6 wagon.
Right now I have the Diono installed without the angle adjuster, using both latch and seatbelt because I cannot get it tight enough with seatbelt alone. I kneel in the seat and rock back and forth to tighten, pulling the lap side of the belt, but I just cannot get enough to retract into the retractor in order to stay tight enough without also using the latch (which I'm not sure is even safe, to use both latch and seatbelt together). And, without the angle adjuster my son is practically lying on his back and can't see out of the car - not to mention, the front passenger has to ride jammed up on the dashboard. It's seriously ridiculous.
Whenever I try to use the angle adjuster, the install gets way worse - no matter how tight I try to get it, the seat slides wildly on the angle adjuster across the seat (they are leather seats in case that's an issue).
Can anyone help?? I want to keep my son RF as long as possible (longer, really! ) and really don't want to have to shell out the bucks to buy another seat. We have a clek fllo in the nanny's car. I have to keep that one there because the diono install is even worse in that car. I don't even love the fllo that much - I've had trouble with the lock-offs popping open and my son complains that the seat is too hard.
Sorry to be so negative here - perhaps some of you can relate to being beaten down by carseat battles - like I said, hoping someone can give me some helpful advice
Thanks for your time!