Seatbelt install on Britax marathon - FF ?

Hi! I am hoping to get some feedback/criticism from the experts

I have two kids (4 and 1), three carseats (2 Marathons and 1 Scenera) and three cars (04 Kia Optima, 89 Toyota Camry Wagon, 67 Chevy Chevelle) that the kids ride in.


Problem #1:
I'm having a hard time with the installation in all vehicles for DD's seat. I am so used to LATCH installation. When I was done installing that seat it would not move and felt very safe to me. Now when I install using belts instead of LATCH (my car was rated to 40lbs for LATCH) it feels sturdy at first, but then when I put DD in it and drive around a corner she says the seat tips. She was actually getting nervous because it was moving. Am I doing something wrong here?


Problem #2:
Ever feel like you just can't get those straps tight enough? I always make sure I can't pinch anything but I just reef on those straps sometimes and they never feel tight enough to me... even when DD is saying "mommmmm I can't breathe!" LOL

There's more questions I'm sure... but this will start me off.

Thanks!

What type of seat is your dd in? Is she the 4 year old or the 1 year old? Forward facing or rear?

Another thing that would be helpful to know is how your seat belts lock in the 04 vehicle. They should lock at the latchplate or at the retractor. Buckle the belt, try to pull up on the lap portion. If it doesn't budge, you likely have a locking latchplate. If it does, try pulling the shoulder belt portion all the way out and then slowly letting it back in. After you've let it back in a little bit try to pull it out. If it does not allow you to pull it out (locks up) then your belts likely lock at the retractor.

If it is a switchable retractor, make sure you are 'switching' it. Once the car seat is buckled in, pull it out all the way and then let it ratchet back in. Push down and back on the car seat and pull on the shoulder belt until you get it satisfactorily tight (when you pull at the belt path, it shouldn't move more than an inch in any direction). If you have the retractor switched and the seat is still tipping, install the seat WITHOUT locking the retractor and use the built in lockoffs on the Marathon.

In the older vehicles, you will need to use the built in lockoffs on the seat. Buckle the seat into the car, put your weight into the seat by pushing down and back with one hand while pulling on the shoulder belt with the other hand to tighten the lap portion. Once you have it satisfactorily tight, close the lockoff over the belt.

Do both older vehicles have Lap/Shoulder belts? With lap belts only we need to consider how *they* lock. If they're like the lap belts on newer vehicles where you pull on a loose end of the seat belt to tighten it then they lock on their own, no need to use the lockoff. If they don't... well let me know if they don't and we'll figure out what they do, lol.

That seemed really long and confusing to me, but I hope it makes some sense. Let me know if you need more help.

In regard to your second question...you want to make sure that you cannot pinch up a fold in the webbing at the child's shoulder.With the HUGS pads on the chest, an the clip at their armpit level...they will be snug with no slack.
You will be able to have some "space" at their abdomen (not loose slack, but not compressing the child's body)
Make sure the slots for forward facing are at the child's shoulder level or slightly above them.

Just want to add this on to Katie's excellent seatbelt explanation: http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/lockincss.aspx