WWYD - Return Frontier?

morlando27

New member
I've posted a few times regarding which HHW seat to buy for my 4 yo's spare seat. He's around the 50th percentile for both height & weight and just over the limits of most traditional harnessed seats. Currently, his main seat is a FPSVD and he has growth room in it but I plan to hand it down to the baby (due early Nov.) as soon as DS2 will fit into it. We also have a GN for DS1, which is in MIL's car most of the time because she watches him 1x/wk and isn't comfortable installing car seats. However, he'll be starting pre-K in Sept so she won't be watching him on a regular basis any more. I was considering taking the GN from her car to use as his main seat and moving it between vehicles as needed. However, I don't fully trust anyone else to install it and I suspect juggling between vehicles will prove to be a pain so I think I want to have at least two seats for him.

The dilemma is that I can’t find a HHW seat that will fit in the back of DH’s 1997 Chevy extended cab pickup. I can use the FPSVD in the truck now but I think DS will outgrow it by height before I'm ready to put him in a booster and I was planning to use it for the baby anyway so that's only a temporary solution. I tried a Nautilus but it overhangs the seat by several inches and a Frontier but the outboard passenger side l/s belt isn’t long enough for LBP and SBP is way too loose. It has to be in this seating position because there would be no room for his legs in the center position as DH has to have the split front bench seat back too far. The truck has a very upright, shallow bench seat with relatively low headrests in outboard positions. The Apex won’t work because the headrests aren’t high enough. I don't think a Regent will fit because the FPSVD barely does. The only other seat I can think of to try is a Radian but I’m afraid if I couldn’t get a good install with the Frontier, the Radian won’t work either and of course no local stores have them to try out. Am I missing any other HWH seats, preferably that convert to a booster, that might work? At this point, we are considering buying a crew cab truck with full back seats. Can I safely assume that I will be able to get an acceptable install with the Nautilus and/or Frontier in a 2003-2005 Chevy crew cab?

To further complicate things, carpooling is starting to become an issue. Right now, DS1 and a good friend’s son the same age are in a summer program 2x/week for a couple of hours/day. She is off on maternity leave (being induced today) and will be transporting the boys back and forth to this program. I’ve seen her son in a backless booster as well as harnessed into a 40 lb seat when I’m sure he’s over the limit. I think I’ve made some progress in educating her as she’s considering buying a GN but in the past she’s been pretty blasé about car safety (yet she’s very overprotective on other issues, so I don’t get it). Anyway, I want something that is easy to install correctly every time. She will probably leave the baby with her mom (who lives next door to her) while she takes the boys to this program so I don’t think we have to worry about a 3-across install but my son’s seat will probably be taken in and out of the car even if I buy a seat to leave with her. So far I’ve taken the FPSVD from my car and installed it in hers, which has worked fine but with a new baby I don't know if I'll just be able to pop it into her car in the morning and I don't want to mess with her car seats so I may need to have her do the installation. She may also be taking the boys to pre-K in the fall so they don’t have to ride the bus so buying a seat to leave with her rather than switching back & forth from my car is probably worthwhile but again it has to be easy to install correctly.

To get to my actual question(s)…Will a Nautilus install outboard acceptably in a Chevy Equinox? A full-size Chevy Crew Cab pickup? Should I keep the Frontier I bought online even thought it won't work in DH's truck, isn't a good seat to be moved between vehicles and I don't really care for it? The problem is that return shipping is going to be rather costly. I’ve listed it for sale on craigslist and a local mommies group with no luck. It will install acceptably in my car and might work if we buy a bigger truck but, honestly I think I prefer the GN. What would you do?
 
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mish

New member
A Nautilus should install well in a Chevy Equinox, and will install great in a Chevy Crew Cab. If you don't like the Frontier, I would return it.

Another seat would probably work great is the Learning Curve True Fit. It harnesses to 65 pounds and I think it is relatively easy to install.
 

Heather98012

New member
I love my Frontier, but I realize no seat is perfect for everyone. If you prefer the GN, return the Frontier & get another Nauti. Good luck!!
 

Laurenc0101

New member
Just considering the truck that you already have (the '97 ext cab Chevy), you are right that you cannot use the Graco Nautilus if it overhangs the front of the seat. (Just an aside for those who may not know, according to page 18 of the GN manual, the "front of child restraint must not hang over edge of vehicle seat.") So unfortunately buying the GN will only work if you are buying a new truck.

As far as the Frontier installation goes, I am able to get the Frontier in our crew cab Chevrolet Colorado using SBP with three twists of the buckle stalk and extra hands to pull the belt while another person is pushing the seat down and back to compress the vehicle seat cushions. I have also found it helpful to pull the slack out of the belt at the latchplate and feed it into the retractor vs. just trying to pull and feed the belt at the retractor. I have never tried the installation in your truck, so it may be incompatible, I just wanted to share my tips incase it may help you get a better install since you already have the Frontier. :) It probably won't be an install that you want to do often though.

I also have a close friend who has a Regent installed in the ext. cab of her pickup (although it is a Dodge), so if you have one locally to try it may be worth just seeing if it will fit. It too may be a bit of a handful to move daily though.

As far as other seats, Melissa mentioned the True Fit. We just ordered one and it installed fairly easily in our truck (though it is a Colorado). The harness is rated to 65 pounds and it won't convert to a booster, but maybe baby could use it first so your son could stay in the FPSVD for awhile longer. I have also tried a Radian in the Colorado with a sucessful ff install.

As for your actual questions, I would think that the GN would install in the Equinox and the crew cab Chevy. The GN installs well in our crew cab Colorado with no overhang. And even though I have an Equinox, I have never tried a GN installation. :eek:

If you do keep the Frontier, could you get an Apex to leave installed in your friend's vehicle? Or another seat that you could install in her vehicle quickly so you don't have to move the Frontier? Or get the GN from your mom to put in her vehicle daily?
 

morlando27

New member
Thanks for your advice, Lauren. I'll give the Frontier another try in the truck using your suggestions since I just found out return shipping will cost $70! It shipped to me from NC (which would cost less than $40) but must be returned to CA. It seems like the seat belt is too wide for the SBP to hold it securely no matter how tight it is but if I can get a good install, I will leave it in the truck and purchase either another Nautilus for my car, using the one in MIL's car for my friend or keep the Nautilus in MIL's car for my car and buy something else for my friend's Equinox.

Do you know off hand how the harness height and weight of the Apex (seat weight) compare to the Nautilus? I think the Nautilus will be an easy install in her Equinox but it's on the heavy side. I'd rather not buy a convertible since I'm pretty well set for the baby. What I really need is something that will keep DS1 harnessed as long as possible, then preferably convert to a booster.

Any further suggestions are welcome.
 

Laurenc0101

New member
70!? Ouch! :eek:

The installation seemed pretty impossible in our Colorado the first time too. I really hope that you are able to get an acceptable install so that you don't have a unusable seat for now. Maybe some others who have specific experience with your model truck will have some additional advice. If you don't mind sharing your general location, there may even be a tech nearby who can help you out too. If you aren't confortable with that, you can search here for a local tech too.

As for the difference between the GN and the Apex, I searched and found this post by Katy that gives a great general comparision!
 

morlando27

New member
I am in the Souther Tier of upstate NY (greater Binghamton area). I used the search feature and found several technicians so if I can't get it in myself, I will contact one (or more) of them.
 

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