Sending my XT back, Marathon or Boulevard?

I know I'm in the minority here, but I don't care for the head wings at all. :duck: I don't like the way that when adjusted properly for a forward facing child, the head wings cover up the place where the straps go into the car seat shell and make it impossible to adjust. It installed pretty easily, but I can't get past how impossible it is to adjust the harness. This seat will be in the 3rd row and I need to be able to adjust it without climbing back there every time the kid gets in. I'm glad I got the return shipping insurance.

Unfortunately, now I've missed the Britax sale. I tried our Marathon in the middle of the 3rd row and I can sit next to it so I know the kids can. I had hoped with the Radian that my younger son could still use a booster, but the booster wouldn't fit beside the Radian either so I might as well have a seat I like back there.

I'm trying to decide between more Marathons or Boulevards. I know I love the Marathons, but the side impact of the Boulevards is tempting. I'm also wondering if a Frontier would fit back there without crowding the other two kids too badly.

As luck would have it, the fuel pump went out in my truck this morning. We had all the kids dressed and ready for church, got everyone buckled in and it wouldn't start. The lucky part being that I'll have dh ask about having a tether anchor installed behind the 3rd row center while it's in being fixed tomorrow, and also that it didn't happen in the freezing rain at the soccer games yesterday. So hopefully I will be able to tether in that position.

Well, the Marathon and Boulevard are both good...just depends if you want to pay extra for the headwings. I personally chose the Boulevard. Is the seat for a boy or girl? If for a girl, there are some awesome deals on Marathons and Boulevards out there, even better than the Britax sale prices.

I'd go with the BLVD, but if you could get your hands on a frontier definitely try it out!

I forget what year you have, but I know it's close to mine, a 98. For mine there is no TA for the 3rd row (and you'll probably have to call General Motors, the dealers sometimes know nothing!). The TA "retrofit" is a piece that utilizes the 3rd row buckles. Actually now I'm thinking you said you have 2TAs in the 2nd row already, and you have maybe a '99? In that case, since it came with factory TAs they don't have to have a retrofit available and so they won't. But you could look into the heavy duty TAs from EZ-on.

Oh and my fuel pump was a $700 job to replace...

In that case I hope it's just a relay. $700. Crap, that's 3 carseats. Meh, at least she's paid for.

It's a 99 and the middle row anchors aren't technically tether anchors. I use the strap Britax provides to loop around the metal support bar under the seats and hook to that. It's perfect.

I'm thinking about a frontier or a nautilus for my older dd. She tried the target nautilus last night and liked it much better than the BRU one. Something about the way the headrest is pieced together. They didn't have the pink or we'd have bought it then to try in the car at least. I hope they offer it online 'cause it is not in our store. I'd love to stay with my Britax seats though. I love my Britax seats.

I've got 2 girls and a boy that will be needing seats soon. Dh has given me to go ahead to do whatever I see fit. :2thumbsup: I can put older dd back in a 5 pt, he did ask that I leave younger dd ff but I install the seats and I think she's like to see the kids in the way back. I think I'll try her rear facing in her current Marathon before I decide whether to get her another convertible or a combo seat. So I guess later today I'll be measuring kids and posting a wwyd. I may have to do it in stages just getting them seats as they need them due to cost, especially with this new truck repair coming up.

Little OT rant. When someone wants a job done now, now, now, it would be nice if they'd be as prompt at paying for it as they were about getting it done. Dh does computer work on top of his regular job. He had a client call and ask for a job done that night networking a whole new office. Dh was glad to do it. Heck we both appreciate the work. He got there right after his regular job and didn't make it home until 3:30 am and then went back to work the next day. It's been something like a month and we still haven't been paid. When we get that money, we'll have the funds for all the seats.

The head wings are supposed to be positioned just above the harness slot that's being used.

I think you were placing them improperly if you were pushing them down over the harness.

ShannaLeah said:

It's a 99 and the middle row anchors aren't technically tether anchors. I use the strap Britax provides to loop around the metal support bar under the seats and hook to that. It's perfect.

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Are you using these for ff'ing anchors? Because they are only for rearfacing and I don't believe would be nearly as strong as regular tether anchors. I wouldn't be comfortable using that for a ff'ing ta.

melniemi said:

Are you using these for ff'ing anchors? Because they are only for rearfacing and I don't believe would be nearly as strong as regular tether anchors. I wouldn't be comfortable using that for a ff'ing ta.

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Good catch!

That's absolutely not allowed.

Because it already has tethers installed, you can't get anymore retrofitted.

I'd rear face anyone that can rear face, then put the biggest harnessed kids in seats with TA's.

Definitely not allowed. I think it sounds like then she does not currently have any actual TAs and therefore could be retrofitted. But like I said earlier, that "retrofit" won't do you any good if it's the same as mine. I know someone once posted that they approved the rear cargo anchors (replaced with the right part) to be TAs, but I don't know what year that was or if they ever figured out if it was actually true or if the dealer was just off base.

As for RFing your DD, I find it easy to load RFing--when outboard it's very easy to plop in and I'd think it'd be harder to do FFing. And anyone center or 3rd row can climb into the seat themselves (aside from the baby) so it's really no hassle. I think she'd love socializing with the big kids!

melniemi said:

Are you using these for ff'ing anchors? Because they are only for rearfacing and I don't believe would be nearly as strong as regular tether anchors. I wouldn't be comfortable using that for a ff'ing ta.

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Really? I know in my manual it said it was ok. I'll have to dig around and find it.

Oh well. If it doesn't hold, it doesn't hold, but it won't be any worse having it there than if it wasn't tethered at all.

zeo2ski said:

Oh and my fuel pump was a $700 job to replace...

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Mine was too :thumbsdown:.

We have a 1999 subruban also. I want tethers in the 2nd row also. I asked on and no one said I could. I was basically told we have 2 and that was it. I searched more and pulled out my truck manual. I says we can get them installed and the dealer has to do it for free. It doesn't say anything about having to use the 3rd row belts. If you want a copy of my book pages email me at swelch0320@yahoo.com

We went to get ours installed today but no one made sure they had the part. We only do stuff like that on mondays so our new appointment is 2 weeks away.

Oh thanks! I have the manual, but of course it's in the truck that's in the shop.

I'll have to check it out though.

It's going to be $850 to fix. /cry