Anyone talked to Russ recently?

Karen

New member
I haven't read here in about a week. I heard Russ was telling people to wait until June for the 40lb seat. Anyone have any more news than that? I know he has been promising for YEARS, but I am hoping that the testing is actually going to start soon.
 
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zeo2ski

Well-known member
I emailed SKJP cs a week or two ago and they (not Russ) said they do plan to test this summer but wouldn't speculate on any kind of release date because testing has not even started yet.
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
Oooooh, maybe I'll be able to hold off on the XTs I really kinda want if they might come with a highter weight limit...
 

jrmo

New member
That email from SK sounds encouraging and hopefully lending some credibility to Russ's earlier claims. Having had both a MR and a RN in my car this weekend, I would much rather have a 40lb (or better) Radian for the heighth, if nothing else. Please, please, please hurry SK! We are 3ish pounds from the BLVD limit!
 

Karen

New member
Yep, that is exactly what I am waiting for too. I will get an XT if they have the 40lb limit. DS is sooooooo close to the limit. He would fit in a MR, but I don't want to buy one if I could get a XT.
 

DahliaRW

New member
I would be so excited if this happened. The only way I'm allowed to buy another convertible is if a taller one gets tested to 40lbs. Otherwise I already have enough! But if this came out soon enough, I think ds2 would make it really close to 40rfing and that would make me so happy. At 31lbs I'm trying my best to keep him active and hope he doesn't gain those last two too fast!
 

snowbird25ca

Moderator - CPST Instructor
Not to be a Debbie Downer, but if they haven't started testing yet, I wouldn't count on seeing the seat until the new year even IF it passes testing at 40lbs. Based on the SK chats we know that they have never tested with a dummy weight that exceeds 35lbs, so even they have no way of knowing how the seat will perform at 40lbs.

Allowing for the testing process, revision of manuals, time for new seats to hit shelves... I wouldn't expect any sooner than the new year even if they do change the limit at some point. The change to 40lbs is different than the change from 33lbs to 35lbs which didn't involve a bunch of extra testing... :eek:
 

BookMama

Senior Community Member
Based on the SK chats we know that they have never tested with a dummy weight that exceeds 35lbs, so even they have no way of knowing how the seat will perform at 40lbs.

Here is the transcript of the chat that Trudy referred to.

And here is what Dave (the engineer who designed the Radian) said about testing the Radian to a 40 lb Rf limit. (FYI, an "ADT" is a crash test dummy.)

Gypsy -> Special Events - CEU Chat Session: Will SK be testing the Radian rear facing to 40 pounds?

Carseatengr -> Special Events - CEU Chat Session: That is a little complicated as the H-III 3 yr old atd is 35 lbs with full instrumentation. The next sized ATD is the 50 lb 6 yr old - so it is very hard to test just to 40 lbs. I will say the Radian is very very stable rear facing - using the 3 yr old atd our rear facing angles are very low
 

Melodiya99

New member
I don't know how long ago those chats were, but you'd think that they came up with a 40 lb dummy for the MR testing, so maybe it's not that difficult anymore anyhow?
 

BookMama

Senior Community Member
I don't know how long ago those chats were, but you'd think that they came up with a 40 lb dummy for the MR testing, so maybe it's not that difficult anymore anyhow?

I'm curious about how Graco tested the My Ride, definitely!

However, not to be the contrarian, but I really don't think there's a 40 lb dummy - dummies take about 10-15 years to devleop and are extremely expensive (an instrumented 10YO dummy costs about $100,000). I saw a GM safety engineer present on test dummies a few months ago, and I don't recall that she said anything about a 40 lb dummy being in the works. (Perhaps Jeanum or Brie might remember more clearly.)
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
I wouldn't count on seeing the seat until the new year even IF it passes testing at 40lbs.

That's what I was thinking. I can wait a year for a new Radian if it has a 40 lb. weight limit. I'm not in any hurry right now. :)

Heck, maybe MORE seats will be out with 40 lb. weight limits by then (oooh, TF Premiere with 40 lb. weight limit would be great, too!)
 

DahliaRW

New member
If there is no 40lb dummy, then why do a bunch of harnessed seats have 40lb ffing limits? What do they test those with?
 

Jennifer mom to my 7

Well-known member
I want to say that they use the 50 pound 6 year old for that. Then they have a cushion of weight just in case someone does use the seat over the weight limit (which happens alot with the 3 in 1's since people think they harness to 80 pounds:rolleyes:) At least I think I remember someone saying they use the 50 pound dummy to test the 40 pound seats.

edited: came actross this article on dummies last year, about a new one ford was developing to add sensors to the abdominal area to help design better seatbelts for children. It is probably here somewhere, but thought I would add it here:)
http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2008-05-07-tummy-dummies_N.htm
 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician
Nope :(. They only use the 3 yo dummy for the FF seats. It's possible they also do some mathematical extrapolation to make sure a 40 pound child still will be fine in the seat in a crash, though. Seats rated higher than 50 pounds don't really have to meet any specific criteria except staying intact in a crash (but I assume they do meet their own internal rigorous criteria, like Sunshine Kids 80lb dummy exceeds the testing standards set for seats with lower weights easily).
 

Jeanum

Admin - CPS Technician Emeritus
Staff member
I'm curious about how Graco tested the My Ride, definitely!

However, not to be the contrarian, but I really don't think there's a 40 lb dummy - dummies take about 10-15 years to devleop and are extremely expensive (an instrumented 10YO dummy costs about $100,000). I saw a GM safety engineer present on test dummies a few months ago, and I don't recall that she said anything about a 40 lb dummy being in the works. (Perhaps Jeanum or Brie might remember more clearly.)

Not that I can remember, either, and there's nothing in my notes from that presentation about a 40 lb. dummy.
 

mommaon112903

New member
This is very :( and a bit disturbing as well. Kinda makes me glad that Josef is a light-weight and is mature enough to be in a booster full-time after his sixth birthday and will most likely never even come close to 50lbs in a harness.

Nope :(. They only use the 3 yo dummy for the FF seats. It's possible they also do some mathematical extrapolation to make sure a 40 pound child still will be fine in the seat in a crash, though. Seats rated higher than 50 pounds don't really have to meet any specific criteria except staying intact in a crash (but I assume they do meet their own internal rigorous criteria, like Sunshine Kids 80lb dummy exceeds the testing standards set for seats with lower weights easily).
 

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