Help for a friend!

[mommy2jana]

Hey! I need your expertise for a friend of mine. They just bought a 1964 Chevy Malibu as a 3rd family car. She has a 17 mo dd RFing in a Marathon, and she has a 3.5 yr old ds who is right now harnessed in a Evenflo Chase.

His stats are:
He is 41”
14.5-15” torso (he’s in the second slots from bottom in Regent, and top slots in Chase and MA)
37-38lbs

She was thinking of getting a Radian, but is unsure of how it will install with the seatbelts. Right now the Malibu has lap only seat belts. Her dh is going to have lap/shoulder belts installed later when the kids are older. She wants to keep them both harnessed for as long as possible. The seatbelts have a latchplate - anybody have any experience installing a Radian with latchplate lap only seatbelts? Will she need a locking clip on any seat she uses?

She had considered the Apex, but the seat does not have adequate head rests. She had considered another Regent, but there is no possibility of having it top tethered.

Any other suggestions?


Thanks!!!!

 

[wendytthomas]

The Radian installs with a lapbelt only. All seats do. And you NEVER use a locking clip on a lapbelt only. The point of a locking clip is to lock a shoulder and lapbelt.

Wendy

 

[mommy2jana]

Ok...I don't know why it didn't register with me about the locking clips....I knew that! :doh:

She is worried about having installation issues. She knows the Radian has issues in some vehicles, and is just wondering if anybody had any experience with the Radian with a lap only belt with a latchplate.

 

[wendytthomas]

Ok...I don't know why it didn't register with me about the locking clips....I knew that! :doh:

She is worried about having installation issues. She knows the Radian has issues in some vehicles, and is just wondering if anybody had any experience with the Radian with a lap only belt with a latchplate.

All seatbelts have latchplates. Sewn, lightweight locking, heavy locking, sliding, etc. What is she specifically worried about with her lapbelt and, I would assume, a heavy duty locking latchplate?

Wendy

 

[mommy2jana]

Ok...here is a pic of her seat belt. I am assuming that it is a heavy locking latchplate??

I think she is worried about not being able to get a tight enough install with this kind of seat belt. Any tips or pointers?

 

[scatterbunny]

As long as the buckle doesn't end up at a funky point along the belt path, it'll be okay.

 

[mommy2jana]

Thanks, Jenny!

 

[scatterbunny]

Can she get a better pic? I'm looking at the close-up now and I can't tell if the belt can be shortened via a "tail" at the latchplate. How do these lapbelts lock? If not via a "tail" of webbing to pull it tighter (and the latchplate locking), it should retract somewhere, but they don't look like retracting belts.

I am assuming they ARE the kind with a tail to pull it tighter, and they lock at the latchplate, but I can't tell by the photo.

 

[mommy2jana]

They are not retractable. They do tighten by a "tail"....but from that picture, shouldn't the latchplate with the tail be on top? It looks kind of confusing. I'll ask her if she can try to get a better picture.

 

[scatterbunny]

Yes, I think the tail is right behind the buckle, it's just not pulled out at all, so it's hard to see. If she can fiddle with it and get a better pic, that would be awesome.