LATCH weight questions

[Unregistered]

We have a June of 05' Dodge Caravan. Installed inside of it...Frontier 85, My Ride 65, and soon a Radian RXT. I just learned about the LATCH weight limits. My 5yr old is 42lbs and can only use the Frontier LATCH until she is 45lbs then we will switch to seat belt. My husband is very concerned about all this new information. I feels the LATCH is much safer. I know that is not necessarily true, its just a different way to install and more foolproof. My concern...in older vehicles the seat belt is just as safe? Car seats have expiration dates...car seat belts don't :/ Wouldn't the stap wear over time? We will move her seat to the seatbelt install when she hits the limit, but if anyone can ease our minds about the switch that would be great.

Also, we need to purchase a new convertible seat that allows for rfing. Preferably to 45lbs. Our choice was the Radian RXT. after plenty of research I am slightly more comfortable it doesn't have "sides" :/ Hate that we don't have SIP here yet!?!? But now I have just learned the seat can only use the LATCH up to 38lbs!!! Feeling frustrated, bc now I am not sure if this should be pur choice. I have heard many say they can not get a tight install with the seatbelt on a radian. My second choice was the S4M, but itonly goes to 40lbs rf...I rthink we may need that extra 5lbs. I want to rear face for as long as possible. Thoughts?

 

[AK Dad]

OK, lots of stuff to cover here, but fear not, we'll get you through it!

First off, seatbelt installs are just as safe as LATCH when done correctly, and in fact I personally like the seatbelt install on the Frontier85 better since you can do the "long belt path" which makes for a much more solid installation, not to mention doing away with the LATCH weight limit issue. As for seatbelt expiration dates, you're right that it's not normally discussed much, but they do wear out as well, however they typically aren't the limiting factor for vehicle life which is why it's not emphasized much. For average use a vehicle seatbelt should be good for roughly 20 years, and most people aren't keeping their cars that long. I'd say don't worry about your vehicle belts unless you have visible damage, or something strange in the vehicle's history (like water damage or being left out in Phoenix sun for the last 10 years straight.)

As for the Raidan, it's a great seat - my own kids ride in one in one of our cars and I have no second thoughts about it. The problem with your particular setup is that you have a pre-Sep05 vehicle, so you really can't use the capabilities of SuperLATCH to their full value. If you had a vehicle manufactured after Sep 05 you can use SuperLATCH all the way up to 80lbs child weight, but in all honesty, most kids are going to outgrow the Radian for height well before 80lbs.
Now, for your Dodge, we're stuck with Dodge's updated weight limit guidance, which is CR+child = 65lbs. So, the weight limits with your vehicle and the Radian with LATCH is (as you correctly stated) 38lbs. Seat belt installs of the Radian are indeed a bit more difficult than average due to the lack of built-in lockoffs, but it's not impossible and just takes a few tires and some good practice. The best option for situations like yours is using the (dreaded) locking clip.
Have you considered the Clek Foonf? It has a 50lb RF limit and includes built-in lockoffs, which will make your seatbelt install a piece of cake! We own one of them too, and it's a wonderful seat, although extremely heavy, so if you travel a lot you'd want something else, or at least a separate seat for travel.
Hope some of that helps - let us know what you think!

 

[AK Dad]

Oh, almost forgot to mention, since you were concerned about the "shallowness" of the Radian, the Foonf does have deeper side torso protection. Since there's no standardized way to really measure the side-impact protection of any particular seat you're really just left to guess and go with your gut instinct ... (which is fine!)

 

[Unregistered]

Thank you so much for your response!!

I want the Clek...so bad. Unfortunately it's just way to expensive. We are already past our budget affording the Radian :/

We are going to borrow a Radian to play around with and attempt to get a tight seat belt fit before we purchase. So the seat belt lock is necessary to make this work? Where do I find one of these. I am almost positive our MR65 came with a metal piece...same thing? I have no idea how to use it.

As much as I want to RF for as long as possible I am just not sure now if the Radian will be a good fit for us and our van now. What if I moved this seat to the middle bench in the back when we can no longer use the LATCH? Not easy having the youngest in the back, but if its easier and safer...

Or we go with a completely different seat. I am thinking the S4M. My girls were able to RF until 5yrs in a 40lb rf weight limit seat...not so sure that will be the case with my son. He is already 18lbs at 6mos.

One more question...what was the big change in the Dodge vans after 9-1-05? 3mos from the date...ugh. Wish i would have known more when we purchased it :/

 

[AK Dad]

Thank you so much for your response!!

You're quite welcome!

I want the Clek...so bad. Unfortunately it's just way to expensive. We are already past our budget affording the Radian :/

Yeah, it's quite pricey, - I don't think I would have paid retail for it, but I was able to get mine for about $339 with a couple of deals from Amazon - I think it was on sale for $399 and then there was a discount code on top of that.

We are going to borrow a Radian to play around with and attempt to get a tight seat belt fit before we purchase. So the seat belt lock is necessary to make this work? Where do I find one of these. I am almost positive our MR65 came with a metal piece...same thing? I have no idea how to use it.

It's not strictly necessary, but the problem is since it doesn't have the built-in lockoffs you have to lock the shoulder portion at the retractor. That tends to make the seat tilt over time unless you use a locking clip. It comes with one, so no need to hunt around for one - it'll just be a matter of mastering the technique of the install, which we can certainly help you with. Pretty much all you do is do a normal seat belt install, then pinch the belt webbing just above the latch plate as you un-buckle the belt. Then you just slip the locking clip over the webbing and re-buckle and you're done. It's not cosmic, but easier said than done and just takes some practice.
The other thing I'd recommend is getting an "Angle Adjuster" which is just basically a piece of foam that you slide under the seat. It makes it more upright, which is good for fitting it in the car, but it has the added benefit that you can get the install almost tight enough, then just slide the AA under which will take up that last little bit of slack.

As much as I want to RF for as long as possible I am just not sure now if the Radian will be a good fit for us and our van now. What if I moved this seat to the middle bench in the back when we can no longer use the LATCH? Not easy having the youngest in the back, but if its easier and safer...

I don't think you need to sweat it too much - the Radian seatbelt install isn't impossible, like I said just takes some practice, and having one to borrow and play around with will be a big help.

Or we go with a completely different seat. I am thinking the S4M. My girls were able to RF until 5yrs in a 40lb rf weight limit seat...not so sure that will be the case with my son. He is already 18lbs at 6mos.

The S4M is also a great seat from what I hear (have not been hands-on with it myself) and will actually keep tall/skinny kids RF'd longer than the Radian. Most kids outgrow both the Radian and the Foonf for height well before weight anyway. Keep in mind though that the S4M also doesn't have built-in lockoffs, so you're probably going to have the same issues with seat tilt and having to use a locking clip.

One more question...what was the big change in the Dodge vans after 9-1-05? 3mos from the date...ugh. Wish i would have known more when we purchased it :/

Well, it's not just Dodge vans - it's all vehicles - the federal testing requirement for LATCH anchors went into effect for vehicles manufactured after Sep 05. In all likelihood your lower anchors are identical to the ones made 3 months later, but like all things carseat related, we just don't know, so we have to go with the most conservative answer. Honestly, the whole "SuperLATCH to 80lbs" deal can get pretty contentious since you are essentially disregarding the vehicle manufacturer's stated weight limits, however my argument (as well as Diono's) is that different manufacturer's having different weight limits is extraneous and confusing since all lower anchors made after Sep05 pass the exact same federal standard. For instance, Honda says child weight of 40lbs, Ford says 48lbs, and GM says CR+child 65lbs, but Nissan just says follow the CR manufacturer's instructions. Is there any actual strength difference between all of those vehicle manufacturers? No - they all pass the exact same FMVSS 213 testing, so IMO for post Sep05 vehicles the vehicle manufacturer's weight limits are simply to protect themselves from potential lawsuits.
Here's Diono's explaination:
http://us.diono.com/resources/safety-info

 

[Unregistered]

Wow thanks really informative and helpful. I will be sharing some of this info for sure. I will do a trial install this week on the radian