Limit to number of towels being used?

[dimsumdaddy]

While trying to figure out 3 across, I came up with this question:

Is there a limit to the number of towels one can use to get a good fit?

I tested out my mother in law's BMW 330 with 2 Radians and an infant carrier. The curvature of the rear seat makes 3 across impossible... unless I make liberal use of towels. With about 3-4 towels on the outboard seats, (and 1-2 for the center) I'm able to "even out" the seat for good installations. This, I consider was bit of an extreme case but I wanted to see if we were caught in a bind.

On the other hand, I'd imagine that those people having difficulty with cars like the center back of the Subaru Legacy, could use towels to raise the seat enough for good installations.

Furthermore, the towels can be used to help stagger like-seats that are adjacent to each other.

 

[crunchierthanthou]

Tightly rolled towels or pool noodles can only be used in the seat bight to adjust the angle of recline. the limit would be anything that either reclines the carseat more than 45 degrees or lifts the back of the base off the vehicle seat at all.

Also, you cannot use rolled towels or pool noodles with radians at all. You are at the mercy of the rf foot they provide.

It sounds like most or all of your towels need to go.

 

[Starlight]

I agree w/ crunchierthanthou... it sounds like they'd need to go.

Have you contacted a tech in your area for in-person help?

 

[joolsplus3]

I know Britax also says the base needs to be level with the ground...you can put towels in there to fill the gap (since the vehicle seat cushion will be at an incline), but you can't make the base tip back at all (and that seems like a sensible rule that if others don't have, they should...)

Though in theory, I know what you're talking about...I've found one towel or noodle has made adjacent buckles reachable that were completely useless before the noodle was there.

 

[dimsumdaddy]

Tightly rolled towels or pool noodles can only be used in the seat bight to adjust the angle of recline. the limit would be anything that either reclines the carseat more than 45 degrees or lifts the back of the base off the vehicle seat at all.

Also, you cannot use rolled towels or pool noodles with radians at all. You are at the mercy of the rf foot they provide.

It sounds like most or all of your towels need to go.

What abour forward facing?

 

[Starlight]

You shouldn't use towels EVER for FF, with any seat (except as Jools describes w/ the Britax seats.)

 

[dimsumdaddy]

You shouldn't use towels EVER for FF, with any seat (except as Jools describes w/ the Britax seats.)

Well I guess that kills the original post.

Currently, I have a single towel laid out open and flat across the entire seat to protect the seat fabric; much like those "seat protector mats" you can buy (and my wife has to protect her leather).

Does that mean that technically the seat protectors are "incorrect installation"?

 

[Starlight]

It is acceptable to use a thin, *single* layer of towel or shelf liner under/behind a carseat.

But beyond that, yes, it would be an incorrect installation.

ETA: Your post made me think you were rolling them and using them behind the seat to fill a gap or something, and that is not an acceptable use.

 

[crunchierthanthou]

Well I guess that kills the original post.

Currently, I have a single towel laid out open and flat across the entire seat to protect the seat fabric; much like those "seat protector mats" you can buy (and my wife has to protect her leather).

Does that mean that technically the seat protectors are "incorrect installation"?

I missed that you were installing ff. Did you try lowering the ff recline foot on the radian? It only moves about an inch, but helps stablilize installations on contoured seats. Also, push down into the vehicle seat as you're tightening the belt, rather than back.

 

[Starlight]

I wouldn't have thought they'd be FF, at their sizes - they're all really small for FF.