I just installed my daughters Marathon and if I did it right I wish I had gotten one a long time ago!!! It was so easy and it's rock solid!!! Because it was so easy though I'm doubting myself. I'm including pics to show you. A couple of questions first. I'm afraid it's tethered wrong becasue if I pull out (not up) on the loop it comes right off. Also is the recline ok? My other seats have had more of a recline. She is 8 months old. Is there anything I can do to protect my leather seats? My Radian was in the spot for 1 week and it already left big indentions in the seat. Also is there a way to get the seat to move closer to the door even though it is being blocked by where the latch anchors are? I want my son to go forward facing in the middle but with the Marathon being that far over there won't be enough room. Thanks now I'm off to try the Radian again I'm having a hard time with it forward facing.
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Marathon Install
- Thread starter kflek
- Start date
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crunchierthanthou
New member
The leather seats should be fine. Mine pop back fairly quickly. If you must have something, you can use a thin towel or grippy shelf liner.
Seatbelts generally work best for getting carseats side by side. You can get it a little closer to the door that way than with the LATCH lower anchors. Make sure each seat is installed tightly indepently of the other- as in, you could take out either seat and the other would still be properly installed.
I'm not sure what you're asking about the tether. I'll have to wait for pictures.
You can either upload them to a photo sharing site (I use photobucket) or select "go advanced" under the reply box and click the paperclip icon that page to attach them directly.
Seatbelts generally work best for getting carseats side by side. You can get it a little closer to the door that way than with the LATCH lower anchors. Make sure each seat is installed tightly indepently of the other- as in, you could take out either seat and the other would still be properly installed.
I'm not sure what you're asking about the tether. I'll have to wait for pictures.
You can either upload them to a photo sharing site (I use photobucket) or select "go advanced" under the reply box and click the paperclip icon that page to attach them directly.
CDNTech
Senior Community Member
You'll need to have your photos at a photo hosting site like flickr.com or photobucket.
There is a little mountain icon when you are posting. Click on that. Right click on the picture you want to put in here and then click copy. Then paste it into the box that comes up when you click on the mountain.
You can use a thin towel under the carseat to protect the leather.
The indents from the Radian will pop back out. It is such a smooth bottom base that it should not wreck the leather. I would probably use a thin towel under the Marathon because of the ridges on it's base, but I wouldn't worry about the Radian.
The only way to get the Marathon to move closer to the door is to install it with the seatbelt. The lower anchors of LATCH will position the carseat further inside the vehicle and you can't move it closer to the door.
There is a little mountain icon when you are posting. Click on that. Right click on the picture you want to put in here and then click copy. Then paste it into the box that comes up when you click on the mountain.
You can use a thin towel under the carseat to protect the leather.
The indents from the Radian will pop back out. It is such a smooth bottom base that it should not wreck the leather. I would probably use a thin towel under the Marathon because of the ridges on it's base, but I wouldn't worry about the Radian.
The only way to get the Marathon to move closer to the door is to install it with the seatbelt. The lower anchors of LATCH will position the carseat further inside the vehicle and you can't move it closer to the door.
This is the only way I could get them to post. When I click on the paperclip nothing happens. On the rear facing teether question, when I pull to the left the loop pulls right off but if I pull up or straight it stays. Let me kow if you need a better pic.
http://s232.photobucket.com/albums/ee289/kflekphoto/
http://s232.photobucket.com/albums/ee289/kflekphoto/
crunchierthanthou
New member
Thanks. that helps.
When we say wrap the d-ring around something, that means the whole strap. Wrap the entire length of webbing around something immovable and bolted to the vehicle frame, but some sort of bar that the d-ring strap can go around/behind (seat leg, seatbelt stalk...) then slip the metal ring at one end through the loop at the other and pull it tight. It should be completely wrapped around a bar of some sort and threaded through itself. Look at your manual (page 23-25/page 13-14 of the pdf version I linked to). There's a picture of how to loop it.
edit: your angle is good, but you could probably have it a bit more upright if she prefers. You're pretty close to 45 degrees, but can be as upright as 30 for an older baby with good head control.
When we say wrap the d-ring around something, that means the whole strap. Wrap the entire length of webbing around something immovable and bolted to the vehicle frame, but some sort of bar that the d-ring strap can go around/behind (seat leg, seatbelt stalk...) then slip the metal ring at one end through the loop at the other and pull it tight. It should be completely wrapped around a bar of some sort and threaded through itself. Look at your manual (page 23-25/page 13-14 of the pdf version I linked to). There's a picture of how to loop it.
edit: your angle is good, but you could probably have it a bit more upright if she prefers. You're pretty close to 45 degrees, but can be as upright as 30 for an older baby with good head control.
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I read my whole manual and those pictures didn't make much sense to me. There are no metal bars that are not movable. Can I use the metal bars that move the rear seat back and forth? By seat belt stalk do you mean the part right above the bolt that I had used where the seat belt attaches to the wall? Or the front passanger seat belt female part? As far as the recline that would be GREAT if I can not recline it so much so I can move my front seat a little but how do I get it not to recline? That is pretty much the recline I got as soon as I latched it in and it reclined a tiny bit more when I teetherd it.
crunchierthanthou
New member
Seat tracks work well. If you can wrap it around whatever the seat track is bolted to, even better.
I mean the anchor for the front seatbelt buckle stalk, not where the seatbelt retracts. This is usually not the most ideal spot, but is fine as long as it doesn't interfere with the fron seat passenger using the seatbelt.
Unless you need the tether to adjust the recline, you don't have to tether it so tight that it changes the angle. It only needs to be taught so all the slack is out.
To get the MA more upright, pull the base of the carseat back from the seat bight (crease where the back and bottom of the vehicle seat meet). Apply pressure more toward the front of the carseat/over the beltpath instead of where the child's bottom will go while tightening the belt(s)- LATCH or seatbelt, whichever you end up using. Then attach the tether and pull it tight to adjust the recline. Be careful not to pull so hard that you break the ripstitching on the energy absorbing tether.
To go back to your very first comment, it really is super easy once you've figured out how far back you need the base for the desired recline and find a place to wrap the d-ring for your tether strap. I can get my MA rock solid in less than 1 minute.
I mean the anchor for the front seatbelt buckle stalk, not where the seatbelt retracts. This is usually not the most ideal spot, but is fine as long as it doesn't interfere with the fron seat passenger using the seatbelt.
Unless you need the tether to adjust the recline, you don't have to tether it so tight that it changes the angle. It only needs to be taught so all the slack is out.
To get the MA more upright, pull the base of the carseat back from the seat bight (crease where the back and bottom of the vehicle seat meet). Apply pressure more toward the front of the carseat/over the beltpath instead of where the child's bottom will go while tightening the belt(s)- LATCH or seatbelt, whichever you end up using. Then attach the tether and pull it tight to adjust the recline. Be careful not to pull so hard that you break the ripstitching on the energy absorbing tether.
To go back to your very first comment, it really is super easy once you've figured out how far back you need the base for the desired recline and find a place to wrap the d-ring for your tether strap. I can get my MA rock solid in less than 1 minute.
lovemyfamily
New member
Yes. When your seat moves, the part that moves is attached to a metal part that is bolted to the floor of the vehicle and does not move. You can tether to that metal part.
Here, this might help: http://www.seatchecker.org/rftether.htm
http://www.angelfire.com/wa3/isakswings/ratetherrf.html
http://www.angelfire.com/wa3/isakswings/ratetherrf.html
crunchierthanthou
New member
Thanks for those links. A picture really is worth 1000 words. I just didn't feel like going out to the garage last night.
I want to note that the pictures toward the bottom of the second site linked show a Britax carseat tethered to the same vehicle seat on which it was installed. Britax has recently stated that tethering to the same seat is not allowed. Additionally, the tether point needs to be forward of the seat so that the tether angles toward the front of the car.
Melizerd
New member
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b397/melickit/Misc pics/Carseattether002.jpg
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b397/melickit/Misc pics/Carseattether003.jpg
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b397/melickit/Misc pics/tether.jpg
Mine's not a van but I have to use the track in my car and can't move my passenger seat.
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b397/melickit/Misc pics/Carseattether003.jpg
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b397/melickit/Misc pics/tether.jpg
Mine's not a van but I have to use the track in my car and can't move my passenger seat.
If I can't teether to the same seat that the car seat is on then I don't see anywhere where I can teether it!!!! There is nothing in front of the seat except for the tracks of the front passanger seat and I can't even wrap it around there like you showed me. Agh!!!! I'm at such a loss. Should I just use the front passanger seat belt stalk? I have a 2007 Rav 4 if that helps.
CDNTech
Senior Community Member
Can you take a picture underneath the front seat so we can see what's there. We may be able to help you find a spot better that way.
Usually you can wrap around the seat track leg, but sometimes it requires removing a piece of plastic trim in order to do it.
I'm pretty sure there is a member on the board that has a Rav4... maybe start a new thread specifically asking for a RFing tether location for that vehicle. Someone will know the perfect spot.
Typically what I do is wrap the d-ring around the seat track leg, attach the tether very loosely. Move the seat as far back as it will go and then tighten up the tether. From that point on, we do NOT adjust the front seat.
Usually you can wrap around the seat track leg, but sometimes it requires removing a piece of plastic trim in order to do it.
I'm pretty sure there is a member on the board that has a Rav4... maybe start a new thread specifically asking for a RFing tether location for that vehicle. Someone will know the perfect spot.
Typically what I do is wrap the d-ring around the seat track leg, attach the tether very loosely. Move the seat as far back as it will go and then tighten up the tether. From that point on, we do NOT adjust the front seat.
crunchierthanthou
New member
Wait, you meant the bar that you pull to release the seat moving mechanism? I was having a hard time picturing it, but the other poster seemed to know what you were talking about. I thought you were talking about some sort of bar under the front seat that connected the seat to the rail. No, you can't use a seat adjustment lever- even if it's not on the same seat. It has to be a non-moveable spot that is anchored to the car frame.
If you take a picture of the under side of your seat, we can try to help you find a tether point.
Does the front seat leg have a plastic cover that might be removed if you pry it off? That's what I had to do in order to wrap the D-ring connector strap around the front seat leg in our Toyota Sienna to top tether DD2's RF Britax Blvd. Maybe it's similar in the RAV4? (I climbed into a RAV4 while vehicle shopping with DH but neglected to check on the front seat's back legs to look for points for RF top tethering).
For a visual aid, Murphydog77, a CPST/Instructor and Admin here, has a video on her carseatsite.com site showing how to remove the plastic cover from the front seat leg to attach the D-ring connector strap in her Sienna. Here's a link to the video: http://www.carseatsite.com/tcs.rv and another video showing how to install and top tether a RF Britax convertible as an additional visual aid for you: http://www.carseatsite.com/rf MA.rv
Hope you find a workable solution.
For a visual aid, Murphydog77, a CPST/Instructor and Admin here, has a video on her carseatsite.com site showing how to remove the plastic cover from the front seat leg to attach the D-ring connector strap in her Sienna. Here's a link to the video: http://www.carseatsite.com/tcs.rv and another video showing how to install and top tether a RF Britax convertible as an additional visual aid for you: http://www.carseatsite.com/rf MA.rv
Hope you find a workable solution.
Ok I changed the angle of the seat and I popped off the plastic cap on the seat leg and I think I finally have it teethered right. The new pic are the first 4 pics. I feel like it's angled to upright now but you guys are the pros so let me know!!! Thank you for all your help. I don't know what I would have done with out you!!!
http://s232.photobucket.com/albums/ee289/kflekphoto/
http://s232.photobucket.com/albums/ee289/kflekphoto/
crunchierthanthou
New member
That's a much better tether point! I'm glad you found a place that will work well. Just make sure you have all the slack out of both sides of the tether. It looks like half of the "v" isn't quite taught in the fourth picture. It doesn't need to be super tight, but you'll want to make sure you've pulled all the extra through the adjuster.
The recline angle is good. It's not a full 45 degrees, but definitely more than 30.
The recline angle is good. It's not a full 45 degrees, but definitely more than 30.
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