Question My kid grew. UAS/latch limit, RF/FF opinions.

[tiggercat]

Sam is now 41in and 37.8(!!!)lbs. Quite a growth spurt over the past few months! He will be 4 in August. I drive a 2002 Dodge Caravan (latch limit 65lb combined weight), and up until now he has been RF in an RXT, installed with latch in the captain chair driver's side.

Since 65-27=38, we're pretty much at the limit of the latch system (if you feel it applies to Canadian vehicles) and the Radian is just plain incompatible with seatbelt in the 2nd row captain's chairs, RF or FF. My seat cushions are really compressed and the buckle stalk is past the belt path even without tightening the belt, it's a forward leaning fixed stalk.

I'd much prefer to keep him RF, as he sleeps well and doesn't seem to mind at all.

My options, I suppose, are:
-RF in the Radian in the 3rd row OB (loading is a pain)
-FF in the Radian in third row (centre, so my oldest two would in the capt chairs, I am picturing the fighting now, lol)
-ignore the latch limit and keep RF where he is? There is debate about whether the latch limits apply to UAS in Canadian vehicles, since it is a US publication.
-new seat and FF in 2nd row? I want a pinnacle, but it won't be out here for a little while.

So WWYD?

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[Carrie_R]

Ehhh... since Dodge used to be 48lb (right?) and SuperLatch says it's good until infinity pounds, I'd probably leave it as-is. But I am a) not a CRST and b) of the opinion that this LATCH limit stuff is a crock of hooey. Smarter people than me may have different opinions

 

[tiggercat]

Ehhh... since Dodge used to be 48lb (right?) and SuperLatch says it's good until infinity pounds, I'd probably leave it as-is. But I am a) not a CRST and b) of the opinion that this LATCH limit stuff is a crock of hooey. Smarter people than me may have different opinions

That's what I am asking, I think! Opinions, not facts.
It feels ambiguous to me.

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[Carrie_R]

Opinion, off the record, car-seat-nerd to car-seat-nerd? Yeah, I'd leave it as-is.

Standard disclaimer that I would not recommend it as a tech to a parent, at least not until I ensured they understood all of the angles... which I am absolutely confident that you do.

Hopefully others will chime in with opinions in case there's something that you and I aren't thinking of.

 

[nannykates]

This is my opinion as a car seat nerd not tech insert pp disclaimer.

I would leave it for rf but get a different seat for ff. The benifits of rf outweigh the risk of anchor failure in my opinion. Especially since he still weighs less than most conservative child only limit. Really its the latch attachments that are more likely to fail in a crash and those are rated for another 42 lbs.

 

[tiggercat]

This is my opinion as a car seat nerd not tech insert pp disclaimer.

I would leave it for rf but get a different seat for ff. The benifits of rf outweigh the risk of anchor failure in my opinion. Especially since he still weighs less than most conservative child only limit. Really its the latch attachments that are more likely to fail in a crash and those are rated for another 42 lbs.

I'll definitely be getting a new seat for FF use. Sam likes to remove the (required for FF) foamy harness pads, and he is already above the 2nd to top slot, so it won't last until booster age.


It's a Canadian seat, so RF to 45 FF to 65lb.

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[featherhead]

Are you using an angle adjuster? I have a different vehicle, but it sounds like similar buckles in the captains chairs. For me the angle adjuster is just enough to keep the buckle below the belt path.

 

[tiggercat]

Are you using an angle adjuster? I have a different vehicle, but it sounds like similar buckles in the captains chairs. For me the angle adjuster is just enough to keep the buckle below the belt path.

I am using an AA, but I am not sure if I tried the AA with seatbelt install or not. I'll try that, thanks!

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[featherhead]

I am using an AA, but I am not sure if I tried the AA with seatbelt install or not. I'll try that, thanks!

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Hope it works! If not I would probably use the UAS a little longer.

 

[tiggercat]

Hope it works! If not I would probably use the UAS a little longer.

I suppose I could just not weigh him for a little bit! I am shocked that he's gained about 5lb without me noticing.

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[Pixelated]

Since the official Canadian word is we're still going with 40lbs weight of the child to switch to seat belt unless both vehicle and seat state a higher limit, I'd leave it as is too, and I don't feel I'm fudging anything at all.

I know we've had this discussion about whether the LATCH manual limits apply to us, and until Transport Canada instructs otherwise, that's what I continue to teach. Maybe the NHTSA stuff will spill over to us, and maybe it won't, but until there's clear Canadian direction I'm sticking with it.

I'm not comfortable going past the 48lbs though, or going to the full weight of the superlatch. Here's hoping the angle adjuster makes the decision moot!

 

[tiggercat]

Since the official Canadian word is we're still going with 40lbs weight of the child to switch to seat belt unless both vehicle and seat state a higher limit, I'd leave it as is too, and I don't feel I'm fudging anything at all.

I know we've had this discussion about whether the LATCH manual limits apply to us, and until Transport Canada instructs otherwise, that's what I continue to teach. Maybe the NHTSA stuff will spill over to us, and maybe it won't, but until there's clear Canadian direction I'm sticking with it.

I'm not comfortable going past the 48lbs though, or going to the full weight of the superlatch. Here's hoping the angle adjuster makes the decision moot!

Do we have official Canadian word? Or just silence from TC?

No go on the AA with seatbelt. I stuck him in the third row for now.

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[Pixelated]

Do we have official Canadian word? Or just silence from TC?

I haven't seen anything from TC stating it doesn't apply, so I guess silence. Perhaps we could ask and find out...I'm on it.

 

[featherhead]

Do we have official Canadian word? Or just silence from TC?

No go on the AA with seatbelt. I stuck him in the third row for now.

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. It was worth a shot. Talk to Trudy and see what she says about the latch limits.