The upright Radian install trick

[Pixels]

The whole thing started over confusion about the term "bight." There's the place where the turn happens, where the bottom meets the back, and then there's the crack between the cushions. They can be one and the same, or the crack can be raised up above the turn. Either can be called the bight. For clarity, I'll call them the turn and the crack.

Correct installs are:
RF boot feet in the crack.
RF boot feet flat on the seat bottom, touching the turn.

Incorrect install is:
RF boot feet touching neither crack nor turn.

 

[Meg]

Correct installs are:
RF boot feet in the crack.
RF boot feet flat on the seat bottom, touching the turn.

Incorrect install is:
RF boot feet touching neither crack nor turn.

Thanks for clarifying further. I have a RN installed with the feet right at the turn/bump and it's a great install. It seemed like it was obvious from the beginning of the thread that this was OK, but it's still nice to see what's correct vs. incorrect put into simpler terms in case anyone is still confused.

 

[An Aurora]

Thanks but as you can see in the pictures i posted, the hump is forward of the bight. I know what a seat bight is.

 

[Keeanh]

Just got an e-mail from Allana saying that my install is fine. 97 Mazda Protege with the crack 3" up from the seat bight.

Vehicle seat:

RF boot contacting seat bight, below "crack":

 

[An Aurora]

Still waiting to hear back about mine but I'm doubtful because of the space between the Radian and vehicle seat.

 

[ElmoMinnieMunoFoofa]

I am doing a RF seatbelt install in DH's 03 Civic this Saturday, it should still be compatible right?

 

[mom of six]

I appreciate Pixels comment defining the seat bight (bend, crack). It helped to clarify my PP and I think they were meant for non-CPS trained folks (aka car seat crazy lurkers) like me who like to read these threads but do not know all the lingo (yet).

An Aurora, can we see your pictures here? OH, I found them in post 55, sorry.

and hey:happy-wavehello:, An Aurora, greetings from MV, home of the Tulip Festival. And, slightly off topic, but any word on your NV3500? We are hoping to purchase one in a couple of years for our family of 8. My husband got a pamphlet about it the other day and it looks like it has 4 latch positions and two additional TA's!!!!!!!!!

 

[TechnoGranola]

Thanks but as you can see in the pictures i posted, the hump is forward of the bight. I know what a seat bight is.

I don't see any pictures? What post are they in?

ETA: they are in post #55. Thanks Syllieann!

 

[Meg]

I don't see any pictures? What post are they in?

:yeahthat: Some people mentioned a closed group on Facebook, so maybe that's where they are?

Keeanh, my seats are just like yours with a sizable bump in front of the crack. I'm glad you got confirmation from Diono about it. :thumbup: My impression all along has been it's just incorrect to install the seat inches away from the crack or the bump, which seems to be what the first post was all about to begin with..

 

[tiggercat]

Does anyone have a photo of an incorrect install? I'd like to see what specifically they are prohibiting.

Also, what about a "turn" that is only about a half turn, then an incline, then another half "turn" at the crack. Anyone know what I mean?

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[mom of six]

My impression all along has been it's just incorrect to install the seat inches away from the crack or the bump, which seems to be what the first post was all about to begin with..

:yeahthat:

 

[Syllieann]

I don't see any pictures? What post are they in?

Post 55

Also, what about a "turn" that is only about a half turn, then an incline, then another half "turn" at the crack. Anyone know what I mean?

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That is how they are in An Aurora's pic-so still waiting to hear on that.

 

[tiggercat]

Post 55

That is how they are in An Aurora's pic-so still waiting to hear on that.

That's not quite what I mean. In her pic, it is definitely a bump of fabric.
I helped with a seat at the clinic on the weekend, and it had a maybe 6 inch long incline between the two "half turns". Of course that was before all of this and I have no idea what vehicle it was or whether or not there was a bight at the top, and I can't find anything like it googling vehicle seats. Lol

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[Syllieann]

That's not quite what I mean. In her pic, it is definitely a bump of fabric.
I helped with a seat at the clinic on the weekend, and it had a maybe 6 inch long incline between the two "half turns". Of course that was before all of this and I have no idea what vehicle it was or whether or not there was a bight at the top, and I can't find anything like it googling vehicle seats. Lol

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So kind of like her pic but concave instead of convex?

 

[Pixels]

I am doing a RF seatbelt install in DH's 03 Civic this Saturday, it should still be compatible right?

It will be fine. Feet in the crack is the only way I have ever been able to do it in that car. Others report being able to do it with feet on the vehicle seat at the turn, but I always had it slip into the crack anyway.

If it's a long-term install in the center seat and you don't have an angle adjuster, watch out for over reclining. Took a year in my car.

 

[tiggercat]

So kind of like her pic but concave instead of convex?

Not concave or convex, just a straight line. So the vehicle seat bottom was relatively flat, then a 45 degree turn upwards, 5-6 inches of straight "something" then another 45 degree turn up turning into the vehicle seat back. It was weird enough for me to notice and kind of scratch my head. The RF Britax installed nicely, though.

Kind of similar to this pic http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=217509 but the middle part was a bit flatter and longer.

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[ElmoMinnieMunoFoofa]

It will be fine. Feet in the crack is the only way I have ever been able to do it in that car. Others report being able to do it with feet on the vehicle seat at the turn, but I always had it slip into the crack anyway.

If it's a long-term install in the center seat and you don't have an angle adjuster, watch out for over reclining. Took a year in my car.

Thanks for the heads up! Good to know for sure since this is w/o AA.

 

[An Aurora]

Now that I'm home from dropping off kids at school and I have had coffee --

Here's another picture of the seat. The first crack is forward of the bight a couple inches

With the Radian installed, the front of the seat is not in contact with the vehicle seat

In these ones with the Radian in the center seat, it's at about a 45* angle--no "trick" used. (Ignore Kid1's seatbelt--it was fixed)

 

[An Aurora]

and hey:happy-wavehello:, An Aurora, greetings from MV, home of the Tulip Festival. And, slightly off topic, but any word on your NV3500? We are hoping to purchase one in a couple of years for our family of 8. My husband got a pamphlet about it the other day and it looks like it has 4 latch positions and two additional TA's!!!!!!!!!

There's some issues...there are two currently in transit to AK: one is sold and one is expected to be sold by the time it gets here in late April. We really want a 4x4 conversion but it would mean another 6 month wait. So we're debating what to do--buy the 2WD sight unseen, buy something else to last us the 6 months until we can get the conversion...and the price is giving us pause as well.

 

[An Aurora]

Verdict is that the feet need to be wedged into the bight ( basically my car was what she had in mind when she made the first statement) and since that's not possible without really over reclining the seat, it's incompatible RF.

It installs beautifully with no boot; too bad that's not an option