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View Full Version : I HAVE A MARATHON!


tobymc
09-11-2002, 01:59 PM
Sorry for the shouting - I'm pretty excited!
Actually, *I* don't have it, my neighbor has it. But I get to play with it.

I called my BRU today, and they said they thought that the display model had come in. The clerk (who kind of knows me) said she'd call me right back, but didn't. So I drove down, and found the person in charge of the carseat isle. She pulled out the Marathon and a RA spruce and we talked for awhile. She said there was a truck in and there might be more but she didn't know yet. She said she HAD done GFS orders for a few folks already. I don't know if they'd gotten them yet.

Finally, she checked in the back again and said she had another and I could have that one!

I took it.

And when I was checking out, the store manager was there and when they asked me about coupons, I asked about the TRU one. She said yes, and said that I could just bring it in to the CS desk and they'd do a price adjusment. Which was good because I had to get home to pick up my daughter from school...

Anyway, I do like it so far. May, who is 3, fits great in the 3rd set of slots and loves it. Her baby brother (not yet born) will get her RA, and she'll get the Marathon. I like the recline, and don't think we'll have the problems that we had with the RA popping out of recline. It only appears to have 2 recline positions: upright and reclined. Which is OK with me. Doesn't the RA have 3? I got the Colonial Blue, which is nice. I think that Trish would have preferred Fido, but whatever. She's got an old Denim RA. The straps are a bit textured as well as the cover.

The seat is about 2" taller than the RA sitting on the porch. It is also wider. It didn't seem much heavier. The versa tether has that same kind of adjuster that the latch hooks have, the same as the Evenflo Express.

Otherwise, it does kind of look like a Super Roundabout!

I can't wait for Adam to wake up so I can try him in it. He's 45 or so pounds, too tall for the RA, but has quite a bit of room in the Century Breverra Contour (back adjuster) that we use tethered in my van sometimes.

I'm SUPPOSED to be working - I'd better get some more done!

Toby

mom2munchkin
09-11-2002, 02:32 PM
Hi, Toby,

I don't know if you remember me, but I met you at the BRU in Richfield 3 or 4 wks ago. I was wondering which BRU you got the Marathon from and who your contact person was. I just called the Richfield office and the person I talked to said they weren't in yet. Plus the RA with latch wasn't in stock but they had 24 on order. Is the Spruce you were talking about in the Marathon or in the RA?

TIA

Jodi

tobymc
09-11-2002, 02:47 PM
Yes, I was at the Richfield BRU.

The person in charge of the section is Valerie. They might have only had 2, one of which will be the floor model. And they hadn't had time to unload the truck yet.

So I'd try going down tonight, or calling later this afternoon, and just asking if they had any off the truck. If not, ask if you can do a GFS (guest special order) for it, since apparently they ARE in at the warehouse (which is apparently in MO).

Valerie kept asking who told ME that they were in!

Good luck. At least you should be able to get one sometime in the next week.

mom2munchkin
09-11-2002, 02:58 PM
Thanks for the info. A few more questions, how much was it? And what is the "spruce" color for the RA? Is that the RA latch or nonlatch? So far all I'd seen of the latch was the Cascade? Is the spruce a different color option?

Thanks

Jodi

tobymc
09-11-2002, 03:09 PM
It was $249, but stop by TRU first and pick up the 15% off coupon. They'll take it. Without the coupon it was $266 with tax.

The spruce was a RA, I'm assuming with latch, but I didn't look closely. Nice cover. No idea if they got more than one in. Valerie said that folks haven't been liking the RA latch in that brownish color (Cascade? Sandstone?), which rather surprised me. She thinks folks will like the Spruce better. It is also kind of a nubbly fabric.

alijp5
09-11-2002, 04:05 PM
I got one TOO!!!!!!!!!!!

At the BRU in Memphis TN!

They had the Spruce RA too!

I was gonna take pics for the PP board.

I think I like Fido better too but oh well! DS can RF again and I can install it in the center position (RA couldn't)so I'm happy. Who know's I may splurge for the extra cover in a while anyway!

:)

cara1
09-12-2002, 10:24 AM
Toby,
Is this a Marathon endorsement from you? You know we're all sitting on the edge of our seats (?carseats :) ) waiting for your approval...

tobymc
09-12-2002, 11:50 AM
I posted some more reflections here: http://boards2.parentsplace.com/messages/get/ppcarseats483/57/3.html.

As always, NO product is completely perfect.

It appears that Britax has "fixed" some of the less-than-stellar things about the RA in the MA, like the recline that sometimes pops out, and the ff lock offs.

But the seats is still not as tall as I'd like for the top harness slot, despite the fact that they designed it for a European 8 year old/US 6 year old. I'm waiting feedback from other real life kids on that.

And as we expected, it is wider and thus has some installation issues different from the RA. And taller, which is good for older kids, but will be harder to install rear facing, I think (I haven't tried it yet).

But I still love it, if that is what you are waiting for!:)

cara1
09-12-2002, 02:03 PM
Are US kids suppsed to be larger than UK kids? :)

tobymc
09-12-2002, 03:35 PM
apparently.

23Tam
09-12-2002, 08:33 PM
Hmmn, not tall huh? Guess I better scratch that off my list as an option! The Husky comes in such rotten fabrics though :(

Tam