Silly Marathon questions

[MontrealMum]

We installed Marathons in both cars a while back because our long-legged DS finallly outgrew his Snugride, and I have a few silly questions about its usage. I'm fairly sure it's installed properly, because I printed out another thread posted here some time back about how to do it! Oh, they are both in with belts, in the middle, in a wagon, and a Jetta (soon to be a brand-new Subaru!).



How on earth do you get your DC in and out of the seat without bonking their head on the tether? Do you lift them under and try valiently not to hit their head on the ceiling, or push them under and try to catch all the flailing limbs?

What is the proper way to tighten up the straps? I just can't seem to get them as tight as they were in the Snugride, as when I pull on the adjuster it seems to activate the release. The angle I'd like to pull at has me bumping the seat since it's so tight in there. Is there a special technique?

Poor DS is not liking his first-class travel yet, please help me to make it better.

[bubbaray]

Um, RFg, right? Are you using the TT to secure to the FFg TT anchor? That's a method that is no longer recommended. You can use the VersaTether to anchor the seat RFg, but you need to anchor to something in the front row (or, if you choose to ignore Britax on this point as RFg tethering isn't mandatory, you can tether to the seat the Britax is installed in, usually the seat track -- this is off label, but some of us do it).

For RFg, you can take the Hugs off the harness, they are the plastic things. They are required for FFg, so make sure you put them in the pocket on the top rear of the cover (near where the TT is). You can leave the velcro pieces on.

The harness d/n smoothly adjust. You have to ratchet it, short jerks, to tighten.

BTW, I can't believe how long you were able to use your SnugRide -- that may be a record! :)

ETA: here are some photos of RFg tethering. I think what you might have is the Australian method, which Britax no longer recommends. The other photos show variations of RFg tethers.

ETA #2: http://www.angelfire.com/wa3/isakswings/ratetherrf.html

[MontrealMum]

Yes, Rfing. We bought the MA for its RF, longlasting-ness and tethering abilities.

The install in both cars is like the "Australian method" picture you linked to, only it goes over the top of the seat in the wagon and into the floor behind, not around the headrests. I am not sure what it connect to in the Jetta, and will have to look (it's not my car, and used much less frequently to transport DS)

It may be possible to fix this in the Jetta (which, like I said, we only have for another week anyway). But I'm not quite sure how to tether the seat any other way in the wagon. What we have is a bolt installed in the floor in the back (near the spare tire, in the hatch area). It's a US car, so this was done in accordance with Can. standards when it was imported. I just assumed since this was required by CAA that that was where it was supposed to go. Neither car has LATCH. But this was a few years ago too.

I am going to have to go out and poke around in both cars so I can discuss this more knowledgeably, but is the idea to tether the seat to the floor in front (or directly below) where the carseat is sitting? (or the seat in front, I saw that in the pics too).]

Sorry if my description sounds a little uninformed. DH installed both seats and insists that they're in "properly", but I was having misgivings which is why I posted. I have tried to explain the pics and your response to DH and he got all "forces" and physics on me (as if he has any more training in that than I do!). He's now wanting to know if it should go in the ceiling. I'm thinking we may have to give up on the top tether in the RFing position?

ETA: Yes, I think we may have broken a record with the snugride. It's the newer version, but I'd honestly thought he'd be out of it by 6mos. I've been measuring him nearly every day from 8mos. on, and his head was finally too high at just over 9mos. He's all legs - we're planning his NBA career :)

[Joolsplus2]

Look forward, under the seats, push the front seats forward to help, you'll find something on the floor under the front seats (leg or seat track to tie the D-ring/tether connector strap to), that's the Britax-accepted angle to do it. The Jetta has a huge heavy duty bar going from one side to the other side of the front seat's bottom...it moves with the seat, but it's still solid enough to use properly, just don't move the seat once it's in and it won't change the angle of the tether or seat.

[MontrealMum]

Thanks for both responses. We will fix it before we go out again in the cars. BTW - the other car is a Toyota Corolla wagon. I am assuming that it has the same sort of seat bar that the Jetta does for the front seats that we can tether to? We haven't been out much in the car since putting the MA in since it's summer and I walk most places with DS, but I was feeling a little uneasy about the install. Thanks for setting me straight so quickly!

[bubbaray]

Don't worry about the physics of the RFg tether too much. Your brain will hurt, LOL.

Just so you know, RFg tethers are NOT required by Transport Canada (CAA has no authority over vehicle or child restraint standards, though in some provinces, they do car seat install inspections). So, there are no mandatory RFg tether points, as there are for FFg tethers. Its pretty hit and miss what you can tether to RFg.

Just try to find something in the front row to tether to -- a seatbelt stalk can work in some cars. Or, the seat track, or like Julie said, a bar that the front seat rests on. There are various things. In other vehicles, like my Ody, there is pretty much nothing, depending on the side of the vehicle you need a RFg tether point. On the new Odys, there is nadda to RF tether to for a driver's side RFg tether.

For the FFg tether, when you get to that point, you need a valid TT anchor -- required by TC. In some vehicles, its in the ceiling, others its in the cargo area, and others its on the back of the seat, near the floor. In some wagons & SUVs, its easy to confuse a cargo tie-down with a TT anchor, so you need to know the difference. It should be in the manual, or a dealer can help you.

It is not safe to FFg TT to a non-approved TT anchor. Very different from a RFg tether situation. So, even if there are cargo tie-downs in the ceiling, unless they are a manufacturer-approved TT anchor, you don't want to use them as such.

HTH

[MontrealMum]

That is very helpful, and when it stops raining I will go poke around the front seat/floor for something solid. I'm not so worried about the FF tether at this point, because we expect to have two new/different vehicles by the time we turn DS around. But the info is greatly appreciated, and I will be much better informed at that point!!! And I"m sure DS will be very happy that I am no longer bonking his head or forcing him into contortionist positions in order to use the seat :)

[mom2binsd]

Melissa,

Although I know some of us were RF tethering to the seat the carseat was installed on...off label you called it....about a couple of months ago I was told both by Julie and the folks over at car-seat.org that it's now not even allowed "off label"- good term....so I reluctantly took mine off on my Monterey minivan and can't find a decent RF tether spot...just wanted to let you know the techs have changed their minds on this one.

[MontrealMum]

As of yesterday evening, we now have the MA in the Jetta tethered to the bar suggested by Julie, and in the Corolla it's around part of the passenger seat where it connects to the floor. The Corolla proved to be quite a stumper in the end, but we went out today and there was no screaming putting DS in or taking him out. So, no more bumped heads - poor little guy!

[Joolsplus2]

Cool beans. Yeah, those are not the easiest cars to find an RF tether spot, I'm glad we were able to help you out (and I think Swedish tethering is a little safer in more types of crashes, I'm not quite sure of the point of Australian tethering on a seat without an anti-rebound foot... in Aus, they have these feet to keep the seat from boinging backwards in a rear crash, and they also turn their babies FF well before a year old, so they don't care about straps all over their cars so much!)