help with install in center of 2005 Honda CRV

[elismummy]

Hi there,
We recently had a third child and are trying to make the seats in our secondary vehicle work with three across. We currently have two SKR XTSL's in the outboard position with LATCH, but have tried to get a tight belt install with both a RF Britax Marathon and our Maxi-Cosi Mico in the center position, but can't get it tight with either. We have tried everything we can to get it tight enough, but it is nowhere near OK. I think it might have to do with the long belt of the shoulder harness that goes to the center seat, it hooks into the ceiling in the rear of the car and the belt is really long to get all the way back there. . . does that make sense?

Anyway, I would love to be able to get three across in a good tight install in this car (it is our secondary vehicle, so isn't totally essential at this moment). Do we need to buy a different car seat for the middle seat, is there a trick that I don't know about? Any advice would help great!
Thanks,
kati

[bubbaray]

Is the problem that the center belt isn't locking? It should lock if you pull it all of the way out. What I do is pull the belt out a ways, do the install, then I pull out the belt all the way and lock it AFTER I've done the install.

The top tether is not used with your RFg infant seat AFAIK (though I've never looked at the manual for that seat). If you use a RFg tether with the Britax, you don't want to use the ceiling anchor, but rather find a spot on the floor (like a chair rail from the front row). Also, the TT shouldn't be super tight.

I would also suggest that you might try installing our outboard seats via belts to give you more room center, but it really depends on your set up.

If you need a tech in your area, check www.car-seat.org (http://www.car-seat.org)

[rin]

No advice per se, but fwiw we have a 2004 CRV with a Radian XTSL solidly belt installed RF in the center position, so it definitely is possible with at least one seat.

Have you tried the trick where you push the front seats all the way up so you can face the top of the RF seat and then use your abdomen to push down on the top of the seat to press it into the seatback and get the belt tighter? That's what we have to end up doing for our install, as well as twisting the buckle stalk on the belt once or twice so it doesn't end up in the carseat's beltpath. However, I've never installed a Britax so have no idea if either of those are helpful for Britaxes, just know they helped for a Radian in the center of a 2004 CRV.

[bubbaray]

The seatback trick defiinitely works for Britax's, but for a center install it can be tricky. I can't recall if the CR-V has a center split or a 60/40 one. If its a 60/40 one, the seatback trick works well. If its center, it will take 2 people to do the seatback trick (one person pushing both back upright from the cargo area works well).

[WatchingThemGrow]

What about putting the two Radians next to each other and the MA on the other spot? If symmetry makes you sane, though, I understand.

[elismummy]

The seatbelt in the middle of the back seat is a should belt set-up where the shoulder belt hooks into the rear ceiling of the car, and that seems to be where the problem is coming from. I tried the tricks, but still seem to get a lot of lateral play in the seat (even without the two outboard seats installed.
I just sent my husband out to try putting the radian forward facing in the middle and see if we could get a tight install with that and then we can put the Marathon on the outside, I am not against that, I just want whatever configuration works for the best installation.

I am going to check out car-seat.org and maybe see if we can try to find someone else in the area who can help. . . although we have successfully installed 7 different types of seats over the lives of our kids without any trouble in the past so I dont know. . . .

but thanks for the help so far!!
Kati

[bubbaray]

Its possible there is a problem with your center belt, you would need to contact the dealer to check.

[Joolsplus2]

Yeah, that kind of belt can be a toughie, but is the shoulderbelt locking when you pull it all the way down? It really should at least lock, hopefully it is. I generally recline the vehicle seats in a CR-V, then install, then pull the seats back up to kind of lock things in place better, that center spot is known to be a bit of a booger. Also, not sure if space is an issue, but installing the two outboard seats with the seatbelt instead of the LATCH may place them further out so you have a little more room in the middle.