Fahrenheit 451

So, Ben is a little over 3 1/2 now and we still go out in the hills and play now and then. The problem, however, is that he has outgrown the current car seat that has a 5 point harness in it that I really liked.
He outgrew this one in height before weight and age. He is three and a half feet tall and SKINNY. Under Colorado law, he is supposed to stay in a harnessed seat until 4 years old or 40lbs. But, the car seat I have says you have to convert over to a booster set up without the harness if the child's shoulders are higher than the slots in their 4th position. He is way past that.
Also, I checked out a variety of pediatric sites and they repeated say not to have them harnessed in a seat if they are too tall and that being in a booster while being underweight or age is the better bet.
I have checked out a variety of seats that are for taller kids that still have a 5 point harness, but even they won't fit for long really and I would like to keep him in a 5 point as long as possible.
I have a '93 4Runner with split folding rear seats that don't seem very sturdy to me either. To me, it seems like they might collapse in an impact which seriously cuts into the safety of the seat itself.
I have tried searching for child safety seats on here with no real luck and am apparently totally stupid about finding any on the net. Does anybody know of an aftermaket off roading seat specifically designed for small children that would also be useable comfortably on road and on long trips? I would gladly even go after something that would require removal of the split bench and setting up the seat on its own brackets. These things must be out there, but clearly I'm suffering from some sort complete brain failure and I can't find any.
Any help would be appreciated.

habanero

Ok, here's what I've found though a ton of research...
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f2/need-install-shoulder-belt-replace-lap-belt-77796/

Read the whole thing, especially starting at the bottom of page one.

I also have tallest slot height measurements for mentioned seats, weights and heights. Let me know if you want them.
My son is also almost as long tall scrawny (75th percentile height, 25th weight). When I go by the growth charts he'll be in the Radian 65 until he's around 7. I'll be happy to post pics (tomorrow, he's asleep right now) of the seat if you want. I'd have gone with the Regent for the extra height but it's so BIG my other two kids wouldn't fit. If you decide on the Radian go with the 65 over the more expensive 80. It's the exact same shell and he'll be out of it before he ever hit the weight limit.

Fahrenheit 451

Thanks for the link! I must have had a real brain fart that I couldn't find a post that is only a couple months old and even ongoing
>>Radian 65<<
This is the one my wife just got and that is in my top choices for "something other than a really off road set up".
On one review, the reviewer thought the distance from where the harness buckles by the crotch to the back of the seat was too small and uncomfortable for their child. Have you found that to be true?
Also, the narrowness concerns me. I already passed on one since it had no side protection at all. Ben is definitely thin, but I want him to have wiggle room as well as some extra protection if there was ever a side impact.
Now back to digging through that other thread and seeing if I can get my brain fired up...

habanero

The crotch buckle is too short though according to the boyo not uncomfortable at this point. I've called Radian on the subject and they have an extension for it, which they were out of last month. I need to call them again. I do wish it had a couple more slots outward. The harness is also narrow at the neck and comes with pads to keep it from rubbing the neck. We've had no problems with neck rubbing. This seat bottom is very narrow but he's got about 2" of width before he won't fit. Even wearing his snow pants over lined jeans, he fits. I don't think we'll have a problem there. Up top there is a nice amount of room, but not so much that his head flops over when he falls asleep. The sides support his head nicely in these instances. I haven't wheeled with it yet but I know the triumph seat allowed too much movement headwise. It sure doesn't help when they fall asleep when you're bouncing around!
The biggest problem I had with this seat was getting a good solid install, it's so low it's hard to get the seat belt right. It took some work, but I did get it in solidly. I don't know if this would be the case with other seats or not.
The seat itself is very solid and seems well built, unlike the scary flimsiness of the Apex. I couldn't consider the Regent because of sheer size and the need to fit 3 in back.
The kiddo says he likes it better than the Triumph because it's easier to get into. He claims that it is very comfortable. The longest car trip so far has been 3 hours, a couple out of the seat and another 3 back home.
Currently he is 39" and 34#
When he wakes up I'll post some pics.

habanero

If anybody wants a specific shot/angle let me know.

habanero

Oh, and I measured the crotch strap. 3" of material before you get to the round buckle. My Triumph baby seat has a 4" strap. I've just emailed Sunshine Kids, I'll post up their reply when I receive it.

habanero

Got a reply from Sunshine Kids:

On some of our seats when they are new, the upholstery cover may fit a little tighter. After a while, it will stretch a little at the back corner (ie. the ?butt?) and will begin to fit a little looser (- kinda like a new pair of jeans!) and this will sit the child a little further back in the seat.
But, just as the blue jeans companies have come out with ?Relaxed Fit? jeans, so too have we added a little extra material in the back corner of the upholstery on future seats.

So you know, Radian?s buckle slot placement and buckle strap length are designed to fit a child even as he/she grows. Based on pediatric data and in crash testing with the larger dummy, the buckle does fit fine.
For reference: Radian?s third buckle position and buckle length are basically the same as another brand?s 65 lb capacity convertible seat.

All that said, we recognize that children come in all shapes, sizes and torso depths and that these differences in body proportions can become more pronounced as a child grows. So in an effort to more comfortably fit older children with higher percentile body proportions, we will be making a longer buckle strap as an additional accessory.

Shortly, we will make these available for sale ? along with other replacement accessories such as extra bases, harness pads etc?

I hope this better answers or addresses the question about this issue. While we have some feedback regarding this, it really has been very little ? like, very little. Yet, we have had so many people commenting on how well the seat fits their bigger children. So, I?m confident we can address this concern for any current consumers and in the future for much bigger kids, as well.

Thank you very much for your feedback,

Best regards,
Russ

Glad to hear they are providing an alternative. I'd take this seat over the Apex 65 any day of the week, it's so much more solid yet not nearly as bulky. It's a pound or two heavier than the triumph, but a lot easier for me to move from car to car.

As far as what to do to keep their head steady while wheeling (because that was our biggest problem, noodle neck) maybe a rolled up towel or sew a "snake" to put around their head much like the supports for the newborns?

I was also ruminating on your comment about the seat being too narrow. Here's how I decided it'd be okay:
Measured my desk chair.
12"
Measured his seating area
8"
Measured my seating area (and I'm a 5'9 middle-aged housewife with a little extra padding)
11"
I nearly fit in the seat now and I know I would have fit in it up through my early 20's, butt wise. I used to be scrawny and sort of shapeless too.

surf4runner

i dunno what brand it is, but it reclines in 3 poisitions, has an adjustable back that keeps the shoulder harness at the correct angle. my boy is almost 5, 45lbs and 44" he is beyond ready for a booster only, but for trail riding+ he stays put and cant escape either.
it was part of the criteria when i bought it. i wanted somthing that would grow with him. ive had it for almost 4yrs. he has taken 3 hours trips and rarely complains that his butt is tired

Fahrenheit 451

WOW! Thanks for all the pics and great info. I think this weekend I will put Ben in the car seat my wife has (Radian 65) and take him up in the hills and see how he does in it.
There does look to be more side protection than I had figured. My wife works days and I work nights so we don't have to have Ben in day care very much, but it pretty well ensures that we only get to see each other on the weekends. So, I haven't even seen her new car seat yet.
My son if definitely in the tall/skinny category too. Every time we check he has gotten taller, but he never seems to get any heavier! He turns 4 in a few months, but is already 42" tall and only about 33lbs. To paraphrase/steal from an ancient Bill Cosby routine, the kid will come in handy if we ever need to get a ball out of the sewer ;>)

Tofer

Ratchet straps should work....

surf4runner

not as good as duct tape

my car seat is a 'summit' has a 5 star rating
http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/...ate&cm_ite=OSA

ROOFGOOF

WHATEVER YOU DO...DON'T EVER BUY A CARSEAT USED OR ACCEPT IT AS A DONATION OR FREEBEE...UNLESS ITS FROM FAMILY, ETC..

Reason is, there are a ton of car seats out there that have hairline cracks that you dont see or have been damaged in one way or the other. If getting one used, only take it from someone you can trust...
Technically, even if you are involved in a minor fender bender, you insurance company is supposed to buy you a NEW car seat...trash the old one (break it in half so it cannot be used again).

Used car seats from:
-ebay
-yard sales
-etc...
NO NO NO

I used to be a certified seat installer... (funny huh?) Fire Department staff in my area had to become certified to do it....and they always gave the above advice to everyone.

Cheers.

habanero

Good thing to point out! I've been told seats over 7 years old are also supposed to be a no-no.