Trina, Oh Trina - Carseat Question
Moms View Message Board: Parenting Discussion: Archive January-June 2005:
Trina, Oh Trina - Carseat Question
We just purchased a 2005 Dodge Caravan and we have an Alpha Omega Elite Deluxe 3-In-1 Carseat. DS is 23 pounds and still rear facing. I will keep him rear until he is 30 lbs.
Questions:
1) What is the safest position in the van? We have rear bucket seats in the second row and a split bench in the back row. He is currently in the second row passenger bucket.
2) DH reclined the seat in order to get the right adjustment for the level line. Is this safe?
3) An option offered in this van was built-in child restraints (which the sales person did not recomned) however, I'm just curious are they as safe as carseats?
4) I recently saw a news report that stated once the child is ready for forward facing that you should not use the anchorage system in newer vehicles, that they were not as safe as using the seat belt in order to hold the car seat in place. Is this correct?
5) Child number 2 is due in September, we have a Graco baby seat. Where should the baby be placed and where should we put Matt once the second child is in the car?
TIA
Congrats on your new van! Hey, wait a minute, did I miss something?! I wasn't aware you had a new bun in the oven. Congrats again! 
I have installed a few Alpha Omega 3-in-1s and they have been difficult in some cases. I checked the Compatibility Database at CarSeatData.org and apparently that particular car seat, when installed rear facing, is a "Poor Fit" for your particular van. It was checked by a CPS Tech, too. When you said your DH had to recline the vehicle seat I had a funny feeling that may be the case. What the Compatibility Database doesn't say is if they tried to install it on the 3rd bench OR trying after removing the base. There is a metal pin on the bottom that pulls out and the base will come off. This may or may not help the install, and you may need a pool noodle (or two) or a rolled towel to get the proper recline. Since your DS is an older baby it can be closer to a 30 degree recline, as opposed to 45 degrees that we recommend for newborns. Gosh, I wish I could show you IRL. LOL! You're in Canada, right? I believe you can find a Canadian CRS Tech by calling your local SJA office. Have we had this discussion before? I'm sorry, DKs and I all have colds and it hurts to think too much. LOL!
OK to answer your questions:
1) What is the safest position in the van?
Generally I like to have my kids in the second row closest to me if at all possible, but it would be OK to use the back bench if you want. There used to be bad press about the 3rd rows of vehicles but things have improved since then. It's really a matter of personal choice and convenience.
2) DH reclined the seat in order to get the right adjustment for the level line. Is this safe? Generally this isn't necessary and not usually recommended.
3) An option offered in this van was built-in child restraints (which the sales person did not recomned) however, I'm just curious are they as safe as carseats? Personally I don't care for them. They are safe per se, but don't offer any sleep support and often don't fit children well. Also, I've been told EMTs prefer car seats because it's easy to remove and transport the child IN the car seat.
4) I recently saw a news report that stated once the child is ready for forward facing that you should not use the anchorage system in newer vehicles, that they were not as safe as using the seat belt in order to hold the car seat in place. Is this correct? Yes and no. LATCH anchors are only good up to 40 or 48 lbs.. (It differs with manufacturers but the standard is usually 48 lbs..) This means if someone has a car seat that harnesses past 40 lbs. (Britax Marathon, for example, harnesses to 65 lbs.) they may not use LATCH when the child reaches the LATCH limit. At that point the vehicle seat belt is required. Another thing you may have read is the new Consumer Reports car seat reviews. There were 4 specific car seats (not yours) they deemed didn't do well installed with LATCH while rear facing, BUT did fine with the seat belt. Car Seat manufacturers and safety experts are looking into this further and until they do further testing have recommended seat belt installations.
5) Child number 2 is due in September, we have a Graco baby seat. Where should the baby be placed and where should we put Matt once the second child is in the car? Again, this is a personal choice. *I* liked having the baby behind me (driver side) and the older child on the passenger side. It just worked out easier that way when loading and unloading kids. Some people remove one of the bucket seats in the middle and put one child in the remaining bucket seat and the other in the 3rd row. I guess it makes more room, but I never wanted to try it.
HTH!
Consumer Reports Article
Thanks Trina, just a few more questions .
What is an SJA office? I will try to get the seat inspected, but it is difficult here, everytime I call they are always fully booked.
When I had the first seat inspected the tech advised that most car accidents are head on, therefore you want the child at the furthest point of impact, which is usually the side back passenger, that is why I asked about positioning. Has this theory changed recently or is it just a matter of opinion? I always preferred middle in the Camery as I was worried about side impacts.
Lastly, I guess we should remove the base and try to reinstall?
Thanks again!
SJA is St. Johns Ambulance. I learned recently that many VW and Audi dealerships have CPS/CRS Techs on staff. That would be worth checking into.
ProgramProfessionals.org
The middle center position is the safest spot because it's farthest away from all points of impact. Realistically, for a family with more than one child it's not possible to put all kids in the center. I've seen discussions on which outboard position is safer but we learned in CPS class that they are marginally different, so marginal that they are essentially the same.
Before you take out your AOE, how far did your DH recline the vehicle seat? A little or a lot? Was he able to get a tight install, no more than 1" movement at the belt path?
About 30 degrees, the seat appears to be very stable with little movement.
I'm sorry I didn't get back to this sooner. I'm still not feeling great and DS's asthma is flaring. Ug.
It's OK to recline the vehicle seat a little to help during installation but you can't keep it that way. You need to put it back up for normal driving. If that's not possible then I suggest trying to install it without the base. You will most likely need help with the recline via pool noodles or a tightly rolled towel. Just a forewarning, but this is one of the reasons why this particular seat is not one of my favorites. I've done several at car seat checks and they were a PITB to install rear facing.  *If* you're not able to get a good install you may want to shop for another seat. Not a total loss because you could use the AOE forward facing when your DS gets older or as a spare in another vehicle. It's nice to have spares. I have plenty!
Thanks Trina, will fix in the morning.
Hope you're feeling better soon.
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