# carseat techs-middle position in a trailblazer? HELP!



## queencarr (Nov 19, 2001)

Hi,

We have a 2002 Trailblazer. I currently have 2 boys, a 9 1/2 yo, and a 2 1/2yo in a Britax Marathon and they both sit in the outside positions. We have an unexpected third child coming home in the next few months (see sig for details). The owner's manual says no car seat in the middle, but there is a tether bolt anchor thing for that position (?!?), and when I search online for clarification, carseat.org has several posts that say that it is okay to use the middle position IF it can be tightened properly and the carseat manufacturer says you can use it in a narrow seat. Something about a LATCH manual saying it has been tested and is ok? What I would like to do is put the 2 1/2 yo in the middle, the baby on the outside, and still leave enough room for my 9yo to sit on the outside. We have been looking at vehicles to trade in, but so far nothing is working out (we live in a smaller town, so limited choices), and I really would like to not have to take 2 cars everywhere if he comes home in the shorter quoted time frame of 3mo. Putting the 2 carseats on the outside and the oldest sitting in the middle would be a cumbersome task, and I am not sure he could even reach his own buckle, so that is a no go.

So first question, can I put a carseat in the middle safely (and if not, why is there an anchor)?
Second, should I go for a narrower second carseat to put in the middle instead and put the baby in the marathon in the outer seat?
Does Britax make a narrower option that would work in a situation like this (large 2 1/2 yo--about 37 lb, and 37 in tall), since I have another carseat to buy anyway ?
Thanks for any and all help and suggestions. We have carseat techs here, but I _know_ the advice they gave to a friend was wrong, so I am leary about their judgment overall (told her she _had_ to ff her 19 lb baby at 1 yr, that it was not safe even in her marathon to leave him rear facing).


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## Justmee (Jun 6, 2005)

I don't know about a trailblazer, but Radians install FF pretty well with just a seatbelt (in my experience, try one out first if you can) and I think it's one of the narrowest seats on the market. You might be able to get your 2yo in the middle in a radian and still get the baby on the end in the marathon. Congratulations!!!







:


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## queencarr (Nov 19, 2001)

Thank you!







We are shellshocked but excited! I looked up the radians, and there seem to be a couple of different models--is there any specific reason one is better than the other, or is it extras like the infant carseat cushions?


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## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

The Radian shounds like the best bet. There are 2 models--the 65 and the 80. They are the same, except one harnesses to 65 pounds and one is rated to 80, and the 80 lb seat has infant padding.


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## mom2PJS (May 25, 2006)

If you haven't already I'd cross post this on carseat.org. Does the manual say you can't install a seat in the middle? Or you can't use LATCH in the middle? I'd call and get direct confirmation from the vehicle manufacturer... but then again I have Britax and Ford on speeddial... So I guess I just like to talk to corporate muckey mucks about carseat installs. When seats are close together my experience is you usually have more room using the belts than the latch anyway. I think you're on the right track looking at a Radian, but I'd want to be sure that it installs properly in the middle. There may be other seats that will be compatible also, just trial and error. Yes if there is a lap shoulder belt in the middle it would be better to put the least protected child there, but not if he can't buckle his belt, so I can see where you're going with putting the FF seat there instead. And Congrats!


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## cognito (Nov 30, 2007)

The VEHICLE manual states NO carseat installs in the center position. (It's the same way with some of the GMC Jimmy models too) The reason is the the belt path is too narrow for a seat to be safely installed. It has nothing to do with LATCH & everything to do with the fact that it is UNSAFE. I wouldn't go against manufacturer's instructions without something in writing from Chevy that says it is ok to do it. You would also have to check with the carseat manufacturer on the minimum amount of space they require at the beltpath.


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## queencarr (Nov 19, 2001)

So in a vain attempt to find a number to call, I stumbled across this page on the Chevy site. When I put trailblazer in, it says I can use a belted car seat in the center. There is no mention of different year vehicles, just a choice of models. So can I reasonably assume that it is now okay to install a car seat, with the belt and not latched, in the middle position? I still haven't been able to find a number to call and clarify







:

Also, thank you for all the info on the radians. I will be looking at them as soon as I get a chance to do so.


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## mom2PJS (May 25, 2006)

http://www.chevrolet.com/contactus/getinformation/
I think that gives an 800 number for Chevy. I would definitely confirm that it is ok for your model year. As Cognito mentioned you also have to confirm this with the carseat manufacturer if indeed the belt path is narrower than "normal" I had to do this with Center Latch in my Escape because the anchors are wider than normal. The vehicle manual says it's ok, but tells you to confirm with the CS manufacturer. I felt comfortable with just a phone conversation because the person I finally got ahold of was knowledgable. I suppose having something in writing will help to prevent someone making something up or a misunderstanding, so that's probably a good idea.


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## cognito (Nov 30, 2007)

Do you have the manual from your glove box? You need to look up the owner's manual for your specific make & model. It sounds like what you found online was a general overview. You shouldn't go against manufacturer instructions. They don't say 'no carseat installed in the center' to make life difficult. There is a valid reason.


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## queencarr (Nov 19, 2001)

Thanks for the contact info--I did finally find a number to speak with someone for probably an hour, then got cut off...and he called back! Here is the rundown--the manual does say outboard positions only, HOWEVER, that policy was changed for some vehicles produced that year (toward the end), which are the ones with the tether anchor in the center position. But they didn't update the manual until 2003 (or 04, I can't remember now). The official directions I got from the company today (which matches what I was able to find at car-seat.org, BTW) is that outboard positions are preferred, because they are LATCH, but that center position using a belt install is acceptable if there is a tether bolt and it is used. It has to do with difficulty in installing in the center position and finding a carseat that fits properly. So I am going to research IRL locations that sell the radians, since they are narrower, and time a car seat fit with one of our out of town trips. Finally, I am going to look up the certified carseat techs in our area, and have it checked out if there is a different location than the one I mentioned in my OP.

Thanks again for the help, suggestions, and info


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## cognito (Nov 30, 2007)

I'm glad you got in touch with somebody about it. They probably didn't want to reprint manuals. That's great that they did change it. It would have been nice if they had let people know though. My sister has a 99 Jimmy so it is still a no go for us. Sorry if I came off as bossy. I just wouldn't want a kiddo to get hurt. I'm sure you understand. You wouldn't have taken the time to ask if you weren't concerned.


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## queencarr (Nov 19, 2001)

cognito, no worries







I just kept reading differnt things, and couldn't find a straight answer. Plus having a tether anchor but then a manual that said no, frankly didn't make sense







I also found out that my manual was "recalled" because of unclear child seat instructions, but the manual supplement only dealt with LATCH installation, so I can easily imagine that after that, they didn't want to issue ANOTHER reprint or supplement, YK? Easier to leave it alone and say it's ok only when specifically asked about it. However, we were to the point of planning to try to sell it (at a loss!) so that we could fit the carseats in, so it was really a big inconvenience on our part to not have accurage info readily available.


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