Rear facing child restraint safety question

[*Efjay*]

Ok, I thought it was a bout time I put the 4th baby seat into my car before I get much bigger or pop put a baby before I put it in LOL...

The angle of the seat means the angle that the baby seat in rear facing position is too high for my liking. Its the same seat in the same spot I used for Isla so im confused as to why I can't seem to get it too sit right this time. Maybe I just didn't notice or realise with Isla? Anyway now it just seems to be sitting too upright for a NB, might as well have it forward facing!

So I tried it in the very back row of seats (I have a Kia Carnival) while the seating position is much better putting the baby seat at a much more suitable angle, Its just too far back in the car for my liking. I want to be able to reach back & comfort the baby if I need but being in the back row I can't do that with out stopping & everyone getting out of the car.

So my question is, In the manual for the seat it recommend using a rolled up towel wedged under it to correct the angle of the seat. My main problem is that Kia carnivals are stupid & I can't make the back of the seat more upright, its angled back too far for the support bar of the baby seat to sit against properly unless the baby seat is sitting too far upright. So I would need to wedge a rolled up towel between the seat & the support bar of the baby seat.
its says to do this in the manual but It just doesn't sit right with me that a towel would provide the right amount of safety.

Have you had to do this? Is it ok to do? Its driving me nutty that I can't get the seat to sit right!

[Beach Mama]

I'm not too sure hun, but when I got mine fitted professionally he did mention that I might need to add towels underneath because of the weird shape of the seat, so I think it is done at times because seats sometimes have weird angles and padding that are not too baby seat friendly! Could you go to somewhere like Vicroads (not sure what the NSW one is!) or a baby store that do fittings just to be sure?????

[Kazbah]

Quite a few ladies at my MG got theirs done professionally, and that's what they did too! We had a guy come talk to us, and he said that the actual safety is in the straps attaching to the rear - the towels etc are for comfort and have no real safety.

With us it really was a case of pulling the front seat forward to use it properly or have it in the middle of the row.

[Mum2SweetCs]

Hey Fiona,

My husband fitted ours but I found out that our local council has certain days when they do it for free and it is certified by the RTA as well. Check your local council.

I am getting mine fitted and certified by RTA next weekend, free of charge.

[Visitor7]

We had ours fitted at Qld Ambulance, and we had to put a rolled up towel under it as well due to the shape of our car.
If you're unsure, it's best to take it somewhere to get professionally fitted.

[*Efjay*]

Yeah, its the shape of the seat, its sort of like a bucket seat but unlike the front seats you can't adjust the back so its more upright. Stupid bloody set up.

I will have a play with it tomorrow & suss out if there is anyone local that can check it for me. I had all the seats checked once before & they were very impressed with my installation & didn't change a thing. I just can't work out why I can't get it to sit right now.

[Visitor7]

Are you sure you've definitely got it laying back all the way? I did this with Emily's seat. Dh and I couldn't work out why it looked like it was practically sitting up, then we worked out that you could recline it even further. Well, I didn't work it out, the Ambo who fitted it did
ETA: what seat have you got?

[*Efjay*]

Its the Hi pod sienna Hipod - Hipod Sienna Product Page
Yep, if I was to angle it back further it would be laying flat LOL. Its the seat of the car thats the problem.
See how the stableiser bar is up in the pic of in rear facing, well there is a good 2 inch gap between that & the back of the seat when I have the baby seat sitting correctly. To make it so that bar is against the seat then the baby seat is too upright.

[sweetpea678]

Just thought i would say i am using the unit car capsule and had it checked as thought it was to upright but nope just looks it so maybe it is fine. Might be worth getting it checked somewhere.

[Ezz]

I got mine installed by Littles (Sydney based mobile car-seat installers) & they used a towel underneath the baby seat.

[*Efjay*]

I figured out what was wrong. The seat can be pushed back further (just not the back of the seat made more upright. With the use of a towel I have it sitting better & its pretty darn secure if I do say so myself.