Roadcrafter armor - #$@^(@?!

[1moreroad]

Or rather the pockets for the armor.  Was the designer hanging upside down when he made up the pockets?

None of the armor fits well into their pockets.  It's all too big.  The pockets are square shaped.  The shoulder armor is round and the knee armor is way bigger than the pocket.  I know that is so that it folds around the knee, but it slides out when I take off the suit.

Seriously, the opening for the knee armor is on the bottom.  It slips out every 2nd or 3rd time I take off the suit.

The shoulder armor rolls towards the back too easily unless I'm wearing a full back protector.

Any suggestions for keeping the armor in their pockets?

[Daniel Kalal]

what kind of suit?  did the armor come with the suit and you removed it?  The pockets are not like the back pocket in a pair of jeans, they're an overlapping design of two pockets so that there should be no way that the armor can ever come out on its own.  any chance you've got the elbows and knees all mixed up?

[Lawn Dart]

Greg,

Had to double check my own RC.  The pockets for the armor are like an envelope.  If the armor in the Knee is slipping out, it sounds like it may have only been sleeved with upper half of the two parts of the pocket.  I'm not sure I'm making sense here, but it's a wierd overlap. I've never had a problem with the armor slipping.

On the other hand, I have had the pockets just plain wear out and the nylon lining fray out.  That part sucks.

[1moreroad]

This is a used suit purchased from someone on the ADV board.  It was shipped in a box with all the armor removed to better fit.

OK found the pockets.  They were just about glued into the liner.  Maybe the previous owner let the armor stay loose?  That solves my shoulder pad problem.  Thanks.

But the knee armor - it's way too big to fit in those knee pockets.  Is the armor shipped trim to fit for anyone slightly smaller than an NFL linebacker?

[coho]

It will fit.
It's not easy to get it in there, but it'll go. (Reminds me of rgbeard's sig line )

   I've had my RC since 2000 and it's been de-armored for cleaning & DWR-ing six or seven times.  Twice with replacement pads afterward.  They do not need to be cut, the pads are almost exactly the same size as the pockets and the square corners help hold it it place.
   Since the hard shell doesn't cover the whole face of the foam, there are corners you can fold in easily to maneuver the pad around the pocket flaps.  Then jam your hand in there, straighten the corners out and poke them into the corners of the pocket.  This is easiest with the knees and hardest with the elbows.
   For the first couple of rides with new pads it seems a little restrictive, but the heat and pressure of your body molds the foam pretty quickly.  If/when you remove them after they've molded to your shape, write L & R and an arrow for 'this end in first' on the foam with a sharpie so that when you reinstall them they'll still be shaped right.  

[Fred]

If you haven't already, go here for the Roadcrafter's owner's guide. Page 3 shows you how to put the armor in.