Regent in 3rd Row of Odyssey?

[lrg]

I've been trying to weed through posts here to figure this out and am getting more overwhelmed by the second! We're debating putting my DS in his new Regent in the 3rd row of our 2005 Odyssey for a road trip. I saw that it supposedly has a top tether in the center, but I can't find it and I can't find my manual. Where on earth is it? I found a spot in the back of the seat in the center (where it seems a tether anchor might be) - a square of felt picks up and there is an insert of gray styrofoam that comes out, but there's nothing behind it?

So if we do install the seat there - that's the spot where we have to snap the belt to the ceiling....do we do this for a Regent install?

I was overwhelmed at trying to understand the install of the Regent when we got it and gave up. (I can't even lift the seat!) My husband installed it and found it exhausting and frustrating. (DS is 45 lbs, so we had to do the short route) I'm still a little nervous about the current install - I can move the seatbelt - it's not taught like we're used to. However, the Regent itself doesn't seem to budge. Also, when I tighten the harness, I sometimes wonder if it's catching on something underneath. Sometimes it feels like it's mildly resisting, other times it seems ok. I can hear the metal where the straps all connect clank on the back when it's loose.

He also still barely fits in his MA (right AT or maybe even the slightest bit below his shoulders)- I'm wondering if we're just better off switching to the MA for the trip for the ease of install back there. If we do, same questions apply - where to tether and do I connect that belt in the center to the ceiling? (Can we install outboard back there and still tether someplace?)

[o_mom]

In the 2005, you have one tether anchor in the center. I believe it is in the same place as the 2000-2004, which is across the cargo area. Open your back hatch and look straight down, you should see it on the back wall of the cargo well. There are no outboard tether anchors in that year - the next year, they added them to the backs of the seats.

When you use the center to install a car seat, you do not connect the shoulder belt. The lapbelt should be tight, I'm not sure what way you are able to move it. One trick you can try is to recline the vehicle seat, tighten the belt and then push the seat back up.

On the harness, I find with Britax seats that the splitter plate can get caught if I loosen the harness too much. It varies with which slot I am using, but that could be what is happening to you.

[Joolsplus2]

I think the shoulderbelt in that model is the 'one strap' that pulls down and buckles into two buckles? But yeah, if it's the lap belt plus a second shoulderbelt, ignore that shoulderbelt (I was hoping someone with a new Ody would leap to action and answer this question today... )

[o_mom]

Yeah, if the lapbelt is tight without the shoulder portion, then skip the shoulder portion. There are generally two kinds of the ceiling belts. The older Odyssey (pre-05) has the one where the center back is just a lap belt, then there is a shoulder portion that clips to the latchplate of the lapbelt (so on the buckle side). For those skip the shoulder portion. The other kind, you clip the ceiling portion to the seat on the opposite side of the buckle (so the opposite hip of a person sitting there) and then the latchplate is free sliding. In that case you use it like a regular shoulderbelt. I'm not sure which one the new Odysseys have.

Clear as mud?

[lrg]

Originally Posted by o_mom

In the 2005, you have one tether anchor in the center. I believe it is in the same place as the 2000-2004, which is across the cargo area. Open your back hatch and look straight down, you should see it on the back wall of the cargo well. There are no outboard tether anchors in that year - the next year, they added them to the backs of the seats.

When you use the center to install a car seat, you do not connect the shoulder belt. The lapbelt should be tight, I'm not sure what way you are able to move it. One trick you can try is to recline the vehicle seat, tighten the belt and then push the seat back up.

On the harness, I find with Britax seats that the splitter plate can get caught if I loosen the harness too much. It varies with which slot I am using, but that could be what is happening to you.

Oh my gosh, you have GOT to be kidding me that is the tether anchor! Did they think people with kids in car seats didn't go on road trips and need the cargo for luggage? So, can the seat be positioned outboard and, assuming we can work it out for the luggage to all go around the strap, still use the one tether anchor from the outboard position?

Is there a trick to fully packing that back area with the strap cutting across? We'll have a VERY full car - pack n play, stroller, luggage for 4 going down, and 2 more passengers and their luggage coming back...

Thanks for all of the info to both of you...it was thoroughly confusing, so I need to take a look when it's not 1:00 a.m. I hate being so insecure about this seat....I have never been so uncomfortable with understanding the installation of a seat. How could the other Britax seats and the Regent be so different?

[o_mom]

It is a pretty bad location. I actually have THREE there in my 2002 Odyssey. The 2006+ have the outboard ones on the seatbacks, but the middle is still across the cargo well.

For packing it isn't as bad as you would think. I usually stand a suitcase up under the tether and put the Pack n Play etc on the sides. Do you have the cargo net thing that goes across the back? That helps contain stuff so it doesn't all come flying out when you open the hatch. We also have a Kanga Roof Pouch that we can use on top as needed. Really, though, we have had two PNPs, stroller, luggage for 5 for a week and not needed it yet. I even transported an IKEA dresser back with us from PA, with all the luggage, and didn't have to use the roof (though I should have).

You may want to check out www.odyclub.com for tips from other Odyssey owners. They probably have some great packing tips.

I'm not sure on using the center anchor for the outboard position. I hope Julie can answer that one.

[lizzytra]

Originally Posted by lrg

Oh my gosh, you have GOT to be kidding me that is the tether anchor! Did they think people with kids in car seats didn't go on road trips and need the cargo for luggage? So, can the seat be positioned outboard and, assuming we can work it out for the luggage to all go around the strap, still use the one tether anchor from the outboard position?

Is there a trick to fully packing that back area with the strap cutting across? We'll have a VERY full car - pack n play, stroller, luggage for 4 going down, and 2 more passengers and their luggage coming back...

Thanks for all of the info to both of you...it was thoroughly confusing, so I need to take a look when it's not 1:00 a.m. I hate being so insecure about this seat....I have never been so uncomfortable with understanding the installation of a seat. How could the other Britax seats and the Regent be so different?

Can I just say I share your frustration? I installed a Radian on our back bench over the weekend and when my husband suggested where he thought the tether anchorage was I told him there was no way and grabbed the manual to double check. I was ready to trade our van in at that point LOL!

My ody is a 2003 (i think) and my manual said to use lap belt and not to connect the should strap (in ceiling) for car seat install. Lap belt is sufficient.

My van only has the tether anchorage for the center slot. If I wanted to have one for the two out board posisitions I would have to go to dealer and buy some sort of kit and install them. Just what you wanted to do before a trip, right? Since you have a newer van maybe your anchorage points all came installed?

[o_mom]

In your 2003, you can install the outboard ones pretty easily. The part is like $15 at the dealer and you just pop off the little caps and screw in the anchor. Use a torque wrench so you don't over tighten (AutoZone, etc. usually have tools to borrow). You can also move your center one outboard if you don't have time for that.

The 2005 only has one in the center, none outboard and no place to add them. It was the first year of the re-design and they didn't add them back until 2006.

[lrg]

Thanks, all. So, if I want to install the seat outboard, can I use the middle anchor? We have to fit an adult in the back and it will be pretty uncomfortable to be on either side of a centered Regent.

With the install being SO hard on the Regent, I'm considering just leaving it where it is. It was hard for my very strong husband from a location that's much easier to work with than the back! The only reason for moving it is so I can sit next to the 1 year old and help if/when she gets fussy or for technical difficulties with the DVD player.

I agree - I'm ready to trade in our '05 Ody myself after this flaw! Don't even get me started on the run-flat tires issue for the touring we were talked into!

[Joolsplus2]

I personally found that I could install the Regent well in my outboard third row, and that the center anchor was actually still almost directly behind the carseat, so I went ahead and used it. I think Britax says something about 'up to 45 degrees off center', though I haven't called them about it, and the old recommendations for adding top anchors was that 22 degrees off center was acceptable...so if the anchor is virtually behind the seat, then I was comfortable it fell at least within those ranges. Some vehicles have the built in anchors all kinds of angles off the side of the seating position they are intended for, so I don't think that being a too the side somewhat is really *that* bad, from a crash perspective. So, um, without officially telling you to go ahead and disregard your various manuals, I hope that's enough information for you to make an informed decision...?