Tether help in my van

[Aunt to sweet baby boy]

I am trying to put the D-ring into my car so that i can tether Avi's MA. I can not find a spot on the front passenger seat to tether the seat to. I may be able to attach the tether to the drivers seat, i have pictures of both seats that i will attach. I am also wondering about FF tethering. There is a small hook that i could attach the tether to. It is used to secure the seat to the car when there are 8 seating positions, would that be strong enough to attach the tether to? I am also attaching a picture of that hook. BTW this is a 1998 Pontiac Montana Transport, if that makes any difference.

Thanks so much!

Let me know what you think...

Ilana

Passenger seat

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/31169.jpg

Bar attached to drivers seat. It is bolted to the frame of the seat but goes along the top, too bad there is not one on the passenger seat!
http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/31170.jpg

Drivers seat track
http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/31171.jpg

Hook behind the capitans chair in back
http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/31172.jpg

Passenger seat
http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/31173.jpg

[strollerfreak]

I had a 2001 Montana...I ended up tethering RF to the bar shown on the driver's side seat. If I remember correctly, when I HAD to tether RF to the passenger seat, I did it around the very end of the seat track and made sure that the seat was NOT pushed back all the way, and that the D-ring stayed down around the perpendicular part of it. We took the passenger side captain's chair completely out of our van because I have 3 kids in seats and it was just easier to have all that space to work with/in...and in the winter I could climb in, shut the door, strap the kids in, and then get myself situated.

As for the tether anchors for the captains chairs, they are (or should be) built right into the frame of the seat, you will probably have to move the coarse fabric around to see them, and they are a PITA to use, but they are there. I don't have a picture of it, and we sold our van earlier this year or I'd be able to show you exactly where it was... It did show where they were in my owner's manual though, because I had to ask our sales guy at the dealership for one because I couldn't find the tether anchors myself.

Good Luck!!

http://strollerfreak.itgo.com/carseats/ReiganRA1.jpg

Good picture, but of course the tether wasn't hooked up because I was moving seats around...I couldn't get a good fit with this seat, and we ended up needing one with the new style boxy base to get a good fit.

[Mumma4x]

Hi there. I have that same van, except without captain's chairs. I have 3-2 seating with regular seats that come out individually. Anyway, for my van, the top tether for the 2 middle outboard seats is at the very bottom of the 2 rear seatbelts. There is a little hole where the anchor goes into the floor. I'll attach pics so you can see exactly what I'm talking about. If you have a manual, the information is there. That's how I found out I even had a top tether. As for tethering RFing, I didn't have a Britax when my DS was rear-facing, so I have no idea where to tether that. Good luck!



http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/31189.jpg


http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/31190.jpg


http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/31191.jpg

~Michelle, CPST mother of 4.

[Aunt to sweet baby boy]

Michelle, what year is your van? How do you get the tether attached to that spot? It looks like you have to fold down the back seat and then you would need to put it back up. Not really the easiest thing to do for a 20 minute drive, i would do it if that is the only option however.

Thanks so much guys, i am going to go crawl around my car now....

Ilana

[Mumma4x]

Mine is a 98 Trans-sport, just like yours. You don't have to fold the seat down at all. You just reach down beside the seat, and hook the tether to the anchor hole by the floor. The angle of the hole makes it so you have to put the tether sideways instead of straight like you normally would. If you need more pictures, I can snap some easily for you. If you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask! I'll try to help any way I can.

[Aunt to sweet baby boy]

I just went out again after examining the pics and i think the problem is that the plastic piece will not move up. if it did i would be able to access that hook. do you remember how you got yours to move up? Also are there tether spots in the capitans chairs?

Thanks so much for all your help

Ilana

[Mumma4x]

In my manual, it said that you had to pull pretty hard on it. It has something holding it on, like a staple or something similar. Mine must've been accessed at some point in the past, because it wasn't connected at all & just slid up easily.

[Aunt to sweet baby boy]

I took the staple out of the piece and i was then able to pull the plastic piece up. Does the tether hook onto the same place the seatbelt attaches to? The seatbelt goes around a little hook and is that where the tether goes on? The way that this is set up is it worth it to attach the tether for a 10 minute drive? Right now avi is still RF at 28 lbs but when he gets to 33 i will have to turn him FF. If it is worth it to attach the tether even for a short drive i will, i do not want to risk anything, but what would you do?

Thanks so much for all your help!

Ilana

[Mumma4x]

Yes, it's the same hole that the seatbelt is anchored to. They made it oval-shaped to accommodate a tether hook attaching to it. The seatbelt will kind of go to the back of that oval, with the front used for the tether. The tether hook will kind of go to the side due to the angle of the hole.

Personally, I would tether it. It makes a lot of difference with head-excursion & you can still get into a crash with short distances as much as you can with long distances. Of course you choose which way to go, but I would tether it if it was me, regardless of the short distance :-)

[Aunt to sweet baby boy]

Ok i understand how it works now. It was really confusing that there was the staple but i pried it out with my key and now its fine. I understand how the seatbelt moves to the back and you attach the tether to the front. Why couldn't they have just attached it to the seat?

I guess i will tether the seat. I have a little while to go but i would never be able to forgive myself if anything happened to avi and he was injured more because the seat was not tethered.

I like to have Avi's seat on the passenger side because that door is automatic so it is easier to get him in and out because i do not have to open the door while holding avi but i can not tether the seat RF. I think the only anchor is on the drivers seat. Could i attach the tether to that if the seat was on the passenger side? If not i feel ok with the seat not tethered RF because it is so much safer already.

Thanks sooo much for all your help! I really appreciate it!!!

Ilana

[daniele_ut]

Ilana - You probably have many months before Avi hits 33lbs. His weight gain should slow down considerably in his second year.

Is there nothing else on the passenger side to which you could attach the RF tether? Usually you can use the d-ring strap and wrap it around the leg of the front seat or hook the tether to the very back of the seat track.

ETA - I just read Mel's response and she suggested the back of the seat track.