RF tether in '06 Ody?

[UlrikeDG]

The weather was nice today, so I went out and moved carseats around. I put the baby's Roundabout behind the driver, but I don't see any obvious good spots to connect the tether to. There's a bar under the seat the RA is on, but isn't that a no-no now? Any other suggestions?

THANKS!

[azgirl71]

You are correct, it is a no no to tether to the vehicle seat the crs is sitting on.

It seems to me this may have been discussed not to long ago. I will look around.

[CDNTech]

Maybe this article will help you?
http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=9902

If you scroll down through it, you will see that there is a piece of plastic trim that can be removed from under the driver's or passenger's seat. Once removed, you can tether to a bar under the seat.

[azgirl71]

Maybe this article will help you?
http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=9902

If you scroll down through it, you will see that there is a piece of plastic trim that can be removed from under the driver's or passenger's seat. Once removed, you can tether to a bar under the seat.


GREAT LINK!!! :thumbsup:

[UlrikeDG]

Thanks, Jen. It looks like they found tether spots for every seating position except the second row, driver's side. *sigh* My floor is so nasty right now (kids climbing in and out with snowy/muddy boots) that I didn't actually put my head on the floor to look under the seat, but I got close, and I didn't see anything obvious. I wasn't sure how to pry the plastic off, so I didn't try that, either. In my Pilot, I could thread the D-ring under the plastic, but not in my Odyssey. I was hoping someone else had found the perfect spot for me. ;)

[CDNTech]

Maybe it wasn't mentioned in that thread (I didn't read through the whole thing), but I thought I'd been told that the plastic that was pried off the passenger side is identical to the driver's side with the same identical bar you can tether to under the driver's seat.

[lovinwaves]

Under the Drivers' seat there is a fairly large plastic piece (cosmetic) that runs between the seat. Under the bar is a welded thick bar. The plastic piece does not go around the bar, so the part of the bar towards the front of the vehicle you can actually feel with your fingers. Just stick your hand up under there and you can feel it exposed.

I have my tether wrapped around the plastic piece and bar on the right hand side. My theory is that in the event of an accident the stress the tether will put on that plastic piece will be towards the front of the vehicle where the bar is exposed. I'm sure it is possible it could crack the plastic piece, or even pop it off in the event of a crash, but I don't see this being an issue. Instead of taking off that plastic (which is there for cosmetic reasons), and keeping the back of the seat looking good I just decided to tether with it still on.

I did this at a big Safekids check. It was the last vehicle, so I had about 5 senior checkers as well as 10 other CPSTS around me watching me. They all saw it, felt, and agreed it was ok.

Jen is correct..the seat is exactly the same on the drivers side if you take that plastic off.

I personally am comfortable with this, and did not want to take the chance of breaking that plastic piece taking it off either. I swear I have some photos..lemme see if I can find them.

[lovinwaves]

Ok found the pix. Someone else took these. You can see they added an orange line to show you where that welded bar is behind the plastic. Mine is tethered to the right side of that plastic, where it is narrower.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v223/Wyeast/odyssey/underseat.jpg


In this picture he has the plastic piece off and the tether on. He did NOT put the tether where I would have. I think the thicker bar would have been better.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v223/Wyeast/odyssey/underseat2.jpg

[UlrikeDG]

Thanks, Melissa! Our Ody is leased, so I don't want to do anything permanent to the vehicle, like break that plastic piece!

[joolsplus3]

Ulrike, check your manual... my convertible Britaxes, new and old, never had a warning against tethering to the same seat in them, so I do. The original warning was against wrapping under and up to the seatback top tether anchor, and I probably wouldn't feel comfortable doing that anyway, but I use a bar or leg of the same seat it's on comfortably. I'll have to dig up the page, but the LATCH manual says tethering to the same seat is fine, it's been crash tested :)

[thepeach80]

Someone here hooked it to the driver's side seatbelt bolt, but I'm not sure it will stay long term. You could try it and then just check it every few days to see if it's staying.

[CDNTech]

Ulrike, check your manual... my convertible Britaxes, new and old, never had a warning against tethering to the same seat in them, so I do. The original warning was against wrapping under and up to the seatback top tether anchor, and I probably wouldn't feel comfortable doing that anyway, but I use a bar or leg of the same seat it's on comfortably. I'll have to dig up the page, but the LATCH manual says tethering to the same seat is fine, it's been crash tested :)

A board member (Ignora) that attended the Britax Training day was told by Britax that you are *not* allowed to tether to the seat the child restraint is installed on. It *must* be tethered forward at an angle to the seat the child restraint is installed on. They never mentioned what angle though. :(

[azgirl71]

Ulrike, check your manual... my convertible Britaxes, new and old, never had a warning against tethering to the same seat in them, so I do. The original warning was against wrapping under and up to the seatback top tether anchor, and I probably wouldn't feel comfortable doing that anyway, but I use a bar or leg of the same seat it's on comfortably. I'll have to dig up the page, but the LATCH manual says tethering to the same seat is fine, it's been crash tested :)

I was not able to find it where I saw this. You are correct that the manual doesn ot have a warning, but if you go according to the diagram pic you cannot tether to the same seat. I believe someone actually called Britax about this and they said no you cannot tether to the same seat.

Please let me know the page number in the LATCH maual. I do not recall seeing inthere that it is ok to tether to the same seat your crs is on.

I will do some more looking.

[azgirl71]

A board member (Ignora) that attended the Britax Training day was told by Britax that you are *not* allowed to tether to the seat the child restraint is installed on. It *must* be tethered forward at an angle to the seat the child restraint is installed on. They never mentioned what angle though. :(

I knew I was this somewhere.Thanks!!

I just called Britax and they said absolutely not. You must tether it to something bolted to the frame in front of it.

[joolsplus3]

Page 34 :) (darned if I typed it up and lost it, though :(, don't have time to do it again right now :( )

[azgirl71]

Page 34 :) (darned if I typed it up and lost it, though :(, don't have time to do it again right now :( )

I see the study findings on Page 34 in the 2007 LATCH manual you are looking at.
These are just results of a study. They do not say it is ok to tether to the same seat your crs is installed on. Even if they did say it was ok. Britax is the car seat manufacturer and they say no absolutely not. So the manufacturer trumps the LATCH manual. If you currently have your crs tethered RF like this you may want to find another location so you are not going against the manufacturers instructions :twocents:.

ETA: I do not mean to come off a snarky. I just want you to know it is not an acceptable method. Not sure if you saw, but I did call Britax and they said no way. Ignora was told the same at Britax training.

[CDNTech]

Page 34 :) (darned if I typed it up and lost it, though :(, don't have time to do it again right now :( )

Okay, I read pg. 34 and I see what you are saying. I do see it saying they have tested with tether attached underneath the test sled bench. However, the manufacturer has stated that you are *not* allowed to tether to the same seat the child restraint is installed on.

I'm totally not trying to sound snarky, this is a genuine question... is this a case where we follow manufacturer's guideline's or the LATCH manual?

[azgirl71]

Okay, I read pg. 34 and I see what you are saying. I do see it saying they have tested with tether attached underneath the test sled bench. However, the manufacturer has stated that you are *not* allowed to tether to the same seat the child restraint is installed on.

I'm totally not trying to sound snarky, this is a genuine question... is this a case where we follow manufacturer's guideline's or the LATCH manual?


I am glad you posted the same as me. I went back to add I was not trying to be snarky. Just wanted her to know it was not acceptable. :)

[joolsplus3]

Phew, hope you all don't think *I* sound snarky :o:love:

It's just that, from a historical perspective, it used to be ok. From a Physics perspective there's no real reason it's not ok. And from a Britax perspective, they give the impression that the lawyers looked at the picture in the manual and they are sticking to it for legal reasons (given the first two reasons, which is why Darren hasn't changed his RA RF install pictures at car-safety.org)

:)

[azgirl71]

Phew, hope you all don't think *I* sound snarky :o:love:

It's just that, from a historical perspective, it used to be ok. From a Physics perspective there's no real reason it's not ok. And from a Britax perspective, they give the impression that the lawyers looked at the picture in the manual and they are sticking to it for legal reasons (given the first two reasons, which is why Darren hasn't changed his RA RF install pictures at car-safety.org)

:)

Stating facts and my personal opinion... not meant to be snarky

It may have been fine in the past, but it IS NOT fine now. You are the parent and it is your choice. We are taught as techs to READ THE MANUAL. If you do not understand the manual then CALL the MANUFACTURER to clarify. BRITAX says no, so as a tech you should not be going against the manufacturer's instructions. It is Darrens choice not to change his photos. It still does not make it ok to do something against the manufacturer :twocents:

From Ignora's post from Britax training (http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=25617&highlight=ignora): Stated by Sara Tilton from BRITAX: Do not install the RF tether using the tether anchor that is connected to or under the vehicle seat on which the restraint sits. Doing this changes the direction of forces to both the tether and the car seat. She also stated that the RF tether must be out at an angle from the back of the car seat (as you're looking at it from the side). It's NOT ok to tether to something straight down from the back of the restraint... the tether must be out at an angle (like this /\, not this /|).

[CDNTech]

Phew, hope you all don't think *I* sound snarky :o:love:

It's just that, from a historical perspective, it used to be ok. From a Physics perspective there's no real reason it's not ok. And from a Britax perspective, they give the impression that the lawyers looked at the picture in the manual and they are sticking to it for legal reasons (given the first two reasons, which is why Darren hasn't changed his RA RF install pictures at car-safety.org)

:)

I see what you are saying and I agree... :whistle:

I would still counsel parents to go with what the manufacturer is saying. If there is absolutely no place to tether, then I may bring up the above information and let them make the parental decision. ;)

[crunchierthanthou]

So what did you end up doing? I'm installing my RA in an Odyssey tomorrow (*sniff*) and want to be able to give her all possible options.

[UlrikeDG]

Nothing yet. The weather turned bad again. It's supposed to be warmer today & tomorrow, though, so if the baby cooperates, I might get out there to try again.

[lovinwaves]

So what did you end up doing? I'm installing my RA in an Odyssey tomorrow (*sniff*) and want to be able to give her all possible options.

What year is it? Anything before '05 is going to be totally different. They redesigned the Ody in 2005 :)