LATCH Anchors spacing

[Unregistered]

I read from here about not suppose to install infant seat by LATCH at rear center seat using the two inboard anchors of the outboard seats due to a wider spacing.

Can someone help me understand the deeper logic please? Is 11in the minimum requirement or a reference? Where did it come from? What would be the impact if wider spacing were used? i.e. how would that make the seat unsafe?

The reason I asked is because this is exactly what I need to do with my 2007 CRV. The center belts are from the ceiling and not very good for child seat installation (and seating). The anchor on center seat will make the child seat off center and make the right rear seat very narrow and not very usable. The only way to center the child seat is to use the inboard anchors of the outboard seats. I tried (not using) this way and found the belt was tight and seat fits tightly as well, therefore puzzling and need to know more.

Looking forward to more insights. Thanks!

[crunchierthanthou]

11" is a federal requirement. Borrowing depends on the carseat and the vehicle. Some allow non-standard spacing, but you can only do it if both the vehicle and carseat manufacturer allow it. There are specific standards for LATCH anchors, including spacing. While they may look the same from the outside, there are two ways in which they are connected to the vehicle frame. There is a bar connecting the two anchors for the seating position. Some vehicles are like this: o_o o_o (no bar in the center seat) and some look like this: o_o_o_o (where they are all connected). Vehicles that do not allow borrowing either have no bar in the center to support the anchors or have non-standard anchor spacing or both.

There are 5 lower anchors in the 2002-2005 CR-V. The center position uses one of the anchors from the outboard position and borrowing from the other outboard is not allowed (I'm not sure what 5 anchors means for mounting method. maybe that the first three are connected?) That does make the outboard postion more difficult to use. Did you try using the seatbelt with a locking clip? This will help prevent the ceiling mounted shoulder retractor from tipping the base of the infant seat.

[Jeanum]

I've gotta run and don't have time to look it up in the LATCH manual (Crunchier, yours is handy, right? :). I thought the 2007 CRV has dedicated lower anchors for the center seating position and the OP has an '07. :) The 2007 model is the redesigned version and differs from earlier models, if I'm remembering correctly.

[crunchierthanthou]

I was looking as I typed. :) They moved the outboard TAs in 2007, but 2002-2007 all have 5 lower anchors. You can use center LATCH, but it borrows 1 lower anchor from the outboard.

[Jeanum]

LATCH manual to the rescue, but it's also leading us a bit astray on the pre-'07 CR-V models. :)

The LATCH manual's note about the CR-V having 5 lower anchors only applies to the '07 redesign, and the table formatting there is a bit misaligned. The '07 CR-V is listed as having center LATCH, but not the earlier CR-V models. The info. at the top of the LATCH manual's Honda section, where it lists specific Honda models that allow center lower LATCH installs, includes the '07 and newer CR-V, along with the Ridgeline, and '05 and newer Odyssey's third row center position. The older CR-Vs don't really have center LATCH, nor do they allow borrowing of outboard lower anchors to do a center LATCH installation.

While the OP is allowed to install with LATCH in the center of the '07 CR-V, I just wanted to clarify for lurkers/pre-07 CR-V owners that center lower anchor installations aren't currently allowed by Honda in pre-'07 CRVs, or in other Honda models without designated center lower anchors. :) My apologies to the OP for this long sidebar. :o

[crunchierthanthou]

:doh:

I was thinking you could only do center LATCH in the new ones, but there it was saying 5 anchors... I guess I should have looked more closely at the other column.:o

I've made my first notation in my new manual. Anything else I should be aware of?

[Jeanum]

Not that I know of, other than any changes that might be listed at this link at Safe Ride News where they post LATCH manual updates: http://www.saferidenews.com/html/LATCH_manual_info.htm :) I think my '07 LATCH manual is from the first printing. Yours probably already includes all of the updates currently listed on the SRN site. :thumbsup: We should e-mail SRN about the CR-V having 5 lower anchors beginning in '07 to clarify that, eh? :)

[crunchierthanthou]

Thanks. :)