Retractable lap belts?

[InSaNeBoY]

I recently got a 1985 Renault Fuego to use as a second car which may need to be used if our other car has to be in the shop or what have you.

I found one issue, I'd prefer to have my son in the back seat but the car only has retractable lap belts in back. I have a Britax Decathlon and there doesn't seem to be any way to lock a lap belt in place with it like with a lap/shoulder belt.

picture
http://homepage.mac.com/macomber/Cars/Fuego/lapbelt.jpg

is there A. a way to lock that belt with the Britax or B. are there any other car seats out there that would work?

[joolsplus3]

Are they 'ELR', which just sit there loose until you are in a crash? Or 'ALR' which get tighter and tighter and tighter when you just sit there? If they are the first kind, you need to find a CPS Tech locally who can help you install a 'Belt Shortening Clip' properly (The Britax manual neglects to mention this as an option, because these types of belts are so rare, they just say you can't use them, rather than explain how and where to get and use a BSC). If they are ALR and get tighter and tighter, they are perfectly ok for carseat installation. Obviously you'll be bypassing the shoulderbelt lockoffs, but those are primarily for 'ELR' lap shoulderbelts that need to be locked somehow.

Does that help? :)

[LISmama810]

I agree with Jools. Since you're calling them "retractable" lap belts, I'll assume that they are ALR, the kind that ratchet back in as soon as you let go. If that's the case, those tend to be great for installing car seats. Since they lock automatically, there's no need for lockoffs.

Although they're great for installing car seats, lap belts are NOT good for restraining people riding without a car seat (and can't be used with belt-positioning boosters). From the "hand" on the side of your picture, I'll guess that your DS has a while before he's in a booster/seat belt, but I wanted to throw that out there.

[InSaNeBoY]

Are they 'ELR', which just sit there loose until you are in a crash? Or 'ALR' which get tighter and tighter and tighter when you just sit there? If they are the first kind, you need to find a CPS Tech locally who can help you install a 'Belt Shortening Clip' properly (The Britax manual neglects to mention this as an option, because these types of belts are so rare, they just say you can't use them, rather than explain how and where to get and use a BSC). If they are ALR and get tighter and tighter, they are perfectly ok for carseat installation. Obviously you'll be bypassing the shoulderbelt lockoffs, but those are primarily for 'ELR' lap shoulderbelts that need to be locked somehow.

Does that help? :)

does partially. It's the 'ELR' type, I think. I have not played with them much, I'll double check tonight.

Question now is what/who is a CPS Tech?

[InSaNeBoY]

As I recall, if I pull them out and let go they whip back into the reel. But I'll double check tonight.

[joolsplus3]

It stands for "Child Passenger Safety Technician"... someone who's attended a class to be nationally recognized as trained in carseat installations. www.safekids.org has a link to find local techs in your area (often police or fire stations have techs onhand, sometimes there's just an active Safe Kids office that can help, sometimes we are just independent and listed in the national list).

Sounds like you might have 'switchable' retractors...they sit floppy (ELR) unless you pull them all the way out slowly, then they retract back tightly (ALR) to hold in place... I sure hope so, anyway!!!! :)

[sixboys]

We have an ALR lapbelt in our truck, and I can get an excellent installation with our Britax Boulevard in that position - which is the exact same shell as your Decathalon.

I learned the secret to ALR installations on this board, and it has made all the difference in the world! First, I install the seat as tightly as possible after buckling the seatbelt. I shove it down, rock on it back and forth, basically jam it into the seat as far as humanly possible while attempting to feed the belt back down as much as I can. Going this far in the installation process gets a tight but not supertight install.

Secondly, I have my husband kneel in the seat and brace his back against the roof of the truck. Once he's holding the seat down tight - I unbuckle the seatbelt, retract the belt one more click, and then re-buckle the seatbelt. It takes alot of muscle and determination, but once that baby is re-buckled - the seat literally does not move even a centimeter.

Hope this helps!

[InSaNeBoY]

It is indeed ALR, YAY!

thanks all!