Long shot: anyone have pics of a top tether install in an Odyssey?

[heyruthie]

The NEW version of the Odyssey? My SIL is not local to me, and she just bought her first "real" carseat--meaning not hand-me-down, garage sale, 10 years old, etc. I am very proud of her! :thumbsup:

She bought a Daisy Nautilus (the color sold her!) for her tall 4 yo DD, and wants to install it in the captain's chair of her '07 Odyssey. When they visited (right before they bought the seat) she had never even HEARD of LATCH install or top-tethering a seat. (I showed her the latch connecters in the van, and she said "Wow! I didn't know those were there!") But she should do a seatbelt install, because her DD is "close to 40 pounds" in her words. Does anyone have step by step pics, esp. of the top tether? I'd love to send her some. I didn't see any techs in her area (Greenville, PA.)

Maybe even pics of a different seat would still work--esp. if it includes the top-tether!

[BookMama]

Does anyone have step by step pics, esp. of the top tether?

Her Nautilus manual should have step-by-step pics on how to use the top tether. ;) (On page 56, to be exact.)

Someone else might have pics of the location of the Odyssey top tether, but I know from my dad's 2008 Odyssey that the top tether anchors are at the bottom of the seat backs on the captains chairs.

[lovinwaves]

Her vehicle's owner manual will probably have some pictures.

As Bookmama said, the Top Tether anchors are located on the back of the Captain's seat near the bottom of the seat.

She should get our her Odyssey manual and get familiar with her top tethering points, and LATCH locations. Plus she might find out some really cool things about her minivan she didn't know :p

[crunchierthanthou]

There's a picture on page 53 of the 2007 Odyssey manual (https://techinfo.honda.com/rjanisis/pubs/om/HH0707/HH0707O00049A.pdf).

[heyruthie]

Someone else might have pics of the location of the Odyssey top tether, but I know from my dad's 2008 Odyssey that the top tether anchors are at the bottom of the seat backs on the captains chairs.

argh....i was hoping that wasn't the case. they are in the same position in my 2004 Odyssey, and I HATE where they are located, because they are so hard to get to, and several of my seats don't have tethers that are long enough (like my EFTA.) Does anyone know if the Nauti's tether will reach?

I'll encourage her to read both manuals....but that's daunting for someone who's not in our same sphere of carseat geekitude.

[crunchierthanthou]

argh....i was hoping that wasn't the case. they are in the same position in my 2004 Odyssey, and I HATE where they are located, because they are so hard to get to, and several of my seats don't have tethers that are long enough (like my EFTA.) Does anyone know if the Nauti's tether will reach?

I'll encourage her to read both manuals....but that's daunting for someone who's not in our same sphere of carseat geekitude.

no, they're farther under and awkward on the 04 (https://techinfo.honda.com/rjanisis/pubs/om/OD0404/OD0404O00043B.pdf). They are right on the back in the 07 (like in the link above). 04 = under the seat cushion. 07 = on the lower seatback. :)

[heyruthie]

There's a picture on page 53 of the 2007 Odyssey manual (https://techinfo.honda.com/rjanisis/pubs/om/HH0707/HH0707O00049A.pdf).

Oh, thank GOODNESS! That's way better than the location on the older Odyssey. It is NOT the same. My anchor is literally UNDER the seat, almost near the front of it, so you have to wrap the tether over the back, underneath, and then hope to gracious that you can find it while fishing around under there--plus, it's basically backwards once you DO find it (it is turned the other way, and there's no good location to connect to.) It's really awful--must have been a first-generation attempt.....

[lovinwaves]

Mine aren't hard to get too at all. I usually just slide the Captain's chair forward a bit, and squat down and slide my hand between the seat and side of the car to latch the top tether in. Maybe your '04 is different? Is there an easier place for them to be? :o


In this picture you can see the black tethering point behind the Captain's chair. (NOT where I am pointing though)

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb69/lovinwaves/DSC00035.jpg


ETA: I typed slow. I see Crunchy clarified that the '04's are in an awkward position. Your friend shouldn't have any issues then :)

[lovinwaves]

I'll encourage her to read both manuals....but that's daunting for someone who's not in our same sphere of carseat geekitude.

I guess I'm a carseat and CAR geek too, because I enjoyed reading both manuals LOL.


Does she have any rear-facing children? If so she might find the link in my siggie handy.

[crunchierthanthou]

Oh, thank GOODNESS! That's way better than the location on the older Odyssey. It is NOT the same. My anchor is literally UNDER the seat, almost near the front of it, so you have to wrap the tether over the back, underneath, and then hope to gracious that you can find it while fishing around under there--plus, it's basically backwards once you DO find it (it is turned the other way, and there's no good location to connect to.) It's really awful--must have been a first-generation attempt.....

looks like they changed it on the 05 (https://techinfo.honda.com/rjanisis/pubs/om/HJ0505/HJ0505O00047A.pdf). I know the 01-04 location makes it more difficult for the second row (the EFTA tether isn't even long enough), but look at it as a trade-off to be able to have the 3rd row tether in whichever position you need. ;)

[heyruthie]

no, they're farther under and awkward on the 04 (https://techinfo.honda.com/rjanisis/pubs/om/OD0404/OD0404O00043B.pdf). They are right on the back in the 07 (like in the link above). 04 = under the seat cushion. 07 = on the lower seatback. :)

ok--yes! however, I stand corrected about them being "backwards." They are not! I forgot that they only seemed "backwards" when I was trying to FRONT tether my RFing Britax to that anchor....don't even know if I was supposed to do that :o Can I tether a RFing seat to that? But they ARE still really hard to reach on the '04. (Esp. when hugely preggo! LOL!) I'm gald they fixed that on the newer model. It will be easier for SIL.

And no, no more RFing kiddos. Her 4 yo is her youngest.

[heyruthie]

looks like they changed it on the 05 (https://techinfo.honda.com/rjanisis/pubs/om/HJ0505/HJ0505O00047A.pdf). I know the 01-04 location makes it more difficult for the second row (the EFTA tether isn't even long enough), but look at it as a trade-off to be able to have the 3rd row tether in whichever position you need. ;)

did they change the 3rd row options after '05? you can't install anchor in all 3 seats in the back row anymore?

ETA: now I'm really confused because in the manual it looks like there ARE top tether anchors for all 3 seating positions in the back bench....hmmm...why are these things SO complicated! Can't they just get things standardized? LOL!

[crunchierthanthou]

did they change the 3rd row options after '05? you can't install anchor in all 3 seats in the back row anymore?

ETA: now I'm really confused because in the manual it looks like there ARE top tether anchors for all 3 seating positions in the back bench....hmmm...why are these things SO complicated! Can't they just get things standardized? LOL!

It has changed every few years. I think it's-

01-04: came with 1 TA you can move to any of the 3 positions
05: 1 TA fixed in 3rd row center
06+: 3 TAs

[heyruthie]

It has changed every few years. I think it's-

01-04: came with 1 TA you can move to any of the 3 positions
05: 1 TA fixed in 3rd row center
06+: 3 TAs

those poor '05-ers, they got ripped off :p

[BookMama]

Does anyone know if the Nauti's tether will reach?

Yes, it will reach with no problem. I've installed my Nautilus in my dad's 2008 Odyssey numerous times, using the top tether.

[catfeet]

those poor '05-ers, they got ripped off :p

This is my only complaint about my '05!

[SGTex]

If she still needs specific pictures I can definitely take some for her! I have an 06 Ody and a Nautilus too!

[laraCPST]

...they only seemed "backwards" when I was trying to FRONT tether my RFing Britax to that anchor....don't even know if I was supposed to do that :o Can I tether a RFing seat to that? ...

If you are talking about tethering a RF seat to the tether anchor underneath/on the vehicle seat as the RF seat is installed upon, no can do. Britax used to say this was ok but (presumably after further testing?) now does not recommend it. They recommend to use the d-ring and find a bolted-down spot (seatbelt stalk, table leg, for examples).

Too bad because that would actually be really easy IMO - I tried it before I knew better, in my 02 Ody.

[heyruthie]

If you are talking about tethering a RF seat to the tether anchor underneath/on the vehicle seat as the RF seat is installed upon, no can do. Britax used to say this was ok but (presumably after further testing?) now does not recommend it. They recommend to use the d-ring and find a bolted-down spot (seatbelt stalk, table leg, for examples).

Too bad because that would actually be really easy IMO - I tried it before I knew better, in my 02 Ody.

woops...esp. good since i had a tech helping me do it :D do you have any recs for a good spot to front tether in the '02 Ody from the middle captain's chairs?

[joolsplus3]

bump for someone with a similar question :)

[crunchierthanthou]

If you are talking about tethering a RF seat to the tether anchor underneath/on the vehicle seat as the RF seat is installed upon, no can do. Britax used to say this was ok but (presumably after further testing?) now does not recommend it. They recommend to use the d-ring and find a bolted-down spot (seatbelt stalk, table leg, for examples).

Too bad because that would actually be really easy IMO - I tried it before I knew better, in my 02 Ody.

do you have a reference on Britax rescinding this?

[Jeanum]

The Britax CEU chat held here with Sarah Tilton et al has some discussion of Britax's currently allowable RF Swedish and Australian tethering methods. IIRC, the discussion didn't go into a truly detailed explanation of why RF tethering downward to the vehicle seat upon which the RF convertible is installed has been disallowed, other than to say to not do it and to not RF tether at all if the allowable Swedish or Australian methods aren't workable in the particular vehicle. The chat transcript is over in the Articles forum.

[crunchierthanthou]

The Britax CEU chat held here with Sarah Tilton et al has some discussion of Britax's currently allowable RF Swedish and Australian tethering methods. IIRC, the discussion didn't go into a truly detailed explanation of why RF tethering downward to the vehicle seat upon which the RF convertible is installed has been disallowed, other than to say to not do it and to not RF tether at all if the allowable Swedish or Australian methods aren't workable in the particular vehicle. The chat transcript is over in the Articles forum.

oh, okay. I do know that. They came out pretty strongly against it, IIRC.

I guess I was reading HeyRuthie's question in post 11 as rf tether a rf 3rd row seat to that and while reading under that assumption missed that Lara said "the same seat". and apparently I skipped post 19. :o now that makes a whole lot more sense.

So rf tether a 3rd row seat to an available 2nd row TA is still okay, right?

[Jeanum]

Yes, since it's tethering to a point forward of the RF convertible. :)