Regent question

[Unregistered]

I have two regents in the third row of my 04 Sienna. I have two boys who both weigh 39 lbs (not twins just a big toddler and small 6 year old). I had them with LATCH but I recall hearing that once they hit 40lbs it has to be the short belt path. I can get an OK install with that but I did prefer the long belt path before I had to use LATCH. What is the new rule on the Regent. I know I had to get new LATCH straps a year or so ago, but I can't recall specifically what the actual rules are. I would love to use the long belt path on both seats for them.

[Jeanum]

If your Regents were manufactured after approx. mid June 2007 (referred to as "post-advisory" Regents) or were manufactured earlier but have the advisory changes applied (the longer, replacement lower LATCH strap and the gripper strips added to the bottom of the Regent's base), then you are required to use the short belt path seatbelt or short belt path LATCH installation for kids weighing 40 lbs. and up, and the long belt path seatbelt or LATCH installation for kids under 40 lbs. Post-advisory Regents require the recline bar for any installation, as well as the top tether for any installation using the seatbelt and short belt path and for kids 50 lbs. and up.

Britax hasn't specifically said why we need to follow the advisory instructions with post-advisory or advisory modified Regents, just that the Regent performs better in some way when those installation instructions are followed.

If it's a pre-advisory Regent and you haven't applied the gripper strips or the longer lower LATCH strap, then you can continue to follow the original installation instructions.

Your Sienna's third row only has tether anchors for the passenger side and center positions, and no tether anchor for the third row driver's side, so you're probably going to need to move one to the second row in order to be able to top tether both Regents since they don't fit side by side in the third row positions equipped with top tether anchors. All Regents require the use of the top tether for kids 50 lbs. and up, and post-advisory seats or pre-advisory models with the advisory modifications applied to them also require using the top tether for the short belt path seatbelt installation method. Even in installation scenarios where top tethering isn't required, it's strongly recommended to do so in order to reduce head excursion, the amount the child's head moves forward/beyond the carseat's protective shell during a crash.

FWIW, I know what you mean about preferring the long belt path method. I can achieve an acceptable short belt path seatbelt installation of the Regent in the center rear spot in our '05 Sienna's third row and have it currently installed that way for my DD1 who is over 40 lbs. While there is less than 1 inch of movement at the Regent's belt path and thus an acceptable installation, it's not as rock solid as it was when I installed using the seatbelt and long belt path method, and more solid than a lower LATCH anchor installation using either the long or short LATCH method in my experience. :twocents:

Lots of details being tossed at you here, sorry for the deluge of info., but they're pretty important to be fully aware of when it comes to Regent installations. :)

[Unregistered]

EEK...I have used that tether in the middle seat for quite a while now. I had the Regent there and just tethered it over (the driver side 3rd row). So I need to change that then? I have three kids - one in a booster and 2 in the regents. I guess I can put one Regent in the second row driver side. The problem I have is that I have the eight passenger and if I put DD in the middle 2nd row she can't get the seatbelt to snap in if the regent is behind the driver. I need to be able to fold a seat down in the 2nd row to get to the third row. If she is in the third row drivers side I guess she could climb over the regent but it would be very difficult as she is getting tall. Any suggestions?

[Jeanum]

How often do you use all 3 vehicle seats in the second row? If it's not very often, one possibility would be to take out the second row center vehicle seat and that would leave you with an aisle to walk through to get to the third row. :twocents: