RF Tether - It's okay, right?

V

Valentine

New member

• Nov 7, 2009

• #1

RF MA installed in 04 Impala with center LATCH. Child is 27 months, 27-28 lbs and 34 inches. It's tethered to front passenger buckle stalk. Couldn't access the seat track even with a credit card. Britax allows it, right?

The buckle stalk is rigid and it's buckled every time. But the anchor is bolted onto the seat frame itself, above where it attaches to the track. Passenger seat's never moved. Is it still okay to use the anchor even though it's not attached directly to the floor?

 

Last edited: Nov 13, 2009

NannyMom

Well-known member

• Nov 7, 2009

• #2

Any chance you can post a picture?

 

V

Valentine

New member

• Nov 7, 2009

• #3

 

Last edited: Nov 13, 2009

M

Maedze

New member

• Nov 7, 2009

• #4

As long as no one is riding in the passenger seat, I'm fine with it.

 

V

Valentine

New member

• Nov 7, 2009

• #5

Aaack, no one can use the passenger seat?!

 

M

Maedze

New member

• Nov 7, 2009

• #6

Valentine said:

Aaack, no one can use the passenger seat?!

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No, if you have a passenger in that seat you need to disconnect the tether.

 

V

Valentine

New member

• Nov 7, 2009

• #7

Could the tether really cause the seatbelt to fail?

 

Last edited: Nov 13, 2009

M

Maedze

New member

• Nov 7, 2009

• #8

I have no idea if it would fail, just that Britax has specified that it can only be tethered to an unused seatbelt stalk.

 

V

Valentine

New member

• Nov 7, 2009

• #9

Ahh, that makes quite a difference. Thank you! I'm so glad I asked before saying anything at class!

Going out for the night but I'll check back later.

 

jess71903

Ambassador

• Nov 7, 2009

• #10

Just to ease your mind a little- when they started using ours cars in my tech class, they either asked us to uninstall our seats and stow them in the trunk, or they went out and did it for us. Our personal seats were not used for anything at all.

 

simplychels

New member

• Nov 7, 2009

• #11

jess71903 said:

Just to ease your mind a little- when they started using ours cars in my tech class, they either asked us to uninstall our seats and stow them in the trunk, or they went out and did it for us. Our personal seats were not used for anything at all.

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and on the flip side I was asked to keep mine installed though I was not worried as I knew everything was right. They had also checked it prior to letting the techs to be go out and look over all the seats to find wrong installations. It was almost as if mine was used as the trick seat to see if anybody was willing to say "this is a good install, nothing wrong here".

 

NannyMom

Well-known member

• Nov 7, 2009

• #12

We left our seats as we had them in our cars, and never touched them. We just worked around them (and most in the class didn't have any seats in their cars). Except.... when 1 student started taking out my Ashley Floral MA because he thought it was the Monet TF, and we'd been instructed to go get all the seats (after we'd installed them in cars).

 

LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician

• Nov 7, 2009

• #13

Maedze said:

I have no idea if it would fail, just that Britax has specified that it can only be tethered to an unused seatbelt stalk.

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Not doubting you, but can you cite where/when Britax has said that?

I've heard differing opinions on whether or not belt stalks are ok. I don't think I've ever RF tethered to a belt stalk just because I've never heard a definitive answer.

OP, in your case, I don't understand why it matters if the seatbelt is buckled or not. Does it change the angle of the buckle or something?

 

KaysKidz

Senior Community Member

• Nov 7, 2009

• #14

UH OH...my center installed DC is tethered to the driver seat belt stalk...which is obviously used, each and every time. I've never seen anything that stated you can't tether to this...it's not addressed in the manual as far as I know. I would also like to see where Britax has addressed this and prohibited it as it's the only option in that seating position....and I will not have an untethered rf'ing seat.

 

simplychels

New member

• Nov 7, 2009

• #15

LISmama810 said:

Not doubting you, but can you cite where/when Britax has said that?

I've heard differing opinions on whether or not belt stalks are ok. I don't think I've ever RF tethered to a belt stalk just because I've never heard a definitive answer.

OP, in your case, I don't understand why it matters if the seatbelt is buckled or not. Does it change the angle of the buckle or something?

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maybe because on impact the seatbelt retractor would lock making it so the belt stalk would not move, but if you didnt have the seatbelt buckled, in a crash the stalk might be pulled along with the tether rendering tethering it there useless?

 

KaysKidz

Senior Community Member

• Nov 7, 2009

• #16

OK, my manual specifically says to use a seat belt anchor. It says nothing about removing it if it's an occuppied seat.

 

W

WhatAboutPuppy

New member

• Nov 7, 2009

• #17

Ok, the actually UNinstalled my RF BLVD CS for the specific reason they didn't want people asking about it cuz it's not common and didn't want to confuse the students. But they didn't do it soon enough and a few people saw it and because they didn't want to bring it up in class a bunch of people asked me and it was annoying and I really wish they'd been on top of it or even better, educate the class about RF tethering fully and completely!! I mean, yeah it was a low income area but who cares, Britax is sold as most stores!!

 

M

Maedze

New member

• Nov 7, 2009

• #18

I'm pretty sure it was an ex-manual clarification and it was discussed here a few years back, if anyone wants to dig...

 

KaysKidz

Senior Community Member

• Nov 7, 2009

• #19

Maedze said:

I'm pretty sure it was an ex-manual clarification and it was discussed here a few years back, if anyone wants to dig...

Click to expand...

Well since it's been a few years, and since it's addressed and approved by Britax in current manuals to tether to a seat belt stalk with no regard to whether or not the seat is occupied, I'm going to leave mine tethered to where it is, as per the manual, it's approved. I also looked up a brand spankin new seat to see if it was changed in the manual, and it was not. It still says you can use the seat belt stalk to create an anchor point with no mention of the seat being occupied.