frontier as booster with harness

Unregistered · Jun 4, 2010

my 13 year old son is autistic and just hit 80 pounds in the frontier. i tried to change him into booster mode but he refused to sit that way. he says the likes the pressure of the harness and the feeling of being restrained. my question for you all is would it be ok if i used the seat in booster mode but put him in the harness, buckled the harness and then buckled the seatbelt over him. it would do the same as just being in booster mode because the harness would tear out in a crash and then the belt would restrain him. right? if this is ok, how far over the limit would you go for being harnessed. 10 lbs? 20 lbs? 50 lb? really do not want to spend $300 for a frontier 85 for 5 lbs of use. open to other ideas but trying to keep the cost WAY down, preferably $65 or less. the other suggestion must have shoulder straps and a crotch strap(the part he likes most)

i know this sounds really weird but he is a wonderful person and i just want to make him happy.

thanks

wendytthomas · Jun 4, 2010

It's ok if you feel comfortable using your son as a crash test dummy to find out. Which none of us would, as the worst case scenario is death.

If he cannot be boostered I'd look into special needs seats for him. I'm not an expert on the special needs seat, but I'd look at the Roosevelt or maybe the Traveller Plus.

Your son's shoulders are below the top harness height on the Frontier? If so, he's got a remarkably small torso, and either of the seats mentioned above would work for him.

There are also other vests or harnesses that you can use, but they don't have a crotch strap that I know of.

Hopefully someone else will chime in soon, but if he's 80 pounds you need to switch his Frontier to booster mode today. Or run the risk of not knowing how the seat will react and having him pay the consequences.

Wendy

urchin_grey · Jun 4, 2010

Another vote for the SN seat. You'd be taking a lot of chances keeping him in the harness. Also, are his shoulders below the top harness slot? It would be a very small 13yo that still fit in that seat by height.

Kat_Momof3 · Jun 4, 2010

another option... get an ezonpro 86-Y... it will last a ton longer than anything else... and is cheaper than yet another seat.

I think it has to be used without the booster after 65lbs... but again... it's an option.

they make all kinds of special needs harnesses/vests

http://www.ezonpro.com/products/familyVehicle.shtml

spokaneCPST · Jun 4, 2010

Do your seatbelts lock at the shoulder, meaning can you pull them all the way out and they will lock as they retract in? If so, try locking the seatbelt once he is buckled in. He will have the tighter pressure/feeling of being restrained without the harness.

zactayaus · Jun 4, 2010

spokaneCPST said:
Do your seatbelts lock at the shoulder, meaning can you pull them all the way out and they will lock as they retract in? If so, try locking the seatbelt once he is buckled in. He will have the tighter pressure/feeling of being restrained without the harness.

This, and get a secureguard clip from Britax (it's basically a crotch strap that clips onto the lap portion of the seat belt.

wendytthomas · Jun 4, 2010

spokaneCPST said:
Do your seatbelts lock at the shoulder, meaning can you pull them all the way out and they will lock as they retract in? If so, try locking the seatbelt once he is buckled in. He will have the tighter pressure/feeling of being restrained without the harness.

You can also call Britax and see if a SG clip could be bought for your Frontier. Should be able to. A locked seatbelt and a crotch strap may be all he needs.

Wendy

zactayaus · Jun 4, 2010

wendytthomas said:
You can also call Britax and see if a SG clip could be bought for your Frontier. Should be able to. A locked seatbelt and a crotch strap may be all he needs.

Wendy

It is. Here's a link and I have one: http://www.britaxusa.com/store/browse/car-seats/frontier

Unregistered · Jun 5, 2010

ok, i have just switched the seat into booster mode and locked the belt! he doesn't like it but says he can live with it. going online now to order the SG clip and i think that will work very well.

thanks again for all of your help

frontier as booster with harness

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