Wondering if there are other solutions, truck with no tether anchor?

mugwump · Sep 11, 2010

DD is 3 and weighs 30 pounds probably a bit more (haven't weighed her for a long time) and she is 38 inches tall. Our primary vehicle is a VW golf with a radian. Our second car is a Subaru Sambar mini truck, imported from Japan. It has no tether anchor and its a little hard to get info on whether or not we can get one installed. When I work weekends and need the primary car for my work, it would be nice to have the option to take DD in the truck. So far, the only option has suggested to us was a rear facing seat with a higher weight limit. I don't really want to purchase an expensive seat for very occasional use.

Is there any booster options I can legally use in BC Canada? And yes I know she isn't quite developmentally ready for a booster and a a harnesed seat is best. I just want to know if there are any other options. She would be sitting less than arms reach of the driver in the front seat, no air bags.

Thanks

Cordelia

bbartlettnfld · Sep 11, 2010

Legally your answer is no. All booster seats in Canada have minimum limits of 4 and 40 lbs.

I have no experience with your truck but I do know that the Radian has excellent head excursion limits even when Forward Facing with out the tether and the newer ones are even coming with 40lb RF weight limits. I know you don't want to buy another expensive seat for limited use, but do you plan on having any more kids you could eventually pass it down too?

Also take a look at the Scenera from Walmart the newer ones of those are going to 40 lbs rear facing. Its a discount option that might get you enough time to get to minimum booster limits.

Hope that helps.

BethAnn

simplychels · Sep 11, 2010

bbartlettnfld said:
Legally your answer is no. All booster seats in Canada have minimum limits of 4 and 40 lbs.

I have no experience with your truck but I do know that the Radian has excellent head excursion limits even when Forward Facing with out the tether and the newer ones are even coming with 40lb RF weight limits. I know you don't want to buy another expensive seat for limited use, but do you plan on having any more kids you could eventually pass it down too?

Also take a look at the Scenera from Walmart the newer ones of those are going to 40 lbs rear facing. Its a discount option that might get you enough time to get to minimum booster limits.

Hope that helps.

BethAnn

But that's not an option because tethering is mandatory while ff'ing. OP have you phoned as many dealerships as possible to inquire about retrofitting a tether anchor? I personally have no idea if it can be done on a truck (or vehicle for that matter) with no backseat. So I can't be of help there.

Boostering isn't an option either because like you said, you know she is too young. So it is not legal nor is it safe. From where I sit the only options I see are a higher limit rf'ing seat (you can always sell it and get some of your money back if you do not intend to use it for other children), or forgo having your daughter in the truck until she is of booster age/weight/maturity. If of course you discover that a tether anchor cannot be installed

QuassEE · Sep 11, 2010

I'll be unpopular..

I would rather see a child forward-facing in a harnessed seat without a tether, illegally, over seeing a child in a booster at the age of 3 (assuming your child was 40lbs, which they're not). So I guess, really, the decision is up to you.

Your only legal AND safe option was already given to you--you need to purchase a seat that can keep her rear-facing until at least 40lbs, which is the minimum weight limit on boosters here in Canada. Your other options are to illegally forward-face your child without a tether, or to put your child into a booster (dangerous AND illegal). Because you're talking about a truck that was likely imported without compliance requirements (more than 15 years old upon import)...AND you're talking about putting the child in the front of a pick-up with potentially questionable occupant safety.. Really, there's only one option. Unless you've cloned your child..just in case?

You decide, you're the parent.

-Nicole.

Qarin · Sep 11, 2010

Can you take the Subaru for work, and leave the VW for child-transport?

canadiangie · Sep 11, 2010

I understand that most of these imported vehicles (right hand drive, foreign/ import) are all over 15 years old. It's one of the 'requirements' to get them here. The few that I have peeked into tend to offer just lap-only belts in the rear, and of course lack airbags in the front. Most of them present to me as quite mysterious in the sense that we just don't know what kind of safety standards they met then (15 years ago) and how they stack up to today's vehicles.

If it were me I would rear face her. And not because you lack a tether anchor, but because in a vehicle this old it's fair to assume that the occupants within the vehicle are going to be forced to absorb a lot of crash force, should a collision occur. Current vehicles work to take crash force off the occupants... older vehicles don't perform this way, for the most part.

But if you want her to be forward facing I would opt to use a 5 point harnessed seat sans tether strap, over a booster seat. No hesitation there. It's not ideal, but it's the least worst solution, IMO.

HTH's

mugwump · Sep 12, 2010

Thanks for your advice.

The truck is a utility truck, seatbelts have shoulder straps, there is no back seat. Its tiny, my wingspan is longer than the width of the cab. Having DD in the truck would only happen occasionally when public transit is not an option.

I would consider driving it for work but it would require me to learn to drive right hand drive in a left hand world and we need to find child care in order for me to do that as it is just a 2 seater. There really is just one dealership here in Vancouver for these sort to trucks. I will ask DH to enquire about the tethor anchor again, though after finally getting the radian installed front facing in our car, I doubt if her ever wants to remove it. His comment after the install is that the seat was made by microsoft... might need to run an uninstall program to get it out of the car.....

QuassEE · Sep 12, 2010

I'm also in Vancouver and I've had some experience with the Japanese imports, since they're so common here.. I'd love to hear what the dealership has to say about the tether anchors, but since they're not used there and compliance was never required for your vehicle, I wouldn't hold your breath.

Keep in mind that no top tether means you can get the same ticket as somebody would for no seat or no seatbelt at all.

-Nicole.

misty073 · Sep 13, 2010

Just wondering if someone could post or direct me to the info that says legally kids have to be 4 to be in a booster...I knew about the 40lbs but never could find any info...I know ICBC recommends 4 and a half but I would love to have some back up info when I tell parents to harness longer.

selinajean · Sep 13, 2010

misty073 said:
Just wondering if someone could post or direct me to the info that says legally kids have to be 4 to be in a booster...I knew about the 40lbs but never could find any info...I know ICBC recommends 4 and a half but I would love to have some back up info when I tell parents to harness longer.

There isn't any minimum age limit. I believe that some of the booster seat manuals will specify a recommended age but there isn't a blanket law for the province unfortunately.

My explanation for harnessing to a suitable age is to have the parent think about their child and whether or not they can ALWAYS follow directions perfectly, understand the dangers and consequences of their actions, and sit perfectly still for long periods of time. Not many children under the age of 4/5 can do that.

QuassEE · Sep 13, 2010

The presumption is that if you use a child restraint, it also must be used properly. It's like with a seatbelt--if you use it, it has to be used properly to be considered "used". Without doing so, you can receive a ticket.

As long as a booster seat says you cannot use until age 4 and 40lbs, then using that booster seat prior to those manufacturer-set minimums is improper use, and a ticketable offense. (Translation: illegal.)

We call this "proper use".

-N.

misty073 · Sep 13, 2010

I thought maybe someone had some "secret" info I had not found yet LOL...I have actually seen the age of three on a booster seat...when we were buying my sons Apex 65 the lady at the bay was telling me I didnt need that seat and he could be in a low back booster as the age was three and he was very close to his fourth birthday.

marciemp · Sep 13, 2010

The Evenflo Triumph, Complete Air and Graco My Ride all rear face to 40 pounds and are not too expensive. The Evenflo is only $150 at Toys R' Us, the Complete Air is on sale this week at Canadian Tire for $209, and the My Ride is only $229 but goes on sale at TRU for $169.

You could also use your radian RF in your truck if it is a high weight RF seat, and then get a new forward facing seat for your VW. The Graco Nautilus is nice and can be bought for about $210. My kids LOVE the cubbies and cup holder.

birdflippin' · Sep 13, 2010

marciemp said:
The Evenflo Triumph, Complete Air and Graco My Ride all rear face to 40 pounds and are not too expensive.

According to this thread the new Evenflo Triumphs only rear face to 30lbs, just like the old ones.

kaitlyn · Sep 14, 2010

birdflippin' said:
According to this thread the new Evenflo Triumphs only rear face to 30lbs, just like the old ones.

That's correct, the Evenflo Triumph is only 30lbs rf in Canada, unlike the US where it is 40lbs.

Carrie_R · Sep 14, 2010

It seems the least expensive option would be to RF your Radian (assuming she's below the RF limit) in the truck, and buy a less-expensive harnessed seat for the VW. Is that an option?

mugwump · Sep 15, 2010

Seems my last reply was eaten.

I think the best option for this truck is a rear facing seat with a higher RF weight limit. There is nothing but the windscreen between you and whatever might hit you, the engine is under the bed of the truck. So a RF seat would probably offer more protection.

I checked the charts and DD will probably not reach 40 pounds until she is 5 and that's 2 years away. We have an older radian and it is RF to 30 pounds and she is at that now.

equilibrium · Sep 16, 2010

I am going to ask a question that's similar . Sorry to hijack, just didn't want to post new thread with same subject. Ds dad (ex) has an older Ford Ranger (99 I think) and he said there is no tether. We are supposed to have a tether for FF right? Ds is in graco something or other in there. Ex said truck manual said no tether needed or something or other. I am going to ask to see this and also try to get some input on what is the law, what is safe, and what to do. Appreciate any feedback. Sorry for riding on this thread!

amyd · Sep 16, 2010

equilibrium said:
I am going to ask a question that's similar . Sorry to hijack, just didn't want to post new thread with same subject. Ds dad (ex) has an older Ford Ranger (99 I think) and he said there is no tether. We are supposed to have a tether for FF right? Ds is in graco something or other in there. Ex said truck manual said no tether needed or something or other. I am going to ask to see this and also try to get some input on what is the law, what is safe, and what to do. Appreciate any feedback. Sorry for riding on this thread!

Yes, if you are in Canada you must tethering a FFing seat. Call the Ford dealership. A 99 can be retrofitted with an anchor.

QuassEE · Sep 16, 2010

If someone has their LATCH manual handy, they can look up the part number and information. I'm at school (and, oddly, don't bring my LATCH manual with me!)

-N.

Wondering if there are other solutions, truck with no tether anchor?

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