Retrofitting an adult type harness in a truck

Sorry this is a little LONG I am still trying to work out our options...

We are having our fourth child. We need to drive a truck. It isn't our "main" family car but there are several times a month where we need to use a pick-up.

We have to buy a larger cab now because ours is a five passenger. We have been leaning towards a diesel Ford F350 as it has the largest passenger capacity in our price range. We will be buying something between model years 2002 - 2006 most likely. NOW because we need to use every seat in the truck we run into a few problems with the front seat. The main one being the middle seat belt is a lap only belt!

We will have two children in boosters and two rear facing.

Here are the options I have thought of on my own---
1) Rear facing a baby in the middle front seat as there is no airbag and I have heard the Swedish info. BUT there are airbags beside so I don't know if it is safe.

2) Putting my biggest booster rider as far back as I can in the front passenger seat. (Hopefully with the airbag disabled.) BUT this leaves me sitting in the lap belt only which I would rather no-one use. OR putting my oldest little one FF early in the front passenger seat.

3) Putting a FF or FF hwh harness in the front passenger seat BUT I don't think (know) if a tether can be installed. The passenger in this seat would either be about 18 months old and on the BARE minimum I would like to FF OR 7 and at the VERY top end of being in a harness - if I can even find a seat that will fit him. Neither of which sounds ideal to me without a tether.

4) The last option is one we thought of recently -- I have heard somewhere (here?) that you can buy an aftermarket racing harness to retrofit in cars/trucks. If I can find out more about this it may give us a viable option to put our oldest son who will be 8 1/2 in the front middle position in the racing harness. Or if safety is in question then I would use it instead of one of our kids. Does anyone know of these?

Any thoughts would be appreciated!

86Y

What are the ages, weights, and heights of everyone in the vehicle? Do you really need the capacity (tow, hauling) of the F350? There are other 6 passenger trucks that have shoulder belts and adjustable head restraints.

Canadian forum Responding in longer form in a moment.

Pixels said:

86Y

What are the ages, weights, and heights of everyone in the vehicle? Do you really need the capacity (tow, hauling) of the F350? There are other 6 passenger trucks that have shoulder belts and adjustable head restraints.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply. Yes we need the towing capacity BUT I would be interested in hearing about other trucks that may be more suitable. We are going to be using the truck for about ten years so if we need to change what we tow to get a better truck then we can possibly do that. We actually don't LOVE the Ford but it has the biggest cab which is the only reason why we are leaning towards it.

Firstly--might I recommend that you consider something just a tad newer, so at least you'll have the benefit of dual stage airbags? I'm not sure when they were implemented in that truck, but Ford tends to be really on the ball with occupant safety and tends to implement safety features earlier than many other companies.

1 - Your middle seat is still technically within the airbag deployment zone. I would not recommend putting a rear-facing child in that seating position (although would consider a forward-facing child in that seating position, tethered to a rear seatbelt in a seating position utilizing LATCH in order to compensate for the lost seatbelt. IMO, you can only put a forward-facing harnessed seat in that lapbelt. (I wish I had my LATCH manual handy--anyone?)

2 - See above.

3 - A boostered child in the outboard passenger seat is a better option if there's no tether seatback (again--Ford does strange things). See 1.

4 - 86Y poses some additional issues in Canada. See: http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=19532 although it's an older thread, I don't believe there's any updated information? Basically--you're probably not going to be able to obtain one, here.

IMO--you need to go a bit newer..especially if you're thinking longterm. You want l/s belts in all six seating positions, and dual stage airbags in the front..because even if you solve your problem now, you might not have solved it for 10 years from now. I believe the F350 may also have some exemptions due to weight class so don't just assume that it complies with what you've grown to expect from passenger cars. Need to find that LATCH manual.

-N.

F350s of the age the OP is considering are seriously lacking in the occupant safety department, IMO. Both front and rear center seating positions are lap-only belts. No head support. The front driver's and passenger's seats have non-adjustable head support. No lower anchors at all, but top tethers are available for all 3 back seats.

Here are some LATCH manual notes. There's lots on these trucks

F250-550 Super MY 02-07 1 TA front (doesn't say--but assuming your front passenger seat has that TA) Passenger-side airbag on/off switch. LATCH and TAs are not required, as this vehicle is above the weight limit (as I suspected).. Front seat: TA at bottom of seat back (uhh, does this only seat 5?) (3) TAs and routers are webbing loops along top edge of rear seat. Tether strap is routed thru loop behind CR and hooked to an adjacent loop. Can hold (3) tethers, with both outboard tether straps hooked to center loop, and center tether routed thru center loop and hooked to either outboard loop.

F250-550 Crew M 02-07 Front--none Second row - 3 TAs. LATCH and TAs are not required, as this vehicle is above the weight limit. (3) TAs on back wall below rear window.

Nothing for 08--but I suspect that's dual stage airbags and all l/s belts? Something to check on Edmunds--at least for the belts.

-N.

Do we know of any local people (BC) that have had the 86y allowed in? My middle guy does have SEVERAL complex needs and I am positive that I could get one of his many Dr's to write the script to bring it in if that works out as the best option.

Infact that may solve another issue I have too. He is outgrowing his generations by weight. He has tried our truefit and the straps were too darn short for him. He tried our radian and it is too narrow. He is booster trained BUT he doesn't want to go into a booster for a lot of reasons. I am hoping to get a few more months out of the generations but if he continues (finally!) to put on weight that may not happen with winter clothes.

I've never known anyone to get one--and it's the OT that works with him that would be responsible for custom restraints..and that's not going to happen, since he still fits in a traditional restraint (and likely would fit in the Frontier for at least another 2 years?)

I have four kids, and I wouldn't get a F350 for our family no matter what I needed to tow That's a LOT of eggs in that one basket, and if you're towing a 5th wheel or Gooseneck you're adding to the overall instability of the vehicle, as well! What exactly are you towing and what capacity do you need? If you're looking Class IV then you have lots of other options (SUVs, etc) that are far safer and offer three rows.

-N.

QuassEE said:

I've never known anyone to get one--and it's the OT that works with him that would be responsible for custom restraints..and that's not going to happen, since he still fits in a traditional restraint (and likely would fit in the Frontier for at least another 2 years?)

I have four kids, and I wouldn't get a F350 for our family no matter what I needed to tow That's a LOT of eggs in that one basket, and if you're towing a 5th wheel or Gooseneck you're adding to the overall instability of the vehicle, as well! What exactly are you towing and what capacity do you need? If you're looking Class IV then you have lots of other options (SUVs, etc) that are far safer and offer three rows.

-N.

Click to expand...

Too bad that they aren't easier to get. I will have to look at a frontier if harnessing becomes an issue when we are ready move on.

Now forgive me but I don't speak "truck" lol. That's my hubbies area. We do need a truck - we tow a large boat and a travel trailer (not 5th wheel) at different times of the month. An SUV would not work for us for sure because my DH also uses the box of the truck on a very regular basis for his field.

Although I would LOVE a newer truck that isn't going to happen either. We are paying for the vehicle outright and because of that have a specific budget.

Now here is where my "truck ignorance" comes in. I have never heard of larger trucks being unsafe. I knew bigger passenger vans have a higher roll over risk but I honestly have never looked into the crash ratings for trucks. -- On second thought maybe I shouldn't... I haven't really got any other options but a truck anyway.

OH- ETA - we aren't looking at the F350 model that is lifted if that makes a difference. It is no taller then any other truck just a larger engine.

I'd probably be happier with a large newer SUV and an old pickup for him to use and abuse for work, etc. It's not that large trucks are UNsafe, they're just not designed for occupant protection quite the same way as passenger vehicles, vans, and SUVs. The lack of head support, the lapbelts, the airbag deployment zones, the difficult tethers, etc. Have you looked at something like the Tundra? What is your other vehicle?

Going a bit off the beaten path here but you may have other options--safer options--that you haven't considered yet.

-N.

Thanks for the suggestions. Insuring three cars - let alone parking 3 cars, a work van, a boat and a trailer just isn't going to happen.

It has to be a truck. We already own a truck - although a five passenger. I am totally fine with trucks - we are Kootenay people - lol.

What I do want to do though is make the best of this option. Leaving one kiddo behind or taking two cars isn't going to work for our family. Which leaves us working towards finding the best (safest we can) way to make a truck work.

Thanks though!

It's unfortunate that the cost of a vehicle that can more safely transport your family is prohibitive, after insuring the vehicle, your trailer, and your boat. It sounds like truck it is. It also sounds like eventually, you will have two of your children in lapbelts (or one adult passenger and one child)--that'll be a really tough decision to make when the time comes...which is why, if you're keeping this vehicle for the next 10 years, you might want to see if something out there has dual stage airbags in the front and l/s belts in all six seating positions before you make the jump.

If you do purchase the Ford--you'll need a forward-facing harnessed seat in the centre of the front bench, to avoid putting a person in the lapbelt, and it will have to run a temporary tether to one of the rear seatbelts..then another forward-facing harnessed seat in the rear lapbelt, potentially using LATCH if you're tethering to the seatbelt in that seating position (verify there's no exclusion from doing so)--which means you at least need to be looking at the first model year to have LATCH in the rear.

Maybe others will have some more suggestions--it's a temporary setup, not a 10 year setup, that I'm giving you. There's no safe and legal way to transport your family in that vehicle, longterm, that I can think of.

{Oh one note--I wasn't suggesting THREE cars. I was suggesting one vehicle that can transport your family safely and tow your toys, then a truck for your DH--limiting your kids to being in the family vehicle/tow vehicle when you need them all transported together.}

-N.

I know there is a member on this board who has gotten the 86-Y successfully. If you can get a prescription from the OT, then it may be possible. It's definitely not impossible and if there are special needs involved and dr.'s who feel your son must be restrained longer, then you may have success.

I saw a newer F350 at a seat check event in June, no UAS or top tethers in the 3rd row, all the seating positions were lap/shoulder in the back seat. I don't recall how many seating positions there were in the front... it was the Britax sale at e-children and the seat was for a rear-facing baby.

So that definitely is going to make things difficult from a top tether perspective. I don't think the F350 would be the way to go, but I'm not familiar enough with pickup trucks to know what changes have been made in recent model years. My dad has a Chevrolet pick-up, extended cap. Lap/shoulder in all 3 positions, UAS outboard and top tether for all 3, but front middle is a lap only belt still. I believe his is an 08 model year.

I know in the case of GM, they prohibit a rf'ing seat in the center position because it is in the deployment zone of the driver airbag.

I'm afraid I don't have anything else to add that hasn't already been said.