Question Install in 2000 Dodge Caravan

Help please! I was just give a 2000 Dodge Caravan and the seatbelts come up from the seat cushion instead of from between the cushions. I have a RF Graco Snugride and a FF Eddie Bauer 3 in 1. My 3yo who is 40 inches tall and weighs 35 lbs sits in the Eddie Bauer. My 9mo who weighs approx 19lbs and is of average length is in the Snugride. How do I install these safely with this type of seatbelt? Is it possible? Also, where should I place each child? The Caravan seats 7 - two in the second row and 3 in the last. Should they both be in the second row? Do I put one in each row in what is considered the center seat? I'm so confused. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

Install just like you would with any other seatbelt.

Place the seats wherever is most convenient for you. Center is safer, but not always practical.

It is very possible that your 3yo has outgrown the 3 in 1 seat. If it has a 40 pound weight limit with the harness, the top most headrest position is for booster mode only (which we do NOT recommend using as a booster, it is not only a horrible booster, it is actually dangerous as a booster in most cases). If your child's shoulders are above the top slots (on the 2nd to the top), the seat is outgrown. If this is the case, I'd save the 3 in 1 for the baby and look at the Evenflo Maestro, Graco Nautilus, or Britax Frontier for the 3yo.

As for where to put them, it doesn't really matter as long as you get them tight, with less than 1" of movement.

We can help you find a tech in your area if you'd like to make sure things are as safe as possible for your precious little ones.

We had your style minivan last year. It is really easy to install in. You have lightweight locking seatbelts. You just need to pull the lapbelt part tight.

I would put your ff on the passenger side and RF behind the driver if it fits. Depends on how tall your driver is.

Do double check how the oldest fits his seat. Is it the 40# or 50# version?

Stefanie, cpst in iowa - mom to 4 great kids

I could've sworn I saw a post by The Car Seat Lady that this type of seatbelt made for a very difficult install. He still fits his seat fine. It has the adjustable headrest with the red levers. The seatbelt is above his shoulders and he has plenty of room before his ears meet the top. He is 40 inches tall and 35lbs so he is still fine for weight as well. I believe he can only use it 5 point harnessed until 40 lbs and then it converts to a seatbelt booster. I will NOT be using that feature because my son will stay in a 5 point harness for as long as humanly possible. I will most likely be getting him a new seat and passing the EB to his little brother. Honestly, I'd like to replace both seats because I can't stand how the straps twist on the EB.

When you say put the RF seat on the passenger side . . . the 2nd row of seating is bench style and only fits two. This would mean that really, he would be in the middle. Is this correct? Only the last row of seating fits 3 across and has a position on the passenger side.

If I were to replace both seats, what would you suggest? My 10mo is in the 60th percentile for height and weight. I want to keep him RFing until 3yo. I want to keep my older son harnessed until at least 6yo. We drive a 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe in addition to this 2000 Dodge Caravan.

One last question . . . will the dealership install tethers for free on the Caravan? There are currently none installed.

Thanks so much!
Jenn

jhartgriffin said:

I could've sworn I saw a post by The Car Seat Lady that this type of seatbelt made for a very difficult install.

Click to expand...

No, often the opposite.

He still fits his seat fine. It has the adjustable headrest with the red levers. The seatbelt is above his shoulders and he has plenty of room before his ears meet the top. He is 40 inches tall and 35lbs so he is still fine for weight as well

Click to expand...

Right. Just double check with the red levers that the headrest isn't all the way up. It's the second to highest, not the highest, that is the last approved harness position.

Wendy

When you say put the RF seat on the passenger side . . . the 2nd row of seating is bench style and only fits two. This would mean that really, he would be in the middle. Is this correct? Only the last row of seating fits 3 across and has a position on the passenger side.

Your rf is more protected then the ff, so I would want the least protected in the middle of the van which is the passenger side of the 2nd row.


One last question . . . will the dealership install tethers for free on the Caravan? There are currently none installed.

The info is Technical Service Bulletin 23-029-08. They shoul install at least 1 for free. Some have used the 3rd row seatbelts to tether too also, until they have gotten tethers installed. We never installed tethers in ours but we have 2 in seatbelts and we used the built-ins for the younger kids. It was dhs car and kids were rarely in it.

Thanks so much!
Jenn[/QUOTE]

Stefanie, cpst in iowa - mom to 4 great kids

What does your snugride go to 22, 30, 32 or 35? I would move the youngest to the eddie bauer and get the oldest a new seat if you can only get 1 right now.

For the oldest, I would look at the evenflo meastro (harnesses to 50# then turns into a hbb) or the graco Nautilus (harnesses to 65#, turn into hbb and lbb, harness and lbb good for 6y, lbb good for 9y)

My convertible suggestions are the 40# cosco scerena, graco myride and evenflo trimuph65.

Also never iron your twisty straps. A friend did that once.

Stefanie, cpst in iowa - mom to 4 great kids

Ok, so . . . I'll put RF behind the driver, FF in the "middle" of the bench seat. I can get at least one tether installed. I will double check the harness height to make sure we aren't all the way to the top. Oh, and never iron my straps (that's funny).

Can I please get contact info for a tech in my area? I'd like to get the install on both cars checked. I live in Salem, NH 03079. Can the tech help me safely tether to the 3rd row seatbelt until I can get one installed?

Thanks,
Jenn

There's one tech from the board in NH.

http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=59135&highlight=technician

Otherwise you can check http://seatcheck.org/ or https://ssl13.cyzap.net/dzapps/dbza...tegory1=TAB9_CERTSEARCH&Webid=SAFEKIDSCERTSQL

Wendy

I went with the frontier 85 and it was delivered today. Page 14 says the seat can not be used if lap belts are forward of the seat bight. Am I totally screwed now? My first question was related to my concern around the seatbelt placement in my 2010 Dodge Caravan but I was told this should not be a concern. Am I misunderstanding the manual?? Thanks!

If you can get a tight install, it's fine to use. The F85 is actually a good seat to use with forward of the bight belts, as you can use long belt path.

You're within my radius. I think you have to register on the forum in order to send me a PM.

Thanks! I decided to go ahead and install it in my current car, a 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe, and it is super tight there. When the caravan is ready to drive, I'll try switchin and using the LBP for installment. If it's not tight, I'll just get a new car seat for that one.

Another question: I now have my Alpha Omega 3-in-1 installed RF on the passenger side and the Frontier FF on the driver side. Is it possible to get the Frontier installed in the middle FF in a 2003 Santa Fe? Or should I not bother trying? The seat bottoms are uneven so I didn't attempt it because of time yesterday but I will have time to play around this weekend.