Help with top tether in Dodge Ram truck

I am feeling rather frustrated at the moment. I am trying to install our two combination seats in my husbands work truck. He has a Dodge Ram 2012 crew cab (outdoorsman). Lower anchors...no problem. I have read the instruction manual, but I am having a difficult time interpreting the top tethers "instructions". There are no metal tether attachments in the truck, rather fabric straps behind the headrests. I have no idea what to do with this and I need to figure it out soon. The next seat check clinic in my area in 5 days from now. My enclave is going in to be serviced and I need to use the truck to tote my girls around.
Help!!

missychase said:

I am feeling rather frustrated at the moment. I am trying to install our two combination seats in my husbands work truck. He has a Dodge Ram 2012 crew cab (outdoorsman). Lower anchors...no problem. I have read the instruction manual, but I am having a difficult time interpreting the top tethers "instructions". There are no metal tether attachments in the truck, rather fabric straps behind the headrests. I have no idea what to do with this and I need to figure it out soon. The next seat check clinic in my area in 5 days from now. My enclave is going in to be serviced and I need to use the truck to tote my girls around.
Help!!

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The manual for this truck has been wrong in that regard for a number of years now, and it's rather unfortunate that they haven't fixed it it for the 2012 version. It's not you - the instructions are just wrong.

There is no metal ring. For outboard seats, you put the top tether strap through the fabric loop (it's webbing like seat belt, yes?) directly behind it, and then route it over to the centre position and attach the tether hook to the fabric loop. If you have two outboard seats then yes, both of them will hook to the loop in the centre.

If you have a seat in the centre, route the top tether strap through the fabric loop in the centre position and then over to either of the outboard loops, where you will hook it on. You do this even if you have two outboard seats also installed.

This of course makes it rather messy if you have three seats installed forward facing, but keep it as tidy as possible so the top tethers aren't tangled or twisted up amongst each other, and it will be fine. It helps to pre-shorten the tether strap and then hook it on so you aren't trying to pull to tighten at that awkward sideways angle.

Yeah, what she said.

Dodge has acknowledged the mistake in the manuals, and I believe there's supposed to be something on their website about it. Where? I don't know. But it's the info mentioned above.

Thanks you. Maybe that IS what the picture in the manual was trying to depict. I appreciate the quick replies!

I finally saw these metal loops you speak of a couple of weeks ago! I don't remember what Model Year the pickup was.

So, basically, they need to address both types of loops in their manuals, huh?

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I realize this thread is a bit outdated but I just purchased a '17 Ram 1500. Same situation and scenario as stated above. But the other problem i am running into is when i have the car seat in the driver side outboard position and tether into the center seat loop, the buckle jams up and interferes with the sliding rear window. So what i found is I can run my tether strap through the center loop and tether onto the other outboard loop. Do you think this will serve the same purpose and just as safe as tethering from outboard to center. In this case, i'm tethering from one outboard to the other outboard, looping through the center straps where they cross......

Thanks

Tri

That will work if the seat is installed in the center. You must follow the instructions as you have if the seat is installed outboard. The tether cannot do its job if it is at such a different angle from the seat as you describe (seat outboard, tether through center loop and attached to outboard loop).

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