Question Convertible seat in older vehicle with no anchors

Unregistered · Dec 1, 2014

My husband is in the process of getting a 1978 Blazer. Only problem is that as far as I know(and i may just be ignorant) convertible seats have to be installed with the top tether anchor even when installed with a shoulder/lap seatbelt belt. This truck does not have this and we live on a small island in the middle of the pacific and have had no luck finding somewhere to retrofit an anchor. We plan on replacing the backseat with a newer suburban back seat that has new seatbelts built into the seat. I'm not sure if this is going to work because we will still have no anchors. Is there a convertible seat that you can install with only the shoulder seatbelt? My son is 2, almost 30 lbs, and 35 inches tall. If anyone can tell me a solution to this it would be awesome. Which carseat or advice? Thanks in advance

Suzibeck · Dec 1, 2014

In the US, forward facing top tether is preferred but not required. In Canada, it is required. I'm not sure about other places. I'm not sure if there are any issues with replacement seats, are they from the dealer? I would not get anything made by someone else. You may be able to get a top tether put in, in cars you can, I'm not sure about trucks.

aeormsby · Dec 1, 2014

Any carseat can be installed with the seatbelt instead of Latch. (Latch has a weight limit so seats need to use the seatbelt when kids get bigger anyway).

With a vehicle that old though you may not have locking seatbelts. Does it have lap/shoulder belts or just lap belts? This website explains the different types of seatbelts: http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/lockincss.aspx If you only have lap belts and you pull the tail to tighten them they are probably the easiest for installing a carseat.

Is your son still Rearfacing (RF) or are you looking for a seat to Forward Face (FF). Convertibles can both RF & FF, it's highly recommended to keep kids RF until they are 3-4 years old or no longer fit in a RF seat. Most convertibles these days can RF to 40lb. Besides being safer if the seat is RF then not being able to to tether isn't an issue.

Unregistered · Dec 1, 2014

Thanks for the feedback. I realized after I posted this that I can install with a seatbelt and without the top tether. I'm going to try and rearface as long as possible and my husband is replacing the current (original) back seat and lap belts with a newer seat from a newer vehicle(suburban or tahoe) with built in locking shoulder/lap belts so that we can get a safe, tight install and my son will be able to ride in the vehicle. I have a seat for my car now, but looking for an additional seat to keep in the blazer. I have been looking at the Diono Radian RXT. If anyone has any suggestions on another great convertible in that price range or lower that would be great. My son is 2, 28 lbs, 35 inches tall

aeormsby · Dec 2, 2014

I would look at the Evenflo Sureride or one of the Graco Clones (mysize, size4me, whatever other names it comes under, different than the Myride though). The Sureride will last a very long time both RF & FF, the Graco is one of the tallest RF seats. The Radian can be tricky to install, especially with the seatbelt install, if it will be difficult to return I'd be hesitant to try that one.

ketchupqueen · Dec 2, 2014

You may be able to get tether anchors installed, even if you need to go aftermarket (such as ez-on's heavy duty tether anchors.)

Question Convertible seat in older vehicle with no anchors

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Suzibeck

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aeormsby

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ketchupqueen

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