Belt extender or new booster?

power.mom · Oct 22, 2007

I have my 84 pound almost seven year old in a Y-86 safety harness and a ryde rite booster. However there is only one hitch in the middle of my back seat, and now the seat belt itself is getting too small to buckle properly or even comfortably.

My 7 yo is exactly 4 feet tall, and very round about the middle. I moved her into the five point harness as she feels safer in it than in a three point seat belt and booster. But I am not sure which is a safer move now: back to the three point and a booster, or a seat belt extender.

Help!

Power.mom

canadianmom2three · Oct 22, 2007

What about a different seating position, like outboard? I had no idea the middle belts were so short - what kind of car are you driving? I have sat in our middle belt

baaad I know but it was either me or a child, so anyway...and I fit at far more than 84lbs

. Anyway, if the 86y doesn't fit anymore, and she can safely sit in a booster, then I wouldn't have a problem with that...if you could wait a bit, the new sk booster is supposed to be quite nice, and roomy for older kids, and attaches with LATCH...avail in Feb. they say.

power.mom · Oct 22, 2007

She is in the middle back of the '06 Dodge Caravan. If I put her on the side seats she loses the rear hitch (tho we could install one). But I worry with her closer to the side with a side crash. Isn't middle of back seat safer than side?

In the old booster with three point seat belt, she frequently tipped over as we drove, partly as she is top heavy. So she hates the idea of losing her harness.

thanks for the help, tho

canadianmom2three · Oct 22, 2007

Maybe there is something wrong with the belt...my mom has the caravan and I know she rode in the rear, jammed inbetween my two kids in boosters and she used the lap belt fine. I would also describe her as being a bit round in the middle, but a LOT rounder than an 84lb child!! Is something preventing it from coming out all the way? I just can't wrap my head around it...despite my outdated siggy, my dd is 7 and actually about 82lbs, and only 3" taller than your DD, I just can't imagine how the center belt wouldn't fit...

jdchic3 · Oct 22, 2007

Maybe a picture w ould help...

nisi · Oct 22, 2007

Please tell us a little more about that seating position. Like others, I'm having a hard time imagining a lap belt that's too short for a large adult, nevermind a child, round about the middle or not. It it a lap belt, or a lap/shoulder belt? A shoulder belt I could maybe see because of the way it's routed, but even that seems strange to me. Does your 3rd row have the 50/50 split seat, like this one? (scroll way down)
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110182763340

Also, she's heavy enough that she could use it without the booster according to the instructions. How does the lap belt fit her without the booster? Does it sit nice and low on the hips or upper thighs? If so, then you could use it without the booster and gain a few inches of belt.

Defrost · Oct 22, 2007

While it may be hard to imagine the seat belt being too short for even a "round" child, keep in mind it's going over the booster seat as well.

Would the belt fit with a different booster, do you think? I've never seen the Ryde Rite booster in person, but I do have the 86Y harness. Did you know that the 86Y can now be used with ANY booster seat? Is your harness definitely an 86Y, not a Kid-Y? (The Kid-Y can only be used with the Ryde Rite booster.)

Also, the booster isn't required once the child is over 65lbs. Is it still needed for head support, or is there a headrest in that position?

Lastly, you said "hitch" - do you mean tether anchor? (The spot where you clip the back of the harness.) Have you installed the heavy-weight tether anchor that comes with the 86Y? The one that comes with the vehicle isn't approved or tested for kids over 80lbs (not sure about what Dodge's limits are, but I know that only Ford goes to 80lbs, so in any case she over the limit.) Is there any way you could re-install the heavy-weight tether anchor in an outboard position?

Sorry, I just re-read my post and it sounds a bit confusing. Let me try to re-cap:

First, you're using the heavy-duty tether anchor with the harness, yes? Can it be moved to an outboard position?

Second, is there some reason she can't use the 86Y without a booster?

Third, if you can't move the heavy-duty anchor and you need the booster, would a different booster take up less space and help the belt to fit?

Paperdragon · Oct 23, 2007

Hi,

Regarding #2 below, if the seat belt law where power.mom lives states that children under 8 must be in a booster, would she technically be outside the law to use an 86Y without a booster? I wonder if the folks who make the 86Y would know....

Defrost said:
While it may be hard to imagine the seat belt being too short for even a "round" child, keep in mind it's going over the booster seat as well.

Would the belt fit with a different booster, do you think? I've never seen the Ryde Rite booster in person, but I do have the 86Y harness. Did you know that the 86Y can now be used with ANY booster seat? Is your harness definitely an 86Y, not a Kid-Y? (The Kid-Y can only be used with the Ryde Rite booster.)

Also, the booster isn't required once the child is over 65lbs. Is it still needed for head support, or is there a headrest in that position?

Lastly, you said "hitch" - do you mean tether anchor? (The spot where you clip the back of the harness.) Have you installed the heavy-weight tether anchor that comes with the 86Y? The one that comes with the vehicle isn't approved or tested for kids over 80lbs (not sure about what Dodge's limits are, but I know that only Ford goes to 80lbs, so in any case she over the limit.) Is there any way you could re-install the heavy-weight tether anchor in an outboard position?

Sorry, I just re-read my post and it sounds a bit confusing. Let me try to re-cap:

First, you're using the heavy-duty tether anchor with the harness, yes? Can it be moved to an outboard position?

Second, is there some reason she can't use the 86Y without a booster?

Third, if you can't move the heavy-duty anchor and you need the booster, would a different booster take up less space and help the belt to fit?

Defrost · Oct 23, 2007

Paperdragon said:
Hi,

Regarding #2 below, if the seat belt law where power.mom lives states that children under 8 must be in a booster, would she technically be outside the law to use an 86Y without a booster? I wonder if the folks who make the 86Y would know....

That's a very good question. I agree, calling EZ-On would probably be her best bet for finding that out. I can attest that they have excellent customer service and would do everything they could to find out if they didn't know off-hand.

sfeitler · Oct 23, 2007

Defrost said:
That's a very good question. I agree, calling EZ-On would probably be her best bet for finding that out. I can attest that they have excellent customer service and would do everything they could to find out if they didn't know off-hand.

Don't most laws read 8 or 80? In which case, since her daughter is over 80, she'd be fine.

-Sarah

power.mom · Oct 24, 2007

With the ride ryte, the lap seat belt doesn't fit her anymore. It is an 86Y, we had her in the kid Y, but switched her just recently (another long story trying to get the 86y to fit the top tethers in a hyundai for my older two. . .) The caravan tether is only good to 80 lbs, but we are using it as a better option than nothing. We have a lead on someone who will install the 86Y tethers, but have not done it yet. When I see crash tests with kids flying out of three point belts, I want my super thin kids in harnesses. I understand that tethers have almost never given way.

Here in my state, the law is in a booster to age 8 AND 80 lbs, so I have one more year of boosters. I didn't know I could use any booster tho.

Suggestions on a booster that fits better with a short lap belt that also is safe??

Belt extender or new booster?

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