How is this different than using a TA past the weight limit, which I think most of us reccomend even though it's not tested. The theory being it's better than nothing?
TA's are tested to a minimum of 70lbs and some manufacturers test over that. I haven't read of a case of TA's failing either, so the difference is that based on history and testing of the vehicle TA's, the likelihood of it failing is incredibly small. And that in the event that it did fail, it still would've provided a measure of benefit.
The d-ring on the other hand, I think would affect the crash dynamics of the seat. It's on webbing for one thing, and it would be under much more stress than it would most likely be under with a rf'ing seat on rebound. I suspect that the d-ring would fail quite easily if used with a ff'ing carseat. Not to mention the manual explicitly telling you not to do it.
Thanks everyone for your input. I was considering the ezon heavy duty ta's but chevy said there is no 'sound' place to install them in the cargo area.
Have you talked to ez-on? I know that they've been able to help parents come up with solutions that work in situations where vehicles don't have an easy spot - I know another poster, defrost, had this problem in her vehicle and they were able to come up with a solution. So I'd call them before ruling out the possibility of the ez-on working.
My DD rides daily in an older car that has no TAs at all -- yes I wish I could tether her seat but I can't.
Have you checked to see if you can have TA's retrofitted? Most older vehicles can have TA's added. If you post the make/model/year then somebody with a LATCH manual can look it up for you and tell you if it's a possibility. Many manufacturers will install at least 1 for free. Some older vehicles even have predrilled holes, so it's just a matter of getting the anchor hardware and you could even do it yourself. The vehicle manual would reference the locations if there are predrilled holes. :thumbsup:
