95 Full Size Ford Bronco - 3 kids in seats.

I have a friend who has a 95 full size ford bronco. Lap/shoulder belts outboard, lap belt in the middle. Current car seat configuration goes like this:

Outboard passenger side - 4 year old, 36lbs, 36 inches, FF in a Boulevard.

Center, lap belt only position.....2.5 year old, 27lbs, 33 inches, FF in an Evenflo Vanguard. (COMPLETELY against my wishes by the way, I tried to get her to turn her back around in an MA or BV.) In this middle position the seat can't be any taller than a Roundabout or Vanguard because the Mom can't see out the window. Since the girl won't last more than a year in a seat that size it I couldn't justify the cost of the Roundabout that would not be used by anyone else.

Driver's side outboard, lap/shoulder belt....7 year old, 46lbs, 50ish inches, in a Britax Parkway (which she LOVES by the way, after not being in a seat for 3 years she had no complaints!)

So, here is the dilema. The 2 year old is going to be outgrowing the Vanguard sometime within the next year, probably less than that. Aside from the laptop, what options are there for a child who is not much more than 35lbs, and not much taller than 35 - 40 inches (I'm hoping we'll get to 40 inches in this seat).

Requirements:
It has be used with a lap belt only
no tether anchor and the dealership said they can't install one, or a harness, or a shoulder belt.
and it has to be as small as the Roundabout to not block the view.
The seats don't get moved so that wouldn't be an issue.

Thanks in advance.

Probably a combo seat like the Graco CarGo Ultra or Platinum (which have a height guideline of 43") or the Evenflo Generation or Tredition.

Why wouldn't the dealership add the tether anchors? Here are the part #'s if she wants them. She might be able to do them herself.

2nd row center- F2TZ98613D71-A
Here is the installation instructions for the 2nd row center tether hook.
Black colored anchor plate (larger hole) attaches to striker plate for liftgate latch. Face anchor bracket opening towards rear of vehicle.

2nd row outboard- s/a
Instructions on installation for anchor.
(2) Drill dimples on cargo floor. Face anchor bracket opening towards rear of vehicle so it will not be in cargo area.

She might want to check with another dealership, but I know that the the Chevy dealer said they couldn't install an extra tether anchor for the rear-center of my 99 Blazer because there were already 4 tie-down hooks ... they just werent in a usuable location for an E-Z-On in the middle

The Graco Ultra or Platinum CarGo might the only option that will fit between the Boulevard & Parkway ... my 40" 33# daughter & her cousin only 35" 30#, both 3 years old, really like theirs (which they share as their spare seat for visits) - I managed to just barely fit the Platinum CarGo between our Boulevard & Parkway in my Escape - very difficult squeez as a booster, but it was OK using the harness

Eventually, they might want/need to use the CarGo as a spare seat, puting the youngest in the Boulevard & the middle child into the Parkway with the oldest in the middle in an E-Z-On 86-Y ... if they can get the tether anchor mounted. Unless by then they can get a vehicle with more shoulder belts

I will check with another dealership, and I am hoping that they do have another vehicle by then. We are holding onto our Dodge van just in case, but hopefully they will have something else by then. Her husband took the car that we gave her and is driving it because it gets good gas mileage (understandable) but this wouldn't be an issue in that car because the seats are so tall that the Boulevard and Parkway go in there without blocking the view. So hopefully he'll let her drive that if they can't get another vehicle.

There aren't any cargo hooks, I looked everywhere for a place to tether at all and there wasn't one. So, I will definitely ask another dealership, and thanks for the part numbers...I figured someone would give them to me if there was one.

The Graco is too tall to go between the seats, even the Vaguard does stick up an inch or two....anything taller won't work. That's why this is such a huge issue. The 3 seats do fit quite well next to each other though.

You may have to sacrifice visibility for fit.

I would have preferred my daughter's Husky in the middle of our back seat but then I wouldn't have been able to see out the back window. I decided we were all safer with me having a clear view out the back window than having her in a safer position that could compromise everyone's safety. I can understand the mom's concern. It's just another thing to worry about and be a distraction if you can't see well!!
C.

Reading/Posting in a hurry...

hope this makes sense. Forgive me if I mis-read some of the posts.

The Chevy dealer can't add a middle tether anchor because GM doesn't allow the use of any form of child restraint in the middle of the Blazer or it's cousins. The seat belt anchors are spaced too close together and any restraint used there is at high risk to fail in a crash.

Not all cargo hooks are created equal either. For some SUVs only one set is strong enough to act as a tether anchor. In the case of GM, it's the set closest to the tailgate. In some cases the cargo tie downs can't be used at all as a top tether location. This should be pretty well noted in the vehicle's owner's manual.

Yes, in my '99 S10 Blazer manual it did say that carseats could not be installed rear-center & that the tie-down hooks farthest away from the seat were for tethering (not the ones closest to the backseat) ... BUT, it does depend on the year & SUV model - the dealer said that newer S10 Blazers don't have this problem & even the old Blazers (not the S10) version don't have this problem either ... so without a doubt, read the manual to be sure that the the rear-center position is an acceptable/safe location for a carseat at all!

If a carseat must not be in the rear-center position, but the tether anchor can be installed, then the 7 year old may use an E-Z-On 86-Y there, moving the 4 y.o. into the Parkway & the 2 y.o. in the Boulevard.

Before I started getting these kids in correct seats the youngest was in an expired, recalled, ect Evenflo seat which was barely strapped to the car. I could pick the seat up and hit it on the back of the front seat. The 7 year old was in the middle in the lap belt, and the 4 year old was in a Cosco Summit with both harness and seatbelt being used.

So, the problem is that she WON'T sacrifice visibility for fit. Originally she had two MA's for the two youngest then the Cosco for the oldest. I installed them, and a week later she was driving around with only one MA, and the 7 year old back in the lap belt. Because she couldn't see. I have to be real careful to check up on them and make sure seats are still installed ect, which is okay because we are good friends and are over there frequently anyway.

I even was suggesting that we move the youngest child up to the front seat (before I got her to agree to the Vanguard in the middle) because she is the smallest, harnessed ect and there is no airbag. She wouldn't go for that because that puts her husband in the middle of the back seat blocking her view.

Running out of ideas here.

MyAngelsAliandPeanut said:

Before I started getting these kids in correct seats the youngest was in an expired, recalled, ect Evenflo seat which was barely strapped to the car. I could pick the seat up and hit it on the back of the front seat. The 7 year old was in the middle in the lap belt, and the 4 year old was in a Cosco Summit with both harness and seatbelt being used.

So, the problem is that she WON'T sacrifice visibility for fit. Originally she had two MA's for the two youngest then the Cosco for the oldest. I installed them, and a week later she was driving around with only one MA, and the 7 year old back in the lap belt. Because she couldn't see. I have to be real careful to check up on them and make sure seats are still installed ect, which is okay because we are good friends and are over there frequently anyway.

I even was suggesting that we move the youngest child up to the front seat (before I got her to agree to the Vanguard in the middle) because she is the smallest, harnessed ect and there is no airbag. She wouldn't go for that because that puts her husband in the middle of the back seat blocking her view.

Running out of ideas here.

Click to expand...

Maybe its time to throw your hands up and know you have done the best you can do. One thing they teach techs is sometimes all you can do is educate the parents and then let them decide what they are going to do. I know it's tough sometimes when you care of these kids. Although I also like the slogan "Saving the world one car seat at a time"

I have to agree some of the times you just have to walk away from it. We have a friend just like that. I have done all I can do in educating her but she still keeps doing the same old thing. There is nothing more I can do and I have just had to back off.

How about a wide-angle circular mirror (about $1.95 at wal-mart) for her side mirrors to make up for the lack of center visibility from a taller center seat?

I won't give up...this woman has lost her father and brother unexpectedly and tragically...I refuse to go to one of her children's funerals as well. She is doing really well with the 3 seats that are in there. As long as I check up on her and everything which is fine...she didn't call me one day when she tried to move the Boulevard, when she tried to put it back in FF she routed the belt UNDERNEATH the bar instead of over and got it stuck. She drove around without it belted in all day until I happened to show up. (Not that it would have moved anyway, that thing was STUCK.)

She has really been more receptive than most people, and as long as I can keep her visibility there I think we will be okay. I do think we *probably* can get a year out of the Vanguard if the youngest grows the way her two older sister did, we might be able to push it to 18 months. And, if it comes down to it they are the reason that we kept our Dodge Van. If the youngest outgrows the Vanguard before they have another vehicle and her DH won't let her drive the car the seats work in, then we will fix up the Dodge van for them. We may end up doing that anyway, we'll have to see.

Compared to some people I have dealt with, she is definitely more receptive than the others. I am extrememly thankful for that. I don't even mind buying the seats if they get used. My best friend turned her 14lb 10 month old son FF because she refused to look at any information off the internet...not that it really matters which way he is facing because whether he is RF or FF a seat that isn't even INSTALLED isn't going to do a whole lot of good. Even now at 15 months old the kid is nowhere near 20lbs, and his seat still is not being installed. They actually rode with my Dad about 60 miles both ways, and on the way BACK she casually asked if his truck had LATCH. Like, oh gee we just drove 90 miles out of a 120 roundtrip drive, MAYBE I should install my kids carseat now! My Dad knew the seatbelt wasn't being used, but thought that the seat was installed with LATCH. I actually offered to buy her 3 Britax seats, one for each vehicle and the babysitters...because I thought she might install them if they were a little easier to install...she wouldn't even let me do that. People absolutely astonish me sometimes.

In the beginning if people weren't real receptive, willing to use seats but not buy them ect...I let it go most of the time. But I had a situation go really bad on me, a few months ago. Reporting a guy and getting him ticketed for not having his 2 year old in a seat...gave the police all accurate information about the fact that the 25lbs kid could still be RF, offered to BUY the kid a carseat that same day, ect....only to have the kid killed in a car accident a few weeks later. I am haunted by that, and will always feel like I should have done more, showed up at his house with a carseat or something. I will probably have nightmares about that for the rest of my life, so I don't care what it takes, or who I piss off, I will NOT let that happen again. Especially not in this situation where she is actually receptive to letting me help. If I have to buy the seats and install them that is fine, as long as she USES them. Which she is doing right now, and using them correctly as a matter of fact.

This is a difficult situation, but not an impossible one. I sleep much better at night knowing that those kids are safer, MUCH safer than they were before I started this. I guess that is what matters right? Now the goal is just to keep them that way, which I will find a way to do I'm sure.

Thanks for all the ideas guys, and let me know if you think of anything else!

Is the 4 year old 40 pounds? You could call E-Z-On & ask, if in this situation, a child could use a backless Starriser Comfy (because it is so much narrower than the RideRyte that comes with the Kid-Y).... Then the 7 year old could still use the Parkway, 4 y.o. could still have a harness & the 2 year old could have the Boulevard. E-Z-On might also be able to help determine whether or not you could install the tether anchor for the rear-center position??? Also, if the SRC will be used with a harness, you could call Britax to ask if in this situation it'd be OK for a child less than 40# I just can't think of any other option besides an E-Z-On that will fit & allow the driver the visibility she wants GOOD LUCK

She is not 40lbs now, but by the time her sister outgrows the Vanguard she should be. I'll have to look more into the vest and find out if Mom would actually use it or not. Thanks!

Oh, it's not a vest - more "normal" looking than that & easier, too - just hop the kid into the booster & buckle up with the adult belt, except that the harness loops through the lap belt to keep the kid's shoulders in place in an accident

• Kid-Y & RideRyte
• 86-Y

I just doubt that the backless RideRyte would fit between the Boulevard & Parkway (but it does fit between a Husky & RF Wizard in my dad's F250 truck) ... hopefully E-Z-On says it's OK to use a different booster if absolutely necessary! If not, then the 7 y.o. should be able to use the 86-Y just fine, assuming you can install the tether anchor & she passes the 5 step test (my 7 y.o. SD had to use the booster because the lap belt was still across her tummy), but I myself would rather the 4 y.o. harnessed rear-center than in a 3 point ... however, if the 4 y.o. will sit properly in the Parkway then it's still better than what most people do!

One thing I've found out usig these E-Z-Ons is that you need to tighten the lap belt 1st & then tighten the harness straps, otherwise the lap belt can be pulled up too high =/

Just FYI, EZON will ONLY allow you to use the Ryde Rite (or however you spell that thing, lol), because they have tested their products with at least one other booster, and the combination failed testing. The RR passed, and has extra reinforcement in the armrests for use with the EZON vests.

Oh, well, it could still fit! It might wedge under the Boulevard & the lack of armrests on the Parkway might just make it possible ... I imagine the Parkway & Kid-Y with RR should share buckles ... meaning, they can both be buckled at the same location in different buckles (where they meet up), instead of 1 on 1 side & the other on the other side of the RR - if that makes sense? I don't think the 95 Bronco is quite as small as my Escape & if I had no other choice I could make our backless RR work between the Parkway & Boulevard - but to stick with the manufacturer's recommendations, the 7 y.o. would have to be in the center with the 4 y.o. outboard, assuming the 4 y.o. is at least 30# Once the 4 y.o. hits 40# I would switch them so the 7 y.o. could have the Parkway again!