Oddball hypothetical question about RFing tether

The Bjorns · Mar 17, 2008

Here's a weird question for everyone. As I was lying in bed early Saturday morning I had a strange thought come to be about car seat installs. If you had a van or SUV with a third row of seats and were installing a seat RFing, could you attach a rear tether to one of the tether anchor points on the back of the second row seat? Does that make sense? Not that I have a car like this or even know anyone who does, but I was just curious if it would be allowable. I wouldn't want to put a seat RFing in a 3rd row because I can't picture how I'd get the kiddo in/out of the seat without being a gymnast myself, but it was a weird thought that came to me in a sleep deprived state while feeding my DD before the sun came up.

crunchierthanthou · Mar 17, 2008

Yup.

you can tether a third row rf Britax convertible or Radian to an unused second row anchor. There are even a few rare vehicles that actually have tether anchors on the back of the front seats (some Volvos and older Fords, for example).

cryswilkins · Mar 17, 2008

Yet another reason that I need a vehicle with 3rd row seating, lol.

The Bjorns · Mar 17, 2008

Cool!

It made sense that it would allowed. I'm actually surprised that more cars don't have a tether built in to the front seats or on the floor. Volvo doesn't surprise me that they'd have it, but older Fords? Now that seems odd!

My Acura has a dedicated LATCH in the center with tethers for all 3 rear seats so I would think that a good RFing tether location wouldn't be out of the question. Guess I'll just have to keep filling out their surveys indicating that safety is my #1 priority. Yippee--more junk mail!

J-max · Mar 17, 2008

crunchierthanthou said:
Yup. you can tether a third row rf Britax convertible or Radian to an unused second row anchor. There are even a few rare vehicles that actually have tether anchors on the back of the front seats (some Volvos and older Fords, for example).

My 04 suburban has a built-in tether anchor in the front passenger seat - they are the same seats they use for captain's chairs for second row.

valleyfam · Mar 17, 2008

My 01 Ford Windstar has an tether anchor on the front passenger side seat (currently have my rf blvd tether to it), a tether on both captain's chairs in the middle row, and of course 3 on the third row which can't be used for rf tether of course. I love having dd rf in the captain's chair and tethered.

Defrost · Mar 17, 2008

In my Mazda 5, the only RF tether location for the 3rd row would be the TA on the back of the 2nd row seat. There's literally nothing else back there!

I might even consider having a RF child in the 3rd row in my vehicle, as it would be ridiculously easy to put her in through the cargo hatch (vehicle is low to the ground, cargo hatch is extremely tiny).

oxeye · Mar 17, 2008

Defrost said:
In my Mazda 5, the only RF tether location for the 3rd row would be the TA on the back of the 2nd row seat. There's literally nothing else back there!

I might even consider having a RF child in the 3rd row in my vehicle, as it would be ridiculously easy to put her in through the cargo hatch (vehicle is low to the ground, cargo hatch is extremely tiny).

I've done this in my Pacifica when I've had friends' kids in the car. It's really easy to buckle the kid in the third row RF through the hatch. It's actually more difficult to have a seat FF back there if the child can't buckle themselves yet.

And that RF seat in the third row was tethered to the anchor for the seat in front of it (since the car seat in the second row in front of it was RF also).

BookMama · Mar 17, 2008

The Bjorns said:
Here's a weird question for everyone. As I was lying in bed early Saturday morning I had a strange thought come to be about car seat installs. If you had a van or SUV with a third row of seats and were installing a seat RFing, could you attach a rear tether to one of the tether anchor points on the back of the second row seat? Does that make sense? Not that I have a car like this or even know anyone who does, but I was just curious if it would be allowable. I wouldn't want to put a seat RFing in a 3rd row because I can't picture how I'd get the kiddo in/out of the seat without being a gymnast myself, but it was a weird thought that came to me in a sleep deprived state while feeding my DD before the sun came up.

I do this whenever we go somewhere with my folks in their Odyssey. It's quicker than finding a RF tether spot for the 2nd row (and we could NOT find one when they had a 2004), and it's easy to put her in as she can climb in herself and there's usually an adult sitting back there anyway.

jen_nah · Mar 21, 2008

My dh '02 Silverado & my '05 Tahoe both have a front passenger seat tether hook that can be used as a rear face tether hook (I used it for both girls).

This is what it looks like.

armywife12 · Mar 21, 2008

How would that be safe if the tether can't be connected to a moving peice? I have heard that it is allowed but this part puzzled me. My capt chairs move forward and back and I though if I was in an accident, the seats could possibly come off the tracks. I hope I am making sense here. I would never be in this kind of position where I would need to tether in the 3rd row seat but I need to feed my curiousity...lol.

southpawboston · Mar 21, 2008

The Bjorns said:
Cool! It made sense that it would allowed. I'm actually surprised that more cars don't have a tether built in to the front seats or on the floor. Volvo doesn't surprise me that they'd have it, but older Fords?

ford was one of the major contributors to the international development of LATCH, and was an early adopter of LATCH

. you know they now own volvo, right?

Shanora · Mar 21, 2008

I was just checking out my '03 ford windstar manual online, and you almost don't need to look at the car seat manual.....it has everything in there...including the 5 step test for older children.

I also have 6 tether spots in my van....and I can use the LATCH/UAS in the middle of the backseat (I can't however share the one LATCH/UAS connector with another car seat if already in use). I never thought to look....as I only use the captain chairs.

Hmmm....Go ford!! LOL

Judi · Mar 22, 2008

I have one I use on the front passenger seat in my 2000 Windstar for RFing.

NHCPSTECH · Mar 22, 2008

Not that it matters...but years ago, I don't think Ford or other manufacturers put a tether on the front passengers seat for the purpose of rear-face tethering, or tethering at all. My 1996 Windstar had a tether anchor on the front passengers seat. I always assumed it was (very fortunately) there by default since the seats for the second row were exactly the same. I don't believe that that tether anchor was even shown in the manual (and if it was, it would have explained FF tethering only) It's just the way ALL the captains chairs were manufactured. I just don't think Ford was that far ahead of the game in 1996... Britax hit the US market in about 1996, so rear face tethering was a totally new concept for the US.

Like I said, not that it really matters...

Oddball hypothetical question about RFing tether

The Bjorns

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crunchierthanthou

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cryswilkins

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The Bjorns

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J-max

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valleyfam

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