Tether with rear-facing seat in Odyssey

S

safetyconscious

Guest
Tether with rear-facing seat in Odyssey

I am extremely confused about using a rear facing car seat with the top tether in my Honda Odyssey. Caviller ( a frequent commentator on the posts) has a picture on the web that intrigues me. It is of a rear facing seat with the "Swedish" or TFV tether. You can find it at:

photos.yahoo.com/bc/tcavi...%26.view=t

The photo says the tether is attached to the factory anchor under the chair. To me, the anchor seems to be facing the wrong direction for a tether to come from the front of the seat. Another picture that Caviller posted is of a front-facing carseat tethered to the seat with the tether hooking to the factory installed anchor from the rear of the seat. The anchor point looks to me like it will pull off of the bar if I attach the tether from the front of the seat.

Would Caviller or someone who knows more about this please post a specific picture that shows how the tether attaches to the Odyssey seat anchor when the seat is rear facing and the tether comes from the front of the seat?
 
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C

Caviller

Guest
Tether anchors on Odyssey

Please note that only a few carseats can even use a tether rear facing. These include the Britax Roundabout, Britax advantage, Britax Handle With Care and Safeline Sit 'n' Stroll. No other carseats are tested or approved to use a tether while rear facing.

The attachment of the tether hook to the anchor is the same front or rear facing. Simply clasp the hook over the small end of the bar. I verified the use of the tether anchor under each captain's chair in the Odyssey with Britax via email. The weld on that bar is solid, though the bar does seem unusually long. The flat metal anchor in the 2000 model year seemed a bit better design to me.


There is yet a third method of attaching a rear-facing tether in the Odyssey (or any car). You can find a suitable structutal location under the front seat of the car. This is also considered the "Swedish" method, or Toward the Front of the Vehicle (TFV).

More information is in our LATCH and Tether guide:

www.car-safety.org/latch.html

A link to the Britax instructions for rear-facing tethers is here:

www.childseat.com/tips/con_step4.htm

I will try to take some additional pictures this weekend, but no guarantees:)
 
C

Caviller

Guest
New photos and more information

I have updated the Britax Roundabout photos in the album. I have included a new shot which shows how the versa-tether is attached to the anchor while rear-facing, as approved by Britax.

Remember that the forces on the tether and anchor while rear facing are not going to be nearly as great as they would front facing, especially when using the Versa-tether in "TFV" or "Swedish" method for stability. For this reason, Britax also allows you to use their connector strap (about $5 from Britax or The Right Start, included free on newer Roundabout and Advantage models) while rear-facing. You could loop the strap around the larger bar under the seat; the bar to which the tether anchor is welded. You could then connect the Versa-tether to the anchor on the strap.

I have also included another new photo which illustrates a second method of attaching the Versa-tether in the "Swedish" or "TFV" method. This method requires the use of the connector strap. Two possible locations to loop the strap in the Odyssey are:

1) Around the bolt which anchors the driver's seat belt. This may be a tight fit, as you have to get it tightly between the pillar and the plastic shell so it won't slip up the seatbelt.

2) Around the black metal structural bar under the driver's or passenger's seat, toward the front. This is the method illustrated in the new photo.


Please refer to the Britax instruction manual for more information, or to the link I included in the previous post to Britax' online installation tips.
 
S

safetyconscious

Guest
Cosco Triad seat

Thanks for the info. I checked with Cosco about my particular seat, the Triad, and was told it is not designed for use with a tether when used rear facing. I guess we will have to use the tether next year when we turn the seat around.
 

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