Frontier installation questions/Frontier in '04 Sienna captain's chair? was Re: Britax Frontier Review

chrisben

New member
Just saw that Britax is allowing a rare sale this week! What a fortuitous concidence- as my 3-year-old just vomited all over his Marathon, which expires in August anyway. Despite my best efforts at cleaning the seat, it still smells awful, so I think it's time to buy that new Frontier...I will probably end up moving my 6-year-old into the Frontier and moving my 3-year-old into his brother's 2005 Husky...
However, I'm not sure how the Frontier will install in the captain's chair of my 2004 Sienna. The Husky installed fine with LBP, but I couldn't get a secure install with the SBP. Is the Frontier similar to the Husky in terms of ease of installation with LBP? Is LBP allowed for all weights, or is it 40 pounds and over like the Regent? TIA!
 
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Jeanum

Admin - CPS Technician Emeritus
Staff member
Hi. I moved your post from the reviews forum to the more appropriate installation and technical questions forum. :)

The Frontier can be installed using the SBP seatbelt or LBP seatbelt method regardless of the child's weight.

While not exactly the same as your Sienna with captain's chairs, FWIW, the Frontier installed rock solid using the LBP in the second row center of our '05 8-passenger Sienna. The seatbelt buckle stalks in the Sienna's second row, which are stiff and ahead of the vehicle seat bight, make SBP seatbelt installations pretty much a no go with the Frontier due to the design of the Frontier's belt path. I think this would be true in the 7-passenger Sienna model with captain's chairs like yours as well. :twocents: I haven't tried LATCH so I can't comment on that method in the Sienna. I would say installing the Frontier with the LBP is on a par with installing the Regent with the LBP seatbelt method. It helps to have a second pair of hands, or a binder clip to temporarily hold the seatbelt extended at the shoulder belt's retractor just shy of engaging the retractor's locking mechanism while you thread the seatbelt through the Frontier's belt path to do the LBP installation.
 

murphydog77

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
:thumbsup: I agree with Jean. It was pretty hot out when I installed the Frontier in the captain's chairs of my 7-pass. '05 Sienna (same seats as the '04, BTW), so the car seat had to pass my "install it quickly" test. It did :). The short belt path took some work because the buckle stalk is forward of the bight (technical term for the crack in the vehicle seat) and it puts the seat belt latchplate at the wrong place in the car seat's belt path. If you twist the buckle 3 times, recline the vehicle seat, pull the seat belt really tight, then put the vehicle seat back upright, it should give you a good install. I didn't try *that* hard and I only got an acceptable install.

The long belt path install was rock solid.

LATCH took a little bit of work because the LATCH adjusters hit the belt path and wouldn't let the LATCH belt tighten any more. Once I fiddled with them and got them in the belt path, they tightened and I got a good install. Helps to recline the vehicle seat before tightening, then put it back upright.

HTH!
 

AnnD

New member
I have another thread going on long-belt versus short-belt install. (Don't get the pictures - hoping in real life it will be easier.)

I have two in the box Frontiers at my front door. They are 'suppose' to be installed in the third row of my '04 Sienna for my older children. Am I going to get it to work?

I am Canadian (put this here because the Sienna shouldn't be too different from its American peers) - but that makes it mandatory that I tether so I think (but again am not certain) I can only go middle (as inferred by the manual - not explicit) and passenger outboard. [I will post pictures of it outboard drivers side and the 'angle' of the tether to see if it is or isn't a go - some discussion whether it is permitted).

For full disclosure - I have four kidlets - 12 month old rf Radian driver side captain, 30 month old ff Radian passenger side captain, and now these two frontiers. In a perfect world, I would like them both outboard third row.

Should I contemplate a different seating arrangement?

Don't mean to highjack the thread but it keeps it all car specifc. (don't worry about lbp versus sbp - have another thread on that one!)
 

NatenMaddiesMommy

Senior Community Member
I have another thread going on long-belt versus short-belt install. (Don't get the pictures - hoping in real life it will be easier.)

I have two in the box Frontiers at my front door. They are 'suppose' to be installed in the third row of my '04 Sienna for my older children. Am I going to get it to work?

I am Canadian (put this here because the Sienna shouldn't be too different from its American peers) - but that makes it mandatory that I tether so I think (but again am not certain) I can only go middle (as inferred by the manual - not explicit) and passenger outboard. [I will post pictures of it outboard drivers side and the 'angle' of the tether to see if it is or isn't a go - some discussion whether it is permitted).

For full disclosure - I have four kidlets - 12 month old rf Radian driver side captain, 30 month old ff Radian passenger side captain, and now these two frontiers. In a perfect world, I would like them both outboard third row.

Should I contemplate a different seating arrangement?

Don't mean to highjack the thread but it keeps it all car specifc. (don't worry about lbp versus sbp - have another thread on that one!)


I attempted the SBP in the center of 3rd row and that was a PITA. I have yet to try LBP in center. SBP passenger outboard was not a good install, but LBP goes in beautiful. Not sure if/how 2 would work side by side since I only have 1 Frontier in my hands at the moment.
 

Dawn

New member
I don't know if they are similar shape wise but I was able to get a rock solid install (after two attempts and lots of help here) using the sbp of my regent in my 04 sienna. Captains chair, drivers side. I had to recline the seat and twist the female end of the buckle. It doesn't move at all.
I hope you can get it in there.
 

tweetykl

New member
Thank you for having this thread. I have been wanting a Frontier for my 7 pass. '08 Sienna. Now I have an idea that it will fit. Yeah. Now I need to know if it will fit in the Camry.
 

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