Question adding tether anchors

I have an 08 chevy 9 passenger conversion van. Do you think I can have another tether anchor or 2 added to the last row bench? This is what it looks like.


THe middle seatbelt is a lap/shoulder, but buckles in to make the 3 point (like the ones that come from the ceiling in the minivans). The locking portion of the belt is not long enough (when you pull the belt all the way out to lock, it only stays locked for half the belt, I think because of where that belt comes from in the vehicle....useless for installing the child restraint). ANd both ends of the buckles are a bit long. I would love to be able to install a ff seat outboard in that row, and dh would like to have the restraints back there, and give the older kids the captains chairs. What do you think?
TIA
Oh, the bench is 55 inches across...need seat with a built in lockoff in that center spot.

Generally, cars that come equipped with tether anchors cannot be retrofitted with more. There might be a way for you to get aftermarket anchors and install them yourself, but they wouldn't be factory improved.

I'm concerned about how you describe that middle seatbelt. The reason seatbelts lock at all (pre-crash) is so that you can install child restraints. If the belt won't stay locked, that is likely a defect that the manufacturer should take care of. If the buckle is too long, you can twist it up to three full times to make it shorter.

That's a pretty cool-looking van, BTW. I've never seen one with so many captain's chairs!

The reason I asked, is because, technically, the tether wasn't factory installed, it was done by the conversion company. From what I understand, they get a base cargo van, and then do the window cutouts, add the seats, etc. So, I believe they added the middle tether anchor for the 4th row. My dh actually just asked if we could just add a bolt and tether (he gets it, but then doesn't....). THe 4 rear passenger captain's chairs have full latch, and the entire seat can be removed. The last row is a lay flat sofa.
I don't think they really think that someone will put that many child restraints in a vehicle (kind of like how the darn factory vans have no headrests or latch in all positions (or at least no latch in the middle where there is no headrest...get my meaning?) It is why I went with the conversion. IF I can't do it, then I just need to figure out how to get a rf seat back there next to a ff one (shouldn't be too hard). Soon I will have a parkway back there I think, a ff seat, and a rf seat, if I can. THen the baby can go behind the driver, where I can reach better, and the other older kids can get a captains chair (since they are lousy car sleepers.

Oh, apparently I missed the part about it not being designed as a passenger van.

Since the whole thing is pretty much aftermarket then, I would imagine you could have the conversion company add more anchors. I'm not sure what kind of warranty (if any) you have on the seatbelts, but you should look into having that one replaced.

EZon has heavy-duty tether anchors that you can add yourself. You just have to find an appropriate location to do it.

pixels99 said:

EZon has heavy-duty tether anchors that you can add yourself. You just have to find an appropriate location to do it.

Click to expand...

Sorry to hijack, but can I order some of these for my '07 T&C? I'm pretty sure I have a location that would work and I really want another tether in the third row. There are only 3 top tethers total, and I want more. I know it's not technically okay, especially if I asked the manufacturer, but I don't care about that. I just want to know if it can be done according to EZ-on.

http://www.ezonpro.com/products/accessories.shtml

Yes, you can use it in any vehicle where you can find an appropriate location, AFAIK.

Don't go running off and ordering the TAs from EZ-On just yet - they are typically NOT a do-it-yourself job on newer vans. I went through this trying to get them added to my Mazda 5.

The trouble is, most newer vehicles have a "double-wall" body design, which makes it difficult or even impossible to access the back of the panel to which you're installing the TA. This is going to vary widely from vehicle to vehicle, so you'll want to check this on your own vehicle before you order the parts.

Basically, what I wound up with was a $350 estimate to have two installed (not including the parts, since I'd already bought them), and it involved the body shop having to cut and then re-weld my bumper. My Dad is a home mechanic and has a lot of tools, but even this stumped him - it just simply wasn't possible to access the area without cutting it open.