Can I RF tether to the 2nd row seat brackets in a 2004 Sienna?

brittany741 · Jan 25, 2009

We just bought a 2004 Sienna XLE Limited yesterday, 7 passenger. DD is 18 mos, RF in a Diplomat until I get to order her another Blvd. (we sold our last one because I got a car that was too small to use it)

We moved the right seat to the "center" pegs, which freed up one of the seat mounting points in the floor. The Britax tether hook fits perfectly onto it without the D-Ring. The tether is not offset, the hook location is centered to the seat itself.

It's the body of the car (no carpet, seat tracks, bolts, etc.)- welded directly there. It's designed to hold the seat with a full sized restrained adult in it. I can't possibly imagine why it wouldn't be OK to do this, if not preferable, to using the D-Ring around a seat track which is bolted down...

There are no moving parts, no interference whatsoever.

Does anyone know what I'm talking about or have experience with this situation before? I know the Odyssey has a similar setup in the 2nd row.

Any input is appreciated!

NannyMom · Jan 26, 2009

Can you post a picture of the installation? From what I'm seeing in my head... the tether would be going under the vehicle seat it's sitting on. I believeit has to be at 90* (straight down from where it's attached to the seat) or forward... not backward. And how I'm picturing it, it's going backward.

Does that make sense?

I have a Marathon rf tethered in my 2nd row. I took off a plastic piece on the seat track of the passenger's seat, and attached it there, with the D-ring.

Jeanum · Jan 26, 2009

I'm also not clear on where the RF Britax convertible is currently installed from the description. Britax allows RF tethering toward a fixed point toward the front of the vehicle (Swedish style) or directly back over the top of the RFing Britax convertible to the vehicle's tether anchor normally used for a FF installation (Australian style). In the '04 and newer Sienna, removing the plastic cover from the back edge of the front seat rail creates enough room to wrap the D-ring RF tether connector strap to create a RF anchor point. There's an online video showing how to do this in a Sienna at Car Seat Site's Youtube channel at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2upADev-UrM&feature=channel_page.

If you're tethering directly downward or back toward the vehicle seat or vehicle seat bracket on the van's floor, then it doesn't sound like an allowable RF tethering position. If the RF Britax convertible is installed in the third row with the second row vehicle seat's floor bracket available as a fixed point toward the front of the vehicle, then that would be allowable.

P.S. Congrats on your new wheels.

brittany741 · Jan 26, 2009

Thanks, Ladies.

The tether spot is slightly more towards the FRONT seats than exactly directly straight down. The reason for this is the depth of the seating surface on the captain's chair allows for the seat to not be too far back.

I lost my D-Ring and I am waiting on my new Blvd, so this is only temporary. The Diplomat is not a very large seat, which also contributes to the angle of the tether. I think a Blvd's depth would make the tether straight or even more "under" the seat, at a reverse angle.

Let me snap a pic. BRB

NannyMom · Jan 27, 2009

Did you get pics?

brittany741 · Jan 27, 2009

Sorry I am just now getting back to this thread!

I don't have my camera cord, but I think maybe I was on something (or just exhausted). The tether is pretty much straight down, so it isn't something that will work according to the responses.

It's ok though, I am ordering my new BV as soon as my refund hits for the TrueFit. Then I will have a D-Ring to do a proper tether. For now I will just have to suck it up and not have her tethered.

Her legs are so awfully uncomfortable in the Diplomat, so I am in kind of a hurry to get her comfortable again.

NannyMom · Jan 27, 2009

You can also do australian tethering. That's where you'd take it over the top of the seat, and tether it to the back (where you'd tether a FF seat).

Can I RF tether to the 2nd row seat brackets in a 2004 Sienna?

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