Question LATCH weight limits??

[Leahs-mommy]

I have a 4.5 year old (42 lb) daughter harnessed in a Britax frontier. She is in the rear of our 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan. I have infant twins in the captains chairs.

I have the seat installed with the LATCH system as well as the teather. Is this wrong? Should it be installed with the seatbelt? are the belts with clips for the latch removable from the seat? what happens when we no longer use the 5point, is the seat then not anchored to the car? is this not a hazard when she is not in the seat?

I did not know anything about LATCH limits? are there limits for the teather? do we need to stop using this?

Thanks in advance. I am apparently very confused

 

[wendytthomas]

Hi there.

Your seat weighs 20 pounds, and so you need to stop using the lower anchors when your daughter weighs 45 pounds. So you're ok for now. You should continue to use the top tether.

Here's the confusing part. When she graduates from the harness and it turns into a booster, you can start using the lower anchors again. At that point the lower anchors are only holding in the booster, not the booster and your daughter.

However, in your specific car, you won't be able to use the lower anchors while it's a booster seat, not in that third row. Because the LATCH is offset she wouldn't be able to buckle if you were using them.

Wendy

 

[aeormsby]

There's a spot on the seat for storing the latch when you need to switch to installing it with the seatbelt, they're up on the sides of the seat (the manual shows/explains how to store them).

 

[Leahs-mommy]

Am I better to move the infant seats to the third row and install with seatbelts, drop a middle seat and install the frontier in a captain chair? Just seems harder to buckle 2 in the third row.
That middle seatbelt in the third row is confusing and I have never installed without LATCH. It all doesnt seem to line up with the top teather. Thinking I should have someone come out and check.... Ahhh this caravan should be made for car seats.

 

[wendytthomas]

You can use the tether for that middle position, even though when you're using the seatbelt it's slightly offset.

There's no need to move everyone around right now, but maybe when she's using it as a booster you do.

Wendy

 

[Patriot201]

You can also use an outboard position in the third row (are there tethers in the outboard positions?). The middle is only preferable if it offers the best installation.

If you feel you cannot correctly use the middle seatbelt in the third row, you need to use another seating location. If there are tether anchors in the outboard positions, you can use one of those positions. Or you can move her to one of the captain's chairs.

You have several options for seating.

If you want to move both twins into the third row, that's fine. If it is hard to buckle them from the inside of the car, you can buckle them in from the hatch. Lots of people do it.

You could also move just one twin to the third row, and put the other twin and your older child in the second row.

 

[wendytthomas]

No tethers on the side in the third row.

Wendy

 

[Patriot201]

No tethers on the side in the third row.

Wendy

Ah! Never mind about moving the older kiddo to the outboard position, then!

 

[Leahs-mommy]

Thanks so much. I did have to move the frontier to the middle row and put a baby seat in the third row until we get a locking clip for that middle seatbelt in the third row. It does not have an anutomatic lock

 

[bree]

Thanks so much. I did have to move the frontier to the middle row and put a baby seat in the third row until we get a locking clip for that middle seatbelt in the third row. It does not have an anutomatic lock

I just want to bump this up, because a seatbelt in a 2012 vehicle should lock. If the seatbelt is broken, then a locking clip is unfortunately not a fix to lock the belt. I'm not sure if the seatbelt in your vehicle locks by pulling the belt all the way and letting it retract or if it has locking latchplates, so I wanted to give the thread a bump so that hopefully someone can help you figure it out what's wrong.

 

[Leahs-mommy]

It is a middle seatbelt that retracts into the roof. It comes out and clips into 2 locations. It does not lock when pulled out all the way as all other belts in the van do. I called Dodge yesterday to ask about the seatbelt to make sure and they are calling me back today as it was Sunday. I was able to put my infant seat there with the LATCH.
Hopefully dodge will be able to help!

 

[wendytthomas]

Pretty sure it locks at the buckle. Since 1997 belts have been required to prelock for carseats. So it locks at either the buckle or shoulder. To test, does the buckle look bigger than the one next to it? The part that slides up and down.


Wendy

 

[Leahs-mommy]

Apparently it is called a cinching latch plate. It slides freely along the belt and definitely doesn't lock at the shoulder. In the Britax manual it looks like the ELR with a sliding latch plate, which says you need a locking clip. I have ordered one but if I don't need it then great!. It may be slightly bigger than the other belt. I will try to install with the belt to see if it will install tightly.

I have been so disappointed trying to get info from the vehicle manufacturer on this and the lower anchor weight limit. No one seems to know anything. So frustrating! Thank goodness for this site and for your answers

 

[Leahs-mommy]

Ahhhh it feels like it loosens when I pull on it! I am using the short belt path as there is not enough seat belt to do the long.
The van manual says this belt can be used to install, but I cannot seem to get it to lock. It tightens nicely but as Im rocking the seat it seems to loosen. Any tips on locking this type of belt.

Thanks again!

 

[wendytthomas]

Usually they're the easiest to install with. Buckle, tighten, done. The shoulder belt will not lock before a crash. If it's slipping, buckle, tighten, unbuckle and flip the male end over 180 degrees, then rebuckle.

Wendy

 

[Leahs-mommy]

The belt buckle is pulling into the belt path. Is that allowed?
Crawling around in the back of the van with this disaster of an install in 30 degree heat is making me crazy. I totally look like the crazy car seat lady today.
I think I am expecting it to be rock solid like it was with the lower anchors.

 

[wendytthomas]

I'd need to see a picture, but sometimes it's fine.


Wendy

 

[Leahs-mommy]

So I brought the seat to a certified tech at the fire department today and he uninstalled the seat and re installed it in the outboard seat with the locking seatbelt (at the shoulder). He said it was fine to use the teather from that position and to forget about installing with that middle belt.
So not what I thought was going to happen.

 

[wendytthomas]

No, you cannot use the center tether for the outer seat. Your manual says so.

Did you try both long and short belt paths in the center?

Wendy