Top tether for Regent?

[lilmama2dsndd]

A while ago a car seat tech installed DS's regent in my 1997 GMC Safari. It does not have latch so she used a D ring for the top tether. I was just told that the D ring was for RFing only and you could not use it FFing. If that is true, how am I supposed to use the top tether for the Regent in my van? IIRC, aren't you supposed to always use the top tether in the Regent?

 

[Jeanum]

You are most wise to research and question the tech's D-ring usage with the Regent in your van because a D-ring top tether connector strap is designed for certain rear facing convertible seats only, and not appropriate for a forward facing installation. D-ring connector straps are included with Britax convertible seats and Sunshine Kids Radian convertibles for rear facing installations, and are not included nor meant to be used with Britax Regents.

You're also right about the Regent's requirement for a top tether anchor. The Regent requires a top tether anchor for kids weighing 50 lbs. and up.

Now for the good news: it's probably possible to retrofit your vehicle with a top tether anchor at a Chevy dealership for free. According to my LATCH manual, there's a GM Service bulletin number 99-09-40-004 dated January 2000 regarding free top tether anchor retrofits for 1989 - 1999 model year GM vehicles. The LATCH manual doesn't list specific part numbers for retrofitting because the part numbers can change, and dealerships are supposed to have the current part numbers. I would contact your nearest Chevy dealership ASAP with the above service bulletin info. and request a top tether anchor retrofit. :thumbsup:

In the meantime, you could consider top tethering the Regent to an unused vehicle seatbelt in a vehicle row behind where it's currently installed. Other techs can hopefully chime in about the specifics of doing so, as I've not personally top tethered to a seatbelt. A search of the board for top tethering to a vehicle seatbelt will probably yield some previous threads describing and illustrating how it can be done.

 

[scatterbunny]

Here's a thread about using the d-ring as a forward-facing tether point (explaining why it's not okay):

http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=30715&highlight=tethering+seatbelt

And here's two threads about tethering a forward-facing carseat in the middle row to a third row seatbelt (something I've done myself ):

http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=30160

http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=9298

 

[Jeanum]

Thanks, Scatterbunny, I was hoping you were online and could find those links. :thumbsup: I didn't get any hits when I searched.

 

[scatterbunny]

Yes, it's frustrating to search sometimes because anything under four characters (I think) is automatically excluded. My odds of actually finding what I'm searching for are only about 50-50.

 

[lilmama2dsndd]

Thank you both very much, I got in contact with a service guy at the local dealership, he has the part and is going to call me tomorrow when he is ready to install it for me (he is doing both my 2nd row captain's chairs so we won't have to do it again when DD turns FFing).

In the morning I will tether to the 3rd row seat belt for our drive to the dealership. Thanks again so much!

 

[Jeanum]

Sounds like a plan, great. :thumbsup: You're most welcome.

 

[HEVY]

While we're on the top tether and Regent I was wondering if the dealer installed tether is strong enough to hold the 80lbs of a child and the actual seat. I heard that some of the manufacturer tethers don't hold as high a weight as some of the other tether hooks sold elsewhere. And could the top tether be used with a child under 50lbs?

 

[lilmama2dsndd]

Ok, the dealer guy called and he has the wrong part, so he has to order it. I just tried tethering to the 3rd row seat buckles and I CANNOT get it through. The hole is not big enough to fit both the seatbelt fabric and the tether hook. What am I supposed to do now?

I was going back through the Regent manual and it says that the tether has to be used for over 50lbs, but it also says that is much be used for the short belt route and that for a child 40lbs + the short belt route must be used. My DS is 39 lbs 14oz completely naked, so with clothes & shoes I am sure he is 40lbs so I need to use the short belt route correct? Thus I have to use the top tether, even though he is not yet 50lbs? Man, they could have written that a little more clear, I don't understand where the 50lbs is coming from since it says it must be used short-route and @ 40 lbs you must use short route....

Also, like the PP said, will the top tether anchor the dealer installs be able to hold 50+ lbs? I though dealer installed latch was only good up to 48lbs? My van doesn't have latch, so I use the seat belts anyways, but they are going to put the top tether anchor in for me, will it even be any good?

If I do somehow manage to get the top tether anchored to the 3rd row seat belt, can someone still safely sit in that seat & use the belt or will haveing 2 weights anchored to it be too much pressure for the anchor to hold?

Sorry for all the questions, just things that are coming into my head as I attempt to get this installed correctly.

 

[joolsplus3]

Yes, the top tether can (and SHOULD) always be used, it's just required at 50. Tether bolts are really strong enough to supplement the seatbelt, there really aren't stronger ones or weaker ones (NO cases of ANY EVER breaking, and we know people use their seats with kids way over the weight limit all the time, so it's not an issue).
EZ-ON has heavy duty bolts, that are thicker, but don't screw into the same place as a standard dealer-approved part, so you have to drill a new hole for it, which can be quite difficult to do (without, say, drilling into your exhaust system...), and those bolts are primarily for their vests and very heavy children (Special needs, primarily, over 80 pounds, up to 168 pounds) or cars with only lapbelts for the 86Y vest, when shoulderbelts can't be retrofitted to the car).

HTH!

While we're on the top tether and Regent I was wondering if the dealer installed tether is strong enough to hold the 80lbs of a child and the actual seat. I heard that some of the manufacturer tethers don't hold as high a weight as some of the other tether hooks sold elsewhere. And could the top tether be used with a child under 50lbs?

 

[Jeanum]

I haven't seen anything specific to indicate a retrofitted top tether anchor from the vehicle manufacturer would differ from a factory installed one in terms of child weight ratings/limits. Safe Ride News has a chart listing the limits/ratings for lower LATCH anchors and top tether anchors by vehicle manufacturer at: http://www.saferidenews.com/pdfs/LATCHApp_B_pg105.pdf It's recommended to always use the vehicle's appropriate factory installed or retrofitted top tether anchor with any forward facing harnessed carseat because it serves to reduce head excursion in a crash, and because the top tether is not the primary attachment to the vehicle, but a secondary and highly beneficial one. The recommendation for top tethering comes straight from these articles in the Safe Ride News, which discuss tethering HWH harnessed seats for kids over 40 lbs.:

http://www.saferidenews.com/html/LATCH_P49.htm and http://www.saferidenews.com/html/LATCH_P8.htm

And yes, the Regent can and ideally should be used top tethered for kids under 50 lbs. and certain installs do require it as the OP has pointed out from the Regent's manual. :thumbsup:

I don't have more specific pointers for top tethering to the vehicle seatbelt, other than it must be an unused vehicle seatbelt and cannot be used simultaneously by another passenger.

 

[lilmama2dsndd]

I don't have more specific pointers for top tethering to the vehicle seatbelt, other than it must be an unused vehicle seatbelt and cannot be used simultaneously by another passenger.

ok, thanks, I was curious about that because we frequently have grandparents in the van who also need seatbelts.

So if I am understanding correctly, the dealer installed top tether anchor will be fine for DS even after he is over 48lbs since we are also using the factory installed seatbelts to hold the Regent in place...

lol, I feel so dense right now :dizzy:

 

[Jeanum]

Right, and you're doing great. :thumbsup: I know what you mean about lots of info. to absorb all at once, and it sometimes makes my head spin, too.

 

[lilmama2dsndd]

Alrighty Then...

How does this look?:

Type of latchplates my van has (they slide & lock in place):

Top tether anchored to 3rd row seatbelt webbing:

Regent fully installed:

Now if I can just get Marathon in correctly, I am very unhappy about the police officer who helped us the first time

 

[jen_nah]

Can you raise the seatback up to be more upright? It looks to be to reclined.

Can you get the recline bar more up on the seatback like this?

That would allow you to bring the vehicle seat more upright.

 

[lilmama2dsndd]

Ok, adjusted the vehicle seatback to be more upright. I couldn't get the vehicle seatback 100% upright because then the bottom of the regent was very raised off the vehicle seat.

Here is how it looks now: