Child Seats

[MRiehl]

All - Anyone using a forward facing child seat with the rear seat tether straps? What's the trick for using them (since they're so close to the top of the forward facing seat)?



Thanks,

Mark

 

[ASchwartz]

I am not using the tether straps. I too wondered the same thing. I am able to get the seats very tight by just using the d hooks that are at the base of the seat.

 

[CumminsBu]

I feed the tether strap through the the loop that is around the d hook and attach the tether strap to the center d hook. I place a towel between the car seat and the rear seat, so the car seat doesn't rub on the window. (03 have no head rest in the back seat) Fits nice and tight I believe that is that the manual says to do also.

 

[JRMora]

I feed the tether strap through the the loop that is around the d hook and attach the tether strap to the center d hook. I place a towel between the car seat and the rear seat, so the car seat doesn't rub on the window. (03 have no head rest in the back seat) Fits nice and tight I believe that is that the manual says to do also.

Yup, me too. It seems a little odd, but it does keep the seat fairly snug. I can't wait til we're out of car seats, though. Almost there!



Juan

 

[MRiehl]

Guys - Thanks for the info, just wanted to see what others were doing.



Our seat is very tight between the latch and the seat belt. Reason is ask is that the car seat manual says that you should use the latch and the tether together.



I'll take a better look at it tomorrow.



Thanks again for the help,

Mark

 

[Badunit]

Your owners manual should show the correct usage of the tether straps (it was an addendum for the '03 manual). For the outboard seats, you feed it through the loop above the seat and hook it on the middle tether. Same as what Black Pearl said.

 

[MMcClane]

MRiehl,

Please take the time to secure those kids properly. Also make sure the straps actually holding the kid in the seat are snug. Start them out that way and it will be come a way of life for them. When the truck is tumbling it is to late. I have seen what no parent wants to see many times in my work. Believe me, seeing in person is different than looking at a picture.

 

[MRiehl]

Sounds like you've got a tough job, hopefully it isn't always that bad. Trust me, the little man is buckled in tightly before the key goes into the ignition.



I guess I should have added some more info. We've got the forward facing seat sitting in the middle of the rear seat. It's a LATCH car seat, plus, I've also got the belt on it (everything is tight, the car seat doesn't wiggle at all).



I wanted to attach the tether, but since it's too close to the center tether, I could do what was suggested and use one of the outer tether tie downs, right?



Prefer having the little man in the middle. It's a little easier to see him and he hasn't gotten car sick since we moved him to the middle (helps that he can see where we're going).



Thanks again for the help, I really appreciate the replies.



Mark

 

[Bertram65]

Sounds like you've got a tough job, hopefully it isn't always that bad. Trust me, the little man is buckled in tightly before the key goes into the ignition.



I guess I should have added some more info. We've got the forward facing seat sitting in the middle of the rear seat. It's a LATCH car seat, plus, I've also got the belt on it (everything is tight, the car seat doesn't wiggle at all).



I wanted to attach the tether, but since it's too close to the center tether, I could do what was suggested and use one of the outer tether tie downs, right?



Prefer having the little man in the middle. It's a little easier to see him and he hasn't gotten car sick since we moved him to the middle (helps that he can see where we're going).



Thanks again for the help, I really appreciate the replies.



Mark

I wondered if it is designed to have a child seat in the center, the LATCH hooks are evenly spaced for the outboard seats I would think if they intended a child seat to be mounted in the center there would be another set of hooks for it. I always putmy daughter on the passenger side rear. As far as keeping it tight, I just push down on the seat with my weight and pull up on the tightening strap at the same time, the seat does not move once I do that.

 

[JRG]

RMiehl,



I too did exactly as you, I have always thought that the center was the safest place.



JRG

 

[MMcClane]

I carry two grandkids in my 05 Quad. I put them on each side. I have also hauled only one in the center position. That is supposed to be the safest position for obvious reasons. Everyone in my family except my wife is with the pd in houston. My daughter has dealt with many people that put kids in the child seat but have no clue that it needs to be tied down. She holds a little class on the side of the road and issues a graduation certificate at the end. She tells them that ingnorance is no excuse when it comes to a child. Would you rather pay the ticket or pay for the funeral?

 

[ECappleman]

I have also hauled only one in the center position. That is supposed to be the safest position for obvious reasons.

Why is that?

I have mine behind the passenger seat.



I thought the center seat base was too short and my 3 year old son's feet would hit the center console. It would also be harder to get him in the seat, especially when traveling and carring luggage in the cab.

Am I wrong here?

 

[gonzo2]

Well, we got two of them so we use the outside seats (forward facing seat/booster combos) and don't have a problem with the tethers. I don't think there is a "problem" either way with one in the middle or outside but when I have one on board I just put them where they want (except the front). I've even had one on the left side with the big part of the fold down floor loaded up.

By sitting in the middle I'm pretty sure my oldest knew how to drive my '98 5sp at two.

 

[lawdog]

I have a 10 month old along with a 11 and 14 year olds... . yeah I know... OOPs. . but would not trade her for the world... Anyways, I need a new seat for her and obviously with the older kids sizes, they need to be on the outsides and baby in middle of rear seat. Any experience on what works best in middle of rear seat??? Money does not matter for her safety.....

 

[RLighthall]

I have a 10 month old along with a 11 and 14 year olds... . yeah I know... OOPs. . but would not trade her for the world... Anyways, I need a new seat for her and obviously with the older kids sizes, they need to be on the outsides and baby in middle of rear seat. Any experience on what works best in middle of rear seat??? Money does not matter for her safety.....

Yup. Just when the kids are older & you think you're all set... I've a 21 & , 18, and oops a 5 yr old. Ya tend appreciate them more when your older, maybe wiser, & have more time to spend - don't have to work so many 60 hour weeks. Well at least I didn't. . .

For whatever reason Latch seats are only designed for outboard seats. The wife traded her new Montana that had 2 mid row seats for another new one with 3 mid row seats just so we could put him in the middle. On the Montana the Latch's will still work with a seat installed in the middle. Our 3rd gens' are designed to install the car seat in the outboard seats. If you put the seat in the middle the Latch straps interfere with outboard seatbelt use. If you want to put the seat in the middle (where it should be), there's a loop through which the upper tether can go through to get to one of the outboard Latch hooks. I use the top tether by routing it through the loop in the top middle back, then over to the driver side Latch. The seatbelt then works fine to hold the seat in place. Not the least amount of movement up or down, side to side, nor at the top...

 

[ilovetrains]

Everything I know about child seats

The LATCH system was designed to make it easy for anyone to put a car seat into a passenger vehicle. It was federally mandated to be implemented into all passenger vehicels in the outboard seating positions. This was intended for convenience so that by making it easier people would be making their children safer.



Unfortuantely Parent's magazine recnetly reported on several studies that showed car seats secured with LATCH were not as safe as those properly secured iwth a seat belt. Properly is the key word here.



I have trouble using the top anchor point in securing my daughter's seat. It is so close to the seat back that the there is no tension between the strap and tether position. Since this is intended to keep the seat from roating forward in an accident, and it will catch it after a few inches of travel, I suppose it is OK, but am really not comfortable with it.



I believe the safest position for a child is in the middle. Do not use the Latch points from each side to try and use the latch restraint for a car seat in the middle. That is not what they were designed for.



The best investment any parent can make is a Mighty-Tite. It is a ratcheting clamp that goes over the seat belt and allows you to ratchet that thing down super tight. They are available at Toy R Us etc.

 

[surfbeetle]

The best investment any parent can make is a Mighty-Tite. It is a ratcheting clamp that goes over the seat belt and allows you to ratchet that thing down super tight. They are available at Toy R Us etc.

At first, I thought that the Mighty Tite was the way to go (I have three of them). But then I read a story where the unit failed somehow during a wreck, there was so much slack taken up that it released and the child seat was tossed all over. Obviously, you can't take every possible danger into consideration but you can take steps to lessen the danger. Here is what the local Highway Patrol told me to do when installing the seat: put your own weight into the child safety seat when installing it so that it is compressed down into the car's seat. This way when you connect the seat belt, you can make it very tight. When you get out of the seat, your weight allows the actual car's seat to expand and take up the slack.

If you must use the ratchet devices, attempt to take up the least amount of slack possible. Also, make sure that when the child is in the seat, you only have a finger's amount of space between their chest and the straps holding them into the seat.

 

[ECappleman]

Why do you say the center seat position is safer?

Side impact?

 

[Bertram65]

The rear belts on my truck do not ratchet when fully extended, if you do not use LATCH how can you use the belts?

 

[surfbeetle]

There's that H clip that comes with the carseats, they are usually under the carseat slid into a holder. When properly used, it's supposed to lock the belt in place. The clip is a pain to use, but it does work.