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Car Seat ? - Marathon tether  

post #1 of 27
8/2/07 at 6:57pm
Thread Starter 
How important is the Britax Marathon tether for rear facing installation? Our car (Honda Element) doesn't have anywhere for the tether to attach! The manual says "installation can be improved by the use of the Versa-Tether"

Thanks in advance!
post #2 of 27
8/2/07 at 11:20pm
I can't tell you what the safety rating is or the statistics on this. I can tell you that I was in a bad car accident with ds a while back. It was a couple of days after we'd installed the marathon. I was very lucky that it was tethered. It was a fairly high-speed collision (45 mph for me, higher for the other driver) and I was struck head on by a driver who'd fallen asleep. The force of the accident caused the car seat to move about 12 inches. It did spin slightly in the crash, but the tether kept it from really rotating all the way around. One of the fireman at the scene told me that the car seat would have most likely spun entirely around and who knows what after, had it not been tethered. I don't like to think about it, but I know that having it tethered is what probably really saved ds.

Do you have safety inspectors in your area? There must be *some* way to do this. If not, at least the inspector can make it as safe as possible without the tether.
post #3 of 27
8/3/07 at 8:58am
Check under both of the front seats, there should be a bar of some sort that runs along the bottom of the seat. If your teather hook won't fit around it check out Britax's web site they seel a tearther atachement loop thing. Our car seat came with the loop thing. Good luck!
post #4 of 27
8/3/07 at 9:44am
I'm sure there's a place

You simply need to find an immovable part of the car in front of the seat, loop the D ring around it, and attach the top tether to that. The rearfacing tether is not required, but is a huge safety factor. I would definitely use it.
post #5 of 27
8/3/07 at 11:53am
It's optional, but I always use it.

As mentioned, it's easy to find a place once you know what you're looking for.

In some SUVs and vans I've tethered to an immovable bar under the seat the carseat is on.

-Angela
post #6 of 27
8/3/07 at 11:59am
Find a tech and ask for help! The stability of the carseats is improved so much by the tether. Once you know what to look for, you'll always be able to find something.

My best tether spot has been where my dad bolted/welded D rings onto the frame of his Trooper for his dogs. Worked great for my carseat!

sheilajolene; SO glad you and babe were okay! : wow.
post #7 of 27
8/3/07 at 12:09pm
I'm glad to find this thread because I've been wondering about tether straps too. What about carseats that are front-facing? do they require or benefit significantly from having the tether strap? I'm asking because my car does not have a place to attach the tether on the back (i.e. for front-facing car seat), and there's nothing else I could attach it too. When I mentioned this to my pediatrician, she said I may be able to contact the car manufacturer (Toyota, in my case) to have a hook for the tether installed in the car. Anybody has heard of this, or has any experience with this? any thoughts?

Also, the seat belt I use for the car seat is not lap-only, but rather the type that runs across the shoulders. Does this make a difference? I think the manual of the carseat indicates that the tether is only required if there is a lap-belt only.

Thanks in advance!
post #8 of 27
8/3/07 at 2:13pm
Thread Starter 
Thank you so much for all of your responses. We'll do some more searching in the car! I never thought about looking under the seat it's attached to. I'm sure we can find something. I thought it had to be under the front seat area. Thank you!!

sheilajolene, wow. Thanks for sharing your experience. It seems the tether is more important than I thought.

I'll contact our local car tech (not my fav person in the world), as a last resort!

I had no idea this forum (Family Safety) existed, either. Cool!
post #9 of 27
8/3/07 at 2:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by iot View Post
I'm glad to find this thread because I've been wondering about tether straps too. What about carseats that are front-facing? do they require or benefit significantly from having the tether strap? I'm asking because my car does not have a place to attach the tether on the back (i.e. for front-facing car seat), and there's nothing else I could attach it too. When I mentioned this to my pediatrician, she said I may be able to contact the car manufacturer (Toyota, in my case) to have a hook for the tether installed in the car. Anybody has heard of this, or has any experience with this? any thoughts?

Also, the seat belt I use for the car seat is not lap-only, but rather the type that runs across the shoulders. Does this make a difference? I think the manual of the carseat indicates that the tether is only required if there is a lap-belt only.

Thanks in advance!
Lots of people have the dealer install them, it's no biggie & it's well worth it
post #10 of 27
8/3/07 at 2:36pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by midwestmeg View Post

My best tether spot has been where my dad bolted/welded D rings onto the frame of his Trooper for his dogs. Worked great for my carseat!

Just had to comment on this - you should NEVER NEVER NEVER weld on a car frame! Frames are tempered after they are built and when you weld on them (unless done in a car shop and with very special equipment and technique) it actually weakens the frame in that spot and makes if much more likely to tweak or break if you were in an accident. Just an FYI from a car and welding dork
post #11 of 27
8/6/07 at 2:48pm
Thread Starter 
Just wanted to update! We were able to attach the tether under the seat the carseat is sitting on.

THANKS for the help!!
post #12 of 27
8/6/07 at 3:18pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by NWmt_mama View Post
Just wanted to update! We were able to attach the tether under the seat the carseat is sitting on.

THANKS for the help!!
Britax doesn't allow this form of RF tethering. You need to attach to an immovable object in the car that is NOT the seat the carseat is on.
post #13 of 27
8/6/07 at 3:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ThreeBeans View Post
Britax doesn't allow this form of RF tethering. You need to attach to an immovable object in the car that is NOT the seat the carseat is on.
Is that specified in the manual? (I believe you, just don't remember it...)

thanks!

-Angela
post #14 of 27
8/6/07 at 3:30pm
Just re-read the manual and can find NOTHING that says it has to be on a different seat. In fact it shows an "Australian" tether (weird way to do it, never tried it myself) that goes to a tether on the back of the seat it's in.

In my dad's Pilot, the only place to tether is the same seat.... Perhaps I'll email britax.

-Angela
post #15 of 27
8/6/07 at 3:35pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by alegna View Post
Is that specified in the manual? (I believe you, just don't remember it...)

thanks!

-Angela
I don't remember

I just remember reading an advisory from Britax about it. They do specify the two types of 'acceptable' tethering...either behind the seat to an immovable object (Swedish) or over the seats head towards the back of the car (Australian). (The second one is a real PITA, makes it difficult to adjust the RF angle, and I don't recommend it)
post #16 of 27
8/6/07 at 3:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ThreeBeans View Post
I don't remember

I just remember reading an advisory from Britax about it. They do specify the two types of 'acceptable' tethering...either behind the seat to an immovable object (Swedish) or over the seats head towards the back of the car (Australian). (The second one is a real PITA, makes it difficult to adjust the RF angle, and I don't recommend it)
Yeah, the overhead one is a PITA... BUT in one of the boulevard manuals (there are two for after they changed the tether...) it specifically shows the overhead tethering going to a tether point on the back of the seat the carseat is installed in.

If you find any link to where that isn't allowed I'd be interested We've used that a couple of times now, as there is NOWHERE else to tether to in the Pilot (nothing under the seat in front and I'm GOOD at finding anchor points)

(just to clarify, I'm tethering towards the front of the car, just using the overhead as an example of them saying using the same seat is okay.)

-Angela
post #17 of 27
8/6/07 at 7:01pm
I'd be interested to know as well if you e-mailed Britax Angela, I tether DD2's MA to a bar under her seat. I read the manual front and back and didn't see anything about it not tethering it that way, and the only places on the front seats are major PIA, like I have to pry plastic off the seat and dig around. :
post #18 of 27
8/6/07 at 7:47pm
I haven't yet.... might try to tonight.

-Angela
post #19 of 27
8/6/07 at 9:14pm
I'll see what I can dig up. I swear I am not losing my mind
post #20 of 27
8/6/07 at 10:15pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ThreeBeans View Post
I'll see what I can dig up. I swear I am not losing my mind
Oh, I believe you! I just hate issues like this where the manual isn't clear.

-Angela
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