Child Restraints 2005 GU
Submitted: Friday, Jun 16, 2006 at 14:33
ThreadID:
34982
Views:
6398
Replies:
5
FollowUps:
3
This Thread has been Archived
TJ Hach (VIC)
Afternoon all,
Currently have two boys (both under 5) and associated child seats nicely secured in my 2005 GU Patrol using the two factory fitted anchor points. We now have number 3 on the way and my attention has now turned to trying to fit a third anchor point. However to my dismay the third and final anchor point in the Patrol is located where one of the third row of seats use to exist, now replaced by a draw system. To date the only solution I have been given is to install a crab bar, but will require the removal of my draw system and then some major modifications to the _Affordable_Storage_Drawers.aspx to get them back in. (I know this is a small sacrifice to make when we are talking about kids lives.)
As one of the boys is coming to the age where he will move into a booster
seat no longer requiring the use of an anchor point, I have also enquired as to whether the lap sash
seat belt located in the middle of the rear seats, unsuitable as it currently is for use with a booster
seat, can be replaced with another retractable over the should/lap
seat belt as currrently exists for the driver/passenger...but this can't be done either.
How do others with three kids cope with this type of vehicle and fitting three child restraints? When the kids are old enough, do people actually use the lap/sash
seat belt in the middle rear of the vehicle, or is just a matter of pulling out the _Affordable_Storage_Drawers.aspx and cargo barrier and reinstall the back row of seats and invest in a camper to cart all the gear.
Thanks in advance.
TJ
Reply By: Member - Roachie (SA) - Friday, Jun 16, 2006 at 16:46
Friday, Jun 16, 2006 at 16:46
Like soooo many other things I have previously or currently done to my Patrol, my solution to that dilemma was probably not legal. However, I was always satisfied that my solution was based on sound engineering and thankfully my handiwork was never put to the
test!!!
Here's what I did. I have a Milford cargo barrier. I got a lump of flat steel bar (known as a cross arm brace off a power pole) and mounted that that the same height as the top of the middle row of seats. It was mounted horizontally across the cargo side of the cargo barrier and held in place by a bolt with large washer and the lug for attachment of the baby
seat was located on the front side.
This meant that the 'weight' of the baby
seat + baby was borne by the whole cargo barrier in the event of a frontal collision.
As I said, probably broke about 987982439876436743150 ADR's by doing it that way, but as far as i was concerned it was as safe as the anchor points done by the factory. Have you seen them from underneath? Basically a captive nut welded onto the bottom of the floor/body with a reinforcing washer about 50mm in diameter. To my way of thinking, in a full collision, my set-up would be AT LEAST as safe, because the weight is spread across the whole barrier which is anchored to the Patrol at 4 locations.
If you don't have a cargo barrier,
well, IMHO you bloody-
well should!!! hahahaha
Cheers and good luck with the dilemma,
Roachie
AnswerID:
178820