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Date:         Mon, 18 Nov 2002 04:25:29 EST
Reply-To:     BenTbtstr8@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Ben T <BenTbtstr8@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Child seat/jumpseat compatibility?
Comments: To: jessica@LUNULA.COM
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

In a message dated 11/17/02 11:53:49 PM Pacific Standard Time, jessica@LUNULA.COM writes:

<< I have another question for your collective wisdom. Do any of you have experience putting a child safety seat into the rear-facing jumpseats found in Carat & Wolfy Vanagons? The year of the van is '87 Wolfsburg. Seats and belts are in good shape.>>

I did not know that the 87 Wolfsburg Edition haad rear facing jumpseats. The only ones I have ever seen have a single rear facing seat with storage or an ice box underneath. It is just to the rear of the driver's side. The back of the passenger side usually has the removable 12c/110ac mini-fridge. Maybe this is the seat that you are talking about. It is bolted to a steel box which is bolted to the floor. Come equipped with one set of seat belts. If it is equipped to handle the weight of an adult, it should have no problems handling the weight of a child plus the properly attached child safety seat.

<< Just wondering if there are any safety issues I should be aware of. For example, are the jump seats large enough to hold a full-sized toddler carseat (not infant seat)? Are the seats bolted to the frame, or just to the sheet metal floor of the van? (Actually, that last question applies to the rear bench as well.) All info received with gratitude. >>

For clarification purposes, I am defining "jumpseats" as those seats which can be folded up and removed by pulling on it's attachment knob. I want to clarify this so that there is no misunderstanding as to method of attachment. This is different from the Wolfsburg rear facing seat as that is bolted to a box which is bolted to the van sheetmetal floor.

Jumpseats are bolted to a frame which is bolted to the front wheel housing/battery box structure. There is a bottom stud made to fit into a receptacle which is welded to the floor. Care should be taken by those who want to add jumpseats to vans not so equipped. Please pmail me before you do so. Anyway, jumpseats came on both aft of the driver's side as well as the passenger side.

Care should be taken to attach the child's seat as the belts face "the wrong way". I'm not sure what you mean by a "full size child's seat". If it is similar in attachment methods to the infant seats, you would have to belt them in facing backwards. I would think that should be fine if it is just a form of a booster seat. Infant seats are another story as many are designed to be rear facing to begin with. There should be a rear anchor made to secure the rear of the seat to the floor while the belt is used to secure the front part of the seat. I may not be making sense to most of you. I'm trying to say infant seat on jumpseat should have the infant facing forward instead of back. Has to do with the direction the belts are designed to work. Should anchor rear of seat (nearest child's head) to the floor using auxiliary anchor. How's that?

IMHO the rear seat in can be used like any other automotive bench. In which case the rear of the child's seat should have the rear anchored by an auxiliary belt as well.

I am a firm believer in child safety seats. My eldest daughter was entrapped in an infant seat when a 3/4 ton truck the back end of my ex-wife's bug. The bug was literally folded over in back. When they cut the car away, she was safety ensconced in that Strolee brand car seat. I promptly bought several Strolee seats for each of my vehicles. Six years later, my second daughter was in my ex's 320i BMW when a Chevy El Camino broadsided them. The car was totaled. The passenger side door was hit and pushed almost clear to the middle of the car. My daughter's car seat was push 2 feet inwards. She came through unscathed thanks to the car seat.

Each time, it was determined that the car seats were highly effective because the seats were properly anchored. Seat belts with locks on the bottom. Auxiliary anchor to the rear.

BenT father of two husband to none. bane to mike miller


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