Date: Sat, 29 Mar 2008 12:39:10 -0400
Reply-To: Mike <mbucchino@CHARTER.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Mike <mbucchino@CHARTER.NET>
Subject: Re: Convertible car seat for Vanagon - Canadian Safety Standards
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
reply-type=original
Shawn,
I can't say it's a good idea to engineer your own child seat restraints.
Using 600lb chain? Did you do an analysis to determine the average forward
G-forces generated during a crash at so-many miles-per-hour and calculate
the weights of your 2 kids buckled into thier seats, both yanking on that 1
length of chain? I bet not. It's your kids lives and health riding on it.
What about when the chain breaks loose and becomes a hard object to whip
around and do some really serious damage? What is the strength rating of
the quick-links? A chain is only as strong as it's weakest link, right?
IMHO, it's not a very smart move in that dept. I have 3 kids of my own, 3
kids and a grandkid of my wife's, so I do have a little bit of experience
with buckling kiddies in safely.
Also, is it ever a good practice to purchase junkyard seatbelts? After
all, they're only designed to be good for one crash, and then they should be
replaced. Even earlier, if they're defective in any way (worn, weathered,
torn, frayed, stretched, aging, etc.).
I don't think it's a good idea to 'advertise' your home-brewed safety
measures as a 'good way of doing things' to others on the list, either.
Mike B.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Shawn Wright" <vwdiesels@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Saturday, March 29, 2008 12:02 PM
Subject: Re: Convertible car seat for Vanagon - Canadian Safety Standards
> It's there on my '88 CDN model Westy, and I have installed shoulder belts
> from a '90 model
> on the right side. I plan to do the left side once I get around to pulling
> the cabinets. Our kids
> are 9 and 10, so I've been through all this, and the only way I was happy
> with the front facing
> seat was to make a rear anchor by running a piece of chain between the two
> seat mounting
> bolts*, then clipping the seat's rear mount belt clip into the chain link.
> This would allow me to
> make both seats very secure, by adjusting the rear strap tight enough so
> when the lap belt
> was clipped in, the seat was wedged very tightly into the foam.
>
> *the seat mounting "bolts" I mean are the large philips head machine
> screws visible on the
> rear deck just behind the seat at each corner. I removed them, and
> installed a standard metal
> car seat anchor hook, then a washer, then a longer bolt. I then linked the
> chain using
> threaded quick links at each side, and left the chain loose enough that it
> would reach about
> 1/2 way up the seat when attached to the car seat strap. The chain was
> chosen large enough
> that the car seat clips fit into the links, and has a breaking strength of
> at least 600lbs IIRC.
> I've used the same stuff to lift engines with... :-)
>
> All that said, since you will eventually want shoulder belts anyway, you
> may be able to devise
> a system using the rear should belt that works well also, and just do
> that. I got my belts and
> all the pieces for about $100 from a wrecker, and pulled them myself, so I
> could see exactly
> how they installed, and got the plastic trim piece for the side panels,
> etc.
>
> On 29 Mar 2008 at 8:21, Paul Guzyk <paullist08@GUZYK.COM> wrote:
>
>> According to GoWesty there is a threaded anchor behind the rear side
>> panel.
>>
>> "The reel mounts into a factory threaded hole - no drilling or
>> welding is required"
>>
>> Perhaps see if the threaded hole exists on your Cdn van then use it
>> to hold your existing seat securely?
>>
>> http://gowesty.com/ec_view_details.php?id=3218&search_phrase=child%20seat%20anch
>> or&start=60
>>
>> item kt-122
>>
>> >I'm hoping the list can help me purchase the appropriate car seat for my
>> >toddler who has outgrown her rear facing infant seat. I drive a 86
>> >Westy
>
>
> Shawn Wright
> http://members.shaw.ca/vwdiesels
> '88 Westy 1.6TD 5 speed
> '85 Jetta Diesel 1.6NA
>
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