Date:         Tue, 21 Apr 2009 09:04:08 -0400
Reply-To:     The Bus Depot <vanagon@BUSDEPOT.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         The Bus Depot <vanagon@BUSDEPOT.COM>
Subject:      Re: Adding a baby seat to my Westfalia
In-Reply-To:  <D7F683238C044E5285E5CCA82B54654C@CSPFR2>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

> My 85 Westfalia only has lap belts, not 3 point belts
> although i would like to add those at some point.

VW offered 3-point rear seatbelts for the Vanagon, and made the passenger
side available as a retrofit for the VW Camper. (You can do the driver side
too if you want to put a hole in your wardrobe cabinet.)  Years ago I
installed a passenger side one for my daughter's front-facing car seat. Now
she's 10 and I still feel much better having a 3-point belt for her instead
of just a lap belt.

The VW kit uses the stock mounting points that are already welded to your
van under the panel. Because it is factory engineered for this specific
mounting point in this specific vehicle, , I feel safer with it than with an
aftermarket kit that has not actually been crash tested. Factory
instructions are included, and the installation is easy since the factory
mounts for it are already there. If you plan to add 3 point belts in the
future my advice would be to do it soon. VW is discontinuing Vanagon parts
at a fast clip, and all it would take would be for a single piece in the
mounting kit to go obsolete and then you could no longer do the factory
retrofit.  Here is what you will need:

http://busdepot.com/details.jsp?partnumber=253857816D (3 point belt only -
passenger side)

http://busdepot.com/details.jsp?partnumber=253857816D (3 point belt only -
drivers side)

http://busdepot.com/details.jsp?partnumber=253857749D (buckle section - only
needed if installing in 1980-84)

http://busdepot.com/details.jsp?partnumber=253857816KIT (parts kit &
instructions, does 1 side)

- Ron Salmon
  The Bus Depot, Inc.
  www.busdepot.com
  (215)  234-VWVW

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