freds boss Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 Hi Everyone as a newby of one week I need some help please. I have just got a little Ford Freda and old one but I am thrilled with it. My problem is this:- I need to put my grandsons car seat in as hes only three not safe without just yet. My home has only got lap seat belts in the back from the conversion, and I dont how to overcome this problem. I have still got 2 belts in the side but nothing to fasten them to. Has anyone any ideas please. Freds boss Viv :-o Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horse444 Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 hi, we transport children in our business, and we use a harness type with a fixing to floor, but maybe it would be better to get intouch with Britax or manufactures of childrens products and they could suggest something. *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freds boss Posted July 16, 2008 Author Share Posted July 16, 2008 Thank you it seems a difficult job as you need to rearrange the inside to get a three point belt to attach. I might ask the garage where I bought my little ford fred from, I cant be the only one in the world to have this problem. Freds b oss Viv Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rupert123 Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 freds boss - 2008-07-16 12:08 PM Hi Everyone as a newby of one week I need some help please. I have just got a little Ford Freda and old one but I am thrilled with it. My problem is this:- I need to put my grandsons car seat in as hes only three not safe without just yet. My home has only got lap seat belts in the back from the conversion, and I dont how to overcome this problem. I have still got 2 belts in the side but nothing to fasten them to. Has anyone any ideas please. Freds boss Viv :-o Their is a web site called Bongofury, as you will know your van is same as Mazda Bongo. Answers to most things about these vans are on their. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikey72 Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 If you can't find a child seat approved for use with a lap belt only, (there are a few, but very rare as testing and type approval is usually limited to three point seat belts only nowadays, Britax Freeway is one), can't you put the child in the front passenger seat? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davenewellhome Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 This is intended as an observation and not a criticism (although I'm sure somebody will be offended :-S ) but I'm constantly amazed at the number of people who buy a camper/motorhome of whatever type and then want to retro fit seat belts for the grandchildren. If carrying your children's progeny is important then why not put seat belts at the top of the priority list when searching out your next camper/motorhome purchase? Fred's boss, why can the child seat not be fitted to the front passenger seat where there is a three point belt already? D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikey72 Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 Well, in my case it's because I couldn't afford a new enough camper to have seat belts already fitted in the back. We can't all afford £30,000 + for a new van, and anything over a few years old may have lap belts if you're lucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 Even motorhomes of £10,000 value have 3 point seat-belts in the back, we used to have one of 1991 vintage, you don't have to spend a lot, it's a matter of looking around. However, that's all immaterial seeing as the camper has been bought so solutions to the problem, if it can be solved, is what is required. I wonder if it is possible to retro fit 3 points belts as it may well be that the anchor points are still there but just hidden by the cabinets/upholstery etc? It may, however, prove costly especially if a new rear seat base, with a steel 'frame' needs to be installed, in which case the only solution might be to change the van. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordThornber Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 Seat belts for children? Sounds like a good swap to me.. Martyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davenewellhome Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 mikey72 - 2008-07-18 7:47 AM Well, in my case it's because I couldn't afford a new enough camper to have seat belts already fitted in the back. We can't all afford £30,000 + for a new van, and anything over a few years old may have lap belts if you're lucky. Told you someone would get the 'ump! (lol) We don't all run £30,000 'vans you know, our current motorhome was a lot less than that ;-) . My point is simply that if transporting young children is an important role for your prospective motorhome then you would do better to aim for one with three point seat belts already fitted instead of buying a 'van and then asking where and how you can get the necessary restraints fitted. D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikey72 Posted July 19, 2008 Share Posted July 19, 2008 davenewell@home - 2008-07-18 8:03 PM We don't all run £30,000 'vans you know, our current motorhome was a lot less than that ;-) . D. Does it have three point seat belts in the back? Because that was my point, as they weren't fitted on most older campers, only newer ones, maybe that's why there are so many questions on retro fitting them. Merely putting seat belts at the top of the priority list when searching out the next camper/motorhome purchase tends to remove any affordable prospective purchase from the list. I had to retro fit lap belts into mine for exactly this reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davenewellhome Posted July 19, 2008 Share Posted July 19, 2008 No Mike my 'van doesn't have rear seat belts fitted but then I didn't require them. If rear seatbelts had been a requirement I would have searched for a 'van within budget with them fitted. The problem with retro fitting seatbelts, especially three point belts into a coachbuilt for example, is the amount of work it takes to fit them often makes it a very expensive exercise. D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikey72 Posted July 19, 2008 Share Posted July 19, 2008 Good luck, you'd still be searching. That's why we retro-fit them. And come next year when you can't use the un-belted seats in the back, (if any belts are fitted to even one of the existing seats), I'm sure you'll get even more questions of this type. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djchapple Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 Th law states that a child of a certain age must be carried in a specially designed and tested car seat fitted correctly the vehicle - and that means via a properly fitted three point seat belt. If you can't carry your grandchild safely then don't carry him at all. Surely his safety is paramount. How you you live with yourself if something happened to him because of inadequate safety? Get a three point belt fitted if at all possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david lloyd Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 Hi Fred's boss Mikey72 and Dave Newell (in between exchanging good buying advice!) both offer the best immediate solution - fix the child car seat in the front passenger seat. Any adults can (legally) use the lap belts in the rear. Enjoy the camper. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freds boss Posted July 22, 2008 Author Share Posted July 22, 2008 Thank you all for your coments, I did not know we had lap belts in the back, I did tell you I was a beginner. As I saw the belts down the side of the camper I assumed that they were working. We can put the seat on the front as there is no passengers airbag. Whislt I have successfully used his chair for three years and now he needs to move up one. I had already purchsed my larger chair. I did not know lap belts are n ot legal for small children. However putting him in the front does pose another problem I am carsick in the back so I would have to drive all the time and deing not a well person and disabled I might not feel saffe to drive. This little camper has been purchsed for me as I housebound. We will no doubt find a solution and once again thankyou for taking the time to answer. I would dearly love one of the larger ones but with 3* tastes and only 1* money I got the best I could. Freds boss Viienne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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