# RF tether points in Honda Odyssey?



## mbhf (Jan 8, 2005)

I am having a tough time finding a good place to tether my 22 month old's boulevard. Right now he is in the middle of the middle row, tethered to where the little table meets the seat between the front seats, I'm describing this terribly, but it was recommended at car-seat.org.

I am 34 weeks pregnant, and I would like to move my 22 month old behind the driver's seat so I can have the baby (in a companion) in the middle. I have poked around a lot but I can't find a place to tether it in that position! I will put the baby on the outside if I need to but I would prefer to have him in the middle.

Help??


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## MeepyCat (Oct 11, 2006)

Is this something the local fire department could maybe help you with?

I haven't seen the Oddysey, and I can't envision the arrangement you're describing.

Most cars manufactured since (I think) 1996 have LATCH attachment points. In my car, there's a little plastic dot on the back seat, right above the attachment point, so if you find the dot, and poke between the seat cushions just below it, there's a metal loop right there. The same is true of my babysitter's Honda.

I'm not sure, though, how *many* attachment points most cars have. They might have put a set of hooks on each of the outside seats, and not done a separate set for the middle.


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## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MeepyCat* 
Is this something the local fire department could maybe help you with?

I haven't seen the Oddysey, and I can't envision the arrangement you're describing.

Most cars manufactured since (I think) 1996 have LATCH attachment points. In my car, there's a little plastic dot on the back seat, right above the attachment point, so if you find the dot, and poke between the seat cushions just below it, there's a metal loop right there. The same is true of my babysitter's Honda.

I'm not sure, though, how *many* attachment points most cars have. They might have put a set of hooks on each of the outside seats, and not done a separate set for the middle.

No, she's talking about RF top tether points. You are talking about lower anchors.

OP, it's hard on newer cars. Slide the front seats up and out of the way, and look around with a flashlight. In newer cars there is usually plastic covering *everything* so you can usually pop that off to find a better tether point.


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## thepeach80 (Mar 16, 2004)

What year is it? My friend has an 04 and we never found a place. We did an 06 once, but it was to the driver's side seatbelt and I hear it slips up the belt rather easily. If it's your van, not leasing or anything, you can probably pop the plastic covers off the back bottom part of the seta and find a spot.


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## Jwebbal (May 31, 2004)

the tether spot for the middle seat is the same as it is for the right seat (behind the passenger seat), the spot referred to on car-seat.org.


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## guestmama9944 (Jun 3, 2007)

I have a 03 and I don't have any problem finding it. What year is it?


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## mbhf (Jan 8, 2005)

I have an 06.


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## guestmama9944 (Jun 3, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *wendyjoe* 
I have a 03 and I don't have any problem finding it. What year is it?

Sorry I was thinking lower anchors too. I can't find anywhere to attach the top tethers to in the far back seat (which I prefer for my twins from time to time).


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## thepeach80 (Mar 16, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *wendyjoe* 
Sorry I was thinking lower anchors too. I can't find anywhere to attach the top tethers to in the far back seat (which I prefer for my twins from time to time).

I think it's at the top of the back 'window' on the door frame.


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## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *thepeach80* 
I think it's at the top of the back 'window' on the door frame.

Yes, check the manual. They are in a weird spot.


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## Novella (Nov 8, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mbhf* 
I am 34 weeks pregnant, and I would like to move my 22 month old behind the driver's seat so I can have the baby (in a companion) in the middle.

Even though the seat is installed rear-facing, can't you still use the same anchor that you use when installing a carseat forward-facing in the middle row? ie. on vans up to and including 2004, it was a loop on the underside of the seat. I think it is the same in the current generation vans (with the exception that the plus one seat does not have a tether position at all for forward-facing). I realize by using the loop underneath the seat that the angle of the tether strap is different, but the point of the tether is to prevent the seat from flipping toward the vehicle's seat back. Is it not recommended for this method of tethering in rear-facing mode?

Quote:


Originally Posted by *wendyjoe* 
I can't find anywhere to attach the top tethers to in the far back seat (which I prefer for my twins from time to time).

I understood this remark to be when carseats are installed forward-facing in the rear bench row. Then, depends what year the van is:
*On 2004 and earlier
*The anchors were along the sill of the open hatch (yes, putting tether straps totally in the way of cargo). Only the center tether anchor was installed on the vehicle at purchase. There were plugs covering the two outboard positions and you had to buy the tether anchors to screw into those threaded holes.
*On 2005 (first year of current generation)*
The anchor was also in the centre of the "sill" of the rear hatch. There were no pre-drilled anchor points for the outboard seats at all (absurd in a late-model family vehicle). We had questioned the dealership about this, they reviewed the manual will us - nope, nothing!
*On 2006*
There were three rear-row tether anchors, and I think they were still located in the hatch "sill".
*Some of the newest ones, not sure which years*
The anchors for the back row are at the base of the seat (I think along the top edge of the cargo well). In this location, the straps do not at all interfere with the cargo area. A simple but important change.

* These are all my experiences with Canadian models although I doubt a detail like this would be different between the Canadian and USA models.


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## mbhf (Jan 8, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Novella* 
Even though the seat is installed rear-facing, can't you still use the same anchor that you use when installing a carseat forward-facing in the middle row?

I believe Britax recently said the tether point must be forward of the seat, so tethering under the seat is not allowed.


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## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mbhf* 
I believe Britax recently said the tether point must be forward of the seat, so tethering under the seat is not allowed.

Tethering to the same seat is not allowed, unless you do the Australian method of RF tethering.


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## guestmama9944 (Jun 3, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Novella* 
I understood this remark to be when carseats are installed forward-facing in the rear bench row. Then, depends what year the van is:
*On 2004 and earlier
*The anchors were along the sill of the open hatch (yes, putting tether straps totally in the way of cargo). Only the center tether anchor was installed on the vehicle at purchase. There were plugs covering the two outboard positions and you had to buy the tether anchors to screw into those threaded holes.

Thanks







I don't remember reading that in my owners manual. I'll either have to look into getting another anchor or just keep them in the middle row. But then what to do when we have another child....

You'd think these car makers would realize that people who buy minivans usually want to stuff them full of kids! lol

Slightly off topic: does anyone else have trouble getting their top anchors to reach? There's barely enough tether for my seats (Triumphs) to reach in the; middle row, if I'm understanding what you're saying about the back row then I doubt my tethers will reach.


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## lizajane30 (Mar 19, 2005)

We recently bought an 05 Ody and found that the previous owners had installed the d-rings for RF tethering on each front seat where the seat is bolted to the frame, meaning we had a great RF tether point for both middle-row captains chairs.

The strap comes from under the plastic covering; they obviously had to pry it off to put the d-rings on. I think a dealer may be able to help you remove these without breaking them, though there are members of carseat.org who have successfully done it themselves. (In fact, if you search "RF tethering in 05 Odyssey" on that site you'll find the thread I started about it, including photos and the opinions of the techs.)

I was really excited when my DH discovered these d-rings--they had been hidden under the floor mats till he cleaned the car--because our DS is still RF, and now with v2.0 just four weeks away we will be able to tether both kids in the middle row.


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## mbhf (Jan 8, 2005)

lizajane30- thank you! I did pry the plastic parts off in my last car, but I didn't want to do it to this one unless I was sure there would be something under there. Especially not 34 weeks pregnant while trying to keep an eye on my other kids in the 90 degree heat.


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## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *lizajane30* 
We recently bought an 05 Ody and found that the previous owners had installed the d-rings for RF tethering on each front seat where the seat is bolted to the frame, meaning we had a great RF tether point for both middle-row captains chairs.

The strap comes from under the plastic covering; they obviously had to pry it off to put the d-rings on. I think a dealer may be able to help you remove these without breaking them, though there are members of carseat.org who have successfully done it themselves. (In fact, if you search "RF tethering in 05 Odyssey" on that site you'll find the thread I started about it, including photos and the opinions of the techs.)

I was really excited when my DH discovered these d-rings--they had been hidden under the floor mats till he cleaned the car--because our DS is still RF, and now with v2.0 just four weeks away we will be able to tether both kids in the middle row.

You mean they bolted something to the floor? That is not an acceptable location for RF tethering.


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## lizajane30 (Mar 19, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *an_aurora* 
You mean they bolted something to the floor? That is not an acceptable location for RF tethering.

No, they are connected to the front seat "rail" where it is bolted to the frame. The place they are looped does not move when the seat moves. There's a little cut-out where they looped the d-ring through. IIRC there were other Ody owners/CPSTs who chimed in to that thread confirming that this was an acceptable tether anchor location.


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## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *lizajane30* 
No, they are connected to the front seat "rail" where it is bolted to the frame. The place they are looped does not move when the seat moves. There's a little cut-out where they looped the d-ring through. IIRC there were other Ody owners/CPSTs who chimed in to that thread confirming that this was an acceptable tether anchor location.

Ok, I understand now. I thought you meant they bolted something to the floor


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