Baby seat fixings

[skoff]

Hi All,

Ok I have done the searches and read the threads... Following the advice of you guys I went in search of a Recaro Start child seat this weekend. I got a chap at Halfords to try fitting one in the back of the Cerb. It fitted (just!) However, you could pull it forward with your hand as it seemed to pivot on the edge of the seat. The chap said that in his opinion it wasn't safe and I tend to agree with him (I mean he had a certificate and everything ), but I am sure the problem can be rectified with the bar and flat board. The trouble is finding one..

I have looked in the classifieds and there is one for sale, but I haven't had a response from the guy yet (plus I don't want the seat, just the fixings).

Does anybody know if & where I might get one?
Thanks!

[RUSSELLM]

There's one bolted behind my passenger seat, but I've a feeling it's going to leave marks when it gets removed.

I'll have a tentative look later.

[FUBAR]

I had the same response from a qualified Halfwits babyseat chap. Basically he's right. Its NOT perfect, but its almost the only option. Ive been using a Start for my kids for 4 years and its better than nothing at all and as the seatbelt passes through the Start's holding brackets/eyes, it stops it rocking too far forward if braking hard, not that you should bve doing that with the kids in of course. As it happens, now the kids are (a big) 3 and 5 years old, I find they fit in the rear seats better without a babyseat. Not leagal maybe, but safer. Go figure?

[skoff]

Thanks! It would also be interesting to know how difficult a job it looks like it is to fit.

Sadly, I think your suspicion is most likely correct that it would leave a mark on the carpet if removed - and holes in the floor and transmission tunnel.

I have put an ad in the classifieds in case anybody has the kit up in their loft somewhere.

[skoff]

I did read on another thread that the bar & board made it a lot better, and this is going to be about the minimum that the wife will accept now after speaking to the 'experts' at Halfords. She is still trying to get over the fact that it doesn't have ISOFIX...

I did suggest that we put the little one in the front seat and she could sit in the back

[touching cloth]

As far as I can tell the Recaro seems to work differently from most child seats, because it is physically using the seat belt as the restraint, it will need to lock up before the seat will be firmly in place (much the same as with an adult sitting in the seat), so yes there will be a bit of movement there in normal circumstances - other more normal seats tend to use friction locks or clips to pull the seatbelt taught and actually pull the seat down and tight so it feels solidly attached - however if the man has said no then you are jiggered really because you'll never clear it with your wife or possibly feel happy with it yourself.

You could try a "solofix" from Argos as it was recommended on here before by someone - I bought one to try (mainly because they are only about £30 and if didn't work in the Cerb then I had another car for it go in anyway). TBH it fitted very well in the Cerb and certainly seemed secure in there without much movement once tightened up (even without the bar). However I reverted to the Recaro because the seat cushion of the solofix was a bit deeper and it meant having the passenger seat even further forward, subsequently wife was not as comfortable as she felt a bit close to the screen. Only problem is that Argos won't have a fitting service and don't imagine Halfords or Mothercare would want to just "check" the fitting of someone elses seat.

[Mars]

We've got Isofix fixings in some of our cars (not the Cerb obviously) but I'm not convinced that the few seats available with Isofix fittings are necessarily the best. I have a mothercare seat without Isofix fittings which my 2 1/2 yo son is much more comfortable in, and looks far better supported in that the Britax Isofix seat we have in the other car. Of the two, I prefer to use the non-Isofix seat in the Cerb anyway.

I have a "proper" Cerb rear seat which fits a littlel better, although I don't have the L-shaped bar and plate but these look extremely easy to make. I have the "top hat" fittings in the floor and gearbox tunnel though, so all I need to do it get hold of a suitable-width tube and have it bent. Making the plate will take about 5 mins max.

Worth mentioning that the plate will only give the seat base more depth. The seatbelt still provides the majority of the support and safety. I have thought about removing the standard lap and diagonals in the rear in favour of a set of harnesses. This would be easy to implement with some suitable steel reinforcement between the fuel tank and the rear of the cockpit walls and parcel shelf, but would require the removal of the fuel tank. I haven't convinced myself that this would be terribly easy yet.

[skoff]

Yes I think I will check out the Solofix (I've got a daily hack that it can go in if it's a no go as a Cerb / wife combo). You can't go too far wrong for £35.

Got a couple of options now, so that's great. It would be a shame to be prevented from going out in the car with the family.

[paulj]

Solofix all the way ! My 14 month old daughter has been in one for the past 5 months in the back of the cerb. I'm happy its safe enough. I dont drive angry when she's in the car anyway.

[skoff]

Hi Paul, do you have the 'bar' fitted?