Child Seat Anchor Tether

DryCreek · 05-17-2017, 01:36 PM

OK, I've gone through the owners manual for our RV, and it states that the child seat anchor tethers should be located behind the forward-facing seats of the dinette (page 3-3). That would put them right at the little "pantry" (their words, not mine) cabinet at the entry door. I have looked all around that area, and inside the pantry and still do not see one. Could they/it have been removed by a previous owner? If we do not have one, I guess that I could order one and install it myself. I've even looked below the dinette seats. We have two forward facing seatbelts at the dinette, so should I expect to find two tethers?

2006 Winnebago Sightseer Special Edition 29R.

Skip426 · 05-17-2017, 06:36 PM

Operative word is; " SHOULD " to me that means , it's not there , that's where they would expect you to put one in, if necessary.

DryCreek · 05-18-2017, 05:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skip426

Operative word is; " SHOULD " to me that means , it's not there , that's where they would expect you to put one in, if necessary.

By reading the manual, I thought that they came as standard equipment. Also, the e-mail response from W Industries intimated that there should be one in the location I was looking.

I didn't see one. Nor did I see the holes that were supposed to be there according to the prints sent to me showing all holes drilled for fixtures/etc. in floor.

Is that supposed to be an owner-added item?

Skip426 · 05-18-2017, 09:49 AM

For years in automotive; after the child seats were introduced; there was a location for the installation of the tether , in the rear window parcel shelf.
There was no hole in the shelf material , just one in the metal backing .
Purchasing the " kit " from the vehicle manufacturer , got you the tether, a bolt, special washers, spacers and a template that showed where to cut the parcel shelf to find the bolt hole. It took years before the actual tether became standard equipment.
If you have a print out showing a hole location , that hole may only exist in the floor reinforcement , not all the way through the floor .
Can you see the seat belt bolts , if you look under the coach ?
The same reinforced area where the seat belts are bolted down , is probably where the tether would bolt down.

Larry Mac01 · 05-18-2017, 09:49 AM

RV industry is not required to have them installed. This requires the owner to take the responsibility. If an RV manufacturer added the item and it failed, then they would be liable. This way the consumer would be liable. It's one of the primary reasons I am leaning toward a fifth wheel now as I am not confident of the safety of the grandkids in a MH.

mikeannetta · 05-18-2017, 11:07 AM

I have a '16 Sunstar. The Tether was under the forward seat but was turned in. See if yours might be that way? Fingers Crossed.

Hikerdogs · 05-18-2017, 03:46 PM

The tether loop in our 2013 Adventurer was already installed. There is a picture of it on page 3-4 of the operators manual. If you download the operators manual from the Winnebago website at least you can see what the tether is supposed to look like.

We have a dinette on the passengers side just ahead of the entry door. The tether is easily visible when we enter the coach. It's located in a position that makes it hard to sweep the floor, and it's easy to stumble over. If your floor plan is like ours it's possible the previous owner removed it.

DryCreek · 05-19-2017, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hikerdogs

The tether loop in our 2013 Adventurer was already installed. There is a picture of it on page 3-4 of the operators manual. If you download the operators manual from the Winnebago website at least you can see what the tether is supposed to look like.

We have a dinette on the passengers side just ahead of the entry door. The tether is easily visible when we enter the coach. It's located in a position that makes it hard to sweep the floor, and it's easy to stumble over. If your floor plan is like ours it's possible the previous owner removed it.

Our floorplans do indeed sound similar, and I am thinking that is probably what happened. I have gone over the carpet looking for the small holes, but I haven't fond them yet.

I have the full Winnebago satchel and the wire-bound owners manual. They clearly show a picture of it installed on page 3-3 of our manual.

Larry Mac01 · 05-19-2017, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hikerdogs

The tether loop in our 2013 Adventurer was already installed. There is a picture of it on page 3-4 of the operators manual. If you download the operators manual from the Winnebago website at least you can see what the tether is supposed to look like.

We have a dinette on the passengers side just ahead of the entry door. The tether is easily visible when we enter the coach. It's located in a position that makes it hard to sweep the floor, and it's easy to stumble over. If your floor plan is like ours it's possible the previous owner removed it.

Winnebago does more than most, but there shouldn't be just one tether per seat.
There should be two at each side of the toddler seat base and one behind near the top of the seat in the middle. That is what you should have for every toddler seat. At a minimum at least the two at the seat base. The two at the seat base should be bolted to the frame of the RV or something already bolted to the frame.
Anything else is unacceptable. Check with companies that fabricate safety items in cars and buses for the disabled-- they will have lots of experience and will do it right.

DryCreek · 05-20-2017, 08:17 AM

OK, as suggested I looked in the bay under the dinette to find where the seatbelts are anchored (still need to have recall done!). There I found the two holes where the tether anchor should have been installed. I used a piece of wire to push up into the holes and pierce the carpeting. As it turns out, the anchor would have been mounted in the small cabinet right behind the dinette (called a "pantry" by the literature).

To see the floorplan of the 2006 Sightseer 29R, you can go here to download the brochure. The plans are on page 5 of 8.

So, I guess it is back to contacting W Industries and see what they recommend. I can mount the anchor myself and just remove the door when needed (maybe once per year) and reinstall when done. Well, that is if the don't see a problem with how the tether would be routed.