Car seats are a problem.  I have researched this topic and found few
options as the kids exceed 50#.  It is now recommended that until kids
reach 80# they should use belt positioning boosters.  As you know, this
is not an option for the Westy's like my '82.

I have found various harnesses and 5pt carseats.  I am offering for
sale an Evenflo rated to 60# now (25 and SHI) but the easiest to use
option has to be the Britax "Husky".  This is a robust, 5pt seat rated
to 80# that looks like it could be used as an adults seat.  It is
approved for use with lap belt only though you are supposed to tether
it when the kids are over 50#.  A thether can easily be added to the
back of the bench seat.  It should be possible to retrofit the new
universal seat LATCH system though you would be the engineer on that.
VW could (probably would not) not provide any guidance on this, I
checked with VWoA on this.

Our girl is happy  to use her "big girl" seat and I feel confident to
recommend it as the seat of choice for toddler and up.  These seats are
pricey, $235 retail but are often on Ebay at ~ $185, this from parents
whose kids rebel.  If the kids rebel at the idea of a bigger car seat,
well that is really a matter of indoctrination.  Parents can sell the
idea of the "big boy-girl" seat or you can just do the no seat-no go
threat, that is up to the parent-  but they should really really be in
a seat of some kind.
We have a shoulder belt that I will instal "one of these days".  Until
then, and after, the  Husky is our choice for child safety.

On Thursday, Jun 3, 2004, at 05:12 US/Pacific, joe trussell wrote:

> With a carseat in the middle back of the 4Runner, the front seats
> could not
> be moved completely back.

> I've read in the archives of people retrofitting shoulder belts in to
> the
> rear seats in older vanagons.  That will probably be what we do.  Or,
> if it
> becomes apparent that the Vanagon doesn't suit our needs, we'll bit the
> bullet and find something that will.  If fatherhood has taught me
> anything
> thus far, it's that I gotta be flexible...
>
> Joe T.
> '85GL
>
>> From: "Aristotle Sagan" <killer_jupiter@hotmail.com>
>> Nope, no way. The kids like the 84 van but ya know, no shoulder
>> belts, no
>> rides. As soon as the kids were out of baby seats, the van became a
>> extra.

Edward Lowe
Seattle, WA
82 Westy Diesel upgraded to 1.9lt. Turbo
85 Golf Diesel 1.6lt NA
92 Cabrio 1.8lt gas
97 Passat Tdi