When I picked up my Defender the first task I undertook was to fit legal child restraints to the 110.
As many posts and questions here have pointed out, this is not an easy task. With a minefield of different state regulations, laws and governance. From the factory there are no ADR approved anchor points in the wagon section of a 110. The tie down points are no good, drilling a hole in the aluminum and adding your own point will not suffice the regulations.
I first visited a regulated child inspection officer at the local Hospital, although very helpful, had no solution other than he knew he couldn't complete the task. It was a good thing to see that the regulations work and it WAS NOT a task someone was going to do to make money over safety.
He pointed me to another installer who had done CRAB's and Posts to have a look. He was puzzled at first, the first option was a CRAB, but couldn't see how it could fit, without and external plate as the correct measurements from the back of the seat, would have placed the bar on a panel that would have needed a bolt through to the outside panel. Not an option here.
After a phone call to "the guy who passes the engineering for RTA" which i think was "Mobility Engineering", we had a solution.
My preference was function over form for this install, the aesthetics where not the driving factor. I wanted a legal install that was not on the floor of the wagon, rather on the wheel arches so i could still install a drawer system. After a few calls and a bit of work, I had a post installed at the rear of the cabin (to meet all of the requirements), and a certificate to show its worth.
I just bought the Yellow Peril from a guy in Canberra who had child restraint anchorages fitted by Canberra Motor Works in April 2005. He also had a Milford cargo barrier fitted but the anchorages are completely independent of the barrier.
It's a very functional fitting but still quite neat and in keeping with the vehicle. Came with an engineering certificate which the NSW RTA accepted yesterday without blinking an eye.
I'll post photos tomorrow when I've got a bit more time.
Nice one. I'm getting a 7 seater with 2 points added think on the floor(don't have it yet so i'm un sure). Its getting done somewherer down Brisbane so when i get it i'll find out where it was done and what it looks like for people up in QLD.
Hi Lightweight. I am currently looking at buying a Defender 90 (MY09) and am up against the same challenge you were in terms of finding a safe and certified (in that order) solution to the absence of anchor points from the factory. Whilst the 110 seems to present some hurdles, it seems that those presented by the 90 are possibly even harder as there is no bench seat. The vehicle is 4 seats, with the rear two being folding seats. I guess from the perspective of an anchor point location, this difference probably is immaterial.
Do you have any suggestions? I was considering calling your guy at "Mobility Engineering". You don't recall his name do you?
I used this combination of threads from the good oil(thanks to AULRO for organizing it!) which led me to get a horizontal bar fitted that runs parrallel to the bench seat and can have fitted up to 3 child seat bolts, this means that it does not eat into load area. The reason that you DONT have to have an external plate is that it is the rim of the ute that you are bolting to(its good enough to tie down heavy loads so will support littlies) and dont need one of those crab bars sticking up out of the floor. http://www.aulro.com/afvb/good-oil/5...-creb-bar.html
Reply With Quote
.
Master
) which led me to get a horizontal bar fitted that runs parrallel to the bench seat and can have fitted up to 3 child seat bolts, this means that it does not eat into load area. The reason that you DONT have to have an external plate is that it is the rim of the ute that you are bolting to(its good enough to tie down heavy loads so will support littlies) and dont need one of those crab bars sticking up out of the floor.
Posting Permissions
Bookmarks