Baby on Board (DEFENDER)

[rumman43]

hi there. my wife and i arfe expecting our first bub early in the new year..

I would appreciate any feed abck from people thaT have young kids and a defender..

E.g too noisy
baby seat issues
ease of access etc etc
any advice will be great...

cheers ab

[Gillie]

Biggest issue is the lack of a child restraint. There are a few threads on this. Do a search for some solutions to the problem.

[Gillie]

These will get you started.

http://aulro.com/afvb/showthread.php...hild+restraint

http://aulro.com/afvb/showthread.php...hild+restraint

http://aulro.com/afvb/showthread.php...hild+restraint

http://aulro.com/afvb/showthread.php...hild+restraint

[boggo]

Gday Ab,

I have no probs at all. You can get a crab bar that will take 3 seats from seat builder in Hornsby(NSW). It was originally designed by Land Rover, (he bought the design of them), and actually bolts through the steel cappinig that runs around the top of the "tray" under the windows so the whole "it's only bolted through alloy" is a non-issue. There are lots of seat fitters out there who have NO IDEA when it comes to Defenders, so don't believe the hype.
Noise aint a problem, my little one sleeps no worries going through all sorts of stuff. No access issues either, but that may depend on how tall you are!! I reckon it would be great for a little one, cause where they are positioned means they are right in the action!!
Matt
Layback seats; (02) 9987 1333; 8/45 Sailsbury road, Hornsby.NSW (thats the guy)

[haggisbasher]

only thing to remember, as others have said, is to get a crab bar.

noise is/was a concern for me but will fix that with some of Inc's matting.

also...lack of central locking (on mine atleast) is a scutter but not a major concern. I have a remote c/locking thing to fit.

The kids LOVE being in the bulldozer.....nice and high up!

[abaddonxi]

Defender is great with kids, that thumping diesel keeps them asleep, no worries.

There are several solutions to the child restraint problem. Because Defenders are not classed as a truck by RTA, etc. they don't have anchor points for child restraints. Any authorised fitting station - call/web RTA for locations near you, will fit a crab bar which goes across the vehicle. There are also floor mounted bars. The difference between them is that a crab bar will fit up to three seats, the floor mounted bar will fit only one.

This only applies to Defender 110s.

If you have a 130 or a single cab you are in a whole world of trouble. A crab bar will not fit.

I made up a custom bar, after getting quotes that ranged from $800-$2500 for a bar to be built and installed. I had it checked by an automotive engineer, who approved it on inspection, but couldn't give me the paper because there isn't enough clearance behind the seats to access the anchor point according to RTA specs. BTW there is more room to reach behind the seats than a Hilux with anchor points, so there isn't much in it.

I have plans, etc for my bar if you are interested.

Cheers
Simon

[twitchy]

Nota Fender but my 2 kids always love being in the Disco & sleep wonderful in the bush.

[Michael2]

The restraint bar is good, but it is a NSW specific solution, as their engineers won't allow the seatbelt restraints to go at more than a 45deg angle behind the seats. In Victoria, engineers will approve / recommend floor anchorages on the wheel arches (check about bolt size/thread/strength). Check your local legislation in WA and speak to an engineer there.

As far as comfort, the kids prefer the Defender to the Range Rover, and with the back seat being higher, it affords them good vision.

As they get older, you may want to consider head restraints for the back seat. I've priced those locally, but my kids are still short enough for me to wait and see whether I might be able to get a back seat from a 2007 model after they arrive. They look a lot more civilised. Other options would be bolt on cushions to the cargo barrier at head height.

Noise isn't such an issue at speeds below 110kph. Just know that you'll need to speak up a bit as you're facing forward and they're behind. But you shouldn't miss any of they're screams .

[EchiDna]

to my understanding, the laws regarding crab bars and the like are state specific - depending where you are the rules will vary... I've no idea on WA, so I'd seek local advice as many of the threads above are about things that are NSW/QLD law.
For victoria, the info is here:
http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/NR/rd...name=VSI17.pdf

basically it tells you that you can self install if the vehicle didn't come with mounting points, but seek professional advice if you are unsure - quite different from other states where an engineer's input is mandatory.

[EchiDna]

http://www.dpi.wa.gov.au/mediaFiles/...ic_IB-118A.pdf

it's lunchtime, I'm being slack... found the WA legislation for ya