Installing 3 point seat belts in back of T25

Thin bits of metal and bright blue light. Including glass & trim.

Moderators: User administrators, Moderators

User avatar
Fisch
Registered user
Posts: 5
Joined: 07 Jul 2013, 07:47
80-90 Mem No: 12549
Location: Crewe, Cheshire

Re: Installing 3 point seat belts in back of T25

Post by Fisch »

is that 2 inertias from the one corner? How safe is it, assume instead of the lapbelt....
1989 Holdsworth Vision, 1.9 petrol.

User avatar
clift_d
Registered user
Posts: 3413
Joined: 04 Oct 2012, 23:51
80-90 Mem No: 11695
Location: Hackney innit

Re: Installing 3 point seat belts in back of T25

Post by clift_d »

That's basically what we have installed - two 3-point inertia belts from the same corner. The only difference between the picture and ours is that one of our belts (the one nearest the door) is the Brickwerks kit, and so the inertia reel is hidden behind the side panelling. It seems to be perfectly safe from a passenger point of view. The two fixing points across the lap are the original VW anchor points, and the over-the-shoulder fixing point is pretty much in line with the run of the belt so won't pull the passenger to one side when it tightens in an incident. The only thing that makes it seem a bit weird is that both the shoulder belts go over the right shoulder instead of being mirrored for the two passengers.

:ok
1988 LHD T25 1.6TD Westfalia Club Joker Hightop syncro

LeeCarey
Registered user
Posts: 53
Joined: 20 Mar 2006, 13:56
80-90 Mem No: 4966
Location: Sutton

Re: Installing 3 point seat belts in back of T25

Post by LeeCarey »

Hi All, Having the same issue. The Stalk is a bit long for the child seat we were after. Did you find there was quite a bit of play in the rock n roll cushions with the baby seat on there too. Whats been your experience with finding the right car seat and any suggestions. Did you have to make any alterations to the bed, remove the cushion so directly on the wood for example or anything else.

Ideally were looking for rear facing for as long as possible but with the limited length of the seat belt, no isofix (obviously) and the soft cushions on the bed was wondering how you all got on

Many Thanks

Lee
Club 80-90 Member 4966
T25 Transporter 1984
2.0l CU Engine

User avatar
clift_d
Registered user
Posts: 3413
Joined: 04 Oct 2012, 23:51
80-90 Mem No: 11695
Location: Hackney innit

Re: Installing 3 point seat belts in back of T25

Post by clift_d »

We got our van when our kids were already in forward facing seats, although I have experienced issues with seat belts in the back not being long enough for backwards facing seats in other vehicles, so I wouldn't be surprised if you find the same. We used a type of seat in the back where the belt clamped between a rigid base and the tilting seat, and as a result we found that the longer receiver stalks didn't allow the seatbelt to be tightened properly. So we bought a couple of shorter receivers from the people who had fitted one of our belts - Seatbelt Services. The new receivers only just stick up a few centimetres above the seat cushion and have worked fine with different types of seat.

In terms of the bench seat, we haven't had to make any alterations at all.
1988 LHD T25 1.6TD Westfalia Club Joker Hightop syncro

User avatar
nobbyfox
Registered user
Posts: 231
Joined: 20 Jul 2011, 19:38
80-90 Mem No: 9991
Location: Surrey

Re: Installing 3 point seat belts in back of T25

Post by nobbyfox »

Danmetallic, That's how my seat belts are fitted in my T25 Westy. Employed Seat belt Services to do mine. T25's Westy's have the bolt holes for the belts hidden behind the panel. Very neat and work a treat. :ok

Steve
Westfalia pop-top 1990 1.6JX

dcfb77
Registered user
Posts: 178
Joined: 04 Jan 2010, 17:16
80-90 Mem No: 8259

Re: Installing 3 point seat belts in back of T25

Post by dcfb77 »

Also used Seat Belt Services and highly recommend them.

Fitted 2x 3 point belts in colour of my choice. Came out to do it at my home and was done in a few hours.
RHD Syncro twin slider (AGG) - orange

Tobias13
Registered user
Posts: 192
Joined: 03 Mar 2015, 21:45
80-90 Mem No: 14723
Location: Wales

Re: Installing 3 point seat belts in back of T25

Post by Tobias13 »

I took the ceiling mounted twin tongue belts from the rear centre of a people carrier and fixed them to the rear overhead beam.

fixed using the usual mounts for a strong fix and can be fully retracted when not in use, using bed etc!!
T25 holdsworth high top, 1.9dg LPG!!

bluebus1987
Registered user
Posts: 254
Joined: 06 Jul 2014, 22:40
80-90 Mem No: 15052
Location: bradwell derbyshire

Re: Installing 3 point seat belts in back of T25

Post by bluebus1987 »

Tobias13 wrote:I took the ceiling mounted twin tongue belts from the rear centre of a people carrier and fixed them to the rear overhead beam.

fixed using the usual mounts for a strong fix and can be fully retracted when not in use, using bed etc!!

Thats exactly what I've been thinking of. Have you got any pictres?

Tobias13
Registered user
Posts: 192
Joined: 03 Mar 2015, 21:45
80-90 Mem No: 14723
Location: Wales

Re: Installing 3 point seat belts in back of T25

Post by Tobias13 »

have a look on this thread, and scroll down. you can just about make them out!!

https://club8090.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=143158" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
T25 holdsworth high top, 1.9dg LPG!!

User avatar
mr_nunn
Registered user
Posts: 158
Joined: 20 Feb 2015, 16:37
80-90 Mem No: 14273
Location: Walthamstow, London

Re: Installing 3 point seat belts in back of T25

Post by mr_nunn »

Just got flyered by Seatbelt Service - they must've been traipsing around London looking for campers! The pic on their flyer (below) looks to be a t25 westy and the solution looks clever, with the 'lap' section of the middle-seat belt having a clip at both ends, presumably so the whole thing can retract out the way for camping, bed out etc. Am tempted to give them a call (first time a windscreen flyer has ever worked on me!). Anyone know of any down sides to this and is it all ok with the mot testers?

Image
1981 2.0L CU Westfalia pop-top

User avatar
clift_d
Registered user
Posts: 3413
Joined: 04 Oct 2012, 23:51
80-90 Mem No: 11695
Location: Hackney innit

Re: Installing 3 point seat belts in back of T25

Post by clift_d »

The belt on the right in the picture is the same as ours in the same position. For the belt on the left we have the Brickwerks kit installed which hides the retractor reel behind the paneling. Neither has been a problem in terms of MOT or insurance.
1988 LHD T25 1.6TD Westfalia Club Joker Hightop syncro

keynsham1
Registered user
Posts: 437
Joined: 27 Sep 2015, 06:41
80-90 Mem No: 0

Re: Installing 3 point seat belts in back of T25

Post by keynsham1 »

I have a Renault Scenic which has a roof mounted rear middle seat belt. It is pulled over the shoulder and then clips on both sides to give the three point support. The back of my Hi-top has the existing production roof beam running across the top of the rear hatch. If I was to put a reinforcing strip inside the box section and bolt the Renault type roof mounted belt there, my problems would be solved! This is assuming I can arrange suitable buckles to accept the belts which I am sure I can. The belt is almost 10 feet long fully extended so is plenty long enough.

Has this been considered before?

User avatar
clift_d
Registered user
Posts: 3413
Joined: 04 Oct 2012, 23:51
80-90 Mem No: 11695
Location: Hackney innit

Installing 3 point seat belts in back of T25

Post by clift_d »

Most people with campers have some kind of storage above the back area which blocks off any fixing points in that location. Also it does seem like quite hard work to reinforce the bodywork in order to get a fixing point there. So the majority tend to go back to the rear pillars as outlined in previous posts. That's not to say you couldn't make it work as you say, just that it seems a quite complicated way of doing it. Perhaps if you used your Scenic belt but attach the reel to the rear pillar that might be an alternative and would be very similar to the Seatbelt Services installation.
1988 LHD T25 1.6TD Westfalia Club Joker Hightop syncro

keynsham1
Registered user
Posts: 437
Joined: 27 Sep 2015, 06:41
80-90 Mem No: 0

Re: Installing 3 point seat belts in back of T25

Post by keynsham1 »

My rear cupboards are in the hi-top, leaving the entire rear door area open. The box section going across the top of the door, an original part of the roof structure, has a hole cut into the middle for a recessed reading light to be fitted. If I remove this light it would be easy to slide in a piece of 1/8" steel strip with a threaded hole in as a load spreader. If I slid it along and drilled a suitable hole in the box section, I could easily mount the seatbelt on the lower surface of the box section. It is difficult to explain without pictures and the website won't let me upload any at the moment. I will have a go at it and post more info as I go!

bluebus1987
Registered user
Posts: 254
Joined: 06 Jul 2014, 22:40
80-90 Mem No: 15052
Location: bradwell derbyshire

Re: Installing 3 point seat belts in back of T25

Post by bluebus1987 »

I've found that many factory fitted belts in a variety of vehicles just do not fit correctly with child seats and particularly with boosters. They may be within the law but an incorrect diagonal fit on a kid is potentialy dangerous. Our kids get ferried around for events with school by volunteer parents in their own cars and you just have to trust that they do their best to strap them in safely. I havent tried a middle seat belt coming off the rear pillar but I'd imagine it could easily miss the shoulder. Belts integral with the seats are great but I cant see how you'd work it out with a r+r bed.

Post Reply