retro fit new seat belts

Hi everyone,
Advice needed on fitting rear seatbelts. We have bought a second-hand g reg Frankia Atlantis and we would like to fit the dinette at the front or u shaped lounge at the rear with 2 seatbelts.
We went to local Halfords but they don't sell them anymore according to the saleslady. She suggested a scrap yard....hum?
Does anyone know how / where to buy 2 and then how to fit them. Spinney Motors in Cheshire is my local Frankia dealer but will they be sniffy about such an old van?:Sad:
Staging lady

 

There's a good article Here about the legal aspects.

One point it doesn't cover, however, is the need to have appropriate anchor points for any retro-fitted belts. If belts are fitted without the necessary anchor points then it's highly likely that the vehicle will fail the MoT test.

Best check out everything before spending any money.

Graham

 

Thanks for that information, Graham. I never even thought about the MOT. We need to do more research on fixing points before we spend the money. Thank goodness for helpful people like yourself and this forum.

Lucille

 

As far as I am aware the M.O.T. tester will be looking for proper fitting i.e. mountings fixed to a reasonably strong part of the structure with adequate load spreading plates.

My advise would be to call in and have a word with your tester, if you don't already have a regular one look for a small independant M.O.T. tester, they are generaly more clued up on the unusual. TIP:- Try and sus out who the local traders use.

Regards Geoff​

.

 

Hi,

I am also looking at retro-fitting seat belts and would appreciate any further information on this please?

I have bought a set of ex-bmw belts and am looking to make up a set of load spreading plates etc.

 

Thanks, Geoff, this is really good advice and we will look for an mot tester.
Lucille

 

Ask GEO.:thumb:


MOT Testing garage owner.

Just don't tell him I sent You.

 

How do I get in touch with him? Can I do so on this site?
Lucille

 

Hi All
This should come as no great surprise, we are always telling folk that the MOT test is only good for the hour it takes place, it is not a guarantee of the the vehicle ,its components, or fit for purpose, I have very strict guidelines to carry out an MoT test and these are to check the basic legal requirements current at the time of the Test.
The seat belt test criteria is that each seat that requires one has one that its mounting point and the 12" surrounding it are not corroded excessively,
ergo if its mounted to a 1/8th plywood floor at cant be corroded, so it passes
this means, in essence that the real serviceability of a mounting is outside the Testers remit, sorry,
It also means that your passengers could fly through the windscreen,

Now if that same windscreen has an 10.1mm stone chip in front of the driver it will FAIL the motoh:
Crazy or what
Geo

 

the rear belts in our kontiki are mounted on a 50mm box section steel frame which is the same size as the dinnette seat and completely surrounds the on-board water tank(stops 80ltrs of water hitting you in the back if you stand on the brakes) and presumably bolted through to the chassis. total overkill........the winch mount on my offroader isnt that substantial.

john.

 

Bit Of common sense really Iohn almost anyone could fabricate a good mount, in a nut shell if your happy to pick the car up with it, it will hold you in your seat

 

with the seatbelt mount in the kon-tiki, Geo, you could pick up the whole damned 3.85ton. got more ironwork than I K Brunnel used in any of his bridges.
i think if i took it out i'd get 10mph and 5mpg more.:thumb:

john.

 

Never a truer word spoken

Graham

 

Thank you Geo, I must be a bit thick and I'm not technically minded,
so please bear with me.
So if I mount these passenger seatbelts on the large fixed wooden panel forming the back of the front dinette bench seat, to the left entry side of the door, that would be ok as it's solid wood and not corroded?
Alternatively, could I attach them to the 2 forward facing seats in the u-shaped lounge bolting them into the floor or rear wall? I'm not going to do this myself, I'm trying to find someone who can do it legally, but I want to sound as though I know what I'm talking about if indeed I can ever find anyone to fix them. The person we bought it from took his family to Italy and back without worrying. But
for me, you only get one family...!
Lucille

 

Are the dinette seats sideways facing or front- and rear-facing?

I fitted extra belts to our rear-facing dinette seats without much trouble because there are unused mounting points in the original cab floor. The front-facing dinette seats have brackets passing through the floor, bolted to the chassis.

As to fitting belts in the rear lounge, I decided I wouldn't want my children protected by a 2-inch wall of polystyrene and wood if someone ran into us from behind!

There are lots of belts available on ebay but I did in fact buy some from a scrapyard because the lengths were important. Now that my children are a bit older, growing out of seats with harnesses, I am about to change the belt arrangements and I know a friendly auto engineer who loves a challenge!

 

The 2 dinette seats in the form of a bench are front facing behind a small table and then the passenger seat. There is a strong wooden panel at the rear and behind that the entry steps. Thanks for the help.
Lucille

 

Hi Lucille,

Just a couple of questions

How old (and heavy) are the passengers?

Would this 'strong wooden panel' cope with a sustained kicking from a couple of the local farm lads? Motorhomes are mostly built from cheese and string and the forces involved in a serious crash would tear it apart.

It is easy to fit lap belts securely, with connection to the chassis. If your passengers can use child seats, there isn't a problem. Three-point belts require rather more thought, but it isn't impossible.

I have plans

 

Hi the hutchies,
The passengers are two 5'11" twin daughters ( over 21!) but we plan to ask friends, too.
Although it an old A- line van the German quality is solid and robust throughout. The wood panel behind the bench seems to be real wood not veneer and fablon covered ?MDF (?) as in the caravan we used to have. I may be wrong but I think it is substantial.
I agree it would be better to bolt to the chassis but the entry steps are there unless we can out them through the storage locker underneath the bench?
Thanks,
Lucille

 

Thanks for all the help,guys.
Haven't been on line for a week as we have been busy with my mum who has been in hospital for major surgery last 2 weeks and then caught infection.
Hope you all have a great Christmas and hope to meet soon.
Lucille

 

Hi Lucille
The quick and safe answer is no, legal is the wrong term , MOT passable yes but not safe
if you can imagine under the vehicle there is a steel chassis rail running the full length both sides, the mounting points should in all honesty go to those, not necessarily direct though you could use the wooden panels if and only if the wooden panels at the same mounting point went on through the floor to the chassis.
my reference to being able to lift the vehicle from a seatbelt mount was not made in jest, any reasoably equipt and trustworthy work shop shop will be able to suggest suitable mounts and install belts for you on the reqd seats
Geo
Another alternative is to go through the floor anywhere suitible and put spreader plates on the out side again welded to metal structure