How can we securely fix a child seat to rear travel seats?

QWe have a T6 VW camper conversion with two rear RIB seats/beds. We are looking to fit a child seat so that we can take our granddaughter out.

What I thought would be a straightforward exercise is turning out to anything but.

It is fitted with three-point seatbelts, but the belt receiver part is too long and the seatbelt does not tighten sufficiently as the buckle is pulled into the rear of the child seat.

I am told Isofix brackets are not an option on this model.

I asked the company that did the conversion to help, but I have had no luck. I sent for shorter receivers, which are a perfect length but the bolt holes are not big enough. There must be a stockist out there that can match the fixing dimensions on our belts!

I am sure we are not the only people to have had this problem and I am looking for anyone who can suggest a supplier or alternate options.

I believe the manufacturer of the seats is a company called Scopema.

AThere are a number of issues to cover here. The first point to make is that you can get RIB seats fitted with Isofix mounting points from the factory and this would be the ideal solution if they can’t be retrofitted. Most of the Isofix points tend to be welded to the steel seat frame, so this may not be something that can be easily added at a later stage and it could also invalidate the Type Approval for that particular seat as any modification has to be submitted for fresh Type Approval.

You could order a new seat with Isofix seat points built in but, unless anyone has one in stock in the UK, you may be subject to long lead times. You will also need to find a reputable and approved fitter to install the new seats with Isofix for you.

Fitting a shorter buckle seems the obvious solution but, if it is not supplied by the original manufacturer, then it will not have been tested as a whole with the seatbelt tongue and cannot be guaranteed to stay latched in the event of a crash.

You definitely cannot drill out the hole of the one you have, either – modifying any seatbelt component is a big no no.

So, you need to contact Scopema directly to see if it can supply you with a suitable shortened seatbelt or, if it doesn’t make the seatbelt buckles, contact the original manufacturer.

The key issue is where the buckle sits with relation to the steel frame (or internal steel ribbing on the seat base) – the two components can’t interact in a crash as this could cause a buckle failure.

There will be a defined length for the buckle and it’s possible that the length you require for the child seat is not available from Scopema for a reason – it may be that the correct buckle length you need for the child seat does not work safely with the buckle position that is needed for an adult.

Looking at Scopema’s Type Approved seatbelts, it offers two webbing lengths: model CS2P is 50cm long and model CS2PEV is 85cm long.

If neither of these lengths is suitable for your seat – and no other lengths are available – a child seat may not be compatible with this seat system.

How the buckle interacts with a child seat is always an issue with travel seats – not just in motorhomes, in cars, too – and you need to follow the child seat manufacturer’s instructions to the letter.

If you have no luck finding a suitable buckle from Scopema, then the only other options are to see if another child seat might be suitable, or to fit the child seat to the passenger travel seat in the cab.

If the vehicle has a passenger airbag this must be switched off if using certain child seats – on a VW T6 it is located by opening the passenger side door and inserting the ignition key into the switch mounted on the edge of the dashboard.

This is not a simple issue and you need to be very careful here – child safety is important and there is an enormous number of laws and rules concerning the use of child seats.

For anyone thinking of buying a new campervan, we’d recommend looking for one with built-in Isofix mounting points – it can save a lot of issues and is the safest way to secure a child seat.

Michael replied: Eventually, I established that the drive mechanism inside the Thule step was seizing up, so I ordered a new step through my Swift dealer. Thule actually advised me the original step had been replaced by a modified version.

After fitting the new step, I found it only protruded about 50% of the distance, so I contacted Sargent, which was very helpful. It told me to go to ‘advanced settings/step’ on the control panel. This is a timer setting that supplies 12V to the step. The range is numbered between 20 and 120, with the default setting at 60.

I had to increase the ‘time’ to maximum 120 setting to achieve a full-step protrusion. I fed this information back to Sargent and it said it was aware of the new model step and knew it had a higher demand.

Following my feedback it is now looking at redesigning the control panel; since it was originally introduced many years ago there have been a lot of changes in the more modern motorhomes, all requiring more electrical capacity.