if i have to use the middle car seat belt is there some method to getting it to lock into position once the base is installed and secured, so that it cant come lose. It seems tight initially but if i put a little force on it it seems like the belt loosens and the base/seat are able to move around too much.

 

We also have the Mesa and I couldn't do the middle and feel safe about it on my t3.

 

Is there no way to use the base with just the regular seat belt?

I have put infant/kid-seats using just the seatbelts to secure either the seat or the base and it has always worked out.

Someone made a very good point when I was doing my research with using seatbelts vs the LATCH and if the seatbelts can hold adults, they will be more than adequate in securing child seats. The LATCH was made to make it easier for women in getting the straps tight.

 

At least where I live you can go to the local police station, fire department and VW dealer and they people (are supposed to) know how to properly install all car seats.

 

The Childrens hospital down the street from me does car seat checks. We set the base up on the outboard seats using the latch. They recommended moving to the center. Since this our first there is no need to place them on the outboard seats. Putting them in the middle places them theoretically farther from harm, the seatbelt, according to them, is just as safe and effective, the seat and base are designed to move and it is less likely to get caught on the seats. What I have noticed is that I have been able to secure my Chico car seat better with the seatbelt then the latch. The base is not supposed to move side to side more than an inch. Anyway, I thought that that the latch was the way to go but I have been convinced the middle is the way to go. There is a good chance that the hospital you are delivering at will make sure everything is safe for you. Otherwise there are a lot of other options to go get it done. I highly recommend that you go get it checked as I thought I had it in there secure enough only to find out I could get the seat more synched down. If you want to save your seats from stretching out from the base then look into a seat saver. There is a vw accessory for the touareg that is pretty good.

We brought our baby boy home Friday and I could not be any happier then with the setup we have.

Good luck to ya!

 

As soon as we transition to a larger seat I am definitely going to the middle for space alone. My earlier statement was just based solely with the Mesa base which I also have and I found the base seemed most secure with latch rather than belt. Also a few times a week I switch between the T3 and my wife's rabbit. The Mesa has a great ratcheting system for LATCH that leaves no doubt as to how secure it is. Also had it checked at the fire station and was complimented on how well the base secured.

 

It is possible to get the seat tightened down really tight with the belt but takes some teaching. I did not get it right the first time or two.

 

Ultimately what is important is that the seat is in right. It sounds like it is! My first desire was to use the latch. My wife and I are both tall and with the setup in the touareg it was better for us to use the middle belt. I have found it a lot easier to get the car seat in and out with it in the middle with respect to our situation and setup.

 

Getting it all tight is just a matter of putting a knee on/in the base or on/in the seat and using ones weight to really yank/pull on either the latch straps or the seat belt, with the seatbelt pulled all the way out first to get the ratchet to work properly. It really isn't that hard at all.

 

how to

Getting it all tight is just a matter of putting a knee on/in the base or on/in the seat and using ones weight to really yank/pull on either the latch straps or the seat belt, with the seatbelt pulled all the way out first to get the ratchet to work properly. It really isn't that hard at all.

I disagree!! Whatever you do....this is a two person job to install.

One person sits in the car seat or on the base latching system. Yes....they sit in it as best they can. This compresses the baby seat into the car seat. Now the other person pulls on the seatbelt and snugs everything up as much as they can. The first person gets off the car seat ( or base) and all should be go. You should be able to grab the car seat and shake it back and forth and not have it move an inch, the whole car should rock side to side before there is any movement in the baby seat.

And...have your install job checked by the local clinic, fire dept...whoever has the training!!

 

With all due respect but is anyone else here speaking with experience of the specific seat he asked about? The uppababy Mesa base is different to say the Chicco that has been mentioned. As I mentioned when going to the fire station I was told that the latch on this specific base was the best they ever felt. I am 7' 300lbs and I shake my T3 Hybrid before the base moves. 6100lb car. Just making sure we are answering about his seat which is a removable infant seat that clips in the base but has a weird design and a new latch system unlike any other that the firefighters had ever seen

 

I love my kids and own a Touareg specifically because of them...but we never put the first one in the middle. Sounds great in theory, but completely impractical in real life. .

Our local fire dept and police station help install the car seat for first timers...its worth the time to go get their advice (I think most FD/PDs do the same). They are the first responders that see the result of car seat installations first hand.

 

Why is it so impractical?

 

The reach-over just doesn't work. Hold a 30lb weight straight out with your arms fully extended for longer than 10 seconds - hard to do - now have that weight moving on you - even harder to do - then have all the stress of the baby crying, traffic whizzing by (if you're parallel parked) and all other stress drivers and it gets even tougher.

The idea of just opening the door and clipping in the seat is immensely more desirable.

Not trying to tell you what's right or wrong or what to do with your own child - I am just sharing our experience with our kids.

 

Nicks impractical equates to pain in the ass for me. Because after her giving birth she is no shape to lift the baby and car seat in and out of the Treg. Plus she is patite and I am still the one who loads and unloads our youngest. And when I have to take the seat in and out for cleaning or whatever it's kind tough getting a six foot 260 pounder back there to kneel the thing down while securing and all that good stuff. The four year olds booster seat is to the side now and it is just so much easier to put him in and take him out. My opinion, having the seat in the middle makes more work for me, but it won't be forever........Enjoy while it lasts!

 

I get that being 6'3 230 but my wife is also tall so there is not as much room behind either front seat so we went with the middle for him in order to make sure his seat could function the way it needed to and we could maintain our comfort upfront. So far I have found it easier to get our infant seat in and out because the release mechanism for the base is not obstructed. If/when we have a second everyone will be in the outboard seats. Anyway, hard to do an apple to apple when there are so any other factors.

 

thanks everyone who posted. in my OP i posted a link with a video of how they say to install it with the latch system and how it is different. will look into reaching out to the FD/PD to make sure it is installed correctly

 

We have our near 2 YO in the middle, so that we can still use the passenger rear seat. Our near 4 YO is behind me.

We use a Clek seat (one heavy beast) in the middle. It is not easy to install/re-install, so it's fairly permanent. Thankfully the near 2 YO doesn't fight us on getting in an out of her seat. Now that she faces forward, my challenge is seat tilt, so that her little head doesn't droop when she sleeps.

Also, I wish all latch systems were built so that you can anchor both sides! I'd still run the lap belt through and then use the anchor that attaches in the boot behind the seats. So we are triple locked down, and I apply as much force and weight in the fastening step. And echo getting a professional to check your work.

Your special passengers deserve the best protection you can find. Putting them in a Touareg is a great first step...

 

Also, I wish all latch systems were built so that you can anchor both sides!
I'd still run the lap belt through and then use the anchor that attaches in the boot behind the seats. So we are triple locked down, and I apply as much force and weight in the fastening step. And echo getting a professional to check your work.

i guess my question has always been, is it safe to use both seat belt and latch system at the same time? My wife and I both want to utilize the middle seat, but on the touareg they only have outboard anchors, can i use the seat belt in the middle seat, then use the latch system on my uppababy mesa to secure to the inner outboard anchors on each side of the middle seat?

 

I would consult a professional or contact uppababy directly. As for me, I have the same seat but went with passenger side as I did not feel comfortable with using the latch points in a way they were not intended as the spacing between them was greater than with their respective mates.

 

Be warned, you CANNOT use LATCH in the center seat. It is only for the rears side seats. This may or may not be true on the T3 models but is true on the T1 and T2 models.

 

The manual and many other sources state that you cannot use latch in the middle position if the vehicle is not originally equipped that way. LATCH requires specific spacing, using one of each side won't match that.

If you use the middle on a Touareg = use the seatbelt.

 

Thanks guys for all the feedback.

 

2eregg,

Glad I ran across this thread... my wife's due date is not until August, but we are looking at Uppababy system and I am looking at a T1 Touareg. It will not be our primary vehicle, but I needed something much safer than my crappy old Altima.

Have you had a chance to work things out? Going with the seatbelt and center or LATCH and sides?

Brian
Montgomery, AL

 

i have not had a chance to work things out. My wife and I want to utilize the middle seat to protect our precious cargo as much as possible and the middle to us seems to be the best way to do that. i am going to the VW dealer today to have something checked out. i am going to ask them about using the middle seat belt to secure the baby seat.

 

03/13/2014 GRACO child seat recall.......Graco adds more than 403,000 child seats to recall: Associated Press Business News - MSN Money

 

We have an almost one year old. The hospital inspected the seat mounting and also required us to demonstrate we knew how to put the baby in the seat and the seat in the car before we could check out.

Even if you know you know exactly how to do it all I highly recommend having fire/police/hospital/etc staff reviewing the installation.

Congrats on being a new dad. Enjoy those full nights of sleep while you still can. Kids rock!