ISOFIX in the van: improving child safety

Active and passive vehicle safety has changed significantly over the years. New features have emerged as advances, including the ISOFIX anchorage system. Securing the car seat more safely is, in my view, essential, which is why I wanted to fit ISOFIX to my van.

What is the ISOFIX system?

The ISOFIX system is an international mounting system for child safety seats in vehicles. The ISOFIX system is used to secure child safety seats to car seats in a safer and more stable manner. Instead of using the car’s seatbelt to secure the seat, the ISOFIX system attaches directly to the special anchorage points that come as standard in some vehicles.

In Spain, the use of the ISOFIX system is compulsory for all passenger cars with fewer than nine seats manufactured from 2006 onwards.

Fitting ISOFIX to a Volkswagen T3 Syncro van

I’m not entirely sure whether installing ISOFIX in the van using a DIY method is approved. This is not intended as a guide or a recommendation; it’s simply how I installed it. If you do something similar, you do so at your own risk.

Having clarified that, I’ll now explain what I did to install ISOFIX in the van. I had an ISOFIX anchor from an Audi A6 Allroad C5, so as I had a child seat with these anchors, I set about investigating whether it would be possible to install it completely safely.

My idea was to take advantage of the fact that I was going to remove the fuel tank to fit a metal plate with two welded nuts behind the panel in the seat area.

As I have a Multivan fold-out bed seat in my T3 Syncro Caravelle GL, I had to check carefully whether it would get in the way or cause any problems when converting the seat into a bed. To do this, I fitted the seat and positioned the anchor, confirming that it wouldn’t interfere. Once the position was marked out, I removed the seat and drilled two holes in the panel. I also drilled a hole in the centre to fit a rivet, so that if I removed the Isofix anchor, the plate behind it wouldn’t fall out.

That way, if I ever want to remove the ISOFIX, I can put it back on later, as the rear plate won’t move.