Dual-cab utes with tricky top tethers and how to use them

In Australia, all baby seats must be attached to the vehicle using two methods; the first is a top tether strap and the second is either ISOFIX or the car’s seatbelt.

It is currently mandatory under Australian Design Rule 34 (ADR34) for all passenger vehicles to have top tether anchor points in all second-row seating positions.

In dual-cab utes (which are classed as commercial light goods vehicles), including a child restraint anchorage of any remains optional and ADR34 only applies if one or more top tether anchor points or ISOFIX points are installed.

Dual-cab utes have two main types of top tether anchor points. One option is fixed metal anchors behind the seat backs, which can be difficult to use because once you have clipped the top tether strap to the anchor point and put the seat back in place, it is hard to tighten the top tether strap sufficiently.

This is especially awkward when installing more than one child seat because bringing the seatback forward to connect the second top tether strap means you have to loosen the first.

Increasingly common in dual-cab utes are top tether anchorages featuring fabric webbing loops behind the rear headrests. With these, you thread the top tether strap through the webbing loop and across to clip onto a metal anchor or another webbing loop behind the headrest of the neighbouring seat.

These top tether anchor points have the advantage that they are sometimes easier to access than metal anchors behind the seatbacks, and it can be simpler to install more than one child seat, but they also have their challenges.

In some vehicles, the loops are too small to thread the top tether strap through easily, and the webbing loop obstructs the tightening buckle. It can prevent you from tightening the top tether strap sufficiently for a proper installation.

There are some fantastic dual-cab utes for families – with plenty of differences when it comes to using their top tether anchor points – that I have tested with my family over the last eight years as a mum of two, family car journalist and founder of BabyDrive.com.au. Here are five dual-cab utes that all do top tether anchors differently, and this may help you when considering your new family ute.

The Toyota HiLux dual-cab ute has webbing loops behind both outer rear seat headrests and a metal anchor point behind the central headrest. Child seats can only be installed in the two outer rear seating positions (which is allowed by ADR34 with light commercial vehicles, including dual-cab utes, but not passenger cars).

You thread the top tether strap through the webbing loop behind the seat’s headrest and across to hook it on to the metal anchor point in the centre. This is quite tricky, as tightening the straps is difficult because the webbing loops obstruct them.

Dual-cab versions of the Ford Ranger ute have a single rear backrest that tilts forward to provide access to metal top tether anchor points for both outer seats, which are labelled on the plastic above the seatback. There is no central top tether anchor point, so you can only install two child seats in the Ford Ranger.

Installing two child seats and getting the top tether straps sufficiently tight is tricky because space is limited in the back of dual-cab utes, and because the seatback comes forward in one piece. Installing two child seats is challenging because the seats restrict how much the seatback can tilt, making access to the top tether anchor points difficult.

If you are looking at used vehicles, the previous models of Mitsubishi Triton had the best method of top tether anchor point access!

Like the Ranger, the rear setback comes forward as a whole. The two outer seats have metal top tether anchor points, and you can only install two child seats. Mitsubishi’s great design feature here is the inclusion of zips behind the fold-down central armrest that allow you to put your arm through to access the top tether anchor points. This made it the easiest ute to install two baby seats in the back!

However, the new model Mitsubishi Triton has changed to webbing loop top tether anchors similar to the HiLux.

A BIG American pick-up that gives you so much more room than regular dual-cab utes for the physical process of installing child seats! Beyond the luxury of space, the Ford F-150 has webbing loop top tether anchor points behind all three rear headrests, all of which have metal rings on them too, which I’d love to see from other utes.

This method is good because the metal ring reduces friction on the top tether strap and the clip connects to a metal ring, unlike a Nissan Navara where a metal clip is fastened to a webbing loop.

With this system, you thread the top tether strap through the metal rings and connect the clip onto the metal ring of the top tether anchorage on the neighbouring seat, meaning you can fit three child seats across the second row of the Ford F-150 with oodles of space!

The GWM Alpha has three individual seatbacks that can fold down separately. Behind them are metal top tether anchor points, which are nice and easy to access and connect to.

Because the seatbacks fold forward individually, it is much easier to install multiple child seats than in most dual-cab utes with one big rear seatback.

The GWM Alpha’s rear seats also recline, which is great for installing baby seats so they are not in a bolt-upright position that can cause the dreaded ‘head flop’.

Related: What are the best utes for families?

Related: Five cars with different ISOFIX designs

Related: Cars with more than two ISOFIX anchorage points