car seats on motorhomes?

AshleyCPST

CPS Technician
i have a friend that just posted a pic of her girls on a motor home type deal and it peaked my interest :) so we know side benches are a no go but what would the most appropriate way to secure kids and use child restraints in that situation??
 
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Brianna

New member
Car seats should only be installed on forward facing seats that are anchored to the frame of the vehicle, and there ideally would be no projectiles. It is nearly impossible to eliminate all of the deadly projectiles in RVs, so ideally children should ride in a separate vehicle.
 

AshleyCPST

CPS Technician
pretty much what i figured then. the girls are just over a yr and in infant carriers, they have them facing the inside of the vehicle on the side bench with the seat belt over the seats. i was curious if there was any "correct" or better way to travel that way :) thanks
 

crunchierthanthou

New member
Even if there are seatbelts on forward facing seats, it depends on what they're anchored to. Bolted to a sheet of plywood (which I've seen) doesn't offer a whole lot of protection, you know?
 

CTPDMom

Ambassador - CPS Technician
i have a friend that just posted a pic of her girls on a motor home type deal and it peaked my interest :) so we know side benches are a no go but what would the most appropriate way to secure kids and use child restraints in that situation??

As others have side, ideally children wouldn't ride in RVs because of the dangers. That said, though, many DO ride in them.

If a friend asked me for advice BEFORE buying, I'd encourage first a tow-behind.

If that wasn't possible, then I'd suggest looking for one with a forward-facing seating option, with a seatbelt, that was bolted to the frame AND had no obstruction in front of it.
 

bubbaray

New member
We have RVd in a motor home with kids in car seats. I do think that advising parents to take kids in a separate vehicle is completely unrealistic. Most campgrounds charge for extra vehicles, if they will even fit 2 vehicles per site. If you have a class A (bus), there is a good chance you won't be able to even fit a second vehicle in your campsite. Then there is the whole issue of why take a family vacation if you aren't going to be together as a family. IMO most of the people who say take two vehicles aren't RVers themselves.

We have had motorhomes with TAs so it is possible. Where you stow things can make travel safer too. Yes, there is a chance of a rollover, but that situation wouldn't be pretty even if you were towing OR if you had a fully stuffed minivan. JMHO

We prefer towing either 5th wheels or trailers for reasons other than the car seat situation.

I personally think the biggest issue with RVg is not the car seats but rather driver inexperience and inability. Driving a class A or towing 35' is not for the average driver. I think people should be required to take a special test to drive these things. Here, you only need an extra rest for over 35' or air brakes.
 

AshleyCPST

CPS Technician
thanks guys! they made it safely and will be going home in their dads truck :) mom started googling too after we started talking about it and was pretty upset that she hadn't thought about it more before.
 

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