Are 12 passenger vans not recommended?

Athena

Well-known member
One of the camps were considering uses 12 passenger vans as transportation. Thats all the info I have and my recollection is these are not recommended, either because they're top heavy or may have lap belts or may not have adequate head support or possibly all of the above or more. Is that correct? We don't have to do the camp, so I'm leaning towards skipping it if this might be a problem.

Child is older elementary aged and adult height, so she'd be in seat belt only and need adequate head rest.

Thank you!
 
ADS

zeo2ski

Well-known member
It depends, nowadays. You recall correctly; all three reasons you listed are issues. High back boosters can solve the head restraint issue until the child is too big for the booster. Fully loaded vans with adults are more likely to roll than full of children just because of their weight, but with a camp you run into the issue of how experienced is the driver. Lap belt is less common an issue now, some have l/s belts even in middle positions.

However, now there are the Ford Transits that have the headrests and l/s in all positions, and I don't know their rollover status. The Dodge/Mercedes/Freightliner Sprinters also have headrests and l/s belts, and IIRC is built on a bus(?) chassis and less likely to roll.
 

Athena

Well-known member
Thank you. This is very informative. Sounds like I'd need to ask some questions, like make and model. Or we may just forget it because I'm not sure how to ask without potentially causing offense. I know I wouldn't be comfortable risking it by not asking.
 

mamah

New member
And how and where are they driving the kids? Lots of highway miles every day? How experienced are the drivers? Are there other adults in board too tend to the children so driver is not distracted? And do they enforce children wearing seat belts? Those last two may be the most important.
 

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