Traveling in a Motorhome with small children

all5snit · Jul 22, 2005

I am going to be traveling with 3 children in a motorhome and am wondering about using carseats. 2 children are over a year and forward face in a regular vehicle. 1 child is under a year. I plan on having all 3 in carseats but am wondering about the placement in a motorhome. There are not enough forward facing seats with belts so can a child ride sideways in a carseat in a motorhome? I've read things such as a motorhome is considered the same as a bus so no seatbelts are needed. That's not acceptable to me so I'd like to find out more information. Thanks for any help!

Victorious4 · Jul 22, 2005

Last I heard, seats in motorhomes (except for driver & co-pilot) are not securely bolted into the frame of the vehicle ... only onto PLYWOOD

Which means, it's pretty risky to use for securing children

The safest option I know of is to use a large truck for all to seat safely & securely in while in motion that can haul a camper behind it.

murphydog77 · Jul 23, 2005

I *so* wish motorhomes were safe to ride in, but they just aren't constructed that way. They're just big boxes put on axles. Here's a link to a news report from a couple of years ago that show the aftermath of a motorhome crash: http://tv.ksl.com/index.php?nid=5&sid=66422 .

There are 2 safe options: drive behind the motorhome in a vehicle with the kids in their car seats or, as papooses mentioned, use a motorhome that's pulled by a truck so that you can install the kids' seats in the truck.

Unregistered · Jul 24, 2005

Not all seatbelts are attached to playwood. I know someone that owns one and she made sure before they bought it that the seat belts were attached to the frame. She also bought a Britax laptop for one child and uses a Britax Marathon for the other to make sure they are as safe as possible.

I am not saying they are all safe, but you have to actually look and see where the seatbelts are mounted. I personally would rather my kids be in a car but if we had to take a motorhome for some reason, there are ways to make sure they are safer.

With 3 kids you have no way to safely transport them. All car seats have to be on a seat that is facing forward, it says on the seat itself or in the directions. They are not crash tested on any other type of seat.

Rachel

jen_nah · Jul 24, 2005

Unregistered said:
Not all seatbelts are attached to playwood. I know someone that owns one and she made sure before they bought it that the seat belts were attached to the frame. She also bought a Britax laptop for one child and uses a Britax Marathon for the other to make sure they are as safe as possible.

I am not saying they are all safe, but you have to actually look and see where the seatbelts are mounted. I personally would rather my kids be in a car but if we had to take a motorhome for some reason, there are ways to make sure they are safer.

With 3 kids you have no way to safely transport them. All car seats have to be on a seat that is facing forward, it says on the seat itself or in the directions. They are not crash tested on any other type of seat.

Rachel

Yep, You can get the seatbelts mounted to the frame but most are not as this is a special request at an add' price. My parents are in the process of having a custom motorhome/coach built right now. They are making sure that all the seatbelts are mounted to the frame. They are also having the forward facing kitchen table bench seat mounted with seat belts & are having a forward facing love seat mounted with seatbelts. My mom said to night she was going to see if she could get the loveseat selts in a lap/shoulder belt for the adults to use. Not sure that will happen but she is at least going to check into it. But, Let me say the fee to do so is not cheap by any means.

Traveling in a Motorhome with small children

all5snit

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Victorious4

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murphydog77

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Unregistered

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jen_nah

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