RV travelers- do your kids sit buckled in car seats for your whole drive?

[ctseaton]

To answer a previous question, seat belt laws are no different for recreational vehicles than any other vehicle. I went through this went our son was an infant and my parents bought an RV. I consulted several car seat technicians and the Kids Safe director for our state. The laws are the same, plus the carseat should be installed in a forward facing locking seat without an airbag. Truly it didn't leave us lots of options.

 

[dreambound]

To answer a previous question, seat belt laws are no different for recreational vehicles than any other vehicle. I went through this went our son was an infant and my parents bought an RV. I consulted several car seat technicians and the Kids Safe director for our state. The laws are the same, plus the carseat should be installed in a forward facing locking seat without an airbag. Truly it didn't leave us lots of options.

Thank you for this information!

So where do I put my two kids? One is 3, one is 6. They are between 38-45lbs. The older one is in a booster seat with a shoulder belt, the other is still in a 5pt harness and will be until he outgrows it. Where do I put them? Obviously the booster is pointless with a lap belt only, so does this mean my 6 year old would be in a lap belt and that's all?

 

[dreambound]

Would this make any difference?

http://www.leapsandbounds.com/catal...33846&parentCategoryId=85193&categoryId=85252

 

[dreambound]

The same can happen on a school bus right ?

Not trying to be smart here, but I guess the same can also be said of WDW transportation busses. Then again, my kids aren't riding in them for 34 hours round trip!

 

[dreambound]

Just found a helpful article.

http://www.aonrecreation.com/ardhome.aspx?_act=display&_con=Securing Children in Your RV

 

[dreambound]

Okay, so according to that article, the kids need to be forward facing if in their carseats. So what if there is only one forward facing seat? We're renting from Cruise America and the sample photos for our Class C 25 ft appear to only have one forward facing seat (at the dinette.) So do we just put the 6 year old at the dinette with a lap belt, rear facing?



Now I'm totally stressed and REALLY needing those Mickey Coconut patties!!!!!!!!!

 

[dreambound]

Would we have more room for forward facing seats if we upgraded to a longer unit? The cost would be about $300 more round trip and it would be the difference between a class c 25 ft and a class c 30 ft.

Here are my questions:

1. Would a larger unit give us better options for car seat safety?

2. Would a larger unit have a major difference in gas mileage?

3. Would a larger unit be harder to drive? (DH will be the wheelman and he's pretty new to RV driving, although a fast learner with large vehicles.)

I appreciate the help! I've always been very big on car seat safety and for some reason I had forgotten the moving part of motorhomes.

 

[bradisgoofy]

I own a 2006 Fleetwood Expedition 38N class A motor home. I bought it with my granddaughter in mind. It has the standard dinette instead of the free standing dining table because it has seat belts. Both the love seat and the full sofa have seat belts too, but they face sideways. ( I have seat belts enough for ten passengers ) On our recent trip back from FW my DS and DDIL became sick and they ended up riding in the coach while DW drove their vehicle. DGD was placed in her carseat in the front passenger seat next to me. Most Class A motor homes don't have airbags so that was not a problem. She was as good as gold the whole day.

I owned a 1976 Cobra Class C motor home way back when, and it had seat belts for every seat. So those who own older motor homes have you tried digging down behind the seats to see if there are seat belts buried down there some where?

 

[Shannone1]

This is a HUGE issue on the rv message boards !! One of the reasons we have a motorhome and not a 5th wheel/travel trailer is that it allows us more freedom. It's like a motorcoach or a train. Our kids are 13, 11 and 6. There are seat belts on the sofa and the dinette. When the kids are sitting in those seats, they stay buckled. We do allow them to go to the bathroom, grab a snack or lie down in our bed in back and watch tv. They play games and do artwork at the table. We love traveling by motorhome...the vacation really starts when we pull out of our driveway.

 

[disneymom04]

To buckle children while lying down, go to www.ezonpro.com. Look under products and family vehicle products. I know a few people that use it and am in the process of ordering one for my 9 yr. old son with special needs. We will be using it in our excursion while pulling the trailer.
Hope this helps,
Jean

 

[iradi8]

This is one of the reasons we have a 5th wheel and not a Class A. Dh wanted a Class A and we have young children. I did not feel that the kids would be safe in the motorhome. We are a family who always, always, always buckles our kids into a carseat. If anything were to happen to them because I chose not to put them in a carseat I would never forgive myself

I have read about the dinette seats having seatbelts. I believe the article said that there was a danger there because of the table in front of the seat. In the event of a crash the table could injure the child.

As far as being unbuckled at all in a Class A -- I just don't see how that's any different than being unsecured in a car or truck. If there is a sudden stop -- a panic stop -- and you are walking down the hall it doesn't matter if you just got up and took two steps or if you've been unbuckled for two hours -- the injuries will be the same. None of us in our family take our seatbelt off in the car -- too many people are killed or severely injured every day without seatbelts. (Both dh and I are familiar with this from working in an Emergency Room).

Good luck with your decision -- it is a tough one and a very personal one. I guess you just have to think about -- what if something happened -- a wreck, a panic stop, a swerve -- would I be okay (mentally) if one of us got hurt from being unsecured in the vehicle?

 

[reneritch]

This is a very interesting subject. We have a 35' class A motorhome, but do not have any seatbelts in the dinette area. There is a sign mounted that states something to the fact this area is not designed to be used during driving.

We do not have small children but at times our grandchildren go with us. They are strapped in their car seats on the sofa. We stop frequently and let them run around like crazy to stretch their legs and release energy. Pack lots of books, games and maybe a movie or two. The GKs are 7 and 3 - did wonderful for the 13 hour drive to Disney in June.

Lot's of luck in your decision.

 

[Sammi2]

Safety of the children while riding is one reason I won't consider buying (or renting) such a vehicle. Everyone has their comfort levels. My comfort level is that the children stay buckled, facing the same direction they would in a standard vehicle (so, not buckled on a sofa that runs parallel to the road), and that there not be unreasonable projectiles nearby. So, no flying dinette tables or recliners. If there were no other options, you make the best of the situation (ie: the shuttle bus from the airport to the parking lot). But, for a camping vehicle there are other options, namely a travel trailer or 5th wheel. Then the children have all the safety features of a standard vehicle.

 

[ftwildernessguy]

Safety of the children while riding is one reason I won't consider buying (or renting) such a vehicle. Everyone has their comfort levels. My comfort level is that the children stay buckled, facing the same direction they would in a standard vehicle (so, not buckled on a sofa that runs parallel to the road), and that there not be unreasonable projectiles nearby. So, no flying dinette tables or recliners. If there were no other options, you make the best of the situation (ie: the shuttle bus from the airport to the parking lot). But, for a camping vehicle there are other options, namely a travel trailer or 5th wheel. Then the children have all the safety features of a standard vehicle.

Well said.

 

[dreambound]

Oh man, this is making me really regret cancelling our VWL ressie. I'm usually not the type to leap before I look, but I guess I did in this case.

We are not in a position to purchase any sort of rv. Renting a 5th wheel or travel trailer isn't an option. Our VWL ressie is looooong gone. So all we have now is our FW ressie. It's a Class C or nothing at all for us.

 

[Tent Camping Mom]

Oh man, this is making me really regret cancelling our VWL ressie. I'm usually not the type to leap before I look, but I guess I did in this case.

We are not in a position to purchase any sort of rv. Renting a 5th wheel or travel trailer isn't an option. Our VWL ressie is looooong gone. So all we have now is our FW ressie. It's a Class C or nothing at all for us.

Why not try a tent?

 

[Rhonda]

Oh man, this is making me really regret cancelling our VWL ressie. I'm usually not the type to leap before I look, but I guess I did in this case.

We are not in a position to purchase any sort of rv. Renting a 5th wheel or travel trailer isn't an option. Our VWL ressie is looooong gone. So all we have now is our FW ressie. It's a Class C or nothing at all for us.

Have you thought about renting a Wilderness Cabin at FW?

 

[dreambound]

Why not try a tent?

Honestly, I'd be perfectly fine with that, but I'm having a hard time convincing dh. He thinks 10 days in a tent at WDW might be exhausting. He loves tent camping but he thinks tent camping+parks for 10 days in December would be too much. To be fair, all of the camping he has done has been primitive and in very cold weather OR beach camping. I've tried to explain the comfort stations and all of the electricity we'd have, but I don't think it is having much impact. I also told him that if we tent camped while there, we could get the meal plan and do Trails End for breakfast each day, thus making part of life easier. We could also work a golf cart into the budget. And it would all still be way cheaper than anything we've planned so far.

I'm going to work on that a bit and see if I can sway him.

Thanks for all of the advice. I am open to hear more regardless of your perspective!

Thanks!

Meg

 

[Tent Camping Mom]

I think you will be able to convince him. Before we camped FW, we were die-hard primitive campers but now, we're spoiled. If he's used to primitive camping, then 10 days at FW will be no problem for him. We've never camped less than 7 days in a tent there.

 

[beagles7278]

I guess you just have to think about -- what if something happened -- a wreck, a panic stop, a swerve -- would I be okay (mentally) if one of us got hurt from being unsecured in the vehicle?

Have you ever thought how that panic stop or swerve is going to work out with 5,000 lbs(or however much your 5th wheel weighs) back there? I tow a 5,000 boat regularly so I know how that feels, not always the easiest thing to stop.

I have thought about it and I think that my daughter is safe in our Class C motorhome. She does stay buckled in however. I think your post is implying that motorhomes are not safe for children and I think that you are wrong, but to each his own I guess.