You've found the problem that's faces parents and grandparents since RV's first were built. To begin, the ONLY tested and approved seat belt/seat combo in ANY RV is the co-pilot seat. That said, there may or may not be seat belts installed by the builder in the dinette area, or on couches, but these have not been tested to any uniform standards or requirements. There are just not standards, and some installations may be good and some not. When reading car seat instructions, you will find warnings about putting the car seat only facing forward or rearward, and the use of the tethers for the top of the seat back. When car seats are placed on dinettes, the structure below them would probably collapse in a crash, or the seat go forward far enough to have the occupant strike the table. An occupant of a car seat strapped in a sideways position faces possible spinal injury, and that is more serious in a booster seat than a toddler seat with molded sides. OK, that's all the bad news, but there are definitely positives as well. A child belted into a car sear will not become a missile in the event of a crash. He will not be running about and susceptible to driver braking and evasion maneuvers or just rough roads. As far as the laws are concerned, ALL law enforcement officers will not even be looking to seat belt use behind the driver and copilot seats. That rear part is considered a house, not a motor vehicle. If perchance an officer issued a summons for a child not in a car seat in the rear, any judge would immediately throw the case out, and probably have a talk with the officer for wasting the court,s time. So does that mean that the children should not be belted in the rear? Obviously not, but the best you can do is the best you can do. RV's have an outstanding safety record because they are HEAVY, and in any crash, heavy ALWAYS WINS. (that's just physics). Occupants are usually above the line of the crash so damage to the passenger compartment is usually less than to the lower areas. Finally, there is a lot of crush area between the passenger compartment and the intruding obstacle. All these mitigate the injuries to RV passengers. Wear your belts, belt the kids in to the best of your ability, and have fun. THe kids will love it and so will you.
Before retirement I was a licensed safety engineer and set up the child safety seat program in Delaware, where we trained law enforcement, fire and EMS people, medical people, educators, and others in proper use and installation of car seats.
