Child seat installation
I just bought my first class A with bunks and got quite the run around when it came to child safety. The manufacturer. Newmar, referred me to local law enforcement for advice and that's what I ultimat...
Forum Discussion
Pirate wrote:
...DO NOT let your child face the rear. DO NOT seat them sideways, side impact is not the same as sideways in a front end collision. Make sure the belts are anchored good. I had our granddaughter in the front passenger seat. It was the only good seat, anchor wise, and the seat back protected her from flying missile hazards from the rear.
Don't let anyone face the rear or face sideways? LOL, you just eliminated nearly EVERY place for anyone to sit in a motorhome but the driver and passenger up front!
Haha, now, a 35-40' 20,000 lb+ RV can only carry two people in it. Really? If that was the case, NOBODY should ever own these things but couples with no guests, children or grandchildren ever riding with them.
If everyone truly followed that approach...Wellll, pretty soon there wouldn't BE hardly any Motorhomes, because there'd be soooo few people buying them, many companies would just quit making them. A towable RV becomes a much, much better choice, then, if we all must go by these ridiculous rules.
Rick's previous post is a much more realistic approach to this issue, and I agree with it 100%. The fact you are in something so massive, where you sit up so much higher than most other vehicles, really gives you a level of safety that kinda changes things.
I do agree, that you should not let your passengers run wild in the RV while you are on the road. That is asking for trouble. Everyone should be seat belted, if a seatbelted seat is available for them. And, you should do what you can to insure you have seat-belted places for everyone to sit thats going to be riding with you regularly. Even if that means installing extra seat belts (I've done that, too). Getting up occasionally to get a drink, snack, or to use the facilities is OK, and I do allow that, but other than that, everyone needs to stay seated, and in a seatbelt.
Yes, facing sideways or backwards is not as safe as facing forward. However, IMO that is just one of the risks you have to accept when you move up to a Motorhome. Its one of the things you trade off for the added luxury, comfort of a motorized RV. It is mitigated well, I think, by the fact the RV is sooo much heavier than most other vehicles, and you are above where most vehicles will be.
