There is a lot of misinformation an misunderstanding about Class A motorhomes. First off is physics. Class A motorhomes are on light medium duty all the way up to heavy duty chassis. The weight class ranges from GCWR of 26,000# to 80,0000#. This means you are larger and heavier than most other vehicles. The only things heavier and larger are commercial vehicles. While there have been accidents that have involved Class A motorhomes that have struck commercial vehicles but in general the accidents involve much smaller vehicles. The net effect of this is the smaller vehicle will be at a significant mass disadvantage and in general the motorhome occupants will be safer. Modern motorhomes include seatbelts in usually the dinette as well as the sofa. The idea is to keep the person from being tossed forward into something. But keep in mind that large Class A motorhomes cannot and will not stop as fast as a car or truck unless you hit a immovable object such as a concrete wall or similar object. Most accidents involve two vehicles not a wall. There were some older motorhome designs that did not include rollover protection. I don't know of any that do not include it now. I have seen some bad rollover accidents involving Class A motorhomes and they don't collapse in on the occupants. Now compare this to a Class 2 - 3 truck towing a large 5th wheel. The truck's safety systems are designed to protect the occupants in a crash at the vehicle's GVWR not GCWR. The complicating factor is if you are towing a heavy 5th wheel trailer significantly complicates the safety margin. You are still in a light duty Class 2 - 3 truck but are towing a 10,000# - 20,000# massive 5th wheel that dwarfs the vehicle base weight. All choices have pros and cons. I have owned towable units, Class C motorhomes and now our short Class A diesel pusher. We have twin 5 year old kids and a 13 year old. We have car seats installed for the twins and expect our 13 year old to use a seat belt. Just to put a little more context on who I am. I also have a Commercial Driver's license, including passenger and school bus endorsements. I have worked for the last 20 years at a heavy truck manufacturer that manufactures trucks from Class 5 to 8. It never ceases to amaze me to watch people pulling a 15,000 - 20,000# 5th wheel behind a Class 2 - 3 truck. Just because the OEM says you can technically "do" it does not mean that it is as safe in an accident that an unloaded truck would be. You have a lot of mass trying to still move in the same direction and the relatively light truck is simply along for the ride. If a 5th wheel were what I wanted based on my family's needs I would tow it with a Class 5 - 7 truck modified with rear truck seats in a modified sleeper compartment for safety. I would also have a headache rack installed to prevent the 5th wheel from crashing through the truck during an accident. I believe based on my experience that my kids are safer in our class A than in a 1 ton truck towing a 5th wheel or class C motorhome.
