Baby car seats in RV - is it safe? - is driving with kids in RV safe ?

[adambilling]

Dear all, I am somewhat in a conundrum.

I have rented a compact c- 19 from Cruise Canada, and was looking for car seats to put in the dinette area. While searching for which car seat to get, I stumble on a danish travel company(im from denmark), which states that installing rear facing car seats are mandatory for kids below age 2 "
From the webpage:
Quotation start
"Pr. On January 1, 2017, a new law came into force in California, which meant that children under the age of 2 should be seated in a rear-facing seat. Since it is not possible to install a rear-facing car seat in the motorhomes, we cannot allow driving in motorhomes with children under 2 years. This rule applies to the entire United States, as it is believed that several states will introduce the same rule" Quotation end

I tried to called the agent here in Denmark, which i booked the C-19 from, they checked up with cruise canada


Reply by cruise canada
Quotation start "We cannot specifically endorse a certain practice of installing child seats. We wish we could however, the reality is there is no easy answer as every customer will feel different and there are no universal standards governing child seats and RVs. There are a thousands of different seats and many different manufacturers, we do however hear that seats purchased in North America rather than bought from Europe seem to be more compatible and there are many affordable options. Ultimately the appropriate action to protect children in vehicles rests with the parents. Just to clarify though a child seat can be installed face-forward or rear-faced on the condition the dinette table is lowered to the down position. The entire US auto and RV industry is governed at the federal level with the Motor Vehicle Act as administered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). NHTSA has the most stringent shoulder/child restraint standards for passenger vehicles that weigh less than 10,000 lbs. (4,536 kg) and in our case this would include the T17. However, because RV’s weigh more than 10,000 lbs. (this includes class A and C type) RVs require lap belt only in the back seating and are not subject to the same child restraint standards.

Just to clarify: NEVER should a child seat be placed or secured in the front cab or front passenger area of any motor vehicle.

I hope this helps and please let me know if you have any further questions." Quotation end

Now i*ve send this answer to clekinc.com that sells car seats. there general answer was:

Answer from clek
Quotation start "After speaking with our safety advocate, we generally do not recommend the use of convertible seats for us in RVs, as the cabin of an RV is not considered a safe location to install a car seat.

If the front passenger seat is equipped with a tether and lower anchors, then that may be usable, but we would not recommend installing the seat otherwise. They are correct that generally, car seats are not recommended to be installed in a front seating position. Having said that, it may be the most appropriate position for car seat installation in certain vehicles.

Though they state that car seats can be installed in the dinette area described, car seats are not usually recommended to be installed in the living area of an RV because belts found in these seating locations do not follow the same regulations, as they mentioned as well.

Of course, the decision on how to best secure your child if using such a vehicle is done at your discretion. To ensure you make the most informed decision, you can find an informative article regarding the use of car seats in RVs here: https://csftl.org/rv-travel-children/" quotation end




SO - my big question now is?. Should i try to get the T-truck t 17 camper, as my baby that is only 7 month would be safe on the passenger seat, or should i keep the compact C-19?. It seems that there is no agreement, but when i read the CSFTL article, it doenst seem safe to have kids at all in RVs.

If we can get the T truck t 17, we would miss a lot of space, and well with a small baby, you need space, but would it do?

Please need some advice!!

[RickNC]

From a safety standpoint the T-17 truck would be the safest and will have a 3 point harness in the rear seat for your child seat . However since it is what we call in the USA an extended/extra cab that seating area is shorter front to back than a normal seat. There is a possibility you would have to slide the front seat farther forward to accommodate the child seat. As for the C-19 rear cabin area. It isn't safe period in a crash. These vehicles are lightly built and they offer very little crash protection outside of the driver's compartment. The other advantage of the T-17 is the climate control will be much better with the fully enclosed cab. On hot days here in the US motorhome often struggles to maintain a comfortable temperature.

[SlowJoe]

I never rode in a car seat when I was a kid because they did not exist. I also rode in the back of a pickup truck in a lounge chair for many family vacations because there was more room. Clearly car seats are beneficial in the event of a wreck just like seat belts and motorcycle helmets are, but as with many things, It seems that people often go a bit overboard when considering this type of stuff...

[UTTransplant]

A motorhome with a lap belt only will never be as safe as a car with shoulder/lap belts and roll cages. It becomes a personal decision about the level of risk you are willing to take. It is true that motorhomes are involved in fewer crashes than cars, probably because they are seldom driven by young drivers probably. They are also big, visible, and do not drive fast. I know my DD and DIL would not allow infants in the motorhome seats. Mid-elementary school students (age 9 or 10 and up) would be allowed in a seat belt. You need to make your own decision since the law doesn’t generally require child restraints in motorhomes.

[Ohiomike]

When I drove 3 year old twin boys in my class a last month I pulled the cushions from dinette and the table. Faced one front one back. On the way home I buckled them into my couch. My wife was satisfied with both arrangements. She’s a RN and stickler on seat safety. Good luck. I wouldn’t worry much buckle their seats in and go.

[Loggenrock]

You need to decide what is safe for you and your family. There is a similar thread going in the Class C forum right now - http://www.irv2.com/forums/f87/child...ts-448706.html. As mentioned, motorhomes as a rule are not crash tested. A 7-month old is too young to be in a forward-facing car seat - their muscles are not strong enough to keep their head from moving, which is why they need to be in a rear-facing car seat. Unlike cars, the dinette likely has a rear-facing seat position with a lap belt. That also usually places that seat position closer to the original chassis the camper is built on, a safer position to be in. Most crashes involve a sudden stop. A carseat secured into the rear-facing dinette position would allow the seat structure, not just the lap belt, to absorb the crash impact. The carseat would provide the restraint and protection of the child. NEVER place a carseat in a side-facing position, as that affords NO protection. Hope this helps.

[adambilling]

Originally Posted by Loggenrock

You need to decide what is safe for you and your family. There is a similar thread going in the Class C forum right now - http://www.irv2.com/forums/f87/child...ts-448706.html. As mentioned, motorhomes as a rule are not crash tested. A 7-month old is too young to be in a forward-facing car seat - their muscles are not strong enough to keep their head from moving, which is why they need to be in a rear-facing car seat. Unlike cars, the dinette likely has a rear-facing seat position with a lap belt. That also usually places that seat position closer to the original chassis the camper is built on, a safer position to be in. Most crashes involve a sudden stop. A carseat secured into the rear-facing dinette position would allow the seat structure, not just the lap belt, to absorb the crash impact. The carseat would provide the restraint and protection of the child. NEVER place a carseat in a side-facing position, as that affords NO protection. Hope this helps.

hi, yes, cruise Canada tells me that it is possible to put the seat in a rear facing position, if we put down the table. However, the guide for installation doesnt take this into consideration. It only shows me a forward facing position. I can't upload the guide from this computer.

I am wondering however, if my wife can sit next to him while we are driving. He doesnt like to be alone and not see his parents like many babies at that age. The t trucker 17 would compensate for this, as well as safety, but we might have a storage issue, as well as a living space issue. It really looks a lot smaller than the Compact C-19. I tried to google for families with babies that have used the t trucker 17 camper, but haven't found anything.

[adambilling]

Latest update: So the one travel company here in Denmark (where i live) does not allow renting of autocampers for persons with babies below the age of 2, because you have to take away the table in the cabin.

They had a dialogue with Cruise America on this, and found that his was the best solution. They also tell me that the rules are different according to which state you are travelling with in the USA, and that this was the best solution.

The agency I booked the c- 19 through, does not have this policy.

[adambilling]

Originally Posted by RickNC

From a safety standpoint the T-17 truck would be the safest and will have a 3 point harness in the rear seat for your child seat . However since it is what we call in the USA an extended/extra cab that seating area is shorter front to back than a normal seat. There is a possibility you would have to slide the front seat farther forward to accommodate the child seat. As for the C-19 rear cabin area. It isn't safe period in a crash. These vehicles are lightly built and they offer very little crash protection outside of the driver's compartment. The other advantage of the T-17 is the climate control will be much better with the fully enclosed cab. On hot days here in the US motorhome often struggles to maintain a comfortable temperature.

Yes, i'm sure we would have to slide the front seat up, as this is what we do at home in a normal sized car.

I'm still worried that we would have to fit everything into the T -17, since, my wife would probabaly sit in the back, which means we would lose some storage space, and also lose the possibility to go through the van, if the weather is bad. It would feel a lot safer to have the little man right next to us though.

Oooh- decisions!

About the heating - we will be mainly in Canada, but will be driving through Oregon, and end up in Yellowstone before returning to Calgary, so i guess air con would be nice.

[Isaac-1]

One thing to keep in mind, is that most potential accidents will have much less G force in a heavy vehicle like a motorhome than in a small car. This of course excludes hitting an immovable object such as a concrete bridge support.

[Ron750]

Everyone has to decide what level of risk they are willing to live with. I ride a motorcycle with the attitude “Everyone dies, not everyone lives.” But that’s my life I’m willing to risk.

I never realized it, but after doing some research today, I think the only safe way to transport a child in a car seat is in a separate vehicle. I don’t have a RV yet, but when I get one, I would take the grandkids in a separate car, driven by my wife.
Probably not what you want to hear, but that’s what the experts say.
https://csftl.org/rv-travel-children/
https://thecarseatlady.com/rvtravel/

[RVThere]

I’ve driven many miles with my kids and now grandkids in my RVs and I would say my views have changed over the years.

I think that safety would beat out storage every time. Frankly, you’re not experienced in driving a motorhome, you’re driving in an unfamiliar area, and you have distractions that can happen inside your vehicle. All the more reason to put safety first.

[Isaac-1]

I think taking the kids in a separate vehicle is likely a mistake, smaller vehicles will get hit harder in the majority of potential accidents.

[Redapple]

Standard car seat will work on the passenger seat just fine, done it before.

Good Luck!