Scarnocamper Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 does anyone travel with more than one other person? Since there are only seats in the cab... what do you do about seatbelts for the others? I asked my friend about whether she used a seatbelt with her two kids and she said that she didn't and that it wasn't required by law. She said that she figured that if she got in an accident, that it probably wouldn't be felt much in the motorhome. But then again, she has a huge $300K motorhome. Does anyone travel with kids in the motorhome. My husband and I were discussing and said that we probably needed to take 2 vehicles... he drives one car with the kids and I drive the motorhome.... is this our only real option?... this somewhat defeats the purpose of a motorhome and is kind of a pain, but I don't know what else to do... We have a Dolphin 500 with no forward/rear facing seats in the motorhome. What is safe and what are the California law requirements? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChairmanMeow7 Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 My 1986 Winnie came with seatbelts for the bench (dining table) seats when I bought it. I'm not sure if they were original , but I'm sure you could install some on yours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maineah Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 A junk yard will probably give them to you but you'll need to find some thing solid to mount them to, plywood won't cut it. Mine came with seat belts that were fastened to a flat metal bar that probably would not restrain a cat. Some states require you to have belts for all on board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nibs Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 It isnt hard to put in belts, but they need to be tied in to the truck frame..............Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Hill Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 (edited) does anyone travel with more than one other person? Since there are only seats in the cab... what do you do about seatbelts for the others?I asked my friend about whether she used a seatbelt with her two kids and she said that she didn't and that it wasn't required by law. She said that she figured that if she got in an accident, that it probably wouldn't be felt much in the motorhome. But then again, she has a huge $300K motorhome. Does anyone travel with kids in the motorhome. My husband and I were discussing and said that we probably needed to take 2 vehicles... he drives one car with the kids and I drive the motorhome.... is this our only real option?... this somewhat defeats the purpose of a motorhome and is kind of a pain, but I don't know what else to do... We have a Dolphin 500 with no forward/rear facing seats in the motorhome. What is safe and what are the California law requirements? Scarnocamper, We have a 1978 Mini Mirage and were faced with the same question. I bought seat belts from a salvage yard and anchored them to the side of the MH at an appropriate height. (It has two inward-facing benches across from each other) I reinforced this by running a fairly heavy aluminum strap down the outside and putting the bolts through this. I don't think this is nearly as strong as attaching them to the frame, but I think it would help in a minor accident. I wonder that in a major wreck that the MH body might desinigrate and it might be worse to have them anchored to the frame. I don't know. Anybody have thoughts about this? Steve Hill Edited May 9, 2009 by Steve Hill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gulfstream Greg Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 I asked my friend about whether she used a seatbelt with her two kids and she said that she didn't and that it wasn't required by law. She said that she figured that if she got in an accident, that it probably wouldn't be felt much in the motorhome. But then again, she has a huge $300K motorhome.What is safe and what are the California law requirements? Recently in California a tour bus over turned. Several were ejected from the bus and there were several fatalities and many many serious injuries. In CA seat belts are not required on buses and in the rear of motor-homes. But kids under certain ages and weight if in automobiles must be in a rear facing child restraint seat and fastened in. Up to a certain age children must still be in a child restraint seat while traveling in automobiles. I do not know what the law is for motor-homes. I think people under estimate the G-Force involved in collisions. And even slamming the brakes hard can send someone forward head first into anything in the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T.A.J. Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 The gentleman I bought my '84 Dolphin from had installed seat belts on the two swivel chairs at the dining table for his grand kids to wear for a trip thru Yellowstone Park. My kids have worn them every time they've gone with me and they work well. Easy to install. Remember to always drive defensive and at a reasonable speed. It's the other drivers that I worry about! T.A.J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasToy Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 Here are some pics. of my rear seat belts. They are under the dining chairs and mounted to the frame. Hope they help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wewe Posted November 26, 2009 Share Posted November 26, 2009 We had a I-5 blowout of the front tire. The kids were coincidentally sitting up front with us. The blowout took us across one lane into the center gravel. The guy we cut off stopped to yell at us until he saw the tire. It happened so fast. I wish I had a better idea of how safe the rear is. We do have seat belts back there. We love the facdt that the kids are busy at the table doing their road trip stuff. Its just I have no idea what kind of framing protects them back there in an accident. I was sure glad it did not happen through LA.... Any ideas on back seat safety and also are front tire blowouts common? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fsprandy Posted November 26, 2009 Share Posted November 26, 2009 The way I look at it road travel in/on any vehicle is inherently dangerous due to the speeds involved and the other vehicles out there. We run around 40,000 highway deaths annually in the US. Government crash ratings are based on controlled testing which will be drastically different from the chaotic events that happen in the real world. I think how one drives is by far the biggest factor in how safe they are on the road, regardless of what they are driving. I'd also say vehicle condition and maintenance is very important. A front tire blowout, for example, will be many, many times more likely on an old weather checked tire, an improperly inflated tire, or a tire of incorrect load range. Handling is also important to safety as are brakes - how often do most drivers practice emergency stops or other emergency maneuvers in their motorhomes? An overloaded vehicle isn't going to stop or handle safely. Structural integrity of the vehicle is a big factor in safety. One reason people die in tour bus rollovers in this country is the windows are mandated to pop out so the passengers can escape a fire. Not good when the passengers are unbelted and the bus rolls over. However, buses are required to not crush - which motorhomes are not. If a motorhome rolls and someone is in the back they are in trouble for sure. Motorhomes also aren't required to protect the rear passenger area in a collision. A car impacting the side of a motorhome would probably penetrate most of the way through. As far as belts my understanding is they should only be used in forward and rearward facing seats - not longitudinal seats. I think this has something to do with what happens to the body when accelerated sideways while being restrained by a belt. I haven't researched this but I'd suggest anyone using belts in longitudinal seats investigate further. I also understand that rearward facing seats are the safest - but some people are more apt to get motion sickness in them. Probably the safest frontal crash position available in the coach of a typical Toyota based motorhome is prone with feet facing forward and braced - also pretty comfortable if you happen to have a couch! I do think the single passenger pedestal mounted seats are pretty good for kids. The sides nest around the child and with the belt on they are pretty secure and shouldn't be launched into anything during a hard stop or swerve. Make sure your microwave is fastened securely! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knewell Posted November 29, 2009 Share Posted November 29, 2009 does anyone travel with more than one other person? Since there are only seats in the cab... what do you do about seatbelts for the others? I asked my friend about whether she used a seatbelt with her two kids and she said that she didn't and that it wasn't required by law. She said that she figured that if she got in an accident, that it probably wouldn't be felt much in the motorhome. But then again, she has a huge $300K motorhome. Does anyone travel with kids in the motorhome. My husband and I were discussing and said that we probably needed to take 2 vehicles... he drives one car with the kids and I drive the motorhome.... is this our only real option?... this somewhat defeats the purpose of a motorhome and is kind of a pain, but I don't know what else to do... We have a Dolphin 500 with no forward/rear facing seats in the motorhome. What is safe and what are the California law requirements? I live in California and had the same question. I did a little research and I am still lost to this day, because of how the laws are written. I only have one child (sweet two year old), and I usually travel with her up front in her car seat. That is, she rides in the passenger seat up front. I know the front isn't ideal, but that's where you put them if there is no place in the back. If you don't have a front facing seat, then they go either up front or the best you can do in the back. Somebody opined about collisions where a person is wearing a seatbelt on a side facing seat... he/she was right. If you look at any car seat, they are only to be mounted in a forward or rear facing seat. So as far as the law goes, maybe the youngest up front (in the car seat) and the other ones in the back however they are comfortable. That's my two cents on the situation. Please let us know what you decided. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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