Seat belts

[Vwnova]

New to this but why are seat belts not fitted to match the stated number of berths, I am looking for a 4 berth but most in my price range have only 2 belts but can sleep 4 people. Most configurations can’t have 3 point belts retrofitted due to being side facing seats, I have seen lap belts fitted to some but the sideways force of a collision can cues injury

 

[trevskoda]

New to this but why are seat belts not fitted to match the stated number of berths, I am looking for a 4 berth but most in my price range have only 2 belts but can sleep 4 people. Most configurations can’t have 3 point belts retrofitted due to being side facing seats, I have seen lap belts fitted to some but the sideways force of a collision can cues injury

Side seat belts are not allowed due to what you say, you can get seats with belts fitted, but they and more the mountings must have a certain size plate under the floor to hold the seats, unless its a wooden floor which in that case no inspection at test centre, my bus was as above but i fitted brace bars between the chassis outriggers for my peace of mind, two seats swivel to face a table.

 

[maingate]

New to this but why are seat belts not fitted to match the stated number of berths, I am looking for a 4 berth but most in my price range have only 2 belts but can sleep 4 people. Most configurations can’t have 3 point belts retrofitted due to being side facing seats, I have seen lap belts fitted to some but the sideways force of a collision can cues injury

Side facing seats could be used with lap straps legally until 2006/7, then the law changed.

For instance I had a 2006 Elddis motorhome publicised as a 4 berth with 2 sideways facing seats with lap straps. The 2007 exact same model was publicised as a 2 berth motorhome. If you buy a used pre 2007 motorhome with lap straps, they are still legal to use as the change was not retrospective.

 

[trevskoda]

Side facing seats could be used with lap straps legally until 2006/7, then the law changed.

For instance I had a 2006 Elddis motorhome publicised as a 4 berth with 2 sideways facing seats with lap straps. The 2007 exact same model was publicised as a 2 berth motorhome. If you buy a used pre 2007 motorhome with lap straps, they are still legal to use as the change was not retrospective.

Veh constrution and use say no from 1989, anyway would you want to break someones neck, also seatbelts only work in the forward possion, yet i have seen vans with them facing backwards, ok if you have a head restraint, but you could slip up and out if inersha type, they would have to be fixed.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

New to this but why are seat belts not fitted to match the stated number of berths, I am looking for a 4 berth but most in my price range have only 2 belts but can sleep 4 people. Most configurations can’t have 3 point belts retrofitted due to being side facing seats, I have seen lap belts fitted to some but the sideways force of a collision can cues injury

People may travel separately to the van and sleep in it, it's just one of those things.

 

[trevskoda]

People may travel separately to the van and sleep in it, it's just one of those things.

Thats what a chap at our camper sales place told me to, its for when you are at a campsite and others arrive in a car but sleep in the van, i pointed out we wild to which he replied thats against the law.

 

[rugbyken]

my hymer b544 has a pair of forward facing seats with seat belts that tuck away completely giving 4 legal travel seats but is marketed as a 5 berth van ? must admit if i wanted to gain weight on a newly specced van i would do away with the seat belts the frame & anchor plates for the seat belts must be in the region of 100 kg

 

[2cv]

When Bailey first started making motorhomes they carried out extensive crash testing. The results are shown as they improved the design in 5 videos. Certainly demonstrates that it’s not just a case of attaching a belt to a seat. Sideways seats with belts are very dangerous.
Here is video number 1;

Click on youtube to get to see all 5.

 

[wildebus]

It is a common complaint but IMO a flawed complaint.
On one forum, there are members that claim it is actually illegal for a manufacturer to say there are more berths than travel seats

There is a simple answer .... If you want to travel with 4 in the motorhome, simply look for one with 4 travel seats, not 4 berths (I would think it is pretty rare for a motorhome to be specified with more travel seats than berths?)
It is very common for people to chose a 4 berth motorhome rather than a 2 berth even if they only ever travel with 2 in the van - space being the main one of course. Plus the "double bed" in a motorhome is usually only slightly bigger than a domestic single bed, so a "4 berth" motorhome may only sleep 2 comfortably anyway.
Autotrail are maybe the biggest 'culprit' of having berths that mismatch the travel seats. Most of their layouts, at least in the past, only ever had the cab seats for travel seats, despite having 4 or even 6 stated berths. My own is a 4 berth but only 2 travel seats (cab up front). A motorhome I would have liked to get was an Autotrail that was 8.4M long, had 6 berths but TWO travel seats? Stupid? Not if there are only two of you but want a roomy van that had nice long sofas to chill out on as well as a permanant bed.

 

[wildebus]

When Bailey first started making motorhomes they carried out extensive crash testing. The results are shown as they improved the design in 5 videos. Certainly demonstrates that it’s not just a case of attaching a belt to a seat. Sideways seats with belts are very dangerous.
Here is video number 1;

Click on youtube to get to see all 5.

You would probably have come across this yourself when you spend time in Arizona, but from what I have seen from watching reviews of US RVs, the vast majority seem to still have both sideways facing seats and just lap-belts rather than 3-point lap+shoulder belts.
And we are talking RVs in the $1,000,000+ price bracket with 8 or more berths so could potentially be filled with badly restrained/protected humans.
Really surprised there is no legislation on this. Maybe the 132nd ammendment ... "the right to kill yourself in stupid ways"?

 

[2cv]

You would probably have come across this yourself when you spend time in Arizona, but from what I have seen from watching reviews of US RVs, the vast majority seem to still have both sideways facing seats and just lap-belts rather than 3-point lap+shoulder belts.
And we are talking RVs in the $1,000,000+ price bracket with 8 or more berths so could potentially be filled with badly restrained/protected humans.
Really surprised there is no legislation on this. Maybe the 132nd ammendment ... "the right to kill yourself in stupid ways"?

A friend had a Winnebego in the UK which had several sideways facing seats. Some had belts but actually the risk of injury in a sideways facing seat is probably raised by having a belt on. Americans reluctance to wear seatbelts probably led to the development of air bags. In the early 90s car manufacturers introduced automatic seat belts which somehow moved across the wearer when the car was switched on. Not successful in that they still tried to trap the occupant if they were for example leaning down to get something when the key was turned!

 

[Pudsey Bear]

You would probably have come across this yourself when you spend time in Arizona, but from what I have seen from watching reviews of US RVs, the vast majority seem to still have both sideways facing seats and just lap-belts rather than 3-point lap+shoulder belts.
And we are talking RVs in the $1,000,000+ price bracket with 8 or more berths so could potentially be filled with badly restrained/protected humans.
Really surprised there is no legislation on this. Maybe the 132nd ammendment ... "the right to kill yourself in stupid ways"?

I watch a lot of US stuff and there doesn't appear to be a requirement (in some states anyway) to wear a seat belt at all.

I just watched one this morning where they (Edison) are building a brand new diesel/electric Semi truck in Canada, and it doesn't even have to go through any sort of IVA.

Also if you buy an old bus and convert it to an RV it drops out of any compulsory testing.

 

[trevskoda]

And many cars in the USA drive on bald tyres with the wire showing through.
I have 6 belted seats in my van, there are time gran or childs mates take a day out with us.

 

[Okta]

(I would think it is pretty rare for a motorhome to be specified with more travel seats than berths?)

My Carthago has 4 travel seats and 2 berths. We opted to omit the drop down double bed having never used it on our previous motorhome. We got lots of nice cupboards instead which are far more use. We are now downsizing to a PVC and most of the ones we have looked at have 4 travel seats but only 2 sleeping berths. If we wanted to take some grandchildren with us we would use pup tents.

 

[wildebus]

My Carthago has 4 travel seats and 2 berths. We opted to omit the drop down double bed having never used it on our previous motorhome. We got lots of nice cupboards instead which are far more use. We are now downsizing to a PVC and most of the ones we have looked at have 4 travel seats but only 2 sleeping berths. If we wanted to take some grandchildren with us we would use pup tents.

PVC Campers often do, especially ones with R&R beds. Motorhomes rarely do (and yours had 4 berths as standard until you decided to have that default feature removed).

 

[Okta]

PVC Campers often do, especially ones with R&R beds. Motorhomes rarely do (and yours had 4 berths as standard until you decided to have that default feature removed).

R&R beds? Recreation and Romping?