Can I Put a Carseat in an RV?

My boys & I have RV'd w/my folks since my oldest was 6 months old & they had a 5th wheel. When our youungest was just 2 months old, my parents bought a 38 foot motorcoach & our 2 month old took his 1st trip to Yosemite. So, yes, carseats can & MUST be installed in RV's. In my parents, their couch has seatbelts for 3 people , they have a club chair that has a seatbelt as well as the front seat w/seatbelt. Technically, you're not supposed to ride at the table cuz it has no seatbelts but my older son has. We also used bring along my older son's booster seat so he could ride 'shotgun' w/Poppa & help w/the map. He's snow past the need of the booster so he rides there buckled in like an adult. I was able to install the infantseat w/o much issue & have installed the Britax now for 2 yrs. I found that I need to take off the seat cushion in order to get the Britax in tight cuz the cushion is too mooshy. The couch is actually a sleeper so the carseat it buckeld to the backside of the frame of the couch. Just an FYI, all RV's are equipped, by law, w/seatbelts. We ahve done these trips w/folks now for 7 yrs & they are the high light of hte summer for my boys & I! I love RVing cuz we have running water, air conditioning, & the ability to be clean while camping. It's a GREAT way to see America! Have fun & goodl luck!

Hi L.!

I don't know the laws about carseats and RV's, but I always traveled with my kids in a carseat according to the Car Seat Laws of cars. My boys are now school age, and I STILL make them wear seatbelts when we're RV'ing.

I always figure, if there WAS an accident, my baby could get thrown across a "room" or something worse. Why take that chance? It doesn't take up much space to have a carseat, and you will be more relaxed while you're taking your trip :o)

Have a nice trip!

Yes, carseats go in RVs no problem. In fact it is very nice becasue they are easier to get in than in a car and usually they can sit a t the table and have a surface to other things. My son really enjoys the huge windows that offer a better view of the roadside. I would prefer RV carseat travel to a regualr car.

L.,

I'm not sure what the law is regarding RV's but I would think that as long as there is a bench seat or seats, you would be able to properly install a car seat. There has to be a way for your baby to ride safe- I would look up the make and model of the RV and see if you can see the inside set up.

Take care,

Molly

In the RVs and campers I've been in, there were no seatbelts except for the driver and front passenger. So the only way to secure an infant carseat would be to wedge it on the benchseat between the table and seatback of the bench (because you wouldn't want the carseat to be in the front with the driver). I'm not sure if the newest RVs have seatbelts in the back area, but I bet an RV sales person could answer that question.

As far as I know legally (and a call to the CHP might clarify), riding in the back of an RV is similar to riding on a bus (which also doesn't have seatbelts), in that you keep a grip of your baby (or the carrier/carseat) yourself. So in an RV, you would want to have one of the parents driving, and the other one in the back, holding onto the baby, or if the baby is in a carseat, at least nearby in case it shifts.

If a traditional carseat won't fit, you might look in to other portable chairs that might fit. (We had a feeding chair with belt straps that went on top of a regular dining chair. It was great to take camping, though we didn't use it in an RV, so I couldn't tell you if it would fit or not.)
Hope you find a good solution!

PS--I found this in the DMV RV handbook about seatbelts: "Always wear your safety belt when driving. Even though many motor homes accommodate passengers in places where safety belts are not required by federal law (i.e., dining table), if the area has a safety belt—wear it. Riding in a place which is not equipped with a safety belt increases the danger of injury in case of an accident."

The only ones I've been in were small enough that they only had table seats, other than the driver and front passenger. If you want to have a carseat strapped in, you would have to look for an RV large enough to have other kinds of seats that do have seatbelts.

My sister works at Russ Dean RV, and this is what she recommended:

Winnebago or any Class C on a Ford Chassis; Winnebago Class A motor homes usually have at least one buckle down, rear facing seat & Ford Class C Chassis have a second, rear captain seat on the passenger side.

I highly recommend a Winnebago. They’re a bit more expensive than other brands but the saying “You get what you pay for” is all too true when it comes to RVs. With a Winnebago they’ll have a product with on average fewer shop visits, free next day air parts shipping on parts that are in stock at the factory during there first year of ownership (if the part is needed to get back on the road, which that actually covers a lot of stuff), and a free year of the Winnebago Club. Plus they hold their value very well.

Hope this helps!

M. *~

L.,

I searched on DMV's website and this is all that is mentioned regarding seat belts & child restraints:

CHILD RESTRAINT SYSTEM AND SAFETY SEATS
Any child under the age of six weighing less than 60 pounds must be secured in a federally approved child passenger restraint system and ride in the back seat of a vehicle.

A child under the age of six weighing less than 60 pounds may ride in the front seat of a vehicle when:

There is no rear seat or the rear seats are either side-facing jump seats or rear-facing seats.
The child passenger restraint system cannot be installed properly in the rear seat.
All rear seats are already occupied by children under the age of 12 years.
A medical reason requires the child to ride in the front seat.
A child may not ride in the front seat of an airbag-equipped vehicle if the child:

Is under one year of age.
Weighs less than 20 pounds.
Is riding in a rear-facing child passenger restraint system.
Children ages six and older but less than 16 and children under age six who weigh more than 60 pounds, must be properly secured in an appropriate child passenger restraint system or safety belt which meets federal safety standards.

We rented a motorhome for our camping trip last year and opted not to get one that didn't have enough seat belts to restrain our twins' carseats. We rented one that had a bucket seat behind the passenger seat. Because the passenger seat and the bucket seat were the only two seats with seat belts, according to the law, we were able to utilize the front seat for one of the car seats.

Research carefully with the rental company/dealer for the motorhome that you're looking for. Regardless of what the motorhome may offer, the children do need to be restrained in the vehicle in a carseat. Hope this helps!!

~ L.

Call your local CHP office. They should have an officer there that can help you with this. They take appointments to help people put their carseats in their cars properly so they must have the answer to your question. They also give carseats away to people who cannot afford one.

Hi L.,

I agree with Noelle, call your local CHP office regarding the law about car seats and RV's. The number can usually be found in the front of your phone book. That is the best thing to do.

Good Luck and enjoy your vacation with your little one.

Sincerely,

B.~