watty55 Posted November 7, 2015 Share Posted November 7, 2015 Why do so many 4 berth motorhomes (mainly pre 2013) and especially british makes have only 2 fitted seat belts? How are the other 2 passengers suppose to travel without seatbelts, or are they exempt when travelling in a motorhome? The thought of 2 children travelling in side facing seats doesn't bear thinking about. (!) (!) (!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
747 Posted November 7, 2015 Share Posted November 7, 2015 It was perfectly legal to have side fitting seatbelts which were only lap belts, not 3 point belts. I know because I had one like that myself. It was a 4 berth Elddis Autoquest. The following year, that model became a 2 Berth in the literature but could still sleep 4. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophie2 Posted November 7, 2015 Share Posted November 7, 2015 Presumably the extra 2 passengers don't travel in the vehicle, but travel separately by car, meet up with the motorhomers and "sleep over" *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watty55 Posted November 7, 2015 Author Share Posted November 7, 2015 Well i guess so, but i thought the whole point was for 4 persons to travel safely in a 4 berth MH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted November 7, 2015 Share Posted November 7, 2015 Even ones with 4 seat belts if they are 3500kg or under probably haven't got the payload to carry 4. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophie2 Posted November 7, 2015 Share Posted November 7, 2015 A valid Q from the O.P. though- my response was a bit tongue in cheek. But ......why say theyre 4 berth?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted November 7, 2015 Share Posted November 7, 2015 It has only recently been a legal requirement to have rear seat belts in a motorhome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brom Posted November 8, 2015 Share Posted November 8, 2015 Four berth often equates to two double beds - so if one of you has a cold, or you want lots of sleeping room, what could be better than a double each? And if you're feeling friendly, it's a case of 'your place or mine'? And frequently families will meet up with the grandparents on site, and have a sleepover. It's surely much safer for children to travel to the campsite in a modern car with all the safety equipment and iso-fix seats than in a sandwich-built coachbuilt! So I see no problem with four berths and two travel seats - surely adult people can be entrusted to make the obvious decision not to carry un-belted passengers? Belted seats are heavy and costly, so why have them if they aren't needed? If you're proposing to buy a family van then, one imagines, you'll have the nous not to buy one of these 4:2 layouts, and choose one with the relevant number of belted seats instead. But that shouldn't mean the 4:2 has no niche in the market - and eventually customer demand will decide whether this arrangement thrives or fades away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayjsj Posted November 8, 2015 Share Posted November 8, 2015 watty55 - 2015-11-07 4:54 PM Why do so many 4 berth motorhomes (mainly pre 2013) and especially british makes have only 2 fitted seat belts? How are the other 2 passengers suppose to travel without seatbelts, or are they exempt when travelling in a motorhome? The thought of 2 children travelling in side facing seats doesn't bear thinking about. (!) (!) (!) 4 berths means 4 Beds, not necessarily 4 seat belts. Seat belt legislation for other than the 2 front passengers is relatively new,even in cars. SO expect most older Motorhomes NOT to have rear seatbelts at all. The most popular UK layout (still) is 2 Lengthwise seats/beds in the lounge, this is for flat out relaxing, when it is peeing down with rain outside ! Continental Vans, even older ones tend to have an Upright 'Diner' and these usually have belted seats, (but are useless for relaxing in). as with everything in a motorhome,they are a Compromise. YOU have to choose your priorities. And NO, unless seatbelts are actually fitted, in which case they HAVE to be used, then folk can travel in the back 'unbelted' although it is not advised, there is no law against it. (otherwise Buses would be illegal !) In the UK the majority of New motorhomes are bought by older couples, whose children have flown the nest. So,most only need two berths anyway. Maybye some will consider Grandchildren coming with them, but with extra seatbelts mainly as a 'nice to have' rather than a necessity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watty55 Posted November 8, 2015 Author Share Posted November 8, 2015 Thankyou for pointing out the legalities, i agree that side facing seats are better for lounging out on. Our kids have flown the nest but we now have to occasionally take the grandkids out on their own, so it looks like we will have compromise and find a 4 berth 4 seatbelt MH. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted November 8, 2015 Share Posted November 8, 2015 Watty, you are quite right to focus on at least four belted passenger seats. I'm wondering how old the children are because not all motorhome belted seats are suitable for child seats. In some models, the seat base acts as a seat and a bed and some can be a little bit squidgy meaning the child seat gets bounced around a bit. It'd be best if you satisfied yourself on this. I presume the grandkids are the same sex or the four berths would allow separate sleeping arrangements at an appropriate age. We found we needed five berths so that one could easily be separated if illness, or more likely fighting, broke out in the overcab bed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteH Posted November 8, 2015 Share Posted November 8, 2015 Hi. "Back in the day" (as they say) we had an R-V with NO seatbelts, AND it was legal, No provision for them either!, we got by, putting the kids with their BACKS to the direction of travel in the dinette. Theory was that Unless the vehicle was involved in a VERY major shunt the occasional "Hard Breaking" would push them into the seats rather than throw them forward onto the table. Not sure I would contemplate it now. but then times have changed. Even Lorries have Seatbelts, which many did not in my day!. Our 07 Rapido has 4 Seat belts. But the result is that the second "bed" is a mish mash of Cushions and not at all comfortable! But it was Purchased as a 2 Berth anyway. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watty55 Posted November 10, 2015 Author Share Posted November 10, 2015 Hello John R, The grandkids who are two boys, have reached 8 and 5 respectively but are quite short as they need bolster seats when travelling in our car. Are you suggesting that the two belted travelling seats would be unsuitable for two small children? if so, i guess we will have to have a rethink. :-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 watty55 - 2015-11-10 5:45 PM Hello John R, The grandkids who are two boys, have reached 8 and 5 respectively but are quite short as they need bolster seats when travelling in our car. Are you suggesting that the two belted travelling seats would be unsuitable for two small children? if so, i guess we will have to have a rethink. :-( We have 4 belts in our van. 2 are on the dinette seat. I am not sure that 2 bolster seats would fit on it, as unlike a car the side of the seat is open on one side. You could possibly put wife next to the younger one on the dinette seat, and the older on the passenger seat. I don't think motorhome designers think about booster/child seats . So if you need to take the kids with you, then work out carefully how they would fit in, over cab ideal for them to sleep in . good luck in your search PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted November 11, 2015 Share Posted November 11, 2015 PJay - 2015-11-10 6:46 PM .... You could possibly put wife next to the younger one on the dinette seat, and the older on the passenger seat.... PJay Even if booster seats could be easily fitted; and if the dinette has proper 3 point seat belts, the anchor points of which could be accessed, I would've thought they could be somehow?, then sitting the kids as you suggest probably wouldn't be such a bad idea anyway, seeing as, with both adults in the front and a table in between they may be out of "reach"... ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted November 11, 2015 Share Posted November 11, 2015 pepe63 - 2015-11-11 8:30 AM PJay - 2015-11-10 6:46 PM .... You could possibly put wife next to the younger one on the dinette seat, and the older on the passenger seat.... PJay Even if booster seats could be easily fitted; and if the dinette has proper 3 point seat belts, the anchor points of which could be accessed, I would've thought they could be somehow?, then sitting the kids as you suggest probably wouldn't be such a bad idea anyway, seeing as, with both adults in the front and a table in between they may be out of "reach"... ? With any one using the dinette seats (of which we have 4) you should not have the table in place. ours is not a fixed table. I would not want 2 boys sitting to-gether any way, from experience kids will often start arguing. Mind you when my kids where young, you did not have seat belts, bolster seats, any way PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted November 11, 2015 Share Posted November 11, 2015 PJay - 2015-11-11 9:07 AM With any one using the dinette seats (of which we have 4) you should not have the table in place. ours is not a fixed table. I would not want 2 boys sitting to-gether any way, from experience kids will often start arguing... PJay Good point... To be honest, I'd never given much thought to the table being removed when travelling before.... ..although, with our last proper MH, I think I could count the number times we carried passengers(all adults) on 2-3 fingers... :$ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted November 11, 2015 Share Posted November 11, 2015 pepe63 - 2015-11-11 9:28 AM PJay - 2015-11-11 9:07 AM With any one using the dinette seats (of which we have 4) you should not have the table in place. ours is not a fixed table. I would not want 2 boys sitting to-gether any way, from experience kids will often start arguing... PJay Good point... To be honest, I'd never given much thought to the table being removed when travelling before.... ..although, with our last proper MH, I think I could count the number times we carried passengers(all adults) on 2-3 fingers... :$ Agree with you Pepe. We travel with the table in place, as only 2 of us. On the one occasion (from memory ) we had passengers, we did put it away, would not really have been room for 2 adults to get behind it comfortably. (not being size zero!!) I think it might be somewhere in the motorhome manual , that it should be folded away for safe travelling. PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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