Car Seats and RVs
RVs seem like such an appealing option for family travel. However, they have many safety issues that make traveling with small children challenging.
Let's take a look at the different kinds of RVs and motorhomes so you can make an educated decision about how to travel!
Class A RVs (the largest - motorhomes) are not crash tested at all. They are not made with standardized materials, are not required to meet federal seat belt standards, and typically don't come with airbags.
Class B RVs are more like a large Sprinter van, so their chassis is crash tested and they often do have to meet federal seat belt standards for the front cabin (though not the rear seating positions). These are considered the safest RV option as they are typically made of steel rather than fiberglass.
Class C RVs are mid-sized and built on a van or truck chassis, so again their chassis are crash tested and they do have to meet federal seat belt standards for the front, but not rear seating positions.
It's important to realize that the crash testing of the Class B and C RV chassis applies only to the driver and passenger seats in the front cabin. It does NOT apply to the rear seating positions or the living quarters.
Though the rear seating positions in an RV may be bolted to the floor and have a seat belt, the wooden platform that the seating position is built on may fail in a crash. In a regular car, seat frames are constructed with metal (not wood) and seat belts are anchored with steel to the frame of the vehicle so seatbelt can withstand crash forces and protect the wearer. If the seat belt isn't anchored firmly to the vehicle frame then, no matter how tight of an install you may get, the car seat will not be held in place by the seat belt during a crash.
RVs also do not have to comply with LATCH requirements, so it is unlikely you will find a true top tether point (which is required for forward facing car seats).
The safest way to travel with an RV is to drive children in a separate car. If that's not possible, your next best bet is a towable RV (you drive a truck or large SUV and tow the empty RV behind you). The third best option is a Class B RV with forward facing, appropriately anchored vehicle seats/seat belts/LATCH positions on which car seats can be installed safely.
