Transporting Children

[ErikB]

We purchased a 2013 Greyhawk last November. There are seat belts on the couch and dinette. How do you all handle securing kids ranging from 1 to 12 years of age as passengers? Would like serious responses, humorous ones are welcome too🙂

[RogerR]

I would read the owners manual to see if there are anchors for car seats hidden away somewhere. I would not put a car seat sideways to travel direction as most (all?) are designed to keep a child safe from forward impact and to a lesser amount of side impact.

[pconroy]

Car seats for babies should be secured in the dinette area, facing backwards until they're big enough. I think that's 36" tall and 30 pounds or so.


Our sofa had seat belts too but those would be sideways facing and I'm not sure I'd be thrilled about even strapping an older child in there. Better than nothing, but like Roger mentioned, sideways belts aren't ideal.

[RPR]

Be aware that cabinets and slide out dinette seats may come dislodged in an accident so please make sure any added belts are bolted to the frame.

[Camper_bob]

The supplied belts are bolted to framing under the furniture. No LATCH points that I've ever seen.

If I had it to do over again, I'd remove the cushions at the dinette and strap the seat down using the belt. The cushions are the tough part in getting it strapped down securely.

I really wish manufacturers would consider the need to install baby seats in motor homes...

[Revy]

Best place we found for the kids when we took trips was a grandmas house

[RPR]

Please go to this site and read the entire article. saferide4kids.com

[ErikB]

Originally Posted by Revy

Best place we found for the kids when we took trips was a grandmas house

We ARE the grandparents :-)

[ErikB]

Originally Posted by RPR

Please go to this site and read the entire article. saferide4kids.com

Did that...thanks. They say best place is in a separate care with another adult :-)

[SmokerBill]

If you're pulling a vehicle behind your Grayhawk, it will have everything you need to secure child seats.

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by SmokerBill

If you're pulling a vehicle behind your Grayhawk, it will have everything you need to secure child seats.

Are you suggesting that you place your child in the towed vehicle?

I hope not, because I'm pretty sure that's illegal. And even if not, it's a REALLY bad idea.

But if you're suggesting to detach the toad and haul the little ones in that vehicle as a "chase" vehicle, that's probably the best/safest thing to do. If we're in separate vehicles (which we sometimes do because of different departure times or DW towing the boat) I prefer for my son to ride in that other vehicle.

Unfortunately, motorhomes are not equipped with appropriate latch points for child seats. Nor are they equipped with appropriate seat belts for properly latching down a child seat. At least none that I've seen...

[SmokerBill]

Originally Posted by Camper_bob

Are you suggesting that you place your child in the towed vehicle?

I hope not, because I'm pretty sure that's illegal. And even if not, it's a REALLY bad idea.

But if you're suggesting to detach the toad and haul the little ones in that vehicle as a "chase" vehicle, that's probably the best/safest thing to do. If we're in separate vehicles (which we sometimes do because of different departure times or DW towing the boat) I prefer for my son to ride in that other vehicle.

Unfortunately, motorhomes are not equipped with appropriate latch points for child seats. Nor are they equipped with appropriate seat belts for properly latching down a child seat. At least none that I've seen...

I was just joking, Camper-bob. Guess I should have added a to my previous post.

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by SmokerBill

I was just joking, Camper-bob. Guess I should have added a to my previous post.

WHEW!!

TBH, there have been a few times I thought about chucking the kid back there!!

[pconroy]

Originally Posted by Camper_bob

TBH, there have been a few times I thought about chucking the kid back there!!

Oh, don't get me started...

[scravens]

I would not carry children in our Greyhawk. They ride in the Jeep (usually our Toad). We keep in touch with walkie talkies.

[ericloz]

I am simply amazed that the manufacturer didn’t take car seats into account when designing safety into the motor homes. Did they never consider little ones when camping?

[Johnynorthland]

Our youngest Daughter is 19, I make her wear a seatbelt, safety first! Our belts in our dinette are bolted to the metal frame in our Redhawk, don’t know why someone posted they are not in theirs, but they way they build these things I would doubt anything! Our 3 grand kids have yet to ride in the RV. But I would face them backwards, towards the dinette seats, and figure out a way to Tether that belt, even if I had to drill into the floor, safety first!

[RPR]

We do not have any grandkids but was thinking. If your floor plan allowed it. Go kart size roll cage single or double seater bolted to the frame of the Rv with car seat(s) attached to it. In our Class C you would have to remove the jackknife sofa. I know my wife’s sisters grandkids would think they were hot stuff with a set up like that. Little TV screen and their electronic devices they would be set.