isofix child seats and motorhomes (1 Viewer)

[littlekashu]

Hi there, I'm a newbie to motorhoming and in need of some advice.

Parents are about to buy a motorhome and are willing to get isofix points fitted so that we can use the van and take our children on holiday in their car seats.

They are buying a 4 berth with a sofa/double bed in the middle of the van (door to the van is at the end). Therefore the seats face inwards.

We have a 4 year old who has just gone up to an iso-fixed highback booster which is secured with a seatbelt (maxi cosi rodifix air protect) and a baby who is in an isofix base, secured without a seatbelt (Maxi cosi cabriofix on a family fix base).

Assuming we/they fit the isofix points and seatbelts where necessary (my father works with vehicles and thinks retrofitting should be fine), is it legal for children to be inward facing/side travelling in this way?

Are there any problems we haven't foreseen? Would an end lounge have been better?

I would be really grateful for any advice or experience you may be able to share with us. Thanks in advance.

 

[Hollyberry]

From what I have read on here, side- long seats, facing inwards, aren't the safest way to travel. I don't know if having the isofix seats will make travel safer. Perhaps you could try phoning or emailing the car seat manufacturers. I don't know if someone at Halfords would be able to advise you as well.

 

[Deleted member 29692]

Basically if the seats are sideways facing forget it. You can't fit seatbelts to them.

Travel seats have to be either forward or rearward facing and even then if the converter of the van has not designated them as travelling seats and fitted seat belts at the time you will find it incredibly difficult to get either the DVLA or your insurers to accept them as travelling seats afterwards.

There's more information here: Broken Link Removed

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[Mikeco]

They should buy one with seats facing forwards to avoid any problems

 

[Riverbankannie]

If parents not already committed, best to reconsider the choice of MH and get one with 4 seat belts already fitted.
Assuming that you/your partner young, you may not have the required licence category to drive a larger MH, C1 for over 3500kg. Do check that too otherwise about £1000 each to obtain.

 

[Jim]

Years ago we had kids on sideways seats on boosters with a lap belt for a couple of years, but I wouldn't do that now as I've read too many stories about how dangerous it was. I do know its not impossible to retro-fit but it can be difficult to get insurance, and would only be worth doing if you could have them forward or rearward facing. A few years ago 3 point seat-belts in the back of a van were pretty rare, these days 4 belted seats in a van is normal. If you need them, my advice would be to not buy a van without them.

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[littlekashu]

Thanks for the replies so far. They have put a deposit on it with a view to finalising it this week, they've been looking for years and found one they liked. They'd like us to be able to use it as well to get good use out of it over the year.

The car seat news does not seem positive

In terms of our license, how could we check if we are able to drive one?

 

[Bailey 15]

Take your own
With children you need a car anyway so that would solve your problems

 

[Bailey 15]

Sorry that should read take your car

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[littlekashu]

Thanks Sharon, the intention has never been to take a car as well (though that does sound like a good idea!!), we plan to tour with it rather than camp in one place with it for a week.

Can one of the side facing seats be converted into 2 forward facing seats? that would surely solve the problem?

Thanks for all of the replies, very much appreciated

 

[tonka]

Not sure if there is anything newer than this but worth a read as it does state "child restraints cannot be fitted to side facing seats" that's law, Road traffics act.
Moving and re-positiong seats is not an easy job and someone would have to give it approval, so very expensive even if you find someone to do it.. Then having iso-fix becomes and even greater problem.
Personally I have never heard of any motorhome with iso-fix.
When we took out grandkids they used regular car seats but had forward facing seats in the rear with 3 point seat belts..

Ref your license and driving. You need to check the weight of the motorhome, when you passed your test and if you have the required category to legally drive..

 

[Lenny HB]

In terms of our license, how could we check if we are able to drive one?

Look at the categories on the back of your license you need C1 to drive a vehicle over 3500kg.
If you passed your test before Jan 1997 you should have it after that date you won't.

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[Reallyretired]

Even if you converted the side facing seats to forward/rear facing they still wouldn't have seat belts and more than two travel seats.

 

[Lenny HB]

Thanks Sharon, the intention has never been to take a car as well (though that does sound like a good idea!!), we plan to tour with it rather than camp in one place with it for a week.

Can one of the side facing seats be converted into 2 forward facing seats? that would surely solve the problem?

Thanks for all of the replies, very much appreciated

Very much doubt it. If you look at a Motorhome with forward facing seats with seat belts you will see they a fit large supporting frame work which bolts through to the chassis this is just for the belts, a serious bit metalwork.

 

[Riverbankannie]

Thanks for the replies so far. They have put a deposit on it with a view to finalising it this week, they've been looking for years and found one they liked. They'd like us to be able to use it as well to get good use out of it over the year.

The car seat news does not seem positive

In terms of our license, how could we check if we are able to drive one?

Look on your driving licence for the C1, you will not have it if about 38 or younger. Without C1, you are restricted to 3500kg, your parents should know what the maximum weight is of the one they are buying. It will be played under the bonnet and on the V5, ask the dealer from whom they are buying it.
However, academic as I think you are stumped on the travelling seats.

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[Puddleduck]

The van they are looking at will only have 2 safe travel seats - front seat passenger and driver. You can not safely travel with more than 2 people in the van.

This was one of the considerations for the layout of van we bought as we have Grandchildren. We HAD to have rear (dinette) travel seats. We did not find a van with ISO-fix points but we have a multiple stage travel seat here so we are not reliant on swapping travel seats from one vehicle to another. Our children can not drive our van as they don't have C1 on their licences but if necessary we would buy them a course and test.

Rear lounge motorhome don't always have travel seats in the back either so you / your parents may need to rethink as the van they are buying as it may not be fit for the purpose they intended.

 

[littlekashu]

Thanks for all of your replies. Thankfully, the motorhome is less than 3500kg so we should be OK, thanks for mentioning it to check though

Puddleduck - thanks for the information.

I've opened a can of worms here!

 

[Deleted member 29692]

Thanks for all of your replies. Thankfully, the motorhome is less than 3500kg so we should be OK, thanks for mentioning it to check though

Puddleduck - thanks for the information.

I've opened a can of worms here!

Another can of worms for you.

A hell of a lot of motorhomes that are plated at 3500kg are very close to, or even over, that weight when empty.

By the time you add water, all the junk we think its essential to carry, the dog and the wife they will be well overweight and so illegal.

This makes them effectively not fit for purpose and therefore unusable.

Any 3500kg motorhome needs a trip to a weigh bridge before you commit to buying it to find out what it actually weighs and how much payload it has.

A litre of water weighs 1kg, add people, clothes, food, chairs, tables, BBQs and all the other assorted crap in the garage and you can get up to 400 or 500 kg pretty quickly.

Don't take a dealers word for how much it weighs and don't rely on manufacturers data. Some of the converters are notorious fantasists when it comes to filling in the weights on the certificate of conformity.

If the seller won't get it weighed then that tells you all you need to know.

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[littlekashu]

Great advice thank you. It is 3000kg the original they have put a deposit on.

However in light of this thread they may was up losing that and looking at a dinette. Are these the safest type in terms of everyone having a seatbelt? Both children's car
Sears are safer with isofix but can be done with just a belt if needed. Hopefully picture attached

 

[TheBig1]

so many people just dont understand that vehicles now require type approval. the engineering and cost involved makes fitting extra seat belts makes it a non starter

try explaining those alterations to an insurance company and they will refuse to quote. lie and the insurance is invalid

 

[Mickey1]

@NickNic , how can you get a new motorhome weighed before you buy. When I asked for a weight certificate, the dealer said they are weighed by the converter. So you just have to take their word for it.

Mickey.

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[Ralph-n-Bev]

View attachment 147112 Great advice thank you. It is 3000kg the original they have put a deposit on.

However in light of this thread they may was up losing that and looking at a dinette. Are these the safest type in terms of everyone having a seatbelt? Both children's car
Sears are safer with isofix but can be done with just a belt if needed. Hopefully picture attached

Depending on how big the motorhome / child seats are, if they take a 3 pint harness they may fit in this type of layout.
They may not though. You'd be best trying them in the seats before your parents buy.
When we had twins our eldest child was 23 months old. 3 car seats would not fit on the back seat of our car. So we had to buy a different car.
We had a caravan at the time not a motorhome.
They were old enough not to require car seats by the time we bought our first motorhome .
May I also say controversially maybe you don't "need " a car when you have kids with a motorhome.
I reckon the only time you do is if you have a huge RV . Your not comfortable driving /parking in built up confined spaces, your old and infirm, or disabled.
We've always managed to drive / park where we want to be. Even in our previous larger wider motorhome. Sometimes you may have to park a bit further away than you want . But that's what your legs are for.. haha
You've used up your free 5 posts now. So you'll have to pay your £15 yearly subs. I'm sure you and your parents will find the forum very useful, in the future . Look how it's helped you already.

 

[Deleted member 29692]

@NickNic , how can you get a new motorhome weighed before you buy. When I asked for a weight certificate, the dealer said they are weighed by the converter. So you just have to take their word for it.

Mickey.

You most certainly don't have to take their word for it. If anyone ever takes a dealers word about anything more fool them.

Ask the dealer or seller to take it to a weigh bridge and get you a valid ticket showing the total weight and axle weights

There's no valid reason for them to refuse unless they know the van is either over weight or so close to the maximum it's not usable.

If they do refuse that should tell you all you need to know and you move on and look for a different one.

 

[Mickey1]

@NickNic , I've already put a deposit down. Also, it hasn't been registered yet so how can they take it to a weighbridge ?.

Mickey.

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[Deleted member 29692]

@NickNic , I've already put a deposit down. Also, it hasn't been registered yet so how can they take it to a weighbridge ?.

Mickey.

On trade plates the same way they would take a second hand one that isn't taxed to a weigh bridge.

 

[Mickey1]

Each new chausson motorhome is weighed at the factory on a calbrated machine ,then a certificate of conformity issussed to that vehicle
which is used to regester the motorhome, you will have a copy of that in your paperwork that comes with the motorhome.
This is the reply I got when I emailed about payload.

Mickey.

 

[Deleted member 29692]

Each new chausson motorhome is weighed at the factory on a calbrated machine ,then a certificate of conformity issussed to that vehicle
which is used to regester the motorhome, you will have a copy of that in your paperwork that comes with the motorhome.
This is the reply I got when I emailed about payload.

Mickey.

If you're happy to trust the dealer and the manufacturer good luck to you. Personally I wouldn't with a 3500kg vehicle.

I just hope it never comes back to bite you.

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[Mickey1]

@NickNic, The full email, sounded like he didn't want me to uprate it.

Good Morning Mick

Each new chausson motorhome is weighed at the factory on a calbrated machine ,then a certificate of conformity issussed to that vehicle
which is used to regester the motorhome, you will have a copy of that in your paperwork that comes with the motorhome.
As you know the van has a total weight of 3500kg, including a payload of 400kg the reason for that is that when you are 70 you do not need to have a medical
to carry on driving, however we can uprate the weight to 3650kg to give you extra pay load of 150kg but then when you reach 70 you need
a medical .
The motorhome has to be registered with the certicate of conformity at 3500kg but we can discuss the options when I see you.

I will be in contact shortly when I know what the registration number will be so you can arrange insurance cover.

Kind regards
Tony

 

[Mickey1]

Sorry to the op for hijacking your thread.

Mickey.

 

[Deleted member 29692]

@NickNic, The full email, sounded like he didn't want me to uprate it.

Good Morning Mick

Each new chausson motorhome is weighed at the factory on a calbrated machine ,then a certificate of conformity issussed to that vehicle
which is used to regester the motorhome, you will have a copy of that in your paperwork that comes with the motorhome.
As you know the van has a total weight of 3500kg, including a payload of 400kg the reason for that is that when you are 70 you do not need to have a medical
to carry on driving, however we can uprate the weight to 3650kg to give you extra pay load of 150kg but then when you reach 70 you need
a medical .
The motorhome has to be registered with the certicate of conformity at 3500kg but we can discuss the options when I see you.

I will be in contact shortly when I know what the registration number will be so you can arrange insurance cover.

Kind regards
Tony

What he's saying is correct - to retain C1 after the age of 70 you need a medical. If you are approaching 70 and the van works for you at 3500kg then you may as well leave it at that and save the potential aggravation.

Assuming the weight and payload figures are correct (and like I said before that's not an assumption I would personally make) then once you've got it need to decide whether 400kg is enough. The best way is to load it for the longest trips you're likely to do not forgetting the wife/kids/dog, fill it with diesel and water and then go to a weigh bridge yourself.

If you're under, preferably with a bit of leeway, great. If you're over then obviously you need to do something about it.

You will probably get better advice from someone who specialises in that sort of thing than you will from a dealer. SV Tech or JR Consultancy are the two most people on here use. You could probably go to more than 3650 as a paper exercise, usually 3850 if it's on a Ducato or other Sevel Group base. If you're going over 3500 you may as well go as high as you can, it's all the same until you get to 7500.