First RV- Flexsteel Captains chairs and Child Seats

[Dude]

Hello, My wife and I have been camping in a popup trailer for the past 4 years and my wife gave me the OK to upgrade.

Since I towed my popup with a 4cyl Toyota Tacoma in order to upgrade I would need a new tow vehicle as well. So, instead of buying a new truck and trailer we went with a Class C.

I found a deal on a 1989 26 foot Rear Side Bed. It has 50,000 miles and the roof leaked at one time but has since been sealed. It has 4 captains chairs and the sofabed couch. There is no dinette. We have a 3 year old son and a 25 pound dog and think this layout will work good for us.

Here is my question:

Since we have a 3 year old son, he is still in a child seat. Anyone who has dealt with child seats recently knows that the LATCH system is an easy way to connect the seat. It became a standard safety feature in all vehicles after 2003 (I could be off on the year) and was an option before that (I don't know for how long it was an option). Do RV's have this LATCH system? Do the Flexsteel captains chairs that are in my RV come with it? If so, what year did they start?

EDIT: (10-17-12) Two excessive width photos were removed by Website Administrator (bfadmin-2), reprocessed to maximum permissible width and added back into this author's post.

[harrisgowing]

I researched this issue this summer on behalf of 2 of my grandchildren. On our 2004 BF there is no latching system for the captains chairs in the passenger part of the coach. The coach portion of the unit is not a car for that type of regulation. From what I learned, the coach captains chairs are bolted to the floor of the coach, clear through to the bottom of the coach. If you want to remove a chair, it takes two people, one working on the bolts on the floor of the coach and one working on the bolts under the coach. I don't know how the seat belts for the chairs are secured. But, we have traveled with some of our grandkids secured by seat belts in captains chairs in our 5 ton vehicle with roll bars with more confidence than in a passenger car in their latched secured 5 point car seats. It is a personal decision. Your son is a cutey! Good luck!

[ewagman]

You are dealing with an 89 RV, different rules than a nearly new passenger car. I'd consider putting the kid seat in the seat behind the passenger seat, locked to be facing rearward. You should be able to devise a seat belt type strap to hold the kid seat securely to the RV seat. 20 years ago when my youngest was that age, I bought auto seat belts, and anchored them through the motorhome floor for use with the seat right behind the passenger seat. Fortunately they were never put to the test.

Just as important, look around and secure anything that would become a projectile during an abrupt change of pace or direction. Pets should be secured too, and in some states are now required to be. You don't want 25 lbs of Fido flying through the air crushing your kid in a crash.

Enjoy the experience, my kids loved motorhome travel. A toilet, TV, and kitchen easily available, what's not a kid to like about that? The RV is great for sports weekends, when he starts playing soccer or whatever. The other parents will quickly become your friends too.

[Dude]

I was thining the rear facing seat would be better.....it has a view of the TV

I do have seatbelts for 6. The 4 captians chairs and then 2 on the couch. Only the front seats have 3 point seatbelts, the rear are lapbelts only. The pedestal for the seat is bolted through the floor and so are the seatbelts.

However the lapbelts are like in an airplane, the buckle winds up in the center, not off to one side. So it will be a PIA to buckle it tight when the buckle is within the child seat.

I was feeling around between the seat and the back and felt the little round bars that the LATCH system usually attaches to but it seemed not the same as what are in current vehicles I have attached the seat to. I didn't know if it was an early version of the LATCH system or if it was just part of the seat.

Good point about flying objects. I remember seeing the mythbusters do a test with a tissue box in a car crash. An RV has many more things that can come flying at you. I guess I should not keep the knife block on the counter I'm new too the Class C ball game so I have to think of these things now.

[jlef123]

I recently took our 8 yo granddaughter on a trip with us. We used a Grayco Nautilus car seat that can be used as a booster or as a 5 point harness. It can use the latch system in a car that is so equipped . We attached the car seat to the swivel chair with the seat belt and strapped our granddaughter into the car seat with the 5 point harness. The car seat was rock solid against the swivel chair and my granddaughter wasn't going anywhere.

[Mike Jean Bandfield]

I recently took our 8 yo granddaughter on a trip with us. We used a Grayco Nautilus car seat that can be used as a booster or as a 5 point harness. It can use the latch system in a car that is so equipped . We attached the car seat to the swivel chair with the seat belt and strapped our granddaughter into the car seat with the 5 point harness. The car seat was rock solid against the swivel chair and my granddaughter wasn't going anywhere.

We did this with our two grandsons 'til they got bigger. We now do the same thing with their booster seats. Rock solid!

[Dude]

Sam, I have to admit, I was a little puzzled by the comment about keeping the tacoma as a tow vehicle. It just dawned on me there is a difference in this website when you refer to a tow vehicle and my other camping website when a tow vehicle is mentioned. Here you mean the vehicle that is towed behind the RV. On my other website people are referring to the vehicle that tows the trailer.

On the other website many people balk at the idea of a 4cyl towing anything....although my little Tacoma is strong. It can tow 3,000#'s and handled my 1,500# popup fine. Some think that you can't tow anything without a big full sized vehicle.

If I decide to tow a vehicle behind my RV, it will probably be my wifes minivan that I set up with a tow bar. Or I may look into a tow dolly so I am not locked into bringing only 1 vehicle.

[William Higbie]

Not sure I would use a minivan as a toad. Just another big flat surface to react to cross currents. Most reading I have done say mini vans do not make good toads except behind large class A. I would also give much second thoughts to using a dolly if I dont have to. A dolly is just more weight and more expense. Always remember that weight is a issue in what you tow especially with a very old motorhome.

[Tom and Jennifer Pierpan]

We often take day trips with our 4 young grandsons. The youngest, 2 1/2, sits in his carseat strapped to the Captain's chair near the door ( we have a RSB). This is the safest place we think, because the chair behind the front passenger seat could be impacted by the front seat in a collusion. The three older boys ride on the couch on their booster seats and with seat belts we had installed when we ordered the RV. I feel very confident when we are out and about with this arrangement but we do not travel any large distances at this point.
A bigger concern for me is the possibility of flying objects hitting the passengers. Therefore we now pack in the cabinets over the couch and table area only clothing, bedding and other soft items. The kitchenware, food items etc are stored in the closet and the cabinets over the rear bed. This is not as convenient as our original arrangement. I may look into putting the type of locks/latches on the overheat cabinets that are sold for sailboats which have similar issues when stowing gear.
Your little son is very cute and I wish your family happy adventures in your Born Free.
Jennifer