Adding seatbelts for kids in an RV?

[biggrock1]

Sent: 3/7/2004

I have seat belts under the dinette seats in my winnie too. I didn't check the back couch though.

[jhuey]

Sent: 3/21/2004

Just to add, my D21 has two sets of seat-belts in the aft facing dinette seats and four sets all the way in the back when the bed is made into a seat. They are stock belts and on the rear there are slots cut in the bench plywood to feed the belts to the seat from the storage compartment in back. All belts are mounted to the floor of the coach, not to the frame. With the front seats included I can legally seat nine in Michigan.
Joe

[75braveabago]

Sent: 7/13/2006

Boy this is an active and opinionated thread ain't it. I added junkyard salvaged seat belts to my 75 Brave D21. I could put 2 belts on the rear facing dinette bench and 1 belt on the forward facing side. I drilled thru the flooring and used heavy duty bolts and washers to secure them. On the back couch I added 3 sets by bolting a piece of slotted angle iron to plywood in the trunk area ( not as secure as the floor but OK). I got one belt that was not black so it was easier for my 3 kids to differentiate tween the 3 sets of belts in the back. Even with one end adjusted as short as it could go I still had to knot up some of the belts to make them short enough to be manageable. You can sorta see the back setup on my photos page in the shots of the trunk.
Good Luck, Safe Driving and Look Out For The Other Guy.

Glenn

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Sent: 7/14/2006

Whatever the controversy, if you need seatbelts for your kids, and you should have them, make sure that they are anchored to the frame!  Our floors are mostly thin layers of Styrofoam, plywood, and aluminum sheet...even a big washer won't hold much as an anchor point!  Wherever you locate your seatbelts, even if you have to add a chain extention under the rig, make sure it ultimately anchors to the frame.

Kev

[Slantsixness]

Sent: 7/17/2006

Ah the seat belt dilemma....again!

If your Motorhome was ever in an accident that would actually pull the seat belts loose from the floor (floor not frame mounted), then your passengers in those belts, along with your Winnie are already Toast.

Consider the construction of the Coach. everything is attached to the floor, then attached to the frame. If you had an accident that Jarred the Coach loose from the frame, and had the seat belts mounted to the frame, the seat belts would become Nooses or even Guillotines. Not a pretty thought. The floor, even though it's not as rigid, is a far safer mounting point.

As for rear Gaucho belts, mine were never attached to the floor even, they were attached to the back wall...

Even still In 2006, the seatbelts on a brand new Class A or Class C Winnebago (and all the others, even Fleetwood and Monaco)the belts are mounted to the exact same composite thermo-panel floor. I have new seatbelts (never had been used) in my dinette, and all 4 seating positions there. I have 3 in the front (double pass seat). I removed the Gaucho for a permanent bed, so the rearmost 4 belts went away completely.

Safe? well.... it qualifies for the Gov't safety requirements.... I wouldn't want to find out what would happen in a bad collision, but they're "safe enough" for me and my family to use.
And the use of them, at least for my children, is mandatory.

Always Drive Carefully and Defensively, And wear your Seatbelt.

Tom

[moparmotivator]

Sent: 7/23/2006

We did something a little different for seatbelts. 

We took a couple of pedestal mount captains chairs out of a late model motor home with the integrated seat belts.  The seats lock in the forward or rear facing position and are bolted through the floor to the body cross-members.

We put the seats in where the dinette barrel chairs used to be, the kids are only allowed to ride in these seats with appropriate car seats installed properly, they don't seem to mind, they can see out better when in the car seats.

Most major crashes can be avoided by opting for the ditch, easier decision to make if you know everyone is always strapped down.

Doug

[skodacanada]

To resurrect an old thread...

I am looking at an 89 Dodge Class B

It ticks most of my boxes (low frills, dry body, new tranny and tires, original insides and out, big 360). One major issue however, is that the dinette belts attach to the dinette seats, and not even the floor. We have a 15 monther in a car seat so I want lap belts attached to metal if not the frame. Is this this a straightforward project, something pros can do, or should I just move on?

Regards,
Chris

[LJ-TJ]

Piece of cake. Just find yourself the seat belts the length you need. Locate them where you want them and bolt them to the floor. It really is that simple.

[Oz]

Too bad I never took photos of the seat belt mounting in the dinette seats.  However, it's like TJ said.  Very easy.  The hardest part... you need someone under the rig to hold the nuts while someone inside tightens them.

You can get belts from JC whitney and any other number of sources quite readily... eBay, junk yards...

[skodacanada]

thanks very much. Given that the dinette sets themselves aren't exactly space age technology, one can't go too nuts on the belts, but still improvement is still a good idea.

[DaveVA78Chieftain]

You can get replacement seatbelts with all the attachments at most any auto parts house.  To improve the attachment area, buy some flat iron from Lowes in order to increase the area of the bolt hole surface area (like a washer).  You could even have a long enough piece of metal that extends between each mounting hole (like a  strap).  Idea is to spread the retention area outward from the bolt hole.

Dave

[Stripe]

Drill the bolt hole slightly larger than the bolt. Spot weld the nut in place over the bolt hole from underneath. Then, from up top, the order goes 1: Belt Anchor 2: Lock Washer 3: Bolt. That's how I accomplished what you want to do in an old race car years ago.  The newest driver tells me the belt's still holding strong.

[skodacanada]

I was thinking along the lines of an attachment plate underneath as a reinforcement for the bolt. I like the idea of spot welding the nut along with a reinforced plate. Knowing myself, I will almost certainly do some research by looking at factory jobs in newer Class C or B homes in case they had some better ideas.

What about the safety of the wood box dinette set itself?

This is the van I'm looking at. I've decided for reasons of safety, storage at home, leak issues in a really wet always raining province, and the short weekender type trips that we will mostly be up to, that I'm going to focus on Bs.

I really like this one (save for the belt mounting). I like its super clean ultra basic lines, very dry (rust free) body (being an older car guy I'm just sick of rust bubbles!!!), limited ingress potential for leaks, low mileage and reasonably well kept mechanics, and limited RV features (no grey/black tanks, no plumbed toilet, etc...) so a good entry choice for a newby.

Downsides includes the belts, and very tight upper sleeping quarters (without the bulging overhead roof), and small bed/tight overall (Class B issue).

Any thoughts from the wise?

[skodacanada]

I'd absolutely love to see some photos of dinette set seatbelt set-ups - where and what they are bolt to. Anything at all would be GREATLY appreciated! Before I set about doing work, I like to see what others have done (factory or home.). I can provide my e-mail address is it helps...

Also, our dinette set (under the cushions) is just a wood box frame/ I would guess this is normal? Has anyone rebuilt a dinette structure out of steel or aluminum? Did any RVs come with metal framed Dinette sets?

Thanks,
Chris

[DELTA912]

Some came with Aluminum framed sets but they where way over priced for any real amount to still be here today.

Message me your email and I'll send a few photos of my Dad's 1978 Class C Dodge Pioneer 23 foot. I don't have one in my rv so it will be of his only

[tiinytina]

The belts in my 1987 Tiffin are bolted to the floor under the dinette seats and feed up through slots cut into the ply baseboard of the cushions.  I've never tried using them.

tina

[skodacanada]

Ok. The reason for creating a new thread was a move from, 'can it be done' to 'how is it done with examples' which could be a useful thread on its own (I think).

I try to be very thorough with everything important that I do but perhaps sound a bit pedantic at times! Still, I'd like to see and learn of all the options before I start cuttin' and weldin' this winter!

And just to be clear, the real issue is making it safer for a toddler seat as opposed to an adult.

[Edmather]

Evening,

I just faced this in my 74 D19. I ended up welding up a frame which sits under the forward facing dinette seat and bolts through the chassis cross member underneath the body  and onto a side body support. On top of that I then bolted up a pair of isofix brackets which poke through the wooden box top.  (I am assuming that you guys 'over there' use the same terminology. in Europe ISOFIX is the mechanism that allows you to clip child car seats directly to the vehicle without using seat belts and so on.)

Anyway, the upshot is that I can now just clip my kids car seats straight in as I would our regular everyday car. At the moment Agatha (our eldest; 3 and a half) is in a forward facing seat, and Ranulph (6 months) is in an infant car seat on a base. Ranulph's is a bit big so the table cant go in while traveling, but as soon as he is big enough for a forward facing seat that will be fine.

It was pretty easy, and much better than dodgy lap belts. I can take a few pictures if that would help.

Ed

[Froggy1936]

FYI I Have (1 )retractable shoulder belt for drivers seat (they did not weld in a nut on the passenger side door post) I bought 2 but only used 1 (there is a nut welded in the drivers side door post for a shoulder belt ) Advice check for this before buying Just open the upholstery to see then all you have to do is cut a hole for bolt in covering . Then you can use the removed lap belt elsewhere in the veh  Also have 4 lap belts that came with 1977 Mini Winnie cabin seats  Never used by me .  PM me if interested It also has the bolt for the door post mount Frank