buying first camper....seatbelt advice

[Jimmer84]

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We had gone to view this camper today and it seemed a great buy, fantastic condition, recent works included new subframe, front brakes and pipes, alternator, battery, etc. Drove well, very clean inside with absolutely no damp, etc.

Our only concern is a bit of a big one, it only has two front belts in the front seats with the back of it having two side facing benches. This would mean my wife would be in the back with no seatbelt, what would everyone's advice or opinion be on this?

If i should post this elsewhere, let me know and I can start a new thread

 

[Jimmer84]

Yeah the weigh station near us is an unmanned free one. I use it a lot in the work vans to check the weight when travelling to the south of Ireland when its loaded up so I'm not over loaded.

 

[kevenh]

Mini hijack!!
STOP WRITING ABOUT YOUR CHEAP OR EVEN FREE WEIGHBRIDGES!!

In West Berkshire I cant find one.
My best/only bet is to approach a gravel extraction site - unless another MHF knows of one?

 

[Emmit]

The Law relating to sideways facing seats and their use changed in OCTOBER 2007.

Vehicles first registered before that date can be used with passengers sitting in sideways, non seatbelt fitted seats without committing offences. (NB There is an offence of carrying passengers in an unsafe manner but, from experience, this does not cover these circumstances. I suggest it covers passengers sitting on vehicles without utilising seats ie pick ups etc.)

In addition to this applying to Motorhomes, it also applies to such vehicles as Long Wheelbase Land Rovers that were manufactured with sideways facing seats as standard before the above date. These are still in daily use at Outward Bound centres and the like.

In addition, although a vehicle MAY be described as a four berth, from personal experience, Insurance Companies do ask on Insurance Application, "How many Berths?" "HOW MANY SEATBELTS?"

Should the vehicle be used at the time of an accident, the Insurance Co. will ask who was being carried and, if it is ascertained that a passenger was carried in a non seatbelt fitted seat, and was injured, they will utilise this as a means of reducing any claim.

 

[Minxy]

The easy answer is apart from all the legal jargon from a purely safety point of view you should NOT travel in side facing seats at all.

Another thing to consider is if you are 'allowed' to put a child in a front seat at all, I believe there are laws which restrict what you can do so best to have a read of those first. If you get a MH with a dinette and 3-point seat belt and want to put the child seat in the rear it should always go nearest the window and not the aisle due to the belts being installed in the opposite way to a car otherwise the child seat can tip over into the aisle.

KevinH ... As for weighbridges we have a free one at our local docks!