Installing seatbelts

ScottPente
ScottPente Forum Participant Posts: 19
edited February 2019 in Parts & Accessories #1

Hi,

Sorry if this has already been covered, but we have a slight dilema. My wife and I are looking for a new motorhome and have found one that looks ideal. it's a four berth, with a u shaped lounge which we would prefer, but this obviously would only come with two belted seats at the front. 

Any friends that want to join us could obviously drive in a seperate car, but we would like to have the option to take our teenage son from time to time (he doesn't always want to come with us!). 

I could obviously have a seatbelt installed, but it seems a bit of grey area. Has anybody else had any experience of doing this?

Thank

Scott

Comments

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,142 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2019 #2

    What sort of MH is it - coachbuilt or PVC?

    I suspect it's likely a coachbuilt and this probably won’t have the strengthened members needed for anchoring a seatbelt. You need expert advice from a vehicle engineer.

    The law about carrying unrestrained passengers is complicated but the wisdom of doing so is obvious. One of our club members had a nasty accident in his coachbuilt MH and, fortunately, everyone survived with no more than scratches thanks to having the appropriate number of belted seats.

     

  • Phishing
    Phishing Forum Participant Posts: 597
    500 Comments
    edited February 2019 #3

    The only way out of this is to contact the builder of the van and ask if they have ability to retrofit belt into seats. You can only fit belts to seats designed to be structurally stable in a crash. 

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,864 ✭✭✭
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    edited February 2019 #4

    Scott

    If you are still in the process "of looking" for a new motorhome and want four belted seats then by far the simplest solution is to look for a model with the required number of passenger seats. Belted seats require substantial frames built in and I would imagine the last thing you would want to do with a new motorhome is to start dismantling it!!! I think you could start having problems with insurance for such an addition. Vehicles are built and tested to the original design and I somehow doubt that you would find a manufacturer who would be willing to change the original design. An exception might be a PVC, a panel van conversion where there are several small manufacturers where you can specify your requirements from the beginning.

    David

  • ABM
    ABM Forum Participant Posts: 14,578
    1000 Comments
    edited February 2019 #5

    Scott,

      Take  a  stroll  round  any  scrap  yard  &  study  the  crashed  vehicles  &  look  for  the  seatbelt  anchorages  in  them.  The  tremendous  stresses  &  strains  on  them  would / should  make  anything  other  than  Original  Equipment  Installation  almost  impossible  to  insure  I  reckon.

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