It helps if you’re not in a hurry to get somewhere and is best started when you get a new seat or change the car. The catch cannot be hidden, must be obvious and accessible and mustn’t require a large force to release it. When purchasing a seat for someone with special needs, the same mantra applies as to purchasing any seat; the best seat is the one that suits the needs of the child/occupant best, is compatible with the vehicle(s) in which it is being used and is able to be used correctly by the parents/carers. Monza Reha Adaptive Car Seat – Booster with torso support harness for users up to 110lbs. Although harnessed, the seat ALWAYS requires use of the 3 point seatbelt as the internal harness is only for support. If you’re installing a car seat forward facing in a car that has a tether anchor, be sure to attach the top tether and tighten its strap.

Escape Proof - Merritt Car Seat Escape Proof - Merritt Car Seat

Children should rear-face until at least 2 years old, but preferably until they reach the upper limits of their car seat by weight or height. Look for the “level line” or angle indicator on the side of the car seat.For younger kids, play “car” using their dolls/stuffed animals/action figures and have the child switch roles and be the mom/dad who needs to teach the child how to sit safely in their straps while the car is moving. As you’ve identified, there are only lap belts in the vehicle. Ideally for a forward facing car seat, you would have a lap belt AND a top tether to decrease forward head movement. All car seats are required to pass testing with just a lap belt, but you can be sure that a child is far less protected without that top tether. If you’re committed to this vehicle, I would rear face all three children. If your 4yo is over 40lbs, you’d need to buy a new convertible car seat that goes to 50lbs ( Graco Extend2Fit is the cheapest long-lasting option and is on sale right now). Once your child has outgrown the Extend2Fit rear facing, it will not be safe for them to ride in the motorhome. NO ONE can safely ride with just a lap belt; it’s really just useful for installing rear facing car seats. It’s a small, light, inexpensive piece of metal that keeps the seatbelt from sliding freely by holding the lap and shoulder sides together very tightly.

Buckle-upp Anti Escape System for Children Car Seat Safety

No matter how the kids are situated, there’s a risk from both projectiles and structural failure in a motorhome. If at all possible, I’d encourage the kids to ride in a traditional passenger vehicle while another adult drives the motorhome. I know that’s not the answer anyone wants to hear, but there isn’t a truly safe option in this situation. Merritt manufactures car seats for children with special needs and truly understands some of the unique transportation challenges that some children have. This company also understands crash dynamics and has an attention to safety not typically found in other aftermarket products.

If you were to look at special needs seats, there are many options available. Nonetheless, I think it is important to keep in mind that if it is possible to continue using a ‘standard’ seat, rather than a special needs seat, it is the better option as I believe some special needs seats, although excellent in many instances do have to make ‘some compromise’ (for want of a better phrase) in terms of design between overall safety and the positioning/support needs of the passenger. This is not to say of course, they are not safe, if used correctly they are very safe. One of the best aspects of American car seat standards is that they are required by law to offer two installation options: LATCH ( Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren) and seatbelt. Harness – This is not so much a special needs product specifically, as it fills more a niche gap for certain situations where a harness is required but a booster is not a viable option. It can however, if required, be used for such a situation if so suitable and can be quite a cost effective option.

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I’m sorry for the late reply, I just saw your question! I’m not familiar with that model but in general there are quite a few risks when it comes to motorhomes and children. The seatbelts in the rear are not subject to Federal testing and often the are mounted to plywood flooring or the seats themselves are situated on plywood frames. All of that can collapse in a crash.