tailgater
Cape Cod
Senior Member
Joined: 08/10/2003
View Profile
|
A quick question to help out a friend:
He wants to rent an RV to take his sports team to a local event (1 hour away). There will be 14 kids, plus 2 adults in the vehicle. The official seating capacity is 8, but he knows he can fit 4 kids on the 70" sofa, plus 4 at the dinette. That's 10 with the two front seats.
Can he legally travel with 4 other kids (13 year olds) sitting in the back on the bed?
I'm a travel trailer owner, and nobody travels in the camper when in tow, so I know nothing about Class A's or their seating rules.
Any help is appreciated.
|
fourfurz
Memphis
Senior Member
Joined: 03/23/2008
View Profile
|
Legally and in good conscience are two different things in this case. There is no legal requirement in most states for seat belts in an RV as they are not considered passenger vehicles, however, would you want to be responsible for injuring a dozen kids because their seating arrangements were unsafe? It might be better to just rent some sort of high density van or a bus to transport the little ones. If it was me, I would not use an RV for more than the rated seating under any circumstances.
2007 Mountain Aire 4528
2006 CRV SE
Based in Memphis area
|
tailgater
Cape Cod
Senior Member
Joined: 08/10/2003
View Profile
|
That issue has been discussed, and this information is simply to view all possible options.
As for good conscience, anybody who sends their little ones off on a school bus must realize that there are no seat belts on those either, and despite rules to the contrary many of those kids are not even seated during transit.
Your response has prompted another question: If Class A RV's are not considered passenger vehicles, then why is it legal to transport passengers at all?
|
fourfurz
Memphis
Senior Member
Joined: 03/23/2008
View Profile
|
tailgater wrote:That issue has been discussed, and this information is simply to view all possible options.
As for good conscience, anybody who sends their little ones off on a school bus must realize that there are no seat belts on those either, and despite rules to the contrary many of those kids are not even seated during transit.
Your response has prompted another question: If Class A RV's are not considered passenger vehicles, then why is it legal to transport passengers at all?
I guess the idea with commercial buses (schools buses included) is that there is a professional, theoretically expert driver at the front, which should make some difference. In an RV, especially a rented one, you have a low hours pilot with little idea of how to control the vehicle in an emergency. I would think that's important.
As for your second question, that's a good one. I guess it's sort of like a truck. They're not passenger vehicles but the operator and one person in the rated seat are ok. I can only speculate on the RV logic. A quick Google of that topic might yield the answer.
|
Polishnurse
Schodack, NY
Senior Member
Joined: 03/13/2007
View Profile
 Offline
|
I believe Mass, has signs posted that seat belts must be worn. I have yet to see one says unless your in RV. Some states don't require those in the back seats to wear them. When I question Thor on the issue the answer was straight and to the point, the number of seat belts is based on the number that the unit sleeps. It upset me somewhat, because I have three additional seats that people can sit in, i.e. the dinette sits four but has only two belts, the couch can sit three but has only two seat belts. So today I have never been in motion with more then five people and all have to wear seat belts.
What your friend does and how he doesn't is his game. I am only telling you what my game is and how I have played it. Bill
|
|
|
Rich D.
New England
Senior Member
Joined: 03/10/2003
View Profile
|
Transporting that many in this state without a CDL with a passenger endorsement is illegal. IMO, you are leaving yourself wide open for lawsuits. Hire a commercial bus.
Rich D. Wanderlodge LXi 43'
.jpg)
|
ejforwood
Littleton (Denver) Colorado
Senior Member
Joined: 04/26/2006
View Profile
|
Rich D. wrote:Transporting that many in this state without a CDL with a passenger endorsement is illegal. IMO, you are leaving yourself wide open for lawsuits. Hire a commercial bus.
With a Professional Driver!
Jerry, Dottie & Chan, "the little furry one"
98 Bounder 34V, 99 F-53 Ford V10 chassis
06 Saturn VUE 4I
|
robatthelake
Vancouver Island
Senior Member
Joined: 08/24/2003
View Profile
Offline
|
And another thing these are 13 year Old Kids! More than 2 of those together at one time is just asking for trouble.
In BC ALL Passengers must wear Properly Installed Seat Belts while the Vehicle is moving! Certain Vehicles are exempt, RV's are Not one of them!
Rob & Jean 90 Southwind John Deere/Oshkosh/Freightliner Class A Ford 460/ Toad 92 Tracker 2 wd 5sp Convert Still running Great!
" Everything in it"Still" Works"
|
Polishnurse
Schodack, NY
Senior Member
Joined: 03/13/2007
View Profile
Offline
|
ejforwood wrote:Rich D. wrote:Transporting that many in this state without a CDL with a passenger endorsement is illegal. IMO, you are leaving yourself wide open for lawsuits. Hire a commercial bus.
With a Professional Driver!
As long as he isn't doing for hire or profit, in most states he would not be required to have CDL. My neighbor has 12 kids, I have yet to see a bus pull up to his house and I also know he only has standard drivers license. I also used to drive a van full boyscouts to various activites, a sixteen seater with all the seats in. My insurance company loved me. Bill
|
texasbaskets
Frisco, TX
Senior Member
Joined: 10/06/2003
View Profile
Offline
|
Yes, he can do that.
Put the smallest ones in belts, spread the rest around to distribute the weight and just make them sit down while moving, that's all.
It's a neat thing he's doing for them. Have a great time and and a good game !!!!
Michael, Kay and Hans (our Mini-Schnauzer co-pilot)
'05 Coachmen SportsCoach SE 372DS a.k.a. "Mana's Cabana"
|
|
|
