Types of RVs/Showing Some Restraint

Just a warning that this post will consist of two parts information, one part vent.

A long time ago Steve tried explaining the different types of RVs to me, but I never retained the information because I didn't need it. Then I suddenly did need to know the difference so we could decide what kind of RV we wanted.

Learning about them was actually pretty straightforward. There are several different types in two main categories: The kind you drive (Class A and C) or the kind you pull (trailers, fifth wheels).

We ruled out Class A and C right away (more on that in a minute). A slightly harder choice was deciding between a trailer and a fifth wheel. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. With a trailer, we could choose from a greater variety of tow vehicles. With a fifth wheel, we are limited to a pickup truck. On the other hand, because a fifth wheel sits on the bed of the truck, it is more closely coupled to the vehicle than one attached at the bumper, and therefore more stable. Because of the overlap, a fifth wheel offers a little extra space over a trailer of the same length. Despite the fact that we'd need to own a pickup, the overall benefits of a fifth wheel won out for me.

Now as to why we decided against a motorhome. First, they seem impractical to me. Unless you want to unhook your water and electric, slide in the slide-outs, and secure everything every time you need to run an errand, you're going to have to tow another vehicle. That means you have to maintain two engines, two drivetrains, etc.

The second reason is safety, which should come as no surprise to anyone who knows Steve or me. Motor homes typically have two seats that are suitable for traveling: the driver's seat and front passenger seat. There may or may not be seatbelts in other locations. Those seatbelts may or may not be bolted to the frame of the vehicle. Those seating locations may or may not be side-facing (a couch) or unobstructed (by a table).

Bottom line: There's unlikely to be anywhere to properly install child restraints or for more than one passenger of any age to ride safely. Also, the risk of being hit by a projectile in a crash increases significantly when you're riding down the highway IN your house.

Whether or not it's legal to ride unrestrained in an RV varies by state, but as we say in the Child Passenger Safety World, "The laws of physics know no boundaries." However, that doesn't stop people from doing it.

Maybe people feel they're protected because of the motorhome's size, but bigger doesn't mean safer. I have seen photos of a Class A crash, and it wasn't pretty. Cabinet latches don't hold well when the objects inside fly forward with hundreds of pounds of force.

I witnessed an RV crash once. Well, the aftermath of it. I was driving across the country with my mom. We were pulling off at an exit to get something to eat and I noticed a pickup with a fifth wheel driving by. When we got back on the highway traffic was stopped. We inched along, and about a mile later came to the culprit: The same fifth wheel and truck, lying on their sides at the bottom of a small embankment.

I don't know how many people were involved or what their outcomes were. What I do know is that although the truck and the trailer had both overturned, I would much rather be in the truck, properly secured, than free-floating in the trailer.

And this is where my vent comes in.

Just the other day Steve and I watched an RV Show on HGTV, and a dad they talked to really liked a fifth wheel, but settled on a Class A (or maybe C) because he didn't want his girls to be confined to the pickup while they were traveling. I have also been reading some message boards and blogs with posts from mothers who see it as an advantage to let their kids run around while the vehicle is moving.

The strange thing is that many of the parents who enjoy motor homes for their going-down-the-road freedom seem to also be the types who eat all organic (so little Bobby doesn't ingest any chemicals), clean with vinegar (so little Bobby doesn't inhale any fumes), eschew plastic toys (phthalates!), and ban TV (brain rot). Yet they see no problem with walking around a several-ton vehicle barreling down a highway at 60 mph.

Don't get me wrong: I'm not the World's Greatest Mom, nor do I play one on TV. I also don't blame parents for going natural/organic. It just seems that if you're going to protect your kids from artificial sweeteners, you might also want to protect them from the number-one cause of accidental death.

I have heard that lax attitudes about child passenger safety are common among RVers. (In fairness, they're common among the general population, too.) I'm sure we'll run into a lot of people who travel unrestrained and with unrestrained children. I don't like to give unsolicited advice because it is usually not well received, and frankly, it's none of my business. So I'll just bite my tongue and cross my fingers.