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A few safety questions-hopefully not a few too many!

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  • 15-04-2010 4:21pm
    #1
    tuppence
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,130 ✭✭✭


    A)Would people recommend a gas monitor/detector for inside their camper van and what type is the best in your opinion?
    B) Do ye carry a fire extinguisher? Wise or ott?

    C) We have a VW california Westfalia, with a three point belt and lap belt in the back. Problem is the three point belt doesnt seem to be long enough for rear facing baby seat. The lap belt as well I dont think is ideal for a booster chair (for a 5 yr old) either. We are kinda facing the short term option of putting babs in the front, the second adult on the lap belt and 5 yr old on the 3 pt belt. There isnt an air bag but again just not comfortable with this.

    I was thinking about getting another 3 pt belt from Go westy and getting it installed but worry as we may have the same problems again with length. Is it safe to get another belt that isnt adapted for the same van that'l be a bit longer? Or perhaps people found that other babyseats fit the standard belt..... They recommend that babies should be rear facing for at least a year and in Sweden I believe until they are three so solution needed for a long enough period.

    How have ye coped if you have had similar situations?


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    #2
    peasant
    Registered Users Posts: 17,819 ✭✭✭✭peasant


    fire extinguisher - certainly a good idea

    An accident can easily happen with the open flame on the cooker and the cramped space.
    Wouldn't want to bring one of these massive 6kg ones though. Halfords and some motor factors do small 1kg powder ones, Lidl carries them as well every now and them ...I've got one in my camper and my car

    Be advised though ...these powder extinguishers make an awful mess, so you wouldn't want to use them just for the giggles to put out the barby :D


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    #3
    tuppence
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,130 ✭✭✭tuppence


    peasant wrote: »
    fire extinguisher - certainly a good idea

    Be advised though ...these powder extinguishers make an awful mess, so you wouldn't want to use them just for the giggles to put out the barby :D

    The voice of experience perhaps?! :D

    Thanks for the advice on the extinguisher for the camper. Good old Lidl, is there anything they don'nt do. (just got a compost bin from them today! ;))


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    #4
    spaceHopper
    Registered Users Posts: 3,970 ✭✭✭spaceHopper


    tuppence wrote: »
    The voice of experience perhaps?! :D

    Thanks for the advice on the extinguisher for the camper. Good old Lidl, is there anything they don'nt do. (just got a compost bin from them today! ;))

    I got a small foam one in either Lidl or home base and to keep the misses happy I have a monoxide alaram as we'd run the heating, I know it's vented to the out side but makes sense besides the fridge isn't fully vented.

    Can you extend the seat belt?
    or get ISOFIX fitted to the back or a child seat that works with a lap belt http://www.kiddicare.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/productdisplayA_475+936_10751_-1_14602_96592_10001_14602

    Also do small childen need a booster seat with just a lap belt, isn't it the cross strap that does the dammage?

    PS I don't have kids so don't know much


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    #5
    Niall_G
    Registered Users Posts: 149 ✭✭Niall_G


    I have a small fire extinguisher and fire blanket (might save a big mess for a small gas cooker fire sometime) mounted inside the wardrobe beside the cooker so they're not an eyesore but might be useful sometime.

    My last camper had a couple of smoke alarms and a CO alarm which meant lots of battery changing. When I got my current camper, it hadn't anything so I installed a combined smoke/CO detector.

    When you consider the cost of buying and maintaining our campers, and that we (with kids, dogs, and other loved ones) sleep in them, wouldn't it be mad not to spend a few quid on basic safety items?


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    #6
    tuppence
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,130 ✭✭✭tuppence


    spaceHopper wrote: »
    I got a small foam one in either Lidl or home base and to keep the misses happy I have a monoxide alaram as we'd run the heating, I know it's vented to the out side but makes sense besides the fridge isn't fully vented.

    Can you extend the seat belt?
    or get ISOFIX fitted to the back or a child seat that works with a lap belt http://www.kiddicare.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/productdisplayA_475+936_10751_-1_14602_96592_10001_14602

    Also do small childen need a booster seat with just a lap belt, isn't it the cross strap that does the dammage?

    PS I don't have kids so don't know much

    Fair play you know alot for somone without kids. I dont think I would have!:D
    The Isofix would be the ideal solution but I dont think that you could get Isofix fitted? I was under the impression that they are available in cars after a certain year, like 1990 or something. (Perhaps its a big job they dont promote it :confused:). Pls let me know if you have spotted differently as it would certainly be an easier route if we could get it fitted safely to the camper. It also has the added advantage that we wouldnt be constantly putting the seat in and out with belts or the base which has the propensity for human error.


    I got all excited when I saw the lap belt car seat but it is a forward facing one and wouldnt be appropriate. Would much prefer to follow the best practice safety advice coming through about rear facing seats up to 4 yrs of age. (I know, I myself would have done things different for my first child ie put her into a front facing seat at 1 yr as this was the prevailing advice but times change even in the matter of a couple of yrs :rolleyes:)

    Re the lap belt and booster seat, it seems to be a real no no. I think that the damage is done if they are'nt fitted right. eg if the shoulder belt is on wrong or the lap belt part is not on the thighs.
    It appears that if lap belt used you need a tether of some type to ensure that the upper body is restrained back.

    We have had a break through in so far as the rear facing child seat appears to be able to be fitted if attached to its easy base system with the 3 pt belt. (Now we are going to get this checked out by a fitter in our local town as we want to be sure that done correctly) Thereupon we can potentially move the 5 month old baby back to the back seat.
    But we are left with the problem of the 5 year old in a booster seat with just a lap belt.....


    I think we are going to either have to put a tether in the car, which means she can wear some of these travel safety vests that we are seeing, or else we are back to square 1 and install a three point belt in the camper. We see that both these are available on Go Westy. Both will mean drilling into the van though.:(

    Has any of you had either of these done. The 3 pt belt would be installed by the cabinet/storage side of the VW westfalia? Do you figure this is safe?

    Have ye overcome this any different ways? (I am still holding out hope that those isofix yokes cld be fitted Spacehopper)
    Thanks again


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    #7
    tuppence
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,130 ✭✭✭tuppence


    Niall_G wrote: »
    I have a small fire extinguisher and fire blanket (might save a big mess for a small gas cooker fire sometime) mounted inside the wardrobe beside the cooker so they're not an eyesore but might be useful sometime.

    My last camper had a couple of smoke alarms and a CO alarm which meant lots of battery changing. When I got my current camper, it hadn't anything so I installed a combined smoke/CO detector.

    When you consider the cost of buying and maintaining our campers, and that we (with kids, dogs, and other loved ones) sleep in them, wouldn't it be mad not to spend a few quid on basic safety items?

    Thanks have invested in the fire extingusiher and the alarm. Good idea about the blanket.
    That is why it is so nice to run these safety tips by people who have been there and done that. (because we are carrying such precious cargo) Any
    other tips much appreciated that we may have overlooked! :)


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    #8
    paddyp
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,927 ✭✭✭paddyp


    Niall_G wrote: »
    My last camper had a couple of smoke alarms and a CO alarm which meant lots of battery changing.

    Fireangel do a 7 year co alarm and a 10 year smoke alarm for anyone who doesn't like changing bateries. They have them in tesco and b&q probably lots of other places. B&Q do special offers every now and then got mine for about 40% of retail price.


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