Do RVs have airbags? (7+ safety tips)

By Elaine Knight
Page last updated: 02/05/2021 | Next review date: 02/05/2023
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Elaine Knight
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In this blog post, we will answer the following question: Do RVs have airbags? We will discuss how safe Class A, B and C motorhomes are, and give you a few essential safety tips while driving an RV.

Do RVs have airbags?

Not all RVs have airbags. Class A motorhomes, for example, are not required by law to have airbags. Other RVs, such as Class C or Class B, even if having fitted airbags, are most of the time there to protect the driver, but not the passengers or anyone else in the back of the RV.

Please see the table below for more details:

Motorhome ClassAirbags: Yes/NoThe location of the airbags
Class ANot all the timeClass A motorhomes are not required to have airbags fitted. If they are present, it is usually in front of the cab.

Class BYesAirbags fitted in the steering wheel and in front of the passenger front seat.
Class CYesAirbags fitted in front of both the driver and the passenger seats.

How safe are Class A motorhomes?

Class A motorhomes are the largest on the market, thus more difficult to handle and the type of RV that causes most accidents. Some have diesel engines and are custom designed. Many are luxury motorhomes with the comfort of a tiny house.

Class A motorhomes offer the most square footage. They can vary between 8.8 and 13.5 meters long. They often sleep between six and eight people. Class A’s typically offer bottom storage, different types of awnings, a full kitchen, and a bathroom. And at least one queen size mattress in the master bedroom.

Basically, Class A’s offer all the features you can find in a small apartment, along with custom options that can be added during initial construction or later.

Class A motorhomes are not for everyone. Size can be a problem for a driver not used to handling something this gigantic on the road. It is often necessary to find motorhome parks, campgrounds or campsites that have a platform large enough to manoeuvre the vehicle.

How safe are Class B and Class B+ motorhomes?

Class B motorhomes are the smallest type of motorhome and definitely safer than Class A. They are also known as vans, campers or van campers. They look like an oversized station wagon. They are built on the basis of utility vehicles, for example, the Renault Trafic Motorhome or the Sprinter Motorhome.

Class B ranges from 5.4 to 7.3 meters long. Sleeps up to four people at a time. Class B’s are easy to park, use less fuel than Class A’s, and make free parking easier to find. 

Obviously, Class B has a smaller cabin than Class A or Class C. This can be a blessing and a curse. Since the B-Class are smaller, they are cheaper to buy, but also, and especially, when it comes to gas and parking bills. They have little storage. And they lack a separate room.

Class B + motorhomes are like Class B motorhomes, but a little bigger and with a little more luxury. They are a hybrid between Class B and Class C motorhomes, which makes the differences much more difficult to detect.

Class B + motorhomes can offer a combination of shower and full bathroom, as opposed to the small simple bathroom that you will find in Class B. Kitchens, living space and even sleeping space, can be larger in B + depending on your customization and design options.

The B + Class is about using every inch of available space to provide more comfort on and off the road. Twin beds and sofa beds are common in these motorhomes. If you have a larger family, a B + is the best option compared to Class B due to the size of the cabin, especially when sleeping.

How safe are Class C motorhomes?

Class C motorhomes are the middle ground between Class A and Class B. They look like a larger version of the camper with an upper cabin over the driver’s seats.

Class C motorhomes vary between 9 and 10 meters in length and sleep up to eight people. Class C motorhomes have more space than Class B motorhomes and come with all the luxuries you would expect in Class A.

This type of motorhome is perfect for couples or a group of friends looking to hit the road. The affordability of the Class C motorhome makes it a popular choice for those looking to get started in the motorhome world.

General safety rules for driving RVs

We leave you here the best tips to guarantee your safety on the road in a moving RV:

  1. Always turn off the gas en route. Placing an automatic safety regulator will help you avoid doing this every time you park and start. 
  1. Make sure that all the cabinets are well closed with the safety click that nothing ‘flies’ on the way.
  1. Don’t rush. This is perhaps the most important tipg. The bigger the vehicle, the less rushing is advised. A rule of thumb: drive with a motorhome 20 kilometres less than allowed on the road you are on.
  1. Bring winter tires in cases where you are going to go skiing every weekend or to mountain areas with the possibility of snow in winter.
  1. Stock up on snow chains if it is winter and you go to high places or very cold sporadically.
  1. Have a tire pressure monitoring system that alerts you to avoid punctures or tire blowouts.
  1. Everyone should be seated with a seatbelt on. Never get up during the trip and never sleep in a moving RV!
  1.  Make sure all the windows and skylights are closed properly, that they will not open en route and you will be left without one.

Travelling in a motorhome with children:  safety tips

Now we go with the little ones. If you decide to travel by motorhome with children, bring approved seats. The safest is in reverse. Make sure before buying that this model can be installed in your vehicle. Normally you have to install complementary elements such as the support bar that needs prior installation in the motorhome.

Another excellent option to travel in a motorhome safely with children is to take advantage of the seats that go in reverse by placing seats in favour of the march.

The greatest security measure to travel in a motorhome with children is to always travel without haste. Remember that a motorhome is not a typical vehicle. It withstands many vibrations and its weight reduces response time. 

The bottom line

We hope that by following the above tips and taking extra precautions before hitting the road, you will have a safe RV trip! Please make sure you don’t overload your motorhome and that every passenger in the vehicle knows how to stay safe on the road.

If you have any questions for us, please feel free to leave a comment below.

FAQ on Do RVs have airbags?

How many people can fit in an RV?

RVs can be better than a hotel. Depending on their size and style, you can find them with a bathroom, kitchen and space to accommodate a maximum of eight people or take your pet with you.

Can you travel in the back of a motorhome without seatbelts?

The answer is no, you can’t travel in the back of a motorhome without seatbelts as long as the vehicle is moving. Even though you may not consider it dangerous, the law obliges you to wear the seatbelt even as a passenger in the back of an RV. 

Is it hard to drive an RV?

Experienced motorists tell us that it is not hard to drive an RV, however, for a newbie, it could pose a challenge. It is recommended that before driving an RV you familiarize yourself with its dimensions, as you must quickly get used to the vehicle and know in what space you can park or if a road is wide enough to fit on it.

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