Which arrangement sounds safest - please help!

[Iggi101]

Hello
Have been planning to keep ds2 (11 months) in his infant carrier as long as possible, since I know it's safer to be rearward facing, before moving him into a 5 point harness type seat.
BUT current arrangement is infant carrier in front passenger seat. (I have a camper: only one ordinary seatbelt in back which is where the 5 year old sits). So I'm wondering, although rear facing is normally safest, maybe forward facing in the back (which would be right in middle of van where the lapbelt is, not next to the walls) would trump rearward but in the front, with very little crumple zone around you?
Any ideas?
TIA

Is there an airbag, disconnected for the front passenger seat?

if yes, then do not put baby there at - a disconnected airbag is still an airbag and could malfunction & deploy upon impact, causing serious or fatal injuries.

I think you should use a 5 point harness car seat and if there's enough space just turn it round - hey presto a rearward facing car seat!

No airbag to worry about, we are talking an old vehicle here!
Had not heard of anyone turning a seat round, nifty trick if it works! Thank you for the suggestions
Only have a lap belt in back (bar ds1's seat) so only Britax Eclipse will fit, afaik. Shame I can't fit my maxi cosi base with just a lapbelt, would solve the problem really.

a friend of hours has a VW Caravelle executive, where can take out the middle row seats and put them back facing the rear, so the kids sit facing each other, like on the train.

I saw this in use and their Britax carseats facing the rear popped in my mind. so no genuine invention, just good memory!

Is there a website or club for Camper van owners? maybe they could give you more practical advice.

*friend of hours?
friend of ours of course!

You shouldn't use a car seat that is designed to be forward facing in a rearward facing position.

Again you have to be careful which car seat you use if you have seats which face backwards like amazing describes, not all car seats can be used on seats which face the 'wrong' way like this and they are not safety tested to do so.

5madthings - good point.
yes, if you get rear ended the seat belt would tighten from the acceleration, but maybe the opposite effect if the seat is rear facing, the seat belt would loosen.

bu if that's the case it wouldn't be safe to sit that way either.

hmm, intriguing

sorry if I suggested a potentially dangerous thing to do! it's just what I saw. I'll ask this friend of mine what was going on, whether they'd bought special carseats

Thanks again. Interesting to see two posters with large families together! Now that must make car travel tricky. (I'm from a large family, but pre carseat days, so we were just all shoved together in the back seat!)
There is indeed a website for vw owners and I've had good tips on there about other things but it does tend to be a bit, well, blokey - not sure the posters would be quite in tune with my paranoid-mum mode, but good idea to try!
It's hard reading about how much safer extended rear facing is, as none of those seats will fit my van, so I feel I'm putting my dcs at risk whenever I drive.
The seats are all forward facing (the actual van seats) so at least that's on worry I don't have!

Have a look on the 'in car saftey centre' website. Some of the erf seats can be fitted with a lapbelt but may need to be braced against the front seats so you would need to check. The people there are realy helpfull and know their stuff! I would try give them a ring and see what they sugest.

I have a 2011 transporter with 6dc, 4 of which are in car seats.

Thanks for that, they have a very good website - no stores near me but I could call them up.
There isn't anything in front of the rear seat so I know I can't attach straps or whatever to a erf seat. It is very complicated to get a 3 point belt fitted for the seat as well (campervan, wardrobes etc in the way). Maybe I should give it up and get a normal car! no no no

Just to say that the britax Prince can also be fitted with a lapbelt.

Thanks Moredo, sorry I just saw that. Will google
Bugger, I'm going to have to join Which again to read reviews aren't I?