Follow-ups Anectodal stories of RV encounters Seatbelts October 20, 2019, 04:24:37 am Hi, I am looking into buying the 24ft LD, anyone knows how many seatbelts does it come with?
Re: Seatbelts Reply #1 – October 20, 2019, 12:19:18 pm Welcome to the LDO forum. A name would be nice to call you by..... My '99 TK came with two on each side of the rear dinette, for a total of four. Along with the driver and passenger side in front that makes for 6 total... RonB 1 Likes
Re: Seatbelts Reply #2 – October 20, 2019, 12:34:56 pm In my FL, the captain's chairs have seat belts, and one on the bench seat side.Bill 1 Likes
Re: Seatbelts Reply #3 – October 20, 2019, 12:36:54 pm Quote from: dt31cf19 - October 20, 2019, 04:24:37 amHi, I am looking into buying the 24ft LD, anyone knows how many seatbelts does it come with?Our 23.5' Front Lounge has two extra belts, on the couch.Be aware that neither of these seats are safe in case of a crash due to the seat sitting sideways.Sideways impacts can be even more devastating than front or rear impacts. The neck and spine do not bend sideways well.The driver and passenger seats are certified crash rated, part of the occupant safety package installed by Ford and are the only 'safe seats'. None of the coach seats are designed for occupant safety, a consideration if you are carrying children.Larry 3 Likes
Re: Seatbelts Reply #4 – October 20, 2019, 04:35:14 pm Mine had seat belts on the couch and both the lounge chairs and I thought they were just an annoying mess on the floor so I removed them. As Larry said only the two front seats are safe and I truly don't know why they bother with these coach belts.If you are wondering about a safe place for kids there isn't one and a motorhome may not be a good fit for you 1 Likes
Re: Seatbelts Reply #5 – October 20, 2019, 04:51:34 pm [quote ]If you are wondering about a safe place for kids there isn't one and a motorhome may not be a good fit for you[/quote]A good reason why so many young families have trailers, pulled by crew-cab pickups.All the seats are designed to Federal crash regulations, similar to the front seats in a E450.Larry 6 Likes
Re: Seatbelts Reply #6 – October 20, 2019, 07:39:10 pm @RonB @Bill @Sawyer @LarryThanks for all your replies. It’s the main consideration for my decision. Though we are 2 travellers but will be expecting friends (who don’t drive) to visit us. Oh by the way, we are from singapore and looking at purchasing an unit to do a one-year road trip. Not sure if this is the right forum to ask if a foreigner can purchase a vehicle in USA. Dorothy
Re: Seatbelts Reply #7 – October 20, 2019, 07:49:19 pm Quote from: dt31cf19 - October 20, 2019, 07:39:10 pm@RonB @Bill @Sawyer @LarryThanks for all your replies. It’s the main consideration for my decision. Though we are 2 travellers but will be expecting friends (who don’t drive) to visit us. Oh by the way, we are from singapore and looking at purchasing an unit to do a one-year road trip. Not sure if this is the right forum to ask if a foreigner can purchase a vehicle in USA. DorothyFrom Google: Yes, it is possible for foreigners to buy a car in the USA even without a SSN or credit history. ... You don't need to provide a Social Security Number or have credit history in the United States to get approved for a loan. You'll need proof of residency and a valid driver's license. 1 Likes
Re: Seatbelts Reply #8 – October 20, 2019, 07:50:31 pm Quote from: Chris Horst - October 20, 2019, 07:49:19 pmFrom Google: Yes, it is possible for foreigners to buy a car in the USA even without a SSN or credit history. ... You don't need to provide a Social Security Number or have credit history in the United States to get approved for a loan. You'll need proof of residency and a valid driver's license.Probably best to have a suitcase full of cash when you go shopping for a vehicle. Chris 3 Likes
Re: Seatbelts Reply #9 – October 21, 2019, 03:20:44 am Chris - it wouldn't be safe to carry that much cash. Better to make sure you can access the money easily in a bank here. One that works with international accounts might be best - that can confirm funds and do something equivalent to a wire transfer.Dorothy - The vehicle would need to be registered and have the title moved into the new owners name so a state of "residency" for the year would be helpful. Maybe contact The escapees group as they work with people who are traveling the entire time in the RV (offer a "permanent" address, help give information on registering vehicles, etc.).Jane 1 Likes
Re: Seatbelts Reply #10 – October 21, 2019, 12:20:51 pm Quote from: Jane and Scott - October 21, 2019, 03:20:44 amChris - it wouldn't be safe to carry that much cash. Better to make sure you can access the money easily in a bank here. One that works with international accounts might be best - that can confirm funds and do something equivalent to a wire transfer.Dorothy - The vehicle would need to be registered and have the title moved into the new owners name so a state of "residency" for the year would be helpful. Maybe contact The escapees group as they work with people who are traveling the entire time in the RV (offer a "permanent" address, help give information on registering vehicles, etc.).JaneThere was a "wink" emoji after my comment, Jane. 🙂Chris
Re: Seatbelts Reply #11 – October 21, 2019, 02:46:23 pm Chris I missed that wink - lol. I have only been trained to use emojis the last few years so I am not highly skilled on them . Jane
Re: Seatbelts Reply #12 – October 21, 2019, 04:33:53 pm Quote from: Sawyer - October 21, 2019, 04:01:55 pmWorst that could happen is you'd end up losing half as much as renting a motorhome would costIt could also foul up a trip if something major let go, lost vacation time is very valuable.When our V10 died, it took over three weeks to have a Ford certified replacement built plus another week for the install.Losing a month of travel would be terrible. Considering how much overseas travel costs, I would be fearful of buying a two decade old anything for major travel. Few older rigs are ready to hit the road for thousands of miles of travel, I not sure how many folks would want to come here from a foreign country, buy a well used rig and then rehabilitate and outfit it before beginning their explorations.Most out of the country travelers prefer to rent from a national RV rental chain, which provides a backup plan if a major mechanical failure occurs. Many younger europeans seem to like the inexpensive mini-van conversions, with Juicy being a prime example.https://www.jucyusa.com/?nst=SEM&gclsrc=aw.ds&&gclid=EAIaIQobChMInLvzt5iu5QIVgB-tBh0RrQYzEAAYAiAAEgKK-vD_BwELike most things in life, you get what you pay for.Larry 1 Likes
Re: Seatbelts Reply #13 – October 21, 2019, 05:05:50 pm Yeah you'd have to weigh and balance all the variables and if your schedule was tight that would definitely be something to take into consideration. I'm curious about the month long wait to get the V-10 fixed. Anybody else had an experience like that for that particular problem? Seems rather excessive to me. I've never had a breakdown that took over a week to remedy. Might be a good reason to steer clear of the V-10 if that's the norm and that would go for anybody not just foreigners with limited time. Sheesh!
Re: Seatbelts Reply #14 – October 21, 2019, 08:16:28 pm Quote from: dt31cf19 - October 20, 2019, 07:39:10 pm@RonB @Bill @Sawyer @Larrywe are from singapore and looking at purchasing an unit to do a one-year road trip. Not sure if this is the right forum to ask if a foreigner can purchase a vehicle in USA. DorothyDorothy,Yes a foreigner can purchase and register a vehicle in the USA. As others have said, getting a loan is more problematic but if you are paying cash (bank check) and selling it afterwards then that would be better. Each state has their own laws concerning registration/license fees, taxes, safety/smog inspections, renewal date, etc. Once you have registered and licensed a vehicle in one state, all other states will honor it and you will not have to re-register/license unless you setup residence in a new state. Usually it would take staying over 30 days in one place with the intention to stay longer for it to be questioned.A foreign drivers license from most countries is honored in the USA for 1 year. After that you’ll need to apply for a US drivers license in any state. Preferably in the state that the vehicle is registered/licensed. Check first with your government to make sure that your Singapore drivers license is one that is honored in the USA.Driving in the US is on the right hand side of the road and opposite from Singapore. I once made a grave mistake on a back road in England and nearly caused a fatal accident. Mistakes happen and they happen in an instant. Please be careful, especially with a large vehicle like an RV.Each state operates differently when it comes to registration, taxes, etc. My suggestion would be to use South Dakota as your state to register and license your vehicle. Fees and taxes are some of the lowest in the country and there are no inspections required. There are several companies located in South Dakota whose principle business is US Mail forwarding and as a service, they will take care of vehicle registration for you. You do not have to go to South Dakota unless you plan on getting a drivers license there. Then you only need to stay one night. Since you will be traveling the US, you’ll need a place to collect your mail and forward it to your changing location and a mail forwarding company can do this for you. If you do a Google search on “South Dakota mail forwarding” you’ll see several companies to choose from.I hope I’ve been of some help. You have my best wishes and I hope you enjoy your travels in the USA.- John
Re: Seatbelts Reply #15 – October 21, 2019, 09:21:23 pm Quote from: Sawyer - October 21, 2019, 05:05:50 pmYeah you'd have to weigh and balance all the variables and if your schedule was tight that would definitely be something to take into consideration. I'm curious about the month long wait to get the V-10 fixed. Anybody else had an experience like that for that particular problem? Seems rather excessive to me. I've never had a breakdown that took over a week to remedy. Might be a good reason to steer clear of the V-10 if that's the norm and that would go for anybody not just foreigners with limited time. Sheesh!Larry didn’t have his engine fixed. The whole thing let go and he had to purchase a “new” rebuilt one and get it installed. I think the general feeling of the Forum members is that the V-10 is robust and long lived. — Jon
Re: Seatbelts Reply #16 – October 22, 2019, 08:34:03 am Quote from: Jon & Loni - October 21, 2019, 09:21:23 pmLarry didn’t have his engine fixed. The whole thing let go and he had to purchase a “new” rebuilt one and get it installed. I think the general feeling of the Forum members is that the V-10 is robust and long lived. — JonWhen I bought my LD I purposely bought the newest version i could find with the old 460 in it due to the plug spitting issues of the V-10. Read endlessly on the topic and talked to numerous friends and acquaintances before making that decision. Came to the conclusion that basically the V-10 was a great engine but you were rolling the dice with the plug issue and i didnt want to be a thousand miles from home and have them come up snake eyes. From what I have read that problem was resolved over time and yeah the newer ones are more reliable but Larry's experience with his is a bit disconcerting. What year was it?
Re: Seatbelts Reply #17 – October 22, 2019, 01:08:00 pm Quote from: Sawyer - October 22, 2019, 08:34:03 am From what I have read that problem was resolved over time and yeah the newer ones are more reliable but Larry's experience with his is a bit disconcerting. What year was it?The blown spark plug issue was mostly cured late in the 2003 E450 model year, with the redesign of the cylinder heads.The 460 engine had it's own list of problems, with warped exhaust manifolds being at the top of the list.2004 and later V10s are very dependable. Ford remanufactured engines have the aluminum spark plug threads replaced with steel inserts, eliminating thread issues, when used in 2003 and older LDs.The biggest issue with V10 are COP (coil on plug) ignition coils going bad and, with age, the exhaust manifold studs rusting and breaking off.When enough studs have broken, the exhaust manifold(s) usually warps and needs replacement. The steel studs can be observed from under the engine, if you see any missing, that's a sign to get them replaced before it's too late and the manifolds warp.I carry a couple spare coils and a 7mm socket, needed to remove and replace a bad coil.Larry 2 Likes
Re: Seatbelts Reply #18 – October 22, 2019, 03:13:26 pm Got lucky when I bought mine. It had a brand new flow master exhaust system including manifolds. Really was a nice rig and I kind of miss it 1 Likes
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