I Earned my class B License today

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Kevan
In CA, another thing to remember about driving your 3 axle motorhome on the fwy. (without towing anything)

Technically, you are restricted to 55mph and driving in the right hand lane unless you are passing a slower vehicle.
 
I wonder what they mean by three axles under 6000 pound??  Seems like a lot of axles for 6000 pounds!
 
garyb1st said:
And that would require a non-commercial Class B?  Sounds like overkill to me.
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How did you arrive at that conclusion? Here is the post:

With a Basic Class C license:
* A 2-axle vehicle with a GVWR of 26,000 lbs. or less.
* A 3-axle vehicle weighing 6,000 lbs. gross or less.
 
SeilerBird said:
How did you arrive at that conclusion? Here is the post:

With a Basic Class C license:
* A 2-axle vehicle with a GVWR of 26,000 lbs. or less.
* A 3-axle vehicle weighing 6,000 lbs. gross or less.
Click to expand...

I don't believe they're looking at a sedan pulling a single axel boat trailer as a 3 axel vehicle.
 
The only one that counts when interpreting the law is the JUDGE. I would sure hate to be involved in an accident that caused great personal injury or death and find out I didn't have the correct licence to operate the vehicle. I have a class B licence and IF I lived in Cal I'd still have a class B. They didn't put that first line with 26,000 lbs for nothing.
 
Charlie 5320 said:
The only one that counts when interpreting the law is the JUDGE.
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Actually,  like all laws...the only thing that really counts is enforcement. 

This obscure rule and many other well intended laws are just not enforced.  The number of RV accidents is very small, the number of accidents involving 'under licensed' drivers is even much smaller, and those involving personal injury is almost none.

An injured party will get up to the limits of your policy and that's about it.





 
An injured party will get up to the limits of your policy and that's about it.
[/quote]

I suppose it depends on if you have anything of value.  A lawyer would be happy to go after anything possible if you have a couple of bucks.  Or if the negligence was so bad they looked at jail time.

"When you ain't got nothin, you got nothin to lose" - Bob Dylan ;D
 
KandT said:
"When you ain't got nothin, you got nothin to lose" - Bob Dylan ;D
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yes, I also like the way Janis said it ..  "Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose".


It's all about money,  an attorney will look and see if you are worth destroying. 

It will be your own insurance company that will be going after your assets, as the injured party attorneys  will sue your insurance co. for not seeing that you are "UNDER" licensed.  (deep pocket settlement).  Then some other attorneys will decide if they can make some of that money back by seizing and foreclosing your stuff.

There are two types of winners in the legal world...the really rich,  and the really broke. 

  Everyone else is just chum.
 
yes, I also like the way Janis said it ..  "Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose".
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Janis? That sounds like part of the chorus from Me and Bobby McGee, written by Kris Kristofferson and Fred Foster, recorded by many country singers, among others.

OK, the web says that Janis Joplin was one of those who recorded it, though Roger Miller was apparently first. Not caring much for most rock, I didn't know she did that.
 
Larry N. said:
Janis? That sounds like part of the chorus from Me and Bobby McGee, written by Kris Kristofferson and Fred Foster, recorded by many country singers, among others.

OK, the web says that Janis Joplin was one of those who recorded it, though Roger Miller was apparently first. Not caring much for most rock, I didn't know she did that.
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Janis is the only one who had a huge hit with the song. It went to number one in 1971.
 
I was told by DMV that a Non Commercial was not required in the state of Kansas and that was in March shortly after I purchased a motorhome with GVWR of 36,400.  Then a guy I know got pulled over for speeding in 1 ton truck and 5er that was over total of 26,001 GVWR and was ticketed.  I returned to DMV and the lady at desk said it wasn't true and she gets ask that a lot and said that the 26,001 restriction on the back of my license does not pertain to RVs.  Her supervisor over heard her and said that found "out the other day" they are required and after a quick call to the state DMV office and it was confirmed.  Then the lady at the desk said to her supervisor that I was first one that ever ask that question. 

Come to find out that it also includes trucks and 5ers. so........

Truck GVWR of 11,500 subtracted from 26,001 leaves a max RV of 14,501 over that class A is required.
Truck GVWR of 14,000 subtracted from 26,001 leaves a max RV of 12,001 over that class A is required.

Motor home over 26,001 and less than 10,000 pull behind requires a Class B and over 10,000 requires a Class A

This requirement is for Kansas and my not apply in all states but check yours and out of state people are can drive to the limits of their states license. 

I think what upset me the most was the 12,000 miles I drove since March in my motorhome and thousands I drove with 5er with the wrong class license.
 
CWSWine said:
I was told by DMV that a Non Commercial was not required in the state of Kansas and that was in March shortly after I purchased a motorhome with GVWR of 36,400.  Then a guy I know got pulled over for speeding in 1 ton truck and 5er that was over total of 26,001 GVWR and was ticketed.  I returned to DMV and the lady at desk said it wasn't true and she gets ask that a lot and said that the 26,001 restriction on the back of my license does not pertain to RVs.  Her supervisor over heard her and said that found "out the other day" they are required and after a quick call to the state DMV office and it was confirmed.  Then the lady at the desk said to her supervisor that I was first one that ever ask that question. 

Come to find out that it also includes trucks and 5ers. so........

Truck GVWR of 11,500 subtracted from 26,001 leaves a max RV of 14,501 over that class A is required.
Truck GVWR of 14,000 subtracted from 26,001 leaves a max RV of 12,001 over that class A is required.

Motor home over 26,001 and less than 10,000 pull behind requires a Class B and over 10,000 requires a Class A

This requirement is for Kansas and my not apply in all states but check yours and out of state people are can drive to the limits of their states license. 

I think what upset me the most was the 12,000 miles I drove since March in my motorhome and thousands I drove with 5er with the wrong class license.
Click to expand...

And try to tell the police "The DMV said.......".  They won't even let you finish that sentence.
 
Here in NH, you can drive any size MH without any special requirements, other than every 5 years when you renew your license you pass the eye exam.  And now with being allowed to renew once on line you can go 10 years without an eye exam.  Really?
What's the point then? Unless you are close to legally blind failing an eye test in NH is almost impossible.  I do not feel that there is a need to demonstrate the knowledge requirements of any class CDL license to operate a MH.  However, that being said, I do believe there should be some type of MH endorsement. I believe that we should have to demonstrate the ability to safely operate any MH over 26,000 lbs, or 30 feet in length.  There are those who are going to say, what's the difference if it's 25 feet instead of 30 or 35 feet instead of 30. The difference, 5 feet.  If you don't think length matters try changing lanes at 60 mph and fitting your 35 foot MH in a 30 foot space. From my experience it seems that 30 feet is a fair cut-off point.  Above 30 feet and you are getting into a vehicle that requires certain skills to operate. There's no need to make it complicated.  Every time your license expires a simple road test involving proper turning, changing lanes, and backing would suffice.  And contrary to how some feel, a backup camera should not be allowed.  They are a great safety tool and I use mine every time but it is electronic and like everything else it will stop working at some point.  As drivers we should not be dependent on them.  I will also say, and this may touch a nerve or two, I have seen instances where it is obvious someone fails to recognize they no longer possess the skill set to be operating such a large vehicle.  Just my 2 cents worth.
 
K&T:  Being an old CDL Driver License Examiner (in North Dakota) I would like to know more about your road test. Did you have to do the usual pretrip inspection, some backing maneuvers and then the actual road test involving right and left hand turns, railroad tracks, etc?
 
Bill N said:
K&T:  Being an old CDL Driver License Examiner (in North Dakota) I would like to know more about your road test. Did you have to do the usual pretrip inspection, some backing maneuvers and then the actual road test involving right and left hand turns, railroad tracks, etc?
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Yes, pre trip inspection, air brake leak down test (very thorough), railroad tracks, lane changes, highway and some light city driving, stopping on the shoulder and discussion of height.  No backing maneuvers however there was a quiz on towing.  She seemed impressed I knew the tongue weight was rated for only 500 pounds but it could tow 10000 and that usually you want your tongue weight to be more like 10-12% but the 10k pounds was for a tow vehicle not for a loaded up trailer.  Good exam - she was rough at the beginning but once she saw I was an RVer that took safety seriously she lightened up.  I imagine she could fail me for anything and I wasn?t perfect but she just explained it to me and said she felt confident I understood the safety system?s very well.
 
KandT said:
Yes, pre trip inspection, air brake leak down test (very thorough), railroad tracks, lane changes, highway and some light city driving, stopping on the shoulder and discussion of height.  No backing maneuvers however there was a quiz on towing.  She seemed impressed I knew the tongue weight was rated for only 500 pounds but it could tow 10000 and that usually you want your tongue weight to be more like 10-12% but the 10k pounds was for a tow vehicle not for a loaded up trailer.  Good exam - she was rough at the beginning but once she saw I was an RVer that took safety seriously she lightened up.  I imagine she could fail me for anything and I wasn?t perfect but she just explained it to me and said she felt confident I understood the safety system?s very well.
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Thanks, sounds like a pretty thorough exam.  Most of our failed on the pretrip inspection mainly because it used to not be a mandatory pass/fail item and then the feds got hard on making us check things thoroughly because we started finding a lot of bad equipment that should not have been on the road.  The air brake leak check was also a big point where the truck systems were in poor condition.  Until the word got around, about half of the truck road tests never rolled out of the yard for one of the reasons mentioned above or for inability to back either a Class B or Class A vehicle and there were only two fairly simple maneuvers.  Many folks do not know this but some states - including North Dakota at the time (and I think still) had a 'farm exemption' where any kid with a license (16 or older) could drive a Class A semi, 80,000 lbs, on any road in the state (not out of  state) hauling farm products ON A CLASS D LICENSE.  Scary - you bet.

Bill
 
The interesting one  in Texas was parallel parking. Not something you are likely to do, but when you think about it the elements you nee to back safely are all there, coordination and awareness of where every part of the MH is while backing.

Ernie
 
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