Now I am all distraught and depressed. LOL Beverly, that is life, I find myself agreeing with some that I never did some months ago. That is the beauty of opinions we can take what we want and leave the rest.

A fun meeting for sure and we look forward to the next one with you and Jim.

Happy RVing.

We can never be to safe. A little education helps keep our minds working. The following link provides access to all the free information on driving that one might ever need, http://www.dmv.state.pa.us/drivers_manu ... nual.shtml. All Pennsylvania publications are online and free. For my fellow two wheeler friends, there is a motorcycle operators manual modeled after the Motorcycle Safety Foundation guide that you can share with your grandkids, http://www.dmv.state.pa.us/pdotforms/pa ... PUB147.pdf.

For any interested you can take the National Safety Councils defensive driving course on line and have it forwarded to your insurance company for appropriate discounts. It cost me $19.95 to take it and about two hours time. I received an e mail from my insurance company that my defensive driving discount was about to run out so I retook the course and it is good for three years. I get about fifty dollars in discounts per six months on my insurance policy, so the 19.95 is well spent.

Happy RVing.

AARP also offers the course for $15.95 for members.

Thanks to all for the info on defensive driving course. I will sign up. Does anyone out there know how to go about the cheapest way to get a CDL? Would appreciat any info on it. They pay big bucks for tour drivers on the South Rim bus routs (22.00 per hr. I have heard), but of course you have to have a passenger CDL. I have thought about it for a few years but cannot find an inexpensive way to do it without a committment to a truck company. Disney also pays good.
Thanks - John

There are companies that rent you a truck to take the test in lots of places. You might check in the area you are in to see if there are any there.

Happy RVing.

When DH decided to get his CDL back to drive a bus again he first studied the book, took the written test and passed. Then he had to do the practical part, so he talked to different people to find out how they got theirs. He had to pay a driver who had his own bus with air brakes to use it to take the test and he had met a man that was licensed to give the test. At that time he wanted to drive the tour busses in the area then he decided he would rather drive a school bus again. He had no problem becoming a substitute school bus driver. Later he was offered a position with the school board as a perminent sub driver which ment we got the benefits and a regular salery. Then last school year he put a bid in for a route useing a lease bus. He is now on his second year driving this route, but after next school year he will have to either buy his own bus or go back to being a perminent sub driver again. They only let drivers use a lease bus for 3 years. He says he doesn't want to buy a bus so we will see what hapens after the next school year. Years ago when we were both driving as substitute school bus drivers the school board trained us in their bus and sent to a particular person to get our license. In the parish we now live in most of the drivers own their busses. I wouldn't mind taking a test to drive our mh, but I wouldn't want to get a cdl again. I try not to drive my car at night because in my opinion I don't see as well as I used to. I absolutely don't drive the mh at night.

Kathy

Some bus companys will provide the training for free if you already have a Class A or B CDL. I'd check with your state DMV first, it may be that you should have a higher class (Class D) if you drive a motorhome. The exam for a bus is just a few more logical inspections, seats, seat belts, doors, and warning arm on school buses versus buses for hire, etc. Commercial buses tend to have air brakes so you'll need that info too. The four step air brake test as it relates to pressure drop and what's supposed to happen when is a crucial part of each test. These points are covered in the knowledge test and demonstrated during the skills/on road test. If your DMV does not provide free manuals, downoad it from another state that does the requirements are similiar.

Anyone can also drive a 26 foot rully loaded U-Haul type truck pulling a car carrier behind it without any kind of special license (over 40 feet total length) - and I see some of those that are obviously being driven by people with no experience driving anything like that. And the driver will just get in and drive off with no advice at all. Fill out the paper work and they hook you up and wave you off.

So I would oppose picking on the RVers - since we own our rigs, I suspect we are more likely to be careful with them, and at least will drive the same one on a regular basis.

Judyc

http://changingears.com/rv-sec-state-rv-license.shtml

Been a while since this topic has been on the top of the pile and I found some interesting (or I think it is) info on the topic of CDL's required for RV'ers.

Currently 16 states require a special non commercial CDL type drivers license based primarily on the weight of the RV or combination of tow vehicle and towed rv. A few actually require a full CDL.

Just watching as things unfold, it seems more and more states are jumping on the bandwagon to require these licenses. Of course I imagine most charge more money for their NON Commercial CDL license than a standard drivers license, so it is a win, win situation for the state.

Apparently the state of Kansas has jacked their Highway Patrol up a bit and are now stopping vehicles they think are in violation of RV and towing laws. Over 26K, pulling double trailers, and the larger MH's are being stopped, checked and warned for not having the proper DL. This info is based on other forums where people are reporting being stopped measured, weighed and given warning tickets in the past month or so. Possibly the states leaders think the Highway Patrol need more to do than watch those amber waves of grain as they patrol the highways.

States can require more stringent rules for drivers than the fed sets forth and obviously (from what is happening in Kansas) can require out of state drivers to comply with the states laws.

Happy RVing.

JJ,

I think Kansas is just the beginning. The laws are changing every year. I usually get the highlights fron the January issue of several camping magazines. Many states now impose their own laws on out of state drivers if their requirements are higher. I recall that air brakes and combined weigth are two areas in which some states and Canada are stepping up on enforcement even when a CDL or special license is not required.

Gaylord

We are proud to say that we both have our Class A CDL's. It was tough to get but we think it was well worth the effort. What was tough was all the rush hour driving in Dallas Texas. We think that CDL training in a large city is more rewarding than a that of a small town with little to no traffic.

Our only issue has been the continued cost of maintaining the license and we have always had to go back to our home state to renew while this is now becoming a requirement in many states for just a standard auto drivers license.

If you are unemployed some states/counties have free CDL training but you have to go sign up for it. From what we understand if you relocate to an area that has high unemployment there are more free job training programs. We are not sure what all the requirments are but it may be worth a try.

Our home-base inf Florida requirement;
NonCommercial Driver Licenses

CLASS E: Any non-commercial motor vehicles with Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) less than 26,001 pounds, including passenger cars, 15 passenger vans including the driver, trucks or recreational vehicles and two or three wheel motor vehicles 50 cc or less, such as mopeds or small scooters. (see below). Farmers and drivers of authorized emergency vehicles who are exempt from obtaining a commercial driver license must obtain a Class E license.

I've held a CDL since I started driving taking my first drivers test on a Garbage truck. (My uncle was in the business) In 2000 I received a letter from Florida DMV stating since I didn't drive for a living, had never had a medical, they yanked my CDL and issued a Class E. There was no room for discussion on this either...

"Many states now impose their own laws on out of state drivers if their requirements are higher"...

I would love to see some examples of this if you have access to those regulations. It's been my understanding, and the understanding of most of the RV community that licensing issues are not up to the interpretation of local state laws. That is; if you are legally licensed to drive your particular vehicle in your state, you are legally licensed to drive that vehicle in all states. However, if you happen to exceed the Kansas length restriction while driving through Kansas for example, you risk receiving a ticket....if you are towing 2 trailers in states that don't allow that, while your home state does allow it, you are in violation in that particular state. Equipment violations are fair game to all law enforcement authorities.
Not withstanding your above stated assumed rights regarding licensing, local law enforcement can attempt to make your life miserable while you are a guest in their state. It will pay dividends to have a printout of your particular state licensing regulations/exemptions to prove your point if and when you are challenged.

Regards
Gemstone

We ran face first into the Florida law on licensing trailers. The state of Tennessee does not require a license plate or the registration of a boat trailer. However Florida does. Every time we drove down the road we saw boats trailer pulled over and some of them being loaded on to rollback truck to be taken all the way to the border. They are serious about this law in Florida.

Darn, I can not remember which state it was but just recently the national news reported a state out west that started giving tickets for RV Buses with airbrakes when the driver did not have an airbrakes license.