Is It Time For An RV Operator License

Status
Not open for further replies.

JanAndBill

Well-known member
Ok this will probably rile up a few, but this week started me thinking that it might be time. We recently camped with a group that ranges in age from early 60's to late 70's. Rigs range from travel trailers, 5th wheels, and class A MH's up to 45'. It was a tight campground and one of the couples backed into the truck of another member trying to get into their site. The comment was made that another couple has a body shop on speed dial because of their numerous fender benders. Still another mentioned they didn't use their Jake Brake equipped big rig because they didn't know "what all those switches were for", nor did they know how the air brakes worked on their large rig, or what to watch for.

It seems that more and more RV and truck manufacturer's are building bigger and heavier rigs. The scary thing is that so much of the market they are selling to, is barely qualified to operate a car. So the question is - should RV operators of rigs over a certain weight be required to show proof of the capability of operating said rigs and be licensed accordingly? Lots of states have motorcycle operators license, and several have boat operator license.
 

pegmikef

Well-known member
I don't know about an RV license, but in Texas you have to get a CDL for over a certain weight (I think it is 26,000 pounds combined GVWR) and the driving test measures your ability to operate your rig.
 

ILH

Well-known member
I've seen enough idiots this trip to agree with increased training / license requirements.
 

JohnDar

Prolifically Gabby Member
Careful what you ask for. They could make it mandatory for ALL RV owners, regardless of how long you've been hauling one.

Another political cash cow in the making.
 
Last edited:

Appleguy

Member
Three weeks ago while at a campground near the west entrance to Yosemite, an idiot in a brand new Allegro motor home complete with a back up camera backed into our parked 5th wheel cracking the front cap and knocking us off our blocks and moving the rig back 6". he missed his space by 20' but obviously found ours!! Our rig is sitting at dealer waiting for estimate.
 

brianlajoie

Well-known member
From what I have seen about half the people driving cars should have their license removed.

X2 - I've seen cars pull a u turn in 6 lanes of traffic. I've also seen where stopping at a stop sign or light and turning right seems to be optional.
 

MTPockets

Well-known member
I don't think a license or passing a test regardless of how complex, would reduce the number of mishaps. A lot of smart capable operators would still do a lot of dumb things.
 

Mizmary

Well-known member
I don't think a license or passing a test regardless of how complex, would reduce the number of mishaps. A lot of smart capable operators would still do a lot of dumb things.

I agree.

I've seen an awful lot of licensed drivers do dumb things- having a license and passing a test means nothing. There will always be morons.
 

scottyb

Well-known member
Texas and a few other states already have laws in place for that. RV's are exempt from CDL requirements, but the Class C operators license you have in your pocket only allows you to drive a vehicle up to 26K or tow a combination of 26K CGWR with a trailer up to 10K GVWR. Over that weight limit and you have to have a Class B, or Class A Operators license. If you are doing so on a commercial basis, then you have to have a CDL of the same class.

This has been a widely debated item, and the previous rules were very ambiguous. However, the most recent Texas Driver's Handbook has clarified this fact. The Texas Motor Vehicle Code has always been clear on what you are allowed to drive with a Class C Operator's License. Many of us are towing 18K rigs with trucks that have 30K CGWR. In Texas and many other states, you need a Class A Operator's license to be legal.
 

Jim.Allison

Well-known member
Any more licenses and certificates are just more taxes. In Texas we have gone to allowing people to become licensed by signing a document ath says that driving courses are a hardship. Then mommy and daddy can let you loose with your learners permit, then if you manage not to kill someone and you can pass that silly little test you are now authorized to operate at 18 years of age a GVWR of 26,000 LBS. Are we kidding? We put general aviation pilots through a lot more rigorous licensing procedure to operate in an environment that has a lot less risk...........

After a lifetime of driving I think that most of us old geezers can operate our rigs just fine, we get into a little trouble doing a few foolish thing, but pulling my rig to destinations to where there is a high concentration of RV, I do not see hardly any digressions among them, mostly I see young people driving carelessly and endangering others.

But really it is a survival of the fittest game, eventually your insurance company "rates you" then you can't insurance. What you are talking about is upping the licensing requirements to prevent accidents in RV parks where there is no licensing requirement anyway.
 

Jim.Allison

Well-known member
The rules for transportation of personal property such as your truck and 5th wheel is predicated on your vehicle meeting a test. Basically what is required in Texas to pull a 5th wheel over 15000 GVWR is an Non-commercial class A. I will be looking in to it........Glad it was brought up because I think I need the Non-commercial class A.
 

JanAndBill

Well-known member
Texas and a few other states already have laws in place for that. RV's are exempt from CDL requirements, but the Class C operators license you have in your pocket only allows you to drive a vehicle up to 26K or tow a combination of 26K CGWR with a trailer up to 10K GVWR. Over that weight limit and you have to have a Class B, or Class A Operators license. If you are doing so on a commercial basis, then you have to have a CDL of the same class.

This has been a widely debated item, and the previous rules were very ambiguous. However, the most recent Texas Driver's Handbook has clarified this fact. The Texas Motor Vehicle Code has always been clear on what you are allowed to drive with a Class C Operator's License. Many of us are towing 18K rigs with trucks that have 30K CGWR. In Texas and many other states, you need a Class A Operator's license to be legal.

Admirable that Texas has taken steps to insure the safety of it's roads, but what about the "snow birds" that flock to south TX each year. Thanks to reciprocity [FONT=arial, sans-serif]agreements between states, most of the those "snow birds" don't have the same requirements.The FMCSA standardized requirements across the country for CDL license. There is such a hodgepodge of state requirements, that it would be nice to see the same standardization for RV's. I don't see it as a tax really my my class A CDL renewal isn't that much more then a regular license. Obviously testing doesn't guarantee safety, or there wouldn't be any motor vehicle accidents, but you are required to show basic knowledge of operating a motor vehicle "before" you are allowed to operate same on the road. Why shouldn't large RV's and combinations with different operating characteristics, be the same?[/FONT]
 

JanAndBill

Well-known member
What you are talking about is upping the licensing requirements to prevent accidents in RV parks where there is no licensing requirement anyway.

Jim I worked a wreck a couple of weeks ago involving a 78 year old couple pulling a grossly overloaded 5th wheel with a 1/2 ton pickup. Even a qualified driver might have had problems with this rig, but a qualified driver might not have put himself in this dangerous situation in the first place. Being qualified to operate a larger vehicle requires more than just the ability to keep it on the road. I do agree that insurance companies will probably be the ones to eventually force the issue.
 

JohnDar

Prolifically Gabby Member
What are the numbers of accidents involving RV's compared to those involving passenger vehicles? In 18 years of removing carnage from the highway, only one involved an RV. And the injuries were minor and were to the TV occupants. Just because some fool backed into your rig isn't justification to require a national registration/licensing of all RV owners. If states want to require EVERYONE within their borders to have this special license, then I'll do the same as I do with CPL non-reciprocity...not go there.
 

JanAndBill

Well-known member
What are the numbers of accidents involving RV's compared to those involving passenger vehicles? In 18 years of removing carnage from the highway, only one involved an RV. And the injuries were minor and were to the TV occupants. Just because some fool backed into your rig isn't justification to require a national registration/licensing of all RV owners. If states want to require EVERYONE within their borders to have this special license, then I'll do the same as I do with CPL non-reciprocity...not go there.

Not sure what part of the country you are in rural/metro, etc., but we average several per year just in our general area. Unfortunately I could only find information on fatalities involving RV's and the most current was 2010. My comment had more to do with the fact that RV weights are increasing. Truck manufacturers are building tow vehicles capable of handling more weight, and RV manufacturers will quickly move to utilize that capability. I've had Class A's for years, and wouldn't hesitate to get in an Tractor/trailer combination, straight truck, or any other vehicle combination, but at some point I will. I've seen people with no training, and no experience (other than driving around the parking lot at the dealer), head out on the road with a big rig.
 

whp4262

Well-known member
When I was in Phoenix a couple months ago the lady parked next to me had a big class A pulling a trailer with a car on it. When she got to the park she was having trouble parking her rig so one of the people in the park did it for her. Well she decided she didn't like how it was parked and decided to reposition it. When she pulled out she forgot that the awning was out and ripped it off the side of her rig when she ran it into the side of a 5th wheel. The guy on the other side had one end of his 5th wheel axle chained up to the frame with the wheel missing cause he had hit a pole and tore up the whole right side of his rig and bent the axle. The other side of his trailer didn't look much better. When he pulled out he had left the rear door swinging open and the steps out. I managed to chase him down before he did anymore damage. I don't know if a license would make much difference for either one of these people. I think maybe a better option would be if the insurance company offered a discount to people who attended a RV operator course or could show proof of prior accident free experience. I have a class A CDL with air brake, triples and tanker endorsements. I didn't think the tests were that hard and they really don't teach you much.
 

Seren

Well-known member
When I was in high school a gazillion years ago, divers ed was mandatory, now very few high schools have it because of budget cuts. So we have inexperienced young drivers on the road with little to no training. On the other hand, truckers and bus drivers have to go through significant training to get their licence. Where does RVs fit in and how far do you go? Should there be some sort of mandatory training over a certain GVW? How many accidents are because of inexperience? How many are do to carelessness? How many are simple mistakes because of driving too many hours in a day? Do we need to have a log like truckers and bus drivers showing how many hours driven in a day?
Yes, driving an RV is totally unregulated, which is not a good thing. On the other, this is a can of worms that we may not want to open.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top