4200 plus F350 DRW LB total length

[OEFVET]

Hmmm now I know why New Jersey is going bankrupt. Lawsuits settled must be high. In NY the municipalities require the same CDL required of commercial drivers. Only difference is medical waivers.

Ok Some municipalities. I received my class B CDL and then later my class A CDL from a NY Police agency. I asked during the class why we were required to get the license since we were exempt. I was told so the City would mitigate law suits as a result of operating such vehicles.

 

[OEFVET]

Above is a weight sheet from my truck and trailer. Combined weight at the time was 28,200lbs. So I'm not sure how anyone with a CY4200 is under 26,000lbs.

 

[danemayer]

No Dan if you paid attention to my earlier posts you would see that I stated some States require a non-commercial use CDL once you exceed 26,000lbs. I NEVER said a CDL was required. What I did say is that if you live in a States that doesn't offer a non-commercial CDL an option would be to get the CDL. Also noteworthy is reciprocity is NOT automatic. Yes many States have it but it is not automatic.

Your RV is not over 26,000lbs so it's easy for you to say "take your chances"

Well, my RV has a GVWR of 16,000 and the truck's GVWR is 14,000. That puts me above the 26,000 threshold under discussion. Colorado requires only a Class R (regular) license and doesn't issue a Class A CDL with personal use exemption. So I have a Class R license and yes, I'm depending on reciprocity when I visit Texas or California, to pick two states with more stringent requirements for their residents.

Let me suggest that when talking about non-commercial licenses, you stop using the term "non-commercial CDL" if you actually mean "non-commercial Class A Drivers License". It's not a semantics issue, it's a point of confusion for most people.

 

[OEFVET]

Semantics Dan! I'll agree to disagree.

Rules for U.S. Commercial Drivers Licenses are administered by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Although this federal administration sets minimum rules that apply to each state, but states and provinces have the right to set more strict rules. RV's used strictly for recreational and other non‐commercial functions do not meet the FMCSA definition of a CMV. This does not mean that there are not more strict rules, and even special drivers licenses for operators of RVs. Be sure to thoroughly understand the requirements of each state you plan on visiting. In some circumstances you will need to understand the different classifications for motor vehicles, which may impact what type of special license you may need. These classifications are based on the weight and length of your vehicle. Larger and longer vehicles in some cases require that operators have an appropriate class license based on the class of the vehicle.
Many states have special requirements if you drive a vehicle with over 26,000 gvwr. If you live in one of those states and drive one and don't have a class A you could get into a lot of trouble. If you have an accident and you do not have the proper license for the vehicle you are driving the insurance company can deny the claim. You are also in violation of the law and could either get fined, go to jail or get sued.

 

[df2686df]

Thank you all for your responses. I will certainly look into the Class A license for Indiana and have a discussion with my insurance guy to make sure I'm covered.

Dan

 

[OEFVET]

As mentioned earlier, I've never heard that any state requires a COMMERCIAL Drivers License in order to tow any weight RV for personal use. Chris, you seem to think otherwise, but I doubt you can back that up by pointing to a statute.

Excerpt taken directly from the NYS DMV website:
The requirement for an "R" endorsement (Class D or Class E license) to operate a recreational vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 lbs. or more remains in effect. Endorsements give you extra driving privileges. License endorsement codes are printed on the front of your license on the line under the “Expiration date” field, after the letter “E”. A description of any endorsements you have is printed on the back of your photo license document.

By federal law, it's illegal for CMV drivers to possess more than one license of any kind, and you may have a license only from your state of legal residence. This means that you may not have both a New York CDL and a regular New York driver license; you should surrender your regular license when you obtain a CDL. If you have licenses from other states, you must surrender those as well. All 50 states share information about CDL drivers, and if you are found to have licenses from more than one state, you might end up with a fine or even jail time. Since your New York CDL allows you to drive both passenger and commercial vehicles anywhere in the country, it's the only one you need.