MarkTwain wrote:
Getting a Class A commercial lic. is a much more difficult test to pass and has to be renewed every yr. or so and requires a physical health exam from a Doctor and cost more money.
That's for a
commercial license, or CDL. Some states do require a CDL to drive an RV, but California and Texas are not among them. Both states have just an "enhanced" version of a regular license (in Texas, it's a non-commercial Class A or non-commercial Class B, depending on the vehicle(s)). This type of license doesn't require the onerous CDL test, more frequent renewal, or getting a physical. Once you pass the test, the "enhanced" license is yours to keep, and you do nothing different to maintain it. Just like if you had a motorcycle endorsement on your car driver's license.
ReneeG wrote:
I didn't think you needed a special RV license to drive one, but I found this guide online.
Beware. It says New York requires a commercial license, but that's not true. It requires an R endorsement. So we know they got that one wrong, and may have others wrong, too--I didn't check.
There are several guides like this out there, and I've found errors on every one I've seen. Major errors like this one, where it gets a state's requirements completely wrong, even though it might give a citation to support it and therefore look reliable.
SinanEmRV wrote:
I ran into a cyclical problem when I thought about trying to attain RV insurance and RV license. I can't buy or drive my RV without first getting RV insurance. I can't get RV insurance unless I have my RV license (I think??). And I can't get my RV license without first having an RV.
You can get an RV license without having an RV. Same as you can get a regular driver's license without having a car, or a motorcycle license without having a motorcycle. You just borrow one for the test.
You can get RV insurance without having the proper license to drive the RV (if your state requires something other than a regular "car" driver's license). People will say that if you don't have the proper license, then the insurance company will reject any claim you have, but no one has ever been able to give a citation to a law that says that or a case that held that.
I'm licensed and insured in a state that requires an "enhanced" license for my RV, and no insurance company has ever asked for anything other than my driver's license number. If having the proper license is a requirement for having the policy issued, they have the information to determine whether I meet it.
SinanEmRV wrote:
This is helpful, we will look into a truck driving school near us. I wonder if this is what most large fifth wheel drivers do to accomplish this licensing requirement, though? It certainly is a large amount of time and expense.
No, I think most people buy the RV, get insurance on it, practice driving it, and then get the license. Or do all that and don't bother to get the license--there are thousands of people out there who don't have the proper license for the RV they're driving.
The tricky part is getting the RV to the testing site. Fortunately, in Texas it appears to be a don't-ask-don't-tell situation, or maybe it doesn't even occur to them to wonder how it got there. In contrast, in New York, the person getting the license has to be accompanied by someone who's properly licensed for the vehicle (who presumably either drove it or rode along with someone with the learner's permit that New York has).
