Tater Salad
South Texas
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Joined: 03/03/2005
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highgturn wrote:Gross vehicle weight (GVW) is the weight of the truck or trailer and everything it can carry by manufactures specification. My truck actually weighs 8747 Lbs with full fuel, spray in bed liner, hitch, myself, DW, and her her purse. Subtract the 8747 from 13,000 and that leaves you 4,253 as payload.
That is incorrect.
GVW is the weight of the truck or trailer and everthing in it - NOT everthing it *can* carry by manufacturers specification. That is GVWR - the R stands for Rating, as in what it is rated as being *able* to carry.
So does TxDOT use GVW or GVWR?
2004.5 Dodge 2500 QC CTD 4x4 Shortbed Auto
2005 Wildcat 27RL
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powerboatr
North east Texas
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Joined: 05/22/2006
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Tater Salad wrote:highgturn wrote:Don't confuse a Class "A" CDL with a Class "A" "Non Commercial Drivers License". There is a difference. It is the Class "A" Non commercial which applies to RVs. DPS uses the GVW of both trailer and truck. My F350's GVW is 13K and our Excel's GVW is 17500. As far as DPS is concerned I am at 30,500 Lbs, when actually our rig is currently at 21,750.
Your F-350 weighs 13K alone?
Or do you mean that is the GVWR for your F-350? As in that is it's max vehicle weight?
hey tater,
our boss is gvwr of 13k, good thing becasue we weigh 7500 ish empty .
i want to see the drivers test to do with the fiver hooked up. that would be fun, "park here sir" no i meant paralelllllll..
Robert and Joann, plus one rotten pup
2006 Cedar Creek 36RLTS, pulled by a Blue Oval Ford F350 Towboss, empty F/A 4620 R/A 4160 GW 8780
24040 rolling lbs all hitched up
Full Timed Retired since Oct 13th 2006
Retired Navy
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highgturn
Fort Worth, Texas
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Joined: 01/21/2005
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OK GVWR....Gross Vehicle Weight Rating. I don't see how this can be confusing the way it is worded. Texas DPS uses GVWR.
Bob & Sharon
Fort Worth, Texas
05 Excel Limited 35MKO
05 Ford F-350 PSD DRW 4X4
Crew Cab King Ranch
TowBoss & TowCommand
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kah68
Ontario
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Joined: 03/23/2006
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OntMontana wrote:A very similar law exists here in Ontario. However, the law is not enforced by either the police or the DMV, which routinely registers big 5ers to people who do not have the license required to haul it. So all sorts of "older" folks who have never driven anything bigger than a 4-door Buick sedan hook new, big, expensive 5ers to the back of new, big, expensive pick-ups and head off on the highway to retirement with nothing more than a "good luck and thanks for the big check" from the salesperson.
Dealers around here are aware of the law but deny that a special driver's license is required even if they are asked directly. I know because my wife and I both asked the question before we bought our 5er and were told specifically that no special license was required. It was a lie!
Bill if you go to the MTO website you will see that an R.V. is not included in a commerical vehicles wheight. I see nothing that says other than having enough GVWR on your truck , that you need a special liscense. I think the MTO should have a special endorsement for R.V.s over a certain weight and or weight, and a course one must take to earn that endorsement. It would take all the guess work out of what one could tow with a standard G liscense.
To steal an old line from Jeff Foxworthy, the law around here tends to be viewed more as a "friendly suggestion" than something with which people are actually expected to comply.
As it turns out, I invested the time, money, and effort required to pass the written and road tests necessary to get my Class A license. Not only am I now in compliance with the law (and, not incidentally, the stated requirement of my insurance policy that I be in possession of the appropriate license) but I also learned a lot that has made me a better and more confident driver.
That is my view on the matter ... but more people disagree than agree with me. Everyone has to do what they feel comfortable doing and then accept the consequences of their decisions. As long as those decisions do not have negative consequences for anyone else, it probably doesn't make any difference.
Bill
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kah68
Ontario
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Bill an RV does not add to the weight of a commerical vehicle in Ontario. As long as the truck pulling the trailer has enough GVWR and liscense there is no requirement for an upgraded drivers liscense. I do feel that an 'RV' endorsement for a G liscense would be a good idea for units over a certain weight and size, along with a course and road test but as for now its not the law. An RV type endorsement should also be kept separate from commercial rules and regs. to keep things clear and not leave any grey areas as to what applies to RV's and what applies to Commerical and how they relate. Too many rules and regs. for RVer's on the commercial side and way too easy to get lost in what you need and what you dont.
Kirk
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steelshooter
texas
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Joined: 04/18/2006
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Hey Powerboatr dont laugh, when I took my test for my cdl I had to parallel park the rig I was testing in.
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Tater Salad
South Texas
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highgturn wrote:OK GVWR....Gross Vehicle Weight Rating. I don't see how this can be confusing the way it is worded. Texas DPS uses GVWR.
What confuses me is that you originally said "It appears that if you are pulling a trailer that has a GVW over 10K you need the license."
If that should be GVWR, then I may be over - I'm not sure what the GVWR is on my trailer, but I know that the GVW is less........
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Looking2Retire
TX, USA
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Joined: 02/25/2004
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Txtowman is correct. You need to contact a DOT Certified DPS trooper of the commercial vehicle enforcement division. The average DPS is NOT properly informed on these matters. The officers trained in this field for determing weight enforcement would be the correct ones to talk to. You should be able to contact any DPS office and ask for the License & Weight Division. These properly trained officers will inform you that you do NOT need a Class A license. First, it is a recreational vehicle and second, if you are under 26,000 pounds then you are fine. If you look at some of my old posts concerning these issues, you will see that I have done extensive research and provided many resources. I personally have a couple of friends thast are just average DPS officers. We went to one scales where they train state, county, and local entities for weight enforcement and talked to several different specially trained DOT certified officers. You do not need a Class A nor CDL. Hope this helps.
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Tater Salad
South Texas
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Thanks, Looking2Retire. That makes me feel A LOT better......
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highgturn
Fort Worth, Texas
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Joined: 01/21/2005
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Tater Salad wrote:highgturn wrote:OK GVWR....Gross Vehicle Weight Rating. I don't see how this can be confusing the way it is worded. Texas DPS uses GVWR.
What confuses me is that you originally said "It appears that if you are pulling a trailer that has a GVW over 10K you need the license."
If that should be GVWR, then I may be over - I'm not sure what the GVWR is on my trailer, but I know that the GVW is less........
Sorry I muddied the water. This entire thing is a mess and not all the DPS folks are on the same page. One DPS guy in FW told me to make sure when you show up with your rig that the trailer has a valid inspection sticker on it. I don't think very many Texas RVers know about that requirement either. I called the dealer that I ordered our Excel from and they were not aware of the requirement for a state inspection sticker on trailers over 10K GVWR. I would be interested to know when the Class "A" license requirement came into play and why the word is just now getting out into the RV community.
* This post was
edited 07/05/06 01:11pm by highgturn *
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