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Old 03-26-2014, 08:52 PM   #15
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Hawk 57 this is not the first thread on this subject and I believe the issue of Texas requiring a RV owner to have a special license has been beat to death but the opinion I got from what I read before is that it is required.


One suggestion See if there is a RV rental place near you. Call them and ask them if you can rent an RV for the day to take your test. Ask them the price to have the RV delivered to the test site. This would cover you legally. You would not be lieing and any insurance issues could be covered legally. If no RV rental places then get the nearest dealer to you. Explain what you need to do. Offer to pay to rent a used unit for this test. Ask if you can pay one of the salesman to drive the rig to the test site. Point out to the manager at the dealer ship that they will be one of the first places you consider for your purchase and if they cannot supply you with the brand you finally decide on they will be the place you have your maintenance work performed at. Once again you should not be lieing. With the cost of diesel to get work done the nearest repair center that will do good work is what I look for. Second a dealership that will help you get your license should be one of the first places you look at for a purchase.
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Old 03-26-2014, 08:52 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hawk57 View Post
You are wrong! Unless being paid or operating in commerce Texas does not require anything but a regular drivers license.
Here we go again!
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Old 03-26-2014, 08:56 PM   #17
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You are wrong! Unless being paid or operating in commerce Texas does not require anything but a regular drivers license.
So my class a drivers license I took a test for to drive my motor home and tow a 10lbs plus trailer as required by the dps trooper that gave me the test was wrong.

Think I'll trust the trooper and my interpretation along with several hundred others on this forum and other forums who have interpreted of Texas drivers code as I have.
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Old 03-26-2014, 08:58 PM   #18
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Goodnight and good luck on your test. It's required. If I can help please email me privately.
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Old 03-26-2014, 08:59 PM   #19
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Could you use/ rent a 24 passenger van to take the class B test? These are like those shuttle bus at air ports, pre-schools, and churches...they are on the E450 cut-away. I know for our church you have to have a class B (non CDL) to drive the church vans.

Join a church that has shuttle vans/buses and volunteer to drive them for the seniors!
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Old 03-26-2014, 09:01 PM   #20
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More people than we will every know drive or have driven with the wrong class license here in Texas, many have for years. Yes you need to take the test in the new coach. I have read a number of times, and my experience was the same, they don't ask how you got the coach to the test.

Bigger problem is getting a testing date and time appointment.
i have to question the class b learners permit??
I took my test and was given a date a week later to do the drive test.
i was never issued any permit and still had my original class a license
I think maybe the dmv person got you confused with a commercial license, you are a non com class b

but either way...i wouldn't worry to much, go buy the rig and then show up for your test.,
most of us drove around for years and never knew we needed to get the class b non commercial license, and I bet most dps or police do either
we are simply not the demographic they worry about to much .

but the law is very clear and we have beat this hrose to death for some time
if its over 26klbs and a private not for hire vehicle (rv, bus, class 8 truck, etc) you need a NON commercial class B license

the rub as i said before is some dps offices are not real sure how to do the test for us non coms and can screw up by default
you should have had a short written test about lights an brakes and weird stuff you have known forever.
you will not be required to do an air brake test, (which you should know how anyway), its a simple driving test to make sure you know where to stop at stop signs and use your signals, and ........parallel park of all things

good luck its easy , you just in a bigger vehicle
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Old 03-26-2014, 09:03 PM   #21
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You are wrong! Unless being paid or operating in commerce Texas does not require anything but a regular drivers license.

Hawk, sorry, but you are misinformed on this one. Been through this with other drivers already. A CDL IS for commercial use but Texas also requires a class B operators license to operate ANY vehicle that weighs more than 26K lbs and/or has air brakes. There is still some confusion about this out there and even with some DPS offices but it is the law. I know people that have gone through the process. I have had a class A CDL since they came out so no problem either way for me but I have had first hand knowledge of it. Good luck and safe travels.
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Old 03-26-2014, 09:14 PM   #22
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To take the test you can rent a large U-Haul box truck. It will meet the weight requirement for the DL test but does not require you to have one to drive it.
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I asked the DPS office eaminer about this, and they indicated that the vehicle I bring to the test must be of the weight class that my license is for - Uhaul/Ryder require a Class B / CDL to rent anything with a GVWR >26,001 ---my CATCH22.
All U-Haul trucks are less then 20,000 lbs GVWR

Just hire a driver, I'm sure if you think about it you can find someone you know that drive a truck and has a CDL.
School bus drivers like me all have Class B CDLs at least.
Go to where they park thier buses at the end of the day and ask some of them. Many only work 4-5 hours a day and have plenty of off time.
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Old 03-26-2014, 09:32 PM   #23
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I live in Spring and am willing to help you out. Be sure to check with the testing center where you plan to drive as the test varies from location to location. You should not have to do an airbrake test or parallel park. I know Livingston and the main CDL testing center in Austin administer the exam correctly. PM me if you need my help.
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Old 03-27-2014, 12:33 AM   #24
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The reason I suggested the U-Haul to the op is their largest truck doesn't require a CDL to operate (which the op was concerned about)and since he did not have his MH yet it was meant as a cost effective alternative and that size truck will work for the DL test purposes.
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Old 03-27-2014, 07:43 AM   #25
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Everyone has good recommendations, but none are "legal" legal, which the OP is worried about.
OP, you are right in the legality of getting up there with the proper vehicle requires you to have either a ClassB or A licensed individual accompany you. That's your only option. Legally . . .
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Old 03-27-2014, 08:07 AM   #26
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hawk57 View Post
You are wrong! Unless being paid or operating in commerce Texas does not require anything but a regular drivers license.


Wrong...wrong...wrong.

Texas DOES require a class A or B non CDL for GVWR over 26000#
For the A you are towing over a 10,000# trailer.
For the B you are towing less than 10,000# trailer or no trailer.

Up to 26,000# you are covered with a normal class C license.

Hawk, you can search for the many threads which list the specific Texas code sections which cover the driver license classes.

I was talking to a DPS officer here in the state park and he said be had never seen the requirement for parallel parking a motorhome or a 5th wheel. I know Livingston does not require it.

Ken
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Old 03-27-2014, 08:13 AM   #27
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I took a 26' 30,000 lb lic flat bed freightliner to Beaumont and took the regular B CDL test when I told the examiner that I had to get B back for motorhome she just laughed and put me thru a quick test ride. Was interesting to back up 100 feet but with flat bed no problem checking out the back window to see when to stop.

Over 26,000 lb air brakes you are breaking the law with out at least a non commercial B lic
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Old 03-27-2014, 08:38 AM   #28
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The rental companies have down rated their fleet of trucks they rent to be less than the 26,0001# so a common C class car license will work when renting in Texas. But the test has to be taken in a 26,001 or greater vehicle. I hope people will understand the huge difference between driving for pay that needs a CDL A, B, C, and driving for fun, that just needs the non and expempt A, B in Texas.

Someone mentioned not having to take the air brake test, take it, as you will likely need it anyway. And the testing officer, will ask you to preform the air part, at the coach if you have air brakes. That is where you demonstrate you know how the air comes up, then you bleed it off, till the emergency brake switch pops, along with the alarm sounding as pressure drops or rises. It is all in the book, just understand it. Some have said you do not have to park along side a curbing, I had to. Figure out how to do it, not that hard with the 200' I was allowed.

Actually we all were illegal to drive the test in our coaches, from an insurance point of view at some point that day, or in the days we test drove one at the dealer, or drove home day one.
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