Why aren't we told about OCCC

[mobilemike]

Originally Posted by Skip426

X2.
If the first question a prospective buyer asked the salesperson was " What kind of RV do you own ?" then walked away from those that answered that they don't RV; maybe , just maybe ; dealers would hire RVers to sell RVs .

Hey!!!

I am a boat mechanic. I have owned my own business for 25 years.

I dont go boating!!!!!!!!!
I dont own a pleasure boat.

The only boats I ever own are ones to flip.

There are a couple of reasons.

1) I am around boats all day every day. Relaxation for me is to NOT BE AROUND BOATS!
2) Boating season is my work season. There is no time for boating during work season.

3) I dont go on other peoples boats because when something goes wrong I am pressured to fix it.

[Teamfoxy]

Originally Posted by Skip426

X2.
If the first question a prospective buyer asked the salesperson was " What kind of RV do you own ?" then walked away from those that answered that they don't RV; maybe , just maybe ; dealers would hire RVers to sell RVs .

The first thing the consumer of any product should do is educate themselves about the product they are contemplating purchasing. Its called doing your homework. When shoping for RV's one of the first things I looked at was the GVWR and the build weight on the stickers. The other thing I look at is the wheelbase to overal length and the amount of rear overhang the coach has. It all affects usability and handling. No point in looking at floorplans of unsuitable product.

[Gary RVRoamer]

It's a nice bonus if a sales person happens to actually know something about the product and how it is used, but I don't assume he/she knows anything like that. Even the better ones probably just got some classroom overviews rather than hands-on experience.


An experienced RV sales person often picks up a lot of information around the dealership, from customers, service techs, other sales people, and the bosses. Trouble is, a lot of this word-of-mouth is either wrong, taken out of context, or garbled in the re-telling. How often do we see flat wrong info here that is lebeled "my dealer says..." or "the service tech says..."?

[Captn John]

The new buyer will never wonder why his salesperson did not do the PDI. They would never guess they have no idea how things work or should work.

[Skip426]

Originally Posted by mobilemike

Hey!!!
I am a boat mechanic. I have owned my own business for 25 years.
I dont go boating!!!!!!!!!
I dont own a pleasure boat.
The only boats I ever own are ones to flip.

Mike , I believe you missed my point . You work on boats , you probably know more about boats than Joe average boat owner .
If a family of eight showed up to buy a boat you're flipping ; I'm pretty sure you wouldn't sell it to them if it would swamp on their first outing .
If you were selling a 30 boat and trailer, and a buyer showed up to tow it away with a Honda Civic , you would say something.
Two personal cases in point .
I was looking at 5ers and focusing on the units weight sticker ; salesman says " What are you worried about , you've got a Dodge 4X4 , you can tow anything you want !"
I said no I can't , it's 2500 lbs over the trucks ratings .
He says " Where'd you get that info ? "
Truck's owners manual ! I said and walked off the lot.
While shopping for my coach , I'd left contact info with a salesperson with the price range , that I would be interested in.
Got a call and was e mailed pictures of a fantastic looking coach 37', hardwood cabinets , marble counter tops and tile flooring.
I asked about CCC , and had to explain to the salesperson where to find it .
When I got the info ( 518 #) I though it has to be a Canadian unit and the weight sticker is metric , meaning 518 kilograms , so I went to look at it first hand . No the CCC was only 518 pounds . DW , her sister and husband and the salesperson and I, were in the coach . Salesperson asked what the CCC number meant ; I said with the five of us in this unit , it's overloaded, no food in the fridge no clothes or gear , overloaded.
When we exited the coach , the sales manager was there asking if we were taking the coach , they had it on hold for me . I said no it won't carry my gear to close to the GVWR.
He said, That's OK we've got someone else in the box with a cheque in hand. "
Then just lately , here in the forums , a new member , new RVer , with a new TT. Had been reading his manual , trying to understand the water draining procedure, fresh tank in particular . Said he'd found 3 low point drains , that weren't properly explained in his manual ; so he went back to his " dealer " and I think he meant salesperson, who couldn't explain the three drains ; so the new member is here asking for help , with a question that anybody at the dealership should have been able to answer.
So when I say , RV dealers should hire RVers to sell RVs, I don't mean they have to be RV techs , but the salesperson should have a working knowledge of RVs and the best way , I know , to gain that knowledge is to own an RV.

You wouldn't by a car from someone who didn't have a drivers licence .
If you went to a lumber yard and found the person you were dealing with , didn't know the difference between a stud length 2X6 and an 8', 2X6, or pine and fir, you'd walk away .
JMHO: It's time for RV buyers to demand a higher level of professionalism,( product knowledge) from dealers and salespersons and the easiest way to do that is to walk away , when questions aren't answered.

[powerboatr]

Originally Posted by WorldCat25

26,000 is the limit for a Class B license. Has nothing to do with a CDL.

what are you talking about willis?
my non com class b is specifically for vehicles over 26k lbs



in texas if you drive an rv that is over 26k gvwr then you are required to get a non commercial class B license.

[FatChance]

Originally Posted by WorldCat25

26,000 is the limit for a Class B license. Has nothing to do with a CDL.

But, of course, you know that there may well be a different requirement for RV drivers in different states, right? For example, there is NO such requirement for a different driver's license class beyond a normal car drivers license in Arizona, irrespective of any 26k weight.

[RiverBurt]

This thread reeks of elitism and condescension.

Most of y’all are well-meaning, but just listen to yourselves.

Darn right I’d buy a car from someone without a drivers license. Or a motorcycle from a widow who couldn’t ride it, or a DP motor home from some poor schmuck who blew the engine on Raton Pass.

I’ve bought boats, motorcycles, and now a DP from a state of ignorance, occasioning myself to do stupid things, ask stupid questions, get stupid answers...

But I’m a smart guy, don’t stay ignorant for long, and am pretty good at sniffing out stupid answers.

At least I know when I AM ignorant.

How much better does this forum do, collectively, at providing inquiring minds with solid advice than does the average dealership, really?

Not much, on balance.

[Isaac-1]

Each state is different on licenses, for that matter my state does not even have RV license plates, all motorhomes are registered as a "private bus".

[Mich F]

Originally Posted by dennish2024

OCCC is a new law/reg but at least in my experience the only place I heard about it was on the forum. When I did my PDI the tech never heard of it in fact he had to google it, same with the salespeople. At the Tiffin Rally last month I couldn't fine a salesperson who knew about it. The only mention of it on a motorhome is a barely legible yellow sticker. If it's that important why isn't there an effort to educate people who purchase MH's?

I know there is more equipment involved in determining the OCCC but (e.g.) my tires are rated at 15,000# and the listed GVWR is 11,030 kind of a big difference.

What is your OCCC ?

[dennish2024]

On the newly ordered 2020 Tiffin Wayfarer RW, 692#. My current Wayfarer 962#
Hmmm, I just noticed could it be a couple of number were reversed by accident?

[WorldCat25]

Originally Posted by FatChance

But, of course, you know that there may well be a different requirement for RV drivers in different states, right? For example, there is NO such requirement for a different driver's license class beyond a normal car drivers license in Arizona, irrespective of any 26k weight.

Yes, I know some states do not require any special license. Was just trying to clarify that 26,000# was the GVW which required a Class B license in those states which do, not 25,000#.

Also clarifying that a CDL is not needed for driving RV (unless you're being paid to deliver them).

[Gary RVRoamer]

Getting back to the original question...


Newcomers and casual RV users are at a major disadvantage because they lack education about their prospective purchase and usage. There is no good source of reliable info even for those who seek it out, including sites like this. Even here, misinformation is all too common and discussions quickly go off on arcane points that a newbie has no hope of comprehending. And in most cases, caring about.


The logical place to provide basic "RV 101" education about buying, owning and using an RV is at dealers, new or used, and the logical source of professionally produced seminars and videos is the RVIA, but neither of these has shouldered the burden. Even websites like this seem more focused on how big a discount to demand rather than what you need to know to buy well and safely. Small wonder that few dealers are willing to invest in training for their sales people and prospective customers when few buyers look beyond the price.

[Hooligan]

Back to OP- OCCC Occupant and cargo Carrying Capacity. Is based on the
Unloaded Vehicle Weight (which now includes FULL fuel tanks, and Full Propane) - subtracted from the GVWR.
The weight of People, cargo, tools, food and onboard water (fresh and holding tanks) must not exceed the OCCC.

Much simpler computation than the old 1/2 full, times the number of seatbelts, plus propane, day of the week-- previous procedure.

Gary- You had an excellent explanation of OCCC on another board, I couldn't find it this time..