Says the idiot, trying to make himself look important on the internet...the irony is palpable haha.

Should we listen to 3 lawyers quoted in a major publication, or some BillyBob on the internet that thinks he know's it all? I know where I'm putting my money.

 

I missed that part, what vehicle was that?

 

 

I depends on where you live, here you don't need a CDL until you are over 26,000 lbs, and you are even exempt from that if it is for personal or recreational use.

 

Each state is different but most states you can drive a truck or rv for personal use without any extra lecencing.
I have a F450, no special license required as long as i do not haul for pay.
In Oregon, there is basicly no limit on weight can tow if its a RV for personal use. Just have to stsy under the 80,000lbs gvw, 20,000lbs per axle, and under the tires weight limits.
Any type of utility trailer over 8,000lbs requires comercial plates and licensing.
As you can guess thrre are a lot of heavy duty trailers licenced to 8,000lbs in Oregon

 

 

That is totally within your rights.
Doesnt change that this guy doesnt know what he is talking about.
I had a CDL for several years.
I drove truck on the farm for 20 years before this guy was born.
what he doesnt understand is that the weights and payloads that OEMs post on their trucks are not legal maxes in the USA.
Often, its about kepping a vehicle in a certain class.
Class 2 trucks (F250, 2500) max at 10,000lbs.
Some states this is the max GVWR you can own and NOT be a cormercial vehicle. So people want F250s there
Same with an F450, its a lot more truck that a F350DRW as far as tire and brake capacity, but its rated the same as a F350DRW to keep it as a class 3 truck, 14,000lbs. Anything more and there are EPA, licensing and insurance, and driver restrictions.

What the lawers said is you need to know the capibilties of you vehicle. Yes, you might have a problem if you are over them and it can be PROVED that that caused the accident, so you can be lible, and you insuance would have to pay, and you COULD go to cort. BUT that is no different than going 10mph over the speed limit and causing an accident. Last time I was on the highway, almost everyone, including RVs, where well over the posted speed
The most likely thing thst will happen to a heavly loaded vehicle that caused an accident is cited for following to close or driveing too fast for the conditions.
again, the door jamb numbers are NOT legal limits in all the states in the USA i have checked.
There are some provenances in Canada that DO go by the door jamb weights.
i posted a few different links here that SHOW that.
The poeple that think that being under a certian number makes the SAFE are the most dangerous.
As the weight of a vehicke incresses, thr dynamics of that vehicle canges. A rig one pund under the door jamb weights going 20mph over the speed limit with a driver that never drove a truck or hauled a traler is much more dangerious that a rig one pound over, at the posed speed FOR TRUCKS, with an experanced, aleart driver.

 

 

 

Not in ALL states.
I DO NOT need anything other than a standard licence and I can drive any size RV, FOR PERSONAL USE, in Oregon. There are also several FARM exclutions in most states also.
Some of those big horse trailers with living quarters are HEAVY, no special license for them, as long as "not for hire"

 

 

According to the DOT experts I've talked to, as long as you don't exceed any of your components ratings (tires, axle, hitch, etc.) and not over 20k per axle, you are legal. GVWR is a number for Ford and has nothing to do with a legal DOT load. GAWR are the numbers you look at. Theoretically, you could pull one of the Australian road trains with a Ford Ranger, if you could get a strong enough components.

 

Yes, it varies by state. A quick search and I could not find a state that requires a different license for a typical 350/3500 truck when used for non commercial purposes. I may be wrong. A few require a different class license for long and/or heavy RV's, though I seriously doubt it is difficult to get one aside from paying for it. Some charge for plates based on weight, many (even most??) do not. In Ohio, a non-comm plate for a 250 is about $50, and about $85 for a 350. Obviously in some locations there is a big difference.