Offer to trade...Advice please...

[TomC]

Many body companies can make a new door jam sticker for your truck to show 26,000lb gvw (typically 8,000lb front, 18,000lb rear).  Then you can drive the truck.  At least here in California, a normal Class C license will allow you to drive a truck up to 26,000gvw AND pull up to a 10,000lb trailer behind WITH air brakes.  California has no endorsements, only restrictions.  Strangely if you take a 33,000lb class B license driving test with hydraulic brakes, you'll have a restriction on your license that you cannot drive air brakes. Also, a class C will allow you to drive up to a 3 axle "house car" up to 40ft long AND pull up to a 10,000lb trailer behind.  Strange laws.  Good Luck, TomC

[TomC]

If that truck does weigh 14,000lb empty and you have it derated to 26,000lb, that's still 12,000lb of crap you can load into the truck.  Then pulling another couple of tons behind in the trailer will be surprisingly a lot a stuff.  House hold furniture just doesn't weigh that much (I know since I did hasshold moving for 15 years).  Good Luck, TomC

[thejumpsuitman]

Many body companies can make a new door jam sticker for your truck to show 26,000lb gvw (typically 8,000lb front, 18,000lb rear).  Then you can drive the truck.  At least here in California, a normal Class C license will allow you to drive a truck up to 26,000gvw AND pull up to a 10,000lb trailer behind WITH air brakes.  California has no endorsements, only restrictions.  Strangely if you take a 33,000lb class B license driving test with hydraulic brakes, you'll have a restriction on your license that you cannot drive air brakes. Also, a class C will allow you to drive up to a 3 axle "house car" up to 40ft long AND pull up to a 10,000lb trailer behind.  Strange laws.  Good Luck, TomC

Tom,

Your idea would be a magic bullet, but somehow I doubt it would be a simple process, especially in NC.  I think this whole deal might be a big can of worms.  Hopefully I can just Sell the Wanderlodge.

Marc

[thejumpsuitman]

The guy with the truck just called me back... It looks like the truck has already been downrated to 25,000 on the title.  It is a South Carolina title.  It has a regular non-commercial license plate.  He is willing to leave his tag on it until I get it to AZ.

My next question is does anybody know if you need air brake endorsement on an under CDL truck?  I don't mind getting it if there's time, but if I don't need it all the better.

Marc

[azdieselman]

You can license the truck for 26K to stay under CDL requirements. However, when you attach a trailer, No matter how small, It now becomes a "combination vehicle", and that's where they get ya. I think the cost estimate of driving the bus to AZ is low. Diesel is already at $4.00 here and is bound to go up. Drive the truck without the trailer, haul as much of your stuff as you can, you will end up selling it cheap, and paying a premium to replace it.

[thejumpsuitman]

You can license the truck for 26K to stay under CDL requirements. However, when you attach a trailer, No matter how small, It now becomes a "combination vehicle", and that's where they get ya. I think the cost estimate of driving the bus to AZ is low. Diesel is already at $4.00 here and is bound to go up. Drive the truck without the trailer, haul as much of your stuff as you can, you will end up selling it cheap, and paying a premium to replace it.

I have no plans to take the trailer.  I will sell it here and drive the truck only.  I agree with you... I will lose a lot of money and time by selling my equipment here and buying again later.  Being able to take it is by far the biggest appeal of doing this deal.  Cool thing is this type of truck gets 11+ mpg.

Looks like driving an under CDL truck wtih air brakes is kind of a gray area, but it does look like it's okay without the Class B license.

http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/trucking-industry-regulations/58947-regs-air-brakes-under-26-000-a.html

[ArtGill]

In NC an B license without CDL isn't to hard to get.  There is some concern you should have one for your Eagle because of it's weight. The CDL drivers license manual makes a statement in the exemptions states, that a class B May be required for recreational vehicles over 26000 pounds. Who knows!!

I would contact your local Driver's License place and ask for the DMV Inspector that handles vehicle weight issues.  Or find one of the State Troopers that drive the Suburbans.

I think of you every time I see an Elvis.
Art

[Seangie]

Marc,

I am here in NC - I'd possibly be interested in the trailer. 

PM me some pics when you get everything else squared away.

-Sean

[tomhamrick]

Hey Marc,
I don't get to the boards very often anymore and just saw you are moving. We just got to know each other!!!!! We will miss you here in NC and at the rallys. Good luck and keep us posted on your move so we can stop in to see you when we get out west.
Tom & Karen Hamrick

[artvonne]

  I believe this is staying within the topic, as all this talk of what you need or dont need in one state or another, DL's and endorsements, etc.. The laws are getting broader and more complex every year it seems. You now even see web applications that show you various states laws and whats legal or not.

  My question would ask what, if any, reciprocity exists when we travel. Is everyone expected to follow every states laws to the letter of the law as it pertains to each particular state?

  For example, I moved from Minnesota to Arkansas. In moving, I was trying to make the move as economical as possible, and to that end looked into pulling a second trailer. Specifically, I was looking into hooking my boat behind my Towed. Excepting for Minnesota, that was perfectly legal in Iowa, Missouri, and Arkansas. I already had an Arkansas DL and all the vehicles transfered to Arkansas registration, so my question then became, why couldnt I drive through Minnesota pulling my boat that way, when I'm legal in my own state?

  IOW, before one would go off on a big Northern fishing trip to Minnesota, how far are we expected to check laws, when, for example, something thats legal here, and in every bordering state, and many states bordering those states, are we supposed to check every stupid law in preparing for our trip? For example, using the boat behind the Towed, no one down here would even think to question it, no one in Missouri would either, so one could see many people "assuming" its legal eleswhere, and I believe, many assume there is reciprocity of that also, so even though something is not legal somewhere else, you get a pass because your legal in your home state.

  I was recently told that all vehicles entering California are subjected to an emissions sniff test and must pass emissions before entering. Has anyone heard of this? Are there other restrictions and constraints we have to live by to travel in this country? 

[Busted Knuckle]

  I was recently told that all vehicles entering California are subjected to an emissions sniff test and must pass emissions before entering. Has anyone heard of this? Are there other restrictions and constraints we have to live by to travel in this country? 

Let's not mis-direct this thread to the topic of the "Communist Republic" of Califorina.

Now that said CA is a country of it's own and as such has for yrs made it's own laws that in their eyes super-cede federal law. (If it ain't illegal today it will be tomorrow)
So yes anything is possible there!

Now as far as your other question yes most states have reciprocity laws, and allow some leeway.

But the double trailer law is one I'm quite sure you won't find MN, MI or several other states budging on. I've heard more than once if the first combination is not a 5th wheel connection that several states will not allow it.

And when I was a kid growing up my dad pulled a car behind our class A S&S and his bass boat behind that. I know for a fact that in certain states he would pull over just before entering and unhook and mom would have to drive the car until we got through the state or where we were going. (if in that state!)

I know when we used to go to my grandpa & gramma's in Niles, MI they used to take a chance on it since she only lived 5.5 miles across the border.
Once we had the rig pulled off the the side of the road in their vacant lot across from her house and had not unhooked yet. As I came out of the camper and started across the street as MHP officer pulled up and asked me if I knew who was driving that rig. When I told him yes my dad, he asked me to go get him.
Dad & my grandpa went to see what he wanted and the first thing he asked was if they knew it was illegal to double tow in the state of MI. Off course dad played dumb and said no. While gramps said some stuff I wasn't supposed to hear nor allowed to repeat back then. Gramps informed the officer it was parked on private property and it would be unhooked before it left! He then un-politely told the officer to leave before he mistaked him for a deer.(It was deer season.) But we were there to go salmon fishing on the St. Joseph River. (up in Berrein Springsabout 15 mins from their house)
SO after that we always unhooked AS SOON AS WE GOT TO G&G's!
  BK 

[Joe Camper]

 Plate it for just under the legal limit for needing or not needing a cdl under 26000 or whatever it is. Then keep the load within that limit. In ill that used to be a" base" plate and the same tag as you see on ill cars.

Pull all the signs off accept for "not for hire" At that point your not under the jurisdiction of the dot. Should have the correct drivers licence but you would not have to cross any scales.

Sounds like a good plan. truck may be easier to sell and/or will provide you with a great recource.

[bevans6]

There is this, which isn't necessarily relevant if you don't need a cdl for that truck.  But id does say that air brakes is a restriction, not an endorsement - if you don't have a air brake restriction then you can drive air brakes.  I found that you need a class B CDL for over 26,000 lbs so your bus may need one, but your truck may not.  And if you have a CDL for you bus, then you need to not have a restricted class B.  http://www.dmv.org/nc-north-carolina/cdl-faqs.php

What I understand about reciprocity is that your drivers license is the only thing that is reciprocal.  If you are licensed to legally drive something in your home state or province, the other states and provinces respect that.  They do NOT offer reciprocity on vehicles.  If you can tow doubles at home at a certain length (doubles up to 75' are allowed in Ontario, except if you are towing a fifth wheel RV trailer with a restricted Class A license, oddly) that does NOT mean you are legal anywhere else.  You are fully subject to the vehicle laws of the state or province you happen to be driving in.

Brian

[Busted Knuckle]

Plate it for just under the legal limit for needing or not needing a cdl under 26000 or whatever it is. Then keep the load within that limit. In ill that used to be a" base" plate and the same tag as you see on ill cars.

Pull all the signs off accept for "not for hire" At that point your not under the jurisdiction of the dot. Should have the correct drivers licence but you would not have to cross any scales.

Sounds like a good plan. truck may be easier to sell and/or will provide you with a great recource.

Joe while this may keep him out of being commercial & requiring a CDL, it does NOT  keep him out from under the jurisdiction of DOT!

The DOT or "motor vehicle enforcement" as most states are now starting to call them, have the authority to pull over any vehicle for any reason they can come up with and justify it with the "cause of safety!"
Here in our area we frequently see KY Motor Vehicle Enforcement with cars stopped for speeding, and or equipment violations quite frequently. And also down here in TN as well. With TN though it's not as obvious as they've done away with the white DOT cars with the same decals as the yellow/brown ones and just gone with the standard yellow/brown unit. (most of the time it's an SUV like a Ford Expedition, but I have seen several Tahoe's and regular Crown Vic's in use by DOT too!)

Just because your not "commercial" does not mean you are exempt from CDL's and just because your exempt from CDL's and not commercial does not mean your not under DOT jurisdiction.
Anytime you operate a motor vehicle on public streets or hwys you are subject to DOT.
And don't forget the "Game Warden" they can pull you over anytime anywhere! (and they have more power than any other officers too. 95% of the people they interact with are armed in one way or another.)
  BK 

[Singing Land Cruiser]

Yes!!!!! Sounds like we are going to have another Eagle come to "OUR" rally in the spring here in St. George, Utah 
PM Christi & I a link to your W-Lodge Plz
Tks M&C