California...

[GoldRush]

I think this is where they get you in California and many other states. All 1 Ton and + pick up trucks in California and Arizona are Registered as Commercial.

 

The medical cards they require are DOT Medical Cards. Thanks for the Jog in Memory.

[Big5er]

Hey Big;

 

Did you mean for this to go here? Maybe a different thread?

Yeah, Paul. You musta missed Goldrush's last post on page one. I don't think I am quite that senile yet

[adept99]

Yeah, Paul. You musta missed Goldrush's last post on page one. I don't think I am quite that senile yet

Yup - zinged right by that one. I do however, have a medical card. Now if I could just remember why....

[Broncohauler]

Live in Ca been running my 3 axle Pete for many years no problem.

For any of us that live here we must have a Med card for any 5th wheel 15,000lbs or more and pull trailer over 10,000 lbs.

as you stated in the first couple post just shut up drive and I will add have a great time.

I would stay way away from BIG SIR only because I pulled a 28 ft through there with a pickup and it didn't fit had to cross over the yellow line any times.

You will see signs all over (No Rvs or trailers 40ft king pin to rear axle) this is for your benefit.

It's there because the road is very tight.

I am 3 axle 37 ft fiver. Iam ok but have to really drive the truck in these areas.

[GoldRush]

Paul,

 

In reading through the history of this forum anytime California gets mentioned this tends to happen, lol!

 

This state with all of its creative laws tends to create many varied comments.

[Chad Heiser]

Live in Ca been running my 3 axle Pete for many years no problem.

For any of us that live here we must have a Med card for any 5th wheel 15,000lbs or more and pull trailer over 10,000 lbs.

as you stated in the first couple post just shut up drive and I will add have a great time.

I would stay way away from BIG SIR only because I pulled a 28 ft through there with a pickup and it didn't fit had to cross over the yellow line any times.

You will see signs all over (No Rvs or trailers 40ft king pin to rear axle) this is for your benefit.

It's there because the road is very tight.

I am 3 axle 37 ft fiver. Iam ok but have to really drive the truck in these areas.

 

Bronco, this is incorrect. You only need a medical certificate if you are running commercial. CA has a non commercial class A license also. In CA you must have a class A license to pull a trailer over 10000 lbs or a recreational 5th wheel over 15000 lbs. The class A license can be either commercial or non commercial depending on your needs. If it is non commercial, there is no medical card required.

 

One thing to be aware in California is Health Certificates if your trailers rated weight is over 14.5K. I don't know the ins and outs of it but I do know that people get harassed over not having one when they have a triple axle trailer. Maybe someone here knows the specifics. My trailer is only rated at 14K so I haven't done any research on the specifics.

GoldRush, I don't know where you got this information, but it is incorrect. See what I posted above.

[Chad Heiser]

I think this is where they get you in California and many other states. All 1 Ton and + pick up trucks in California and Arizona are Registered as Commercial.

The medical cards they require are DOT Medical Cards. Thanks for the Jog in Memory.

While it is true that all pickups in CA have commercial license plates, this has nothing to do with medical cards. The medical card has to do with your drivers license. There are three classes of license in CA for driving vehicles (excluding motorcycles and other two wheeled vehicles). Class C is the basic license that everyone has. Class B is for buses and dump trucks and other such large single vehicles. Class A is for large trucks and trailers or large trailers over a certain weight with any tow vehicle. This is in general terms, there is obviously more to it but I am condensing here. Each one of these license classes can be commercial or non commercial. If you are driving for a commercial purpose, then you need the appropriate license class for the vehicle you are driving and you need a medical certificate and must follow all the commercial rules. If you are not driving for a commercial purpose, then you still need the appropriate license class for the vehicle you are driving but you do not need a medical certificate and you do not have to follow the commercial rules.

[GoldRush]

The information I have is from friends getting tickets on the way to Glamis to go camping with their families with triple axle toyhaulers.

 

Beyond that, I haven't researched this, as stated above, because I dont have a triple axle trailer.

[GoldRush]

I will add that just because they got the tickets doesn't mean they were guilty but I do know that they have all since gotten their medical cards or have gotten ridden of their triple axle trailers!

[noteven]

Do I need to be concerned towing a 3 axle 5th wheel hooked toyhauler in California now?

 

And worse: hauling it with a KW, B model, T600, in blue (our fave color?) Oh no!

[HERO Maker]

Not if you're not a resident of California.

[Jack Mayer]

If you have a proper class license for your home state you are legal in CA on that same license. Period.

 

However, if your home state has some unusual liberties in licensing, you may wish to carry those regulations with you.

[Broncohauler]

Chad

I don't know how to post the link. And I know this is your job so I wouldn't correct you. But I am 1/2 correct if you google (CA non-commercial drivers license) it states you don't need to get or hold a medical card.

But you most fill out form DL 546 which is a self filled out medical questionnaire.

[GoldRush]

https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/?1dmy&urile=wcm:path:/dmv_content_en/dmv/forms/dl/dl546a

[MrSeas]

This is the form required if you hold a "Restriction 41-Class A restricted to operating 5th wheel travel trailer between 10,000 and 15,000 GVWR in the beautiful state of California.

Concerning the folks that use "Glamis" they are most likely being ticketed for over weight on their trailer or TV or both. Folks love to overload their toyhaulers and pull them them up and down dangerous hills with toooo little truck. LEO's use portable weight scales to "educate" folks! I've seen lots of "very dangerous" truck and trailer combos in and around our "desert riding areas" and I do my best to give those folks a "wide berth"!

 

Just a $.02 observation from sunny California....

 

Here is the link to the form....

 

http://apps.dmv.ca.gov/forms/dl/dl546.pdf

 

I must submit one of these completed forms every two years to keep class 41 restriction current.

 

Scott

[CDR]

Geez Fellers, this was just supposed to be a couple of relatively simple questions.

 

Let me ask one more. We should be coming south out of Seattle / Portland on I-5. Looks like about 60 - 80 miles south of Portland we could take Hwy 20 west to US 101. We would follow that down to the US 101 - US 1 split. We'd stay with US-1 to Sonoma Coast State Park at RT 116 where we'd cut over to Forestville to see friends. There is a campground there we should be able to get in with a little manuevering effort.

 

However, the map makes US 1 look like it might be a little bit of a challenge with our rig. For a hobby I drive a Tri-Axle dump truck for a friend, over some stupidly narrow, steep, and curvy county roads. I'm not too concerned about the drive provided that you can actually make the turns without having to stop, backup, and re-orient the truck. Has anybody made this drive? Are there road restrictions for length, weight, width, or height other that the usual 65', 80,000#, 102" width, or 13' ? I'm not talking about the law necessarily, but driving on a road with miles of overhanging branches beating the paint off the truck is no fun. I've had to drive the dump truck over a 3 ton limit bridge when I weighed 40 tons, and I have the pucker marks in the seat to prove it. I'm looking to tribal knowledge about this route.

 

Chad? Hero?

 

Thanks

 

We go down to Seaside alot and beyond from Seattle area. Driving that route will be a workout! Tight turns, blind corners and speeding drivers coming at you. Yes it can be done and beautiful it is! But if your trying to make time or have a relaxing trip, myself I would go down I5 till it's time to turn right.

 

My 2 cents

 

Curt

Paul & Paula

[Big Z]

http://towingworld.com/towinglaws.cfm

 

http://towingworld.com/towinglawsbystate.cfm?state2=CA

[Chad Heiser]

Medical questionnaires are different than medical certificates required for commercial driving licenses. My posts were specifically addressing medical certificates and commercial licenses.

 

The medical questionnaire that Scott (MrSeas) posted a link to is something totally different than a commercial medical certificate. It is a form that the user completes and submits and there are some situations that you will need to submit one of these. These do not require a doctor visit and are not valid for commercial licenses. This is apparently what Bronco Hauler was also referring to (which I initially misunderstood), but again they are different than a commercial medical certificate.

[RRoger]

You can run most roads in CA, but there might be some that you can't. I used to drive a milk tanker with a sleeper. I was just under 65 feet and my run took me up US101 through Humboldt county. The road through here had a length restriction of 65 feet for tractor and single trailer and 75 feet for tractor and a set of doubles. The very good reason for this is that the road is cut between big redwood trees and there is no room to keep in your lane and fit.

 

What happens from time to time is some newbie with a 53 foot trailer and a sleeper cab will ignore the signs and when the CHP pulls him over he isues a big ticket, and makes the driver drop the trailer and then thy have to hire a guy with a cab over day cab to extract the 53 foot trailer.

 

Other times roads with sharp curves will have a yellow sign that states that semi's with more than 30 feet from king pin to center of rear axle not advised. Those signs are there for a darn good reason.

 

Easy way to avoid the problems is to get a Rand McNally truckers atlas and check your route before you get down the road and see the dreaded truck route ends ahead.

[Pappy Yokum]

This is the form required if you hold a "Restriction 41-Class A restricted to operating 5th wheel travel trailer between 10,000 and 15,000 GVWR in the beautiful state of California.

Concerning the folks that use "Glamis" they are most likely being ticketed for over weight on their trailer or TV or both. Folks love to overload their toyhaulers and pull them them up and down dangerous hills with toooo little truck. LEO's use portable weight scales to "educate" folks! I've seen lots of "very dangerous" truck and trailer combos in and around our "desert riding areas" and I do my best to give those folks a "wide berth"!

 

Just a $.02 observation from sunny California....

 

Here is the link to the form....

 

http://apps.dmv.ca.gov/forms/dl/dl546.pdf

 

I must submit one of these completed forms every two years to keep class 41 restriction current.

 

Scott

 

*****************************************************************************************************************

 

Scott - (incorrect info)

 

IF you have a CA Class C DL, with an endorsement (restriction) 41, there is *NO* health questionnaire or Physician's Health Report

(Medical Certificate) required...ever.

 

*If* you have a non-commercial Class A, the form *is* required.

 

However.... (quoting CA DMV)

"A driver must have a fifth-wheel recreational trailer endorsement added to his/her Class C driver license to pull a 5th wheel trailer over 10,000 lbs, but *not* over15,000 lbs GVWR, which is not used for hire. this endorsement is not required if the driver has a commercial or noncommercial Class A license."

 

Again quoting from the requirements -

"You are *not* required to submit a Health Questionnaire or a Physicians Health Report."

 

This info may be found on the CA DMV website.

 

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv

 

At the site, go to the "search" box in the upper right - enter...."Recreational Trailer Endorsement"

 

BTW - most CA DMV personnel are clueless to/about the "restriction (endorsement) 41".

 

I had a CDL in the past, dropped it when I no longer used it. Bought a 5th wheel over 10K - so needed to add it to my Class C DL.

Gal at the info booth would not believe such thing existed.

Said you want a non-commercial Class A.

Showed her the CA DMV - "Recreational Trailer Endorsement"- page.

 

Oh - OK - go to window XX to get the test.

 

At window XX the gal tried to give me the test for:

1. Non-commercial Class A.

Explained - that's not what I want - showed her the info.

2. She said Oh, OK - --- gives me the test for MH over 40'.

 

Took it back - lots of Q and A between the folks behind the desks.

 

We finally got the no-brainer 25 question test for endorsement 41.

(Anyone can pass it blindfolded) - took it to the correction person - got 100%.

 

He is typing out a new license - For a Class A non-commercial - says, "Did you bring a medical certificate?"

 

Told him I didn't want a Non-Commercial Class A - just the 41 endorsement for my Class C.

 

Oh - OK - no problem - tears up the license he was typing, and starts over.

*If* I had kept my mouth shut - and brought in a med certificate then or later - I would have had a noncommercial Class A - without the driving portion.

However - by then....I just wanted to say, "Thank you and adios!"

 

Just another day of fun and games at the CA DMV -

 

 

.

 

 

 

 

[MrSeas]

Pappy,

 

See you had the same experience at the DMV. Went back and forth with the supervisor at my DMV concerning the medical questionnaire. She won by calling Sacramento and being told she was correct in requiring it.

Just got my new 5 year license today and they have changed the wording on the 41 endorsement......

Old restriction reads "May tow fifth wheel recreational trailer between 10,000 and 15,000 pounds GVWR"

New restriction reads a bit differently..." Restrictions: 41-Class A restricted to operating 5th wheel travel trailer between 10,000

and 15,000 lbs GVWR. So now a questionnaire would be required. Now the question may be which form is required?

 

Scott

[Bob Cochran]

I very rarely agree with anything California does and I was born and raised there, but left when I was 18. The driver licenses for recreational vehicles is one. I wish Arizona would do the same thing!!!!!