In April of this year, after reading several articles about licensing drivers of RVs in Texas, I decided to go to the local bureau and find out what I needed. The examiners really didn't know for sure what was required, but a member of the Texas Department of Public Safety assigned to the office did have the answers.
As it turned out, the governing factor in the license required is the combined GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight) of the vehicles involved, whether it be a tow truck and trailer or a motor home and its towed vehicle. Some articles I read implied that it was the actual weight of the vehicles, but that is incorrect. It is, as I stated, the GVW that counts.
In our case the vehicles involved were a truck and fifth wheel. The actual weight of both vehicles was less than 24,000 pounds, but the combined GVW was almost 29,000 pounds. This automatically indicated that my auto drivers license did not, repeat did not qualify me to tow my vehicle, not only in the state of Texas, but in no other state in the country. I won't get into all the different qualifications, but will say that if your combined GVW is over 26,000 pounds or your trailer GVW is over 10,000 pounds, a class C auto license is not adequate.
Therefore, I needed a class A drivers license. To obtain this I had to pass not only a multiple choice written test but a very intensive driving test in my truck and trailer. A physical exam was not required but that was about the only difference I could see between this class license and a CDL (Commercial Drivers License). The written test involved twenty muliple choice questions on safety and towing laws (not any of the usual questions you would get on the auto driving test). After studing the book with sample questions (about 50 questions) for three days, I took the test. I thought I could come close to scoring perfect on the test, but still missed three questions for a score of 85 (passing is 70).
Next came the driving test. I have been driving small trucks and trailers since I was 16 years old, so I figured I could at least pass the driving test and be done with this. I had to schedule the driving test in advance and when I arrived the examiner started by telling me my truck and trailer had to pass a light operations inspection before the test began. This could fail my driving test before we ever hit the road. I had just had the state inspection that morning so we went to the next step.
I have taken many driving tests, but my examiner that morning really set a scene for which I was not truly prepared. She started by giving me a list of items that would immediately fail my test attempt. These items included but were not strictly limited to hitting a curb during turning, failure to signal a traffic movement, having an accident during the test, driving in an unsafe manner, hitting or bumping a highway sign or marker, violating any Texas driving law, especially speeding. In addition to this she would be taking points off for not having control of the vehicle at ALL times during the test, for not using mirrors, gauges, etc., and for not reacting far in advance of changing traffic conditions. Her statement was "I want to see out of the corner of me eye your head swivelling off your shoulders looking everywhere and observing everything" .
We hadn't gotten to the road yet and I was somewhat less than completely calm by now. I took the driving test that day and out of 100 points I scored an 87 (70 once again is passing). You might think that wasn't too bad until you hear where I lost 13 points. The first thing I lost several points on was removing my hands from the steering wheel when stopped at a red light (not maintaining full control of my vehicles at ALL times). The second and final item I lost points on was signalling for a turn too soon. I understood her logic but it was in violation of Texas driving law but she said the law was wrong. I passed the test so I didn't argue.
I know your first question will be why would you want to put yourself through these rigors. The answer is two fold. First, in a traffic stop anywhere in or outside of Texas, if they run your drivers license and they find it not to be what it should, your vehicles could be impounded until someone shows with the proper drivers license to move them. Second, if you have an accident the same thing could happen. Also, if the accident is minor, serious, costly, or any of these situations, your insurance company could deny any and all claims because you were driving without the proper credentials. The personal liability could be devestating to say the least .
To sum this up is simple. Check your drivers license requirements in all states, not just Texas. Make sure you talk to someone who is absolutely positive about the state law. Remember, ignorance is no excuse and won't be accepted as one.
Please drop me a note if you have any questions relating to my experience.