CDL for motorhomes/tour buses with air brakes

It might be interesting if I can ever think it through right.

 

I'm sure it does. Even more reason they should be required to have some kind of minimal training and have to pass all the tests for the license to be able to drive one.

 

You will get no arguement from me on this.

I have seen many I wonder how they do it.

 

By the grace of God.

 

DB....

I run around with a 89 International 9307 pulling a 48' van drop. True story....perhaps we will meet up some day.
If we do, just remember, I AM LEGAL!

 

Famous last words.......just kidding. If I stop a 89 INTL pulling a drop van I will now know it is you.

 

A few years ago when I was on hometime I went to a dealership just for fun to check out the motorhomes. I noticed they had airbrakes and asked the saleman about it. He said you dont have to have cdl he shows buyers how to use them. I thought that was pretty scary. That was in MA.

 

Many motorhomes with 'air brakes' are actually a hermorphodite. They're air over hydraulic.
they don't have air chambers to actuate the brakes. The air system actuates the master cylinder to push the hydraulic fluid.
this is a type of power assist. The diesel engines don't have the vacuum normally used to boost the hydraulic pressure as in normal 'power brakes', so they came up with this system where air pressure does it.
So the operator doesn't have to worry about 'primary', 'secondary' air systems, brake chambers, slack adjusters, and more.
To them, it's all the same as before.
Now there are some of the larger conversions that use true air brakes such as the Prevost conversions. These are the multi million dollar bus conversion. These have true air brake systems, and in those cases, the driver is required to have an air brake endorsement, however most states ignore that.