I read with interest the letter by Mr. Thompson (RVT 132 Nov/Dec pg. 14) relaying his frustration regarding the upgraded license endorsement. I am a sales consultant at Leisureland RV Centre in Penticton, and we have discussed this matter for some time. We are in total agreement that an RVer should have proper training and an upgraded license to pull large trailers or 5th wheels. Like Mr. Thompson, my wife and I pulled our 5th wheel which was well over 4,600 kg, almost 45,000 kms throughout Canada and the US…fortunately we never had a problem, but because I purchased privately I did not know anything about an upgrade. But, a customer of ours did. While traveling thru Idaho he was rear ended by an older Class A resulting in over $20,000 damage to his new 5th wheel. He was originally told by ICBC that his coverage was not valid because his GVWR exceeded 4,600kg; fortunately he eventually got his coverage, but not without a lot of unnecessary stress. Here are some of the discrepancies and concerning issues. First of all, the manual as well as the website that you get from ICBC to upgrade your license speaks about trailer weights. They also do not explain what’s meant by this weight. Are they referring to stationary weight or combined weight or GVWR? A commercial driver when going over the scales deals with combined weight….how much the trailer weighs when attached to the tractor. Example: a 5th wheel weighs 11,000 lbs/5,000 kgs but has a hitch weight of 2,000 lbs/909 kgs. What does the trailer weigh when attached to the truck? Commercially it weighs 9,000 lbs. Second issue, I have spoken with ICBC agents and they have informed me that we as RV sales people should be more diligent informing our customers regarding weight issues. I can assure you, we at Leisureland RV overdo it. I asked the agents, “When a person is getting his insurance for his new trailer are they not asked to produce their driver’s license?” The answer is ‘yes of course’. My next question was, “Why do you sell insurance to a person who does not have the right license?” Here is the answer I was given: “We cannot refuse them insurance as per policy but, we can disallow coverage if the driver does not have the correct license.” You just have to love government bureaucracy. Another agent I dealt with had no knowledge regarding the upgrade. Accountability is up to the driver. Finally, and I address this to Mr. Jon Schubert, President and CEO of ICBC: If an upgraded license is required, what are the weight conditions? 1) GVWR as posted on the trailer? 2) Actual weight including water, propane, batteries and cargo by itself? or, 3) Weight of the trailer axles when attached to the tow vehicle? Please explain in plain English so everyone can understand! ~ Mitch Netterfield, Penticton, BC, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it