Jim,
Regarding driver’s licenses for weight classes: The “Class D” that T. H. refers to seems to be for a specific state – and states have all sorts of differing laws. Case in point, I’ve got a Deuce and a half [an Army surplus 2.5 ton 6×6 cargo truck] , 13,450 curb weight, and 23,450 all up. Technically, it’s under the weight limit for federal commercial vehicle ratings, so federally I don’t need a commercial license. However, living in one of the great Nanny states, I’ve had to deal with getting a Class B Non-Commercial license to drive this truck. California classifies trucks under 26,000 GVW [1] or so as non-commercial, if they’ve got two axles. Deuce and a halfs have three axles, ergo, they’re “commercial” according to California. But fortunately since mine is registered as a “Historic Vehicle”, I’m OK with just a Class B (Commercial) Non-Commercial license. This [California axle count rule] holds true even for motor homes, and all the way down to something like a WC-63. -G.T.
JWR’s Comment: There is some good information on military surplus vehicles at the MVPA website [2]. I also recommend Dave Uhrig’s website [3] as a great source for vehicles.