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07-07-2016, 05:52 PM
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#1
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Pittston, ME
Posts: 40
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: CSFE
Engine: 5.9 Cummins ISB
Rated Cap: 25
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insurance
How do you get insurance for your bus conversion? I am doing it myself and every insurance company I talk to says no way. They want it professionally done or else they will not insure it. Please help. I only need liability in Maine to get my registration. Thank you.
__________________
Eric A. Hinkley
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07-07-2016, 07:28 PM
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#2
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: EHT New Jersey
Posts: 1,134
Year: 2003
Coachwork: AmTran
Chassis: International 3000RE
Engine: T444E/AT545
Rated Cap: 75
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Quote:
Originally Posted by railbus5
How do you get insurance for your bus conversion? I am doing it myself and every insurance company I talk to says no way. They want it professionally done or else they will not insure it. Please help. I only need liability in Maine to get my registration. Thank you.
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Progressive Commercial with the phrase "commercial vehicle for personal/noncommercial use"
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07-07-2016, 09:40 PM
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#3
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Bus Geek
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 18,707
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
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and dont say anything about converting it.,... its a BUS for personal use... "party wagon, takin friends out to the park, etc..".. its NOT a tiny home, nor a Motorhome....."..
-Christopher
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07-07-2016, 09:51 PM
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#4
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Skoolie
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 237
Year: 2002
Chassis: international
Engine: T444E
Rated Cap: 71
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cadillackid
and dont say anything about converting it.,... its a BUS for personal use... "party wagon, takin friends out to the park, etc..".. its NOT a tiny home, nor a Motorhome....."..
-Christopher
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So my title has been changed to RV so will they not insure it even it is for personal use?
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07-08-2016, 07:45 AM
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#5
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Skoolie
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 237
Year: 2002
Chassis: international
Engine: T444E
Rated Cap: 71
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Just curious. Does anyone know if the other conversions (tour , greyhound type buses) have the same kind of problems getting insurance?
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07-08-2016, 08:04 AM
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#6
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,762
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by livinthelife
Just curious. Does anyone know if the other conversions (tour , greyhound type buses) have the same kind of problems getting insurance?
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not really, just school buses.
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07-08-2016, 08:06 AM
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#7
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Bus Geek
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 18,707
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
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some of the companies have provisions for Bus conversions but seem to spell out they dont cover school busses..
my GUESS? is that perhaps there were a lot more "half-ass" conversions at one time and school busses are typicallyt cheaper and more plentiful than coaches...
for all the really nice conversions on here where the members take care in safety to a high level.. there a lot of people who are not members here whop very well may just cram a bunch of stuff in a bus and call it a conversion...
while this may work great, from an insurance risk it can be riskier..
someone whop tends to spend more money for say a prevost, vanhool, mci coach is likely to do a more thorough conversion..
thats just MY OPINION..
-Christopher
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07-08-2016, 11:52 AM
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#8
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Skoolie
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 237
Year: 2002
Chassis: international
Engine: T444E
Rated Cap: 71
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Thanks for the reply. Like I said just curious. At this point our family would rather sell the house or anything other than our skoolie. So we will just keep trying like everyone does. Thanks again for the reply.
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07-08-2016, 05:38 PM
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#9
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Pittston, ME
Posts: 40
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: CSFE
Engine: 5.9 Cummins ISB
Rated Cap: 25
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My Bluebird is a CS which means that it is a shuttle or passenger bus . NOT a school bus. I have been given all kinds of grief by insurance companies for trying to convert it. Many companies say they will insure it even if I do the work but they LIE! They have refused me unless I pay a company to do it. I had to tell them that I was giving up on the conversion and I just wanted a commercial for personal/non-commercial use policy. I said that I needed it to be road ready so I would have a better chance to sell it. I got my insurance approved today and paid some down. I will TRY to sell it but I don't think I will be able to if you get my drift.
If anyone wants more info feel free to contact me. Thank you all.
__________________
Eric A. Hinkley
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07-09-2016, 06:57 AM
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#10
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Bus Geek
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 18,707
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
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it really seems to be state specific.. i see a lot of posts on here from east coast states having a really tough time with getting progressive commercial insurance for personal use policies.. where people in the osuth and midwest it seems to be just a phone call and done..
maybe the risk rules vary by state and the insurance companies valuate their profits based on payouts and find its worse in certain states (or even cities?)...
-Christopher
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07-09-2016, 10:12 AM
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#11
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: SW New Hampshire
Posts: 1,334
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cadillackid
it really seems to be state specific.. i see a lot of posts on here from east coast states having a really tough time with getting progressive commercial insurance for personal use policies.. where people in the osuth and midwest it seems to be just a phone call and done..
maybe the risk rules vary by state and the insurance companies valuate their profits based on payouts and find its worse in certain states (or even cities?)...
-Christopher
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Vehicle insurance is regulated on state-by-state basis. Some states prohibit the same company from offering in multiple markets; some require that they participate in the high-risk pool; some don't; it's all over the map, so to speak. Risk levels are set per zip code (this is from experience with home insurance; generalizing that to vehicles). This makes it difficult to directly compare your experience with mine, f'rinstance. But we can share tidbits like "call Progressive Commercial and use this phrase".
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07-10-2016, 06:36 PM
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#12
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Oklahoma aka "God's blind spot"
Posts: 2,446
Year: 1989
Coachwork: 1853FC International/Navistar
Chassis: 35' Retired Air Force Ambulance
Engine: DT466, MT643
Rated Cap: 6 souls and a driver
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Scooternj
Progressive Commercial with the phrase "commercial vehicle for personal/noncommercial use"
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Went that route for a quote....
__________________
I once complained I had no shoes....
Until I met a man with no feet
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07-10-2016, 11:38 PM
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#13
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: TN.
Posts: 52
Year: 1997
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: B8000
Engine: 5.9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 24
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Ins.
Quote:
Originally Posted by railbus5
How do you get insurance for your bus conversion? I am doing it myself and every insurance company I talk to says no way. They want it professionally done or else they will not insure it. Please help. I only need liability in Maine to get my registration. Thank you.
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I have mine ( in Tennessee) with National General Insurance , Winston Salem NC,27102-3199 the old GMAC, for $278 a year for Liability. It is listed as a Ford Thomas instead of a Ford bus. If that does not work , move to Tennessee! Reedy
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07-11-2016, 09:21 AM
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#14
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Skoolie
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 237
Year: 2002
Chassis: international
Engine: T444E
Rated Cap: 71
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So I'm a little confused. I just read on another thread that progressive doesn't cover converted busses of any kind.so how do you get the commercial for privet use? All but driver seat is out on my bus it will not be used for commercial use it will be used as rv/motorhome. So my title is RV so should I just go straight to commercial for privet use? At some point won't they ask if its a bus or rv. Up until now I didn't know good Sam was a possible option. So is Good Sam a better choice than maybe the general. Sorry for being a pain with questions on this just trying to get my ducks in a row to get a game plan when calling. Thanks
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07-11-2016, 10:58 AM
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#15
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Bus Geek
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 18,707
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
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I would first try to get RV insurance through one of the RV providers .. Good sam / the general...
However many are not getting isure thorugh them with partially converted busses.. or busses where people are doing minimal conversions (not having full working plumbing.. maybe not a permanent generator)...
in thiose cases people are going to progressive's Commercial vehicle for personal use policy.. and it seems in some states progressive either is not offering it or is cancelling people when they find out the bus is converted.. (not sure progressive's mindset)..
some are using progressive to cover the bus while its still being built and then change over to an RV policy from one of the RV providers after conversion is copmplerte and their criteria is met..
for those who are keeping their bus Primarily a bus or "van".. then progressive's policy work forever.. (party bus, moving van, very minimal RV).. progressive never asked me fior pictures or to see the bus, but they asked me if it was staying a bus... (in my case it is)...
-Christopher
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07-11-2016, 01:07 PM
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#16
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Skoolie
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 237
Year: 2002
Chassis: international
Engine: T444E
Rated Cap: 71
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cadillackid
I would first try to get RV insurance through one of the RV providers .. Good sam / the general...
However many are not getting isure thorugh them with partially converted busses.. or busses where people are doing minimal conversions (not having full working plumbing.. maybe not a permanent generator)...
in thiose cases people are going to progressive's Commercial vehicle for personal use policy.. and it seems in some states progressive either is not offering it or is cancelling people when they find out the bus is converted.. (not sure progressive's mindset)..
some are using progressive to cover the bus while its still being built and then change over to an RV policy from one of the RV providers after conversion is copmplerte and their criteria is met..
for those who are keeping their bus Primarily a bus or "van".. then progressive's policy work forever.. (party bus, moving van, very minimal RV).. progressive never asked me fior pictures or to see the bus, but they asked me if it was staying a bus... (in my case it is)...
-Christopher
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Thank you.
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07-11-2016, 10:49 PM
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#17
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Oklahoma aka "God's blind spot"
Posts: 2,446
Year: 1989
Coachwork: 1853FC International/Navistar
Chassis: 35' Retired Air Force Ambulance
Engine: DT466, MT643
Rated Cap: 6 souls and a driver
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And this is what happens when you sit on the phone for 55 minutes with Progressive, chit chatting about the weather and upcoming medical procedures....
Online quote ($419.00)
Phone & email quote ($179.00)
Because the online system has no idea how to classify a retired Air Force Ambulance.... It still thinks I have a siren, flashing lights, and life support equipment! To which this bus never had any such thing and doesn't have the extra rocker switches on the dash for such!
This is my "deer huntin' rig" for personal use only!
Note: after Jessica at progressive ran my VIN#, she told me she classified it as a BUS
So, I'll commit to the insurance on payday, take my policy info to Jordan at tag agency, and she'll submit a title for motorhome coming from out of state. Didn't even have to do much sweet talkin' with her.... Doggone it!
__________________
I once complained I had no shoes....
Until I met a man with no feet
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07-12-2016, 06:42 AM
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#18
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Skoolie
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 237
Year: 2002
Chassis: international
Engine: T444E
Rated Cap: 71
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Quote:
Originally Posted by milkmania
Didn't even have to do much sweet talkin' with her.... Doggone it!
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I'm sensing a little sadness.. Lol
Thank you for the info.
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09-17-2016, 12:12 AM
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#19
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New Member
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 1
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Just going to share my experience. May be helpful to some. The insurance was the easier part for me. Not for my agent though. I sat down with her and she studied the screen trying to find a way to insure the bus before I ever purchased it. Not sure if the whole commercial vehicle for private use is what we went with but she made it work.
The biggest issue is that not many agents write policies for skoolie's on a regular basis. Therefore, they don't know how to write it. My agent had to go through multiple categories and sub categories and sub sub categories and then start over in another category but there was a way for her to write a liability policy on my "vehicle"
And there was a particular way i registered the vehicle. It's not a bus tag, not an rv tag, just a regular car tag. I removed every seat with the exception of the driver seat and then went to the courthouse. I explained to them (more than one person was involved with the process) that it is no longer a passenger bus because it cannot legally haul more than 16 passengers. I want to convert it to a camper/rv. They filled out some additional paper work and it was done. A regular car tag on my bus and liability insurance with limited head ache.
Main objective was to avoid toll free numbers and online attempts. I went straight to an agent PRIOR to making the purchase to be sure it could be done which, in turn, helped me to understand how I needed to register bus.
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09-17-2016, 06:56 PM
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#20
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Pittston, ME
Posts: 40
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: CSFE
Engine: 5.9 Cummins ISB
Rated Cap: 25
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In Maine there is no problem with a change of use. You just have to remove some or all of the seats {15 or less} and put in a place to sleep, a way to cook and to go to the bathroom. It is not specific, just someway for all three to happen. The insurance companies require that you pay someone to convert it to an RV. They are the problem. I used the advice of some and got my agent to insure it as commercial for non-commercial personal use. I got insurance. I do need a commercial inspection in Maine because it is a class A motor home. This is required of all motor homes regardless of who made them.
__________________
Eric A. Hinkley
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