Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 05-05-2017, 03:15 PM   #1
New Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Daytona Beach, FL
Posts: 8
Chassis: Thomas
La Extraña Cosa

Hey Everyone,

Aside from my one intro,Ive been lurking on here for quite a while. However, my boyfriend and I finally had the oppurtunity to go for it and buy a bus! We have named it La Extraña Cosa (the strange thing)as it sounds a little bit like a pirate ship and goes well with the theme of everything with the bus. We're planning on going with a steampunk theme.
Anyways, its a 2001 Thomas Mvp-er with a caterpillar 3126 and an Allison MD3060 transmission. Its a 84 pass and its a beast! We got it for 2,000 at auction and drove it to our location 3 hours away with no issues so i feel like we did good at least as of right now! We will be blogging our entire process as well as creating a youtube channel as well. Its definitely going to be a lengthy but interesting process as my boyfriend will also be using the bus to coincide with his work as well since he is a traveling tattoo artist.
Our blog is here: laextranacosa.wordpress.com (it still needs a lot of work, i just created it) but we are on day 2 and have almost all the seats out which is great! Ill be adding more photos to the blog and showing the work were doing.
Thanks everyone for the abundance of information and hopefully well be able to provide some information to others and be able to help as well!


Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

obscura is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-05-2017, 03:17 PM   #2
Bus Geek
 
EastCoastCB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,764
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
Always good to have another FL member!
EastCoastCB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-05-2017, 03:22 PM   #3
Bus Geek
 
Robin97396's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Willamina, Oregon
Posts: 6,409
Coachwork: 97 Bluebird TC1000 5.9
Welcome

I think half of FL is living in a bus.
__________________
Robin
Nobody's Business
Robin97396 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-05-2017, 03:41 PM   #4
New Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Daytona Beach, FL
Posts: 8
Chassis: Thomas
Sure seems that way! Lots of Florida Skoolies on here! Daytona Beach will be our home base as we like to call it and it's where we're working on the bus to get the basics down and register it as an RV, then the BF is going to bring it up to Missouri where he has been guest tattooing. He's going to be able to park it right behind the tattoo shop while he works more on it! Still a bit confused on the registering it to a MH (not RV technically I guess) but reading as much as I can to get figure it out.
obscura is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-05-2017, 04:43 PM   #5
Bus Geek
 
EastCoastCB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,764
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
Quote:
Originally Posted by obscura View Post
Sure seems that way! Lots of Florida Skoolies on here! Daytona Beach will be our home base as we like to call it and it's where we're working on the bus to get the basics down and register it as an RV, then the BF is going to bring it up to Missouri where he has been guest tattooing. He's going to be able to park it right behind the tattoo shop while he works more on it! Still a bit confused on the registering it to a MH (not RV technically I guess) but reading as much as I can to get figure it out.
All it takes to make it an "RV" is a piece of paper turned in to the local tag office. Section 13-10 page 5 I think. Its an affidavit. You fill it in and boom- you'r bus is titled and registered as an RV.
EastCoastCB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-05-2017, 09:54 PM   #6
New Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Daytona Beach, FL
Posts: 8
Chassis: Thomas
Quote:
Originally Posted by EastCoastCB View Post
All it takes to make it an "RV" is a piece of paper turned in to the local tag office. Section 13-10 page 5 I think. Its an affidavit. You fill it in and boom- you'r bus is titled and registered as an RV.
Yeah i have the vin verification form, the affidavit and the tl13 form (i think thats what it is) but the affidavit says we did all these things to convert it and we havent yet and even if we go ahead with the affidavit and they dont check it in person the next problem is insurance. He wants to drive it up to missouri so its got to be insured and obviously insurance would need to see photos of it converted to insure it, so thats the thing im wondering about. He wants to get it up to Missouri as soon as possible too.

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk
obscura is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-05-2017, 09:58 PM   #7
Bus Geek
 
EastCoastCB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,764
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
Quote:
Originally Posted by obscura View Post
Yeah i have the vin verification form, the affidavit and the tl13 form (i think thats what it is) but the affidavit says we did all these things to convert it and we havent yet and even if we go ahead with the affidavit and they dont check it in person the next problem is insurance. He wants to drive it up to missouri so its got to be insured and obviously insurance would need to see photos of it converted to insure it, so thats the thing im wondering about. He wants to get it up to Missouri as soon as possible too.

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk
NO- get a commercial policy for private use, fill out that affidavit, and no one is gonna be looking for you I promise. the affadavit says you only have to do ONE of the three. I'd just check all three boxes anyhow.
The affadavit is essentially their way of NOT having to go and inspect the vehicle. there also won't be any inspections if you insure it commercial for private use.
Call a local agent, not progressive directly. The local agent is your buffer and your key to keeping insurance.
If you do this- I promise you it will work just fine.
EastCoastCB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-05-2017, 10:01 PM   #8
Bus Geek
 
EastCoastCB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,764
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
Quote:
Originally Posted by EastCoastCB View Post
All it takes to make it an "RV" is a piece of paper turned in to the local tag office. Section 13-10 page 5 I think. Its an affidavit. You fill it in and boom- you'r bus is titled and registered as an RV.
I just did this myself today. took maybe a half hour of my day.
NEVER tell the ins co that you're converting the bus. Tell em its for private use.
Once its converted, call up good sam and they'll insure it once they've inspected it.
EastCoastCB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-05-2017, 10:02 PM   #9
New Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Daytona Beach, FL
Posts: 8
Chassis: Thomas
Quote:
Originally Posted by EastCoastCB View Post
NO- get a commercial policy for private use, fill out that affidavit, and no one is gonna be looking for you I promise. the affadavit says you only have to do ONE of the three. I'd just check all three boxes anyhow.
The affadavit is essentially their way of NOT having to go and inspect the vehicle. there also won't be any inspections if you insure it commercial for private use.
Call a local agent, not progressive directly. The local agent is your buffer and your key to keeping insurance.
If you do this- I promise you it will work just fine.
But if its under a commercial policy wont they see the title registered as a Mh and raise a red flag? Or contradict itself? That was what i was wondering as well. Thanks for all the useful information though! Reading so much of it all at once tends to get things jumbled around on my end and i tend to get a tad confused.

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk
obscura is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-05-2017, 10:06 PM   #10
Bus Geek
 
EastCoastCB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,764
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
Quote:
Originally Posted by obscura View Post
But if its under a commercial policy wont they see the title registered as a Mh and raise a red flag? Or contradict itself? That was what i was wondering as well. Thanks for all the useful information though! Reading so much of it all at once tends to get things jumbled around on my end and i tend to get a tad confused.

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk
They DON"T care what its titled as, I JUST went through all this, I'm on my third bus in FL. Just today I had my local agent call progressive to make sure they'd still cover me and keep my policy the same if the title and registration were changed. The agent said they spoke and that its fine, as long as my stated intended use for the bus stays the same- mobile storage, kayak hauling, hardware store trips etc. Heck I could still make alterations, they just want their money. It will always look like a bus, so they're insuring my BUS. Even if the title says RV or MH, its always gonna look like a bus.
Do what you feel is best, but I've not found any better way than what I'm trying to tell you.
The insurance and registration have nothing to do with one another. Tell the insurance agent that you haven't done any work on the bus other than remove seats. You can have seating for up to 14.
You want my agent's #?
EastCoastCB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-05-2017, 10:08 PM   #11
New Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Daytona Beach, FL
Posts: 8
Chassis: Thomas
Quote:
Originally Posted by EastCoastCB View Post
They DON"T care what its titled as, I JUST went through all this, I'm on my third bus in FL.
Do what you feel is best, but I've not found any better way than what I'm trying to tell you.
The insurance and registration have nothing to do with one another. Tell the insurance agent that you haven't done any work on the bus other than remove seats. You can have seating for up to 14.
You want my agent's #?
Okay. Thanks so much. I would love a number if you have one. Its making sense now.

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk
obscura is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-05-2017, 10:13 PM   #12
Bus Geek
 
EastCoastCB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,764
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
Quote:
Originally Posted by obscura View Post
Okay. Thanks so much. I would love a number if you have one. Its making sense now.

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk
I'll PM you
EastCoastCB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-15-2017, 02:07 PM   #13
New Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Daytona Beach, FL
Posts: 8
Chassis: Thomas
So we've gutted most of the bus and finished the blog too finally. Heres the link if anyone wants to see: https://laextranacosa.wordpress.com

Unfortunately we had a heavy rain the other day and say quite a few leaks. So obviously that is the first issue we are addressing. We are going to clean all the heavy mildew on the top then caulk all the obvious cracks, holes etc then paint on this: http://m.homedepot.com/p/Gardner-5-g...7805/202057691
We hope this will help with any leaks but we're also hesitant on whether there may be better options regarding the roof. We havent painted it yet either. Anyways, here is some photos of the bus!

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk
obscura is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 12:17 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.