Skoolies in Virginia

Reddogleader · 05-28-2015, 06:37 AM

Hello all,
How many Skoolies do we have in Virginia? We are located in the Tidewater area and wondered how many others are in the state.

qqqkkkrs · 06-08-2015, 01:02 PM

Hi Reddog! I purchased a bus in Charlottesville, and while we're currently located in a border-county of WV, I'll be returning to Charlottesville with the bus in a few months and still consider it a Virginia bus

bansil · 06-08-2015, 02:00 PM

I graduated from Albemarle High, and got out of VA quickly

whirlygigg · 07-05-2015, 01:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by qqqkkkrs

Hi Reddog! I purchased a bus in Charlottesville, and while we're currently located in a border-county of WV, I'll be returning to Charlottesville with the bus in a few months and still consider it a Virginia bus

Hi qqqkkkrs and Reddogleader!!

I am about to take the plunge into the Skoolie world. My insurance company - State Farm - is telling me that RV insurance is very "minimal". The kicker is that it has to be registered as an RV and they say that their underwriters will need to verify that the bus is an RV.

My question is, does the VA DMV need to be convinced that the bus is a mobile home? I found the VA state code listing the requirements a vehicle needs to be considered a mobile home.

How did you prove to the DMV that the vehicle met these requirements?
Anyone just register their bus as a truck? If so, can you still drive it with a regular license?

I'd like to know how all this works specifically before I take the plunge. Trying to minimize my run-around time...

Reddogleader · 07-05-2015, 09:05 AM

I have been working on the insurance issue with multiple agents and brokers for over a month. The best I could get was a commercial policy for just over 2000.00 a year for liability. In Va, It seems it is very expensive to follow the Rules. I refuse to drive it without coverage while the conversion is taking place. To keep the local codes compliance folks happy, it has to have current tags that are assigned to it, and a current VA inspection sticker. To keep tags on it, you have to show proof of insurance... At 2000.00 a year, It is not worth it. After it is converted, it would be about 300.00 a year. What a racket! Long story short, Bus is being sold for $2000.00. Hope to find an out of state buyer who can use it.

milkmania · 07-05-2015, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reddogleader

Long story short, Bus is being sold for $2000.00. Hope to find an out of state buyer who can use it.

post up some pics & specs, please

whirlygigg · 07-05-2015, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reddogleader

I have been working on the insurance issue with multiple agents and brokers for over a month. The best I could get was a commercial policy for just over 2000.00 a year for liability. In Va, It seems it is very expensive to follow the Rules. I refuse to drive it without coverage while the conversion is taking place. To keep the local codes compliance folks happy, it has to have current tags that are assigned to it, and a current VA inspection sticker. To keep tags on it, you have to show proof of insurance... At 2000.00 a year, It is not worth it. After it is converted, it would be about 300.00 a year. What a racket! Long story short, Bus is being sold for $2000.00. Hope to find an out of state buyer who can use it.

So you are in catch-22 mode. You can't keep it on your property without tags. To get tags you have to have insurance and inspection. To get insurance and inspection you have to pay about $170 a month to be covered.

It is a bloody racket.

Can you find someplace to store it where you won't need tags?

I am trying to find someone who will rent me space somewhere out of the way where zoning or busybodies won't complain. Tough going.

Can you register it as a bus then re-register it as a motor home or would you have to pay taxes all over again?

It's tough going.

Heyitsantman · 12-14-2022, 10:02 AM

All depends on what must be done or considered as the rv conversion. Pulling chairs and putting a bed and table shouldn't be that hard. Being a maryland resident having a bus registered in VA seems alot easier than being in Maryland. I rather go the VA route. Having somewhere to park it is the hardest part.

TaliaDPerkins · 12-14-2022, 06:35 PM

how do I delete this thing?

TaliaDPerkins · 12-14-2022, 06:38 PM

I'm in VA. After I get a few medical things wrapped up (wrapping up in a Feb~Mar timeframe), I'll be building in a 37' Thomas. Way up North in VA, about as North as you can get.

BTW for moving otherwise uninsured, unregistered vehicles, the DMV* will let you buy temporary insurance and tags from them good for 72 hours . . .

It sucks for being insurance, but you are legal per them

*As of when I bought the thing, might have changed . . .

ChurchBuz · 12-19-2022, 10:38 AM

I’m in Richmond Va.

Truthseeker4449 · 12-19-2022, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TaliaDPerkins

I'm in VA. After I get a few medical things wrapped up (wrapping up in a Feb~Mar timeframe), I'll be building in a 37' Thomas. Way up North in VA, about as North as you can get.

BTW for moving otherwise uninsured, unregistered vehicles, the DMV* will let you buy temporary insurance and tags from them good for 72 hours . . .

It sucks for being insurance, but you are legal per them

*As of when I bought the thing, might have changed . . .

That only works when you buy it, it's called a Prospective Purchaser's Permit. Otherwise the bus needs to be titled to obtain trip permits, however titling a bus in Virginia as a private-use bus is not hard, I've done so twice. They only need the weight. The part that trips things up is attempting to do the uninsured motorist fee, apparently it's very rarely used and their system has a bug where it won't accept it if you're already doing it on another vehicle.

I have insurance through State Farm, about $100 a month. The only stipulations are that all school bus appliances must be removed (stop signs, markings, crossing arm) and all original passenger seating must be removed. They have not made me paint over the lights yet, however I voluntary removed the flasher module and stated as much. They also let me install seats from a commercial bus that had seat belts.

Pro-tip, do not attempt to flip buses with them, they do not like that.

TaliaDPerkins · 12-25-2022, 07:19 PM

There is a prospective purchaser's trip permit, roughly the bottom half of this page:

https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/vehicles/#temp_permit.asp

There is also the standard trip permit at the top. I was writing about the standard one, you are apparently describing the purchaser permit.

"Pro-tip, do not attempt to flip buses with them, they do not like that." <-- Okay. What made you throw that in?

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