Converting to a Motor Home in Missouri

[SlowMotion]

Just got my first bus and looking to get it titled / licensed/ insured as a motor home asap. DMV looked at me like I was crazy. I knew a change in title status typically involves the HWY Patrol as I have rebuilt a salvaged car. Stopped by there and picked up the requirements. I tried to find the form on their web site so I could copy and paste but no luck, so I'll type it out for those interested.

Special Construction / Recreational Vehicles

To comply with 301.010 RSMo requiring permanently attached sleeping and eating facilities and 700.010 RSMo that refers to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard A199.2 defining a Recreational Motor Vehicle and a Recreational Vehicle, a special construction or conversion must have in addition to permanent eating and sleeping facilities four of the following system installed. It is recommended that the following criteria be considered:

1. Sleeping facilities would include an area of sufficient size to accomodate a person or persons to rest in a normal sleeping position. This requirement could be met by the installation of a mattress type bed, a recliner chair, or a couch.

2. Eating facilities would include a table of sufficient size to accomodate a person or persons for the purpose of eating. It would also include a bench type seat or chairs. The table would be attached to the unit by screws, bolts, or other methods to affix the table in a permanent type manner.

3. The vehicle must contain permanently installed independent life support systems. The ANSI A119.2 standard requires four of the following facilities: "cooking, refrigeration or ice box, self-contained toilet, heating or air conditioning, or both, a portable water supply system including a faucet and sink, separate one hundred ten to one hundred twenty five (110-125) volt electrical power supply or liquefied petroleum (LP) gas supply or both."

a. Cooking facility - would include a stove, microwave oven, standard oven, or convection oven, which is permanently installed and has adequate clearance as specified in the terms of their listing. Clearance spaces shall be framed in or guarded to prevent storage space within the clearance specified by its UL or manufactures listing.

b. Refrigeration or ice box - would include a refridgeration unit or ice box which is permanently installed. The unit may be powered by electric or LP gas.

c. Self-contained toilet - would include a toilet and waste collection system that is permanently installed.

d. Heating or air conditioning or both - would include a standard recreational vehicle type roof mounted air conditioner or a window type home air conditioner unit that is permanently installed. The heating system shall be electric or LP gas will be permanently installed and meet the terms of their UL or manufactures listing.

e. A portable water supply system including a faucet and sink - would include some system of storing water in a holding tank attached to a faucet and sink. It would also have a grey water holding tank.

f. Separate one hundred ten to one hundred twenty five (110-125) volt electrical power supply or liquefied petroleum (LP) gas supply or both - a 12 volt DC power inverter capable of powering the cooking facility, refrigeration, or heating / air conditioning system that is permanenlty installed would be acceptable. A LP gas system used to supply the stove, oven refrigerator, or heating would be acceptable.

4. In addition to the above at least one integral battery-operated smoke alarm shall be installed.


I have an ~84 gal propane tank going under the bus. I have a small Coleman cook top and small heater meant to be hooked to the 1lb bottles. I think if they are bolted down and tied to the large tank that'll count as cooking and heat. I might throw my microwave and portable 110 heater in there just to cover my bases but those aren't "permanent" either. I am doing the three water tanks with a sink and hopefully a shower. Probably a couch, that might fold out to a bed. Window AC unit. 110 mini fridge.

Eventually I want a battery bank and all but for now I am just gonna do camp site hookups and the LP tank. I guess I'll see how picky they are and report back. In my experience they are primarily concerned with checking VINs and making sure nothings stolen.

[gotmuddy]

Holy crap what a pain. In AR all I have to do is write a affidavit saying I am only using the bus for hauling 6 people or 1 family(or less). Registration is $20.50 per year and insurance is $80 per year.

[SlowMotion]

Aw, wtf? I guess that figures, you don't have to wear a helmet to ride a motorcycle in AR either.

Where did you get your insurance quote gotmuddy? Is that as a bus or a motorhome? Or a conversion?

[the_experience03]

All I had to do in Minnesota was sign an affidavit stating I had very similar stuff to what you are required to have. My registration is ~$110 each year based on GVWR and insurance would be $200 or so for the whole year if I were to actually keep it insured all year.

The requirements really aren't that bad if you're actually doing a conversion. I mean I had to have beds to sleep in. I had to have a stove and oven to cook with. I needed a sink to wash pots and pans in. I needed my inverters and the other associated 110 volt stuff. I meet enough requirements to pass, but certainly not all of them. The reality is that you will need enough of that stuff to make it a comfortable weekender that it shouldn't be a big deal.Have you talked to the people at the DMV to see what is actually required for registration, such as an affidavit or inspection?

[SlowMotion]

Yeah, I have to do enough stuff to meet the requirements, go to the hwy patrol and get it inspected, take a form 5151 from them to the dmv and my title will come back as MH, or ... idk ... something other than a bus. At least thats how I under stood it.

And yeah most of the stuff I wanted to have eventually anyway but I wanted to take it to the sand dunes next month and I don't have a CDL. From what I have read I would have to have a CDL unless it was a motor home, which is an exemption....

[gotmuddy]

My quote was through Farm Bureau.

[arfisher83]

Yeah, Missouri's registration requirements suck. I just moved to Missouri from Iowa, and Iowa's requirements are much more lenient -- no inspections or anything like that.

-Adam

[SlowMotion]

Originally Posted by Chuck Webb

I think it's all in the approach to the counter at the DMV. I bought my bus from AR, moved it right across the Missouri line. No problem. Told them it was set up like and RV. They gave me RV tag. I'm lucky.

What dmv did you go to?

[ramairws601]

Check out my post here viewtopic.php?f=17&t=4911
What part of missouri you in?

[sportyrick]

slow motion: the reason they are so picky in Mo is obvious if you think about it. They don't want to give the RV privilege to a bus with a 5 gallon bucket toilet, a mattress on the floor for a bed and hippie stuff painted on the outside. Quality conversions or at least something with substance is what they want so you will have to do something that looks permanent, not thrown together. As you read you will have to have 4 things that comply with their rules. Having gone through it a few years ago in Mo I think I have a handle on what they want and I did ask lots of questions during the inspection. Actually I thought they would check my gas lines, water lines, electric lines, CO2 detector, etc. but they didn't really check anything except having at least 4 things on the list. We don't have a REAL place to eat but do have an 8' kitchen counter. The bed folds up into 2 couches so you can't really SEE the bed but he took our word on it. We have another electrical system besides the 12V bus system, we have 2 actually, 12V with batteries and a generator for 110v but they didn't ask about what kind of wire I used. Our water tanks are what they expected but you don't have to have water or toilet if you don't want. I understand you want to do it over time but the MOHP may not like it that way. We got inspected in Jeff City at the same place they do CDL tests but I don't know where else you can go for the inspection. BE FOREWARNED you will need positive proof of purchase for your appliances or you will experience resistance from the titling department. First you go for your inspection and THEN you see the girls at the DMV for their set of totally different qualifications. They want you to prove you bought your RV stuff verses stealing it so we got a lot of resistance because of this. We had a lot of it GIVEN to us and they didn't like that at all, really we had to come back with a bill of sale for all the large items even though we had pictures of them all during the construction. We had every little receipt for wire, copper line, paneling, upholstery, paint, water line, etc but they didn't want that, large items are what you will have to prove on how you obtained them. Oh ya, ours was still yellow for inspection so don't worry about the outside except removing the specific school bus stuff. sportyrick

[Versatile]

Will a Reconstructed title for Mo. showing the year 2012 have any reference to the original year of bus? This is for Mo.

[Delafayette]

Hello. I am new to the group. I live in St Louis but will be keeping the bus in Sullivan MO during the conversion. I read the list of requirements for getting the bus titled as an RV.

My question is what do you do during the time frame of when you buy the bus, take it to the storage spot and do the required 4 items to pass for being an RV?

[Robin97396]

You're only waiting for as long as it takes you to meet the motor vehicle requirements by installing the basic systems that make it an RV. So it depends on how fast you are at those installations.

[Delafayette]

I can only work on it weekends

[Robin97396]

It still depends on how fast you work. That's a complete unknown to the rest of us here.
Get your basics in then move in and you'll get it done faster.

[Skoolydoo]

Anyone know about Kansas, hope to win the auction for the one in Missouri,
Then cross state lines to a storage yard to work on it..a heads up on what might be required would be appreciated.

[DonnieG]

Is there a copy of the MO reguirements anywhere to convert my bus to an rv? Im new to this site I have a 2000 Thomas with Cat/Allison drivetrain. 66 pass. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[o1marc]

Originally Posted by DonnieG

Is there a copy of the MO reguirements anywhere to convert my bus to an rv? Im new to this site I have a 2000 Thomas with Cat/Allison drivetrain. 66 pass. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Pretty much every state is the same. They require 4 of the 6 listed amenities. Your choice of which 4. Every state varies but the list below is the genral requirements.

Cooking appliance with onboard fuel source
Gas or electric fridge
Toilet with exterior evac
Heat/AC with power other than engine
Potable (drinkable) water supply
110v power supply

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by o1marc

Pretty much every state is the same. They require 4 of the 6 listed amenities. Your choice of which 4. Every state varies but the list below is the genral requirements.

Cooking appliance with onboard fuel source
Gas or electric fridge
Toilet with exterior evac
Heat/AC with power other than engine
Potable (drinkable) water supply
110v power supply

Here we only have 3 requirements, and only 2 have to be met. And there's no inspection. YMMV

[o1marc]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

Here we only have 3 requirements, and only 2 have to be met. And there's no inspection. YMMV

You'll still have issues with insurance.