HELP - Built Mega-Skoolie at Maine Shipyard - Cant find Insurance

[chev49]

I dont use progressive, nor ever will as when I repair collision damage they always try to ding me on the payment. This slightly irritates me, but it may just be the salem guys. State farm is a good company, n one of my h.s. classmates is a agent for many yrs, however the cost is much higher than just online liability from one of the brand x insurors like national general and some others i cant think of right now. i have used the cheapest ones i can find for many yrs just to have the ins card, and never have had any problem.

[Brad_SwiftFur]

Originally Posted by ozthemost

Hey Steve, that sounds awesome, did they ask you to send photos?

I have contacted 3 agents that specialize in RV insurance and they all say when they go to just do a quick "click and print" my bus type is not listed anywhere. So that requires them to then send photos to underwriting. Which is where everything is falling apart.

Looking for anything that couple help... i am still striking out at obtaining insurance.

There's your problem right there. You are trying to get *RV* insurance. You need to forget that. You are not insuring a factory built RV. You need to try Progressive Commercial and request "Commercial Vehicle for Personal Use". Should be about $50/month.

[Busmanmoab]

great replies! Dido all that, just got progressive liability as a BUS conversion . It might help to say you bought the bus and it was already converted , by the looks of it no-one would argue what a wonderfull job you are very talented !

[PNW_Steve]

Originally Posted by ozthemost

Hey Steve, that sounds awesome, did they ask you to send photos?

I have contacted 3 agents that specialize in RV insurance and they all say when they go to just do a quick "click and print" my bus type is not listed anywhere. So that requires them to then send photos to underwriting. Which is where everything is falling apart.

Looking for anything that couple help... i am still striking out at obtaining insurance.

Hey Oz,

Yes I have had to send photo's. First showing that all of the seats were removed. That was for commercial vehicle for personal use.

Later I had to send pictures of the completed conversion so they would change it to an RV policy.

BTW: State Farm is charging me $27/month for commercial. It will go down when I convert to RV.

[Stu & Filo. T]

Have you tried calling Good Sam?

[Stu & Filo. T]

Sorry just went back to pg 1 & saw that you did.

[ozthemost]

Originally Posted by Brad_SwiftFur

There's your problem right there. You are trying to get *RV* insurance. You need to forget that. You are not insuring a factory built RV. You need to try Progressive Commercial and request "Commercial Vehicle for Personal Use". Should be about $50/month.

I keep asking about this but no-one seems to touch the question.

If i leave the bus titled as a commercial vehicle, a bus, then doesnt that change the licensing requirements to drive it? Dont I have to have a CDL or some other special endorsement if I dont change to RV/Camper/Bus-House on title?

I am going to be driving my bus all over the country and am going to get a lot of attention, police will pull me over for sure, i just need to be 100%

[ozthemost]

I keep asking about this but no-one seems to touch the question.

If i leave the bus titled as a commercial vehicle, a bus, then doesnt that change the licensing requirements to drive it? Dont I have to have a CDL or some other special endorsement if I dont change to RV/Camper/Bus-House on title?

I am going to be driving my bus all over the country and am going to get a lot of attention, police will pull me over for sure, i just need to be 100%

[Rusty]

Originally Posted by ozthemost

I keep asking about this but no-one seems to touch the question.

If i leave the bus titled as a commercial vehicle, a bus, then doesnt that change the licensing requirements to drive it? Dont I have to have a CDL

You may have answered your own question.

The RV 'exemptions' (weight, air brake, length) are for motorhomes and RV's. SOME States may let you, but you said you need to be legal in ALL States. Municipal Police, Sheriff, State Police, DOT Police...all different interpretations, at times. Then Insurance.

Go to Community College and take the class- it was a blast- You get to drive semi trucks around and back-them up between cones. Interesting people, to boot.

[Robin97396]

I have my bus titled as a "van." It's not just RVs that are exempt from the commercial licenses, it's all private use vehicles with air brakes. I'm not required to have a commercial license, however I can't pass into Canada without an air brake endorsement. For me in this state that means I would have to have a class B license to pass through the border into Canada.

I would like to go to Alaska sometime, so unless I take the Alaska Ferry system I'll have to comply with Canada's rules requiring the air brake endorsement.

As has been said many times, you have to look this information up in your own state. If you're unable to find the information yourself, stop at the DMV and ask questions.

[meteoricide]

You are right Oz but what the right answer is for 50 state compliance could be impossible to generate. If you leave your title as a bus - the title will still base the licensing requirements on the GTVW and the commercial status of the bus. In Maryland, where I reside at the moment, my 29k GTVW is over 5 tons so that tips me over to a Class B license (non-commercial vehicle over 10k GTVW). Get this little gem - the only additional requirement to obtain a Class B license over a regular car Class A license is ..... paying the license fees. You guys will let me know if that somehow seems wrong or not.

Anyway when you get your title in RV style, GTVW is no longer mentioned even though some of the big ones are as heavy as a full load 18 wheeler. So yes, Oz there are license issues although Maryland's only turn out to be paying a license fee you've already paid, for a license you already have ...with a different letter on it

[cadillackid]

in OHIO, Oz is right.. if you leave your bus titled as a bus.. you must register it as a bus.. about twice the cosrt of a motorhome.. and if its FITTED for more than 15 adults (take the school bus markings off and you can use the adult seat capacity).. *OR* is over 26,000 lbs GVWR. then they recall a class B CDL. With a medical certificate on file.. which means if you have too high bloiod pressure, a heart flutter, certain medications etc you wont pass the CDL physical. title and reg as a motorhome and all that goes away. thats Ohio's rules..

-Christopher