How to immediatEly register your bus as an RV without conversion:

[meteoricide]

It may not affect you once you have a title/reg/plates but it will affect anyone trying to get a set from Jan 1st forward ... because the inspection is a prereq for getting reg/plates. It should never affect title.

New Inspection Sticker | Department of Motor Vehicles

[meteoricide]

I apologize for scaring everyone but I thought this was a new inspection program for VT. Its just a new sticker. The rule still is that you get a two week period to get your inspection AFTER they issue your registration - with no tie back to your registration if you don't get it. I had assumed they didn't have a program at all before seeing that new sticker bulletin. OK... I get it now!

[tobeamiss]

Originally Posted by warewolff

Why does this make any difference to us when my home state will never ticket me for lack of an out of state inspection anyway? That's half the point of registering out of state. As long as they still send plates and registration out pre-inspection I don't see how it affects any of us.

I agree. makes no difference to us really.

[tobeamiss]

So I got my new title in the mail today and it has BU in the body/hull box. Ugh. they didn't re-title it as an RV or MH !! Now I don't know what I'm going to do. They must have looked up the vin and saw it was a bus.

[buckstar]

Hey folks:

Wanted to let you know my status and share my experience.

On January 17th, I sent off to Montpelier, Vermont the following:

Filled out VT119 form

Included DTF-802 as a bill of sale / proof of payment amount
Original title

I also included a personal check for $243, that included: $76 1 yr registration, 35 Title fee, and 132 bucks for sales tax.

I did not send a written explanation. i did not send a VIN or odometer validation form. My bus is a 2008, less than 15 years old, and I did provide the original title.

On January 25th, I got a call from a very nice woman at DMV who asked that I verify that I was converting the bus to a Motorhome. I confirmed.

Today, February 2, I received my plates and a copy of my VT119. The only edit was to write 'MH' in the body type box on line 5 that I had put "Bus" (matched the title)

I will apparently be receiving my title in a week or so, and also a validation sticker that will go on the plate. Probably this shows the registration year, much like a motorcycle or trailer sticker does in NY state.

I will update when I get the next mailing. Hopefully, my title will be correct.

Thank you very much to Alleycat for the idea, Tobeamiss for her helpful emails and completed form, and also to those pioneers who have gone before.

Cheers

[Bondsman]

So If I live in Georgia and just purchased a 2002 International 3800 short school bus for making a RV for weekend camping I being a Current Georgia resident I can title the School Bus in Vermont and have Class of vehicle changed from Passenger School Bus to Motor Home RV. I do have both Title from Marland School Transit Dept and a Bill of Sales. Thanks Jim

[Bondsman]

What state do you reside in?

[SunnyLordh]

Hey all,

We followed OP directions exactly last month when we sent in our request for retitling up to Vermont. Handwritten letter, original title, VT119, check for fees. Radio silence for two weeks until I called up Montpelier and received word that we would need a VIN verification because the title is from outside Vermont.
(it's a 2003 from NY). !!!BE AWARE!!! All that wasted time

Got a cop to do a VIN verification and rewrote my handwritten note to say that the color had been already changed to green and that it was equipped with permanently installed rear seating. They did NOT ask for pictures to confirm this, soooo

Sent the packet back up to Vermont, and two weeks later received our plates in the mail! Still awaiting the new title, that should read MOTORHOME. Will provide updates when they happen...

[warewolff]

Originally Posted by SunnyLordh

Hey all,

We followed OP directions exactly last month when we sent in our request for retitling up to Vermont. Handwritten letter, original title, VT119, check for fees. Radio silence for two weeks until I called up Montpelier and received word that we would need a VIN verification because the title is from outside Vermont.
(it's a 2003 from NY). !!!BE AWARE!!! All that wasted time

Got a cop to do a VIN verification and rewrote my handwritten note to say that the color had been already changed to green and that it was equipped with permanently installed rear seating. They did NOT ask for pictures to confirm this, soooo

Sent the packet back up to Vermont, and two weeks later received our plates in the mail! Still awaiting the new title, that should read MOTORHOME. Will provide updates when they happen...

It seems that the rules regarding vin verification are dependent on the dmv clerk who opens your letter. You should not have needed it though. Glad it all worked out in the end.

Bondsman, yes. That will work.

[Mskittysnow]

Question:

The title is not in our name. It still is in the previous owner's name. Do we need to change the title into our name before sending it out. Bus is a 1988 Blue Bird. We are in Utah. Thanks!

[PepeSilvia]

Just sent in the paper work from NJ today... Fingers crossed and thanks for the help!

[warewolff]

Originally Posted by Mskittysnow

Question:

The title is not in our name. It still is in the previous owner's name. Do we need to change the title into our name before sending it out. Bus is a 1988 Blue Bird. We are in Utah. Thanks!

Just make sure it's signed over to you in your name and you're good. A copy of the title will be fine for an 88 -- you'll get a transferable registration. Good luck.

[tobeamiss]

Originally Posted by Mskittysnow

Question:

The title is not in our name. It still is in the previous owner's name. Do we need to change the title into our name before sending it out. Bus is a 1988 Blue Bird. We are in Utah. Thanks!

The new title should come back in your name since the previous owner signed the title and you have the bill of sale. You are re-titling and registering it all at the same time. If i had to do it all over, i would have definitely included a short note explaining that i was converting it to a MH. As it stands right now, it came back as a Bus on the title. Thankfully i was able to get insurance on it with that Title.

[buckstar]

Hey folks:

Just wanted to update the thread, as promised.

I received my title from Vermont today, and as expected, everything was A-OK. It is now registered, titled, and insured (Progressive) as a Motor Home. I should have no issue re-titling and re-registering this vehicle in New York state when the time comes.

Just so you know, they process and mail out titles once a month. Thus, my package was mailed on January 17th, registration processed on January 25th, Title processed in the January 31st batch, Plates came February 2, registration sticker came February 8, and the title was mailed February 23rd and arrived on February 27th.

As an interesting aside, the January 2017 issue of Motorcycle Consumer News has a two page spread about using the great state of Vermont as a method to get a title and registration for old motorcycles. I laughed out loud when I saw the article, as I had already followed the advice given here to title and register my bus.

Again, thanks to everyone for the concept, guidance and advice.

Buck

[warewolff]

I'd be interested in reading that article. As mentioned in the instructions I also wrote one of the original guides for registering abandoned/titleless motorcycles using the Vermont loophole. Glad to see it's gotten so much attention.

[Njsurf73]

Originally Posted by buckstar

Hey folks:

Just wanted to update the thread, as promised.

I received my title from Vermont today, and as expected, everything was A-OK. It is now registered, titled, and insured (Progressive) as a Motor Home. I should have no issue re-titling and re-registering this vehicle in New York state when the time comes.

Just so you know, they process and mail out titles once a month. Thus, my package was mailed on January 17th, registration processed on January 25th, Title processed in the January 31st batch, Plates came February 2, registration sticker came February 8, and the title was mailed February 23rd and arrived on February 27th.

As an interesting aside, the January 2017 issue of Motorcycle Consumer News has a two page spread about using the great state of Vermont as a method to get a title and registration for old motorcycles. I laughed out loud when I saw the article, as I had already followed the advice given here to title and register my bus.

Again, thanks to everyone for the concept, guidance and advice.

Buck

So after title and reg, Progressive insured it as a motorhome? The VIN number will still come back as a bus I believe.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by Njsurf73

So after title and reg, Progressive insured it as a motorhome? The VIN number will still come back as a bus I believe.

I'd try someone other than Progressive. They won't knowingly insure a converted school bus.

[Njsurf73]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

I'd try someone other than Progressive. They won't knowingly insure a converted school bus.

Thats what I have heard. As of now I am insuring it as a commercial for private use. I will fight that fight after its converted.

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[EastCoastCB]

I know Good Sam will insure converted school buses after they're actually converted. At least in FL, they will.

[tobeamiss]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

I know Good Sam will insure converted school buses after they're actually converted. At least in FL, they will.

That's good to know. As of now, StateFarm insured my bus for personal use. I never mentioned it was a bus in our conversation but nearing the completion of our conversation, said something to the effect of "ok, so did you want comprehensive on the bus or just liability" I nearly died when she said bus and held my breath until we were finished "whew!"

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