Why Title a bus as an RV?

mrblank · 12-28-2010, 05:42 AM

So I've seen on here a bunch of talk about titling busses as RV's... why would you do that? It seems to cost you more in the long run with Insuring it, doesn't it? For example I got mine insured as a commercial truck with State Farm for $200/6m. They even had me send in pictures which showed I was using it as a home and didn't have seats in it. So I don't get why you would retitle as an RV?

Stuff · 12-28-2010, 11:06 AM

Id assume much cheaper insurance and exempt from semi to annual safety inspection.

lornaschinske · 12-28-2010, 11:45 AM

No commercial insurance, no having to stop at weigh stations (don't you dare pass one up... they will chase you down and they will not be happy they had to do so), no having to pay the same road taxes on your diesel that OTR truckers pay. Then you start getting into the sticky HOA's and local ordinances. Some neighborhoods do not allow commercial vehicles to park on residential streets/driveways/yards UNLESS they are there doing work. If it is commercial, you need a CDL whereas in some states you don't if the same vehicle is titled/tagged as a motorhome/RV. BTW, CDL's are much tougher on violations. what you can get away with on a regular driver's license and cause you to lose your CDL and result in higher fines. RV's are exempt from CDL rules (you have to look buried in the rules but the same vehicle with air brakes is exempt IF it is titled/tagged as an RV).

Chasgoat · 12-30-2010, 07:54 AM

NO CDL is a biggie aslo state farm charged me $80.00 for 1 year for 250,000/ 500.000 best deal I found. progressive wanted 125 for same I sent check and a week later they dropped me as they "do not insure converted school busses only converted commercail at $600 plus per year" Charlie

Redbear · 12-30-2010, 09:45 AM

Federal CDL law specifically exempts RVs from any CDL requirements. Some states require some extra endorsements for large RVs. New York has an "R" endorsement to your regular license if the RV you want to drive is CDL Class "B" weight (26,001+ lbs.). I believe California has an over 40-foot endorsement. And a few states may require air brake endorsements to your passenger car license if the RV has them. Just be legal in the state you are licensed in, and drive your RV anywhere else.

mrblank · 01-01-2011, 10:51 PM

Well my bus is GVWR: 14,500 lbs. so I'm pretty sure I won't ever have to worry about CDL right?

Whats this about Weight Stations?? Do I have to stop at them? I thought that was only for commercial trucks...

Also I thought of something else... when I went to get insurance that only way they would insure it was under a commercial insurance policy, does this affect things like CDLs, Weight Stations? Where I can go with it??? etc?

mrblank · 01-01-2011, 10:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lornaschinske

No commercial insurance, no having to stop at weigh stations (don't you dare pass one up... they will chase you down and they will not be happy they had to do so), no having to pay the same road taxes on your diesel that OTR truckers pay. Then you start getting into the sticky HOA's and local ordinances. Some neighborhoods do not allow commercial vehicles to park on residential streets/driveways/yards UNLESS they are there doing work. If it is commercial, you need a CDL whereas in some states you don't if the same vehicle is titled/tagged as a motorhome/RV. BTW, CDL's are much tougher on violations. what you can get away with on a regular driver's license and cause you to lose your CDL and result in higher fines. RV's are exempt from CDL rules (you have to look buried in the rules but the same vehicle with air brakes is exempt IF it is titled/tagged as an RV).

How do I know if I need to be stopping at weight stations?

road taxes on diesel? What do you mean?

lornaschinske · 01-01-2011, 11:23 PM

Commercial vehicles must pay high road taxes on the fuel they use. You pull up to buy diesel at the truckstop. When you go in to get the pumps started, They ask, before they turn pumps on, what company you are with, you tell them private coach/bus and they change the price to reflect that. BTW, NEVER use off-road (dyed) diesel in your rig. It can be impounded. A guy we kinda knew in NC had his semi truck impounded in Blairsville GA.

As a commercial vehicle you must stop in at weigh stations (some only require over a posted weight, others want all commercial trucks/buses to pull in). It's the law. You really don't want to have to deal with weigh stations. I have heard of the MDT's that are commercially tagged being parked and/or fined if they have a single light out.

Redbear · 01-02-2011, 08:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrblank

Well my bus is GVWR: 14,500 lbs. so I'm pretty sure I won't ever have to worry about CDL right?

Whats this about Weight Stations?? Do I have to stop at them? I thought that was only for commercial trucks...

A "Commercial Motor Vehicle" is one that weighs 26,001 lbs. or more gross - no worries there. It also includes any vehicle that carries more than 14 passengers for hire. Make sure you do not have 15 seats in your bus, not counting the driver.

Do not stop at "commercial" vehicle inspection stations, unless you have truck or bus plates. If so, be sure to be squeaky clean. If not, and if you are paranoid, make sure all the previous owner's commercial markings are removed, and put "Private Coach" or "Not for Hire" on the sides.

Mere mortals pay road taxes that are included in the price of the gasoline or diesel fuel we buy. (Now that cars are getting better MPG, the taxing authorities are considering GPS or other mileage charges to make up for the loss of revenue.) Not only can you be in deep doo-doo for using untaxed (dyed) #2 diesel home heating oil, but a few places may hit veggie-burners with tax evasion, especially as more people use it. (It may be OK to stiff Exxon-Mobil, but don't get caught stiffing Uncle Sam.)

Trucking companies and farmers have other complicated ways of calculating, filing and paying their road-use taxes. That's why they hire accountants. I don't have a clue about this, our trucks are used in-state only and billed on a fleet card. The paperwork is handled between the card issuer and our accountants. We just punch the vehicle number and mileage onto the pump screen and then fill up.

putterspitt · 01-08-2011, 08:57 PM

just read this thread, I have a question. What about the tour buses, they have all the requirements that the peeps here have stated, but they dont stop at weigh stations, just wondering....

peakbus · 02-02-2021, 07:29 PM

Digging up an age old topic. I know the how-to part. The question is why does everyone want to convert to an RV title? CDL or weigh stations don't apply for our personal-use buses. The registration cost for a bus is cheap. My insurance as commercial-for-personal use is cheap, but limited only to liability, so is that the issue? If so, I get it.

peakbus · 02-02-2021, 08:00 PM

Oops. Posted twice

Rwnielsen · 02-02-2021, 10:25 PM

In some cases, I believe, it's due to smog equipment being required or retrofitted on commercial vehicles. My bus is exempt as a motor home.

Hiyu · 11-24-2021, 10:57 PM

I got insurance from Allstate for my mini skoolie, $400.00 per year. I have hydraulic brakes on my rig. Insurance company asked for photos, gave me roadside assistance, and they were not too concerned about it being a former bus. I left three seats in it, two wrapping a dining table, one for my wife riding shotgun when on the road.

mmoore6856 · 11-25-2021, 05:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by putterspitt

just read this thread, I have a question. What about the tour buses, they have all the requirements that the peeps here have stated, but they dont stop at weigh stations, just wondering....

buses only have to stop when a sign tells them if they have to

Kirk Duvall · 12-24-2021, 07:01 PM

As a CDL driver since '81, before they had CDLs, BS! Never seen a scale chase a bus down, its not a truck OR a commercial vehicle. Only exception is where the sign says Busses must Weigh, Kansas off the top of my head.

Kirk Duvall · 12-24-2021, 07:02 PM

Did they ask if your bus had been converted yet?

mmoore6856 · 12-24-2021, 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kirk Duvall

As a CDL driver since '81, before they had CDLs, BS! Never seen a scale chase a bus down, its not a truck OR a commercial vehicle. Only exception is where the sign says Busses must Weigh, Kansas off the top of my head.

Been driving since 1975 with unrestricted chauffeurs ( what we called cdl back then in case you forgot) and seen a few scales that require not only busses but rvs also. Try i90 by Sturges south dakota

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