Hello from Southern Kentucky!

[ironrule]

Hi everyone! I joined here back in October and have been lurking for a little while, because I knew what was going to eventually happen. I started getting ideas and deciding what to look for in a bus. On February 3rd I drove almost an hour from my house to look at a bus. It was exactly what i wanted and I was hooked. I couldn't find enough reasons not to buy it so I did.

It's a 1992 Ward Senator, International, with DT466 engine and Allison transmission. The fine folks that I bought it from had already started demolition to convert it but quit due to medical issues. They had removed all the seats and probably 90% of the roof panels, all of which were left inside the bus so I do still have them. I have some pictures from their Craigslist ad and some pictures that I took as well. I made a quick test drive around the area, never having driven anything this large before. I placed a couple phone calls to get her insured and on the road back to my house. I ended up with Progressive commercial policy for private bus, to the tune of $288 per year. I left without a license plate but with my wife following me in our car and headed back to Somerset.

I went to the court clerk that afternoon and completed the transfer, and got my new license plate. She's still registered as "BU" for now but I checked with them on changing that to RV later and it seems to be a very simple process here. I don't think they even want to inspect it.

I definitely have my work cut out for me so I'll post a thread in the conversion section to help me keep everything organized and in one place. I look forward to learning all I can here and helping out where I'm able.

I attached a pic here of my #52 after I parked her in the driveway.

[Carytowncat]

Beautiful, and a masterpiece of an engine that 466. Well done.

[ironrule]

Thanks! I just posted some more pics on my conversion thread here: http://www.skoolie.net/forums/f11/bu...ins-16731.html

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by ironrule

Hi everyone! I joined here back in October and have been lurking for a little while, because I knew what was going to eventually happen. I started getting ideas and deciding what to look for in a bus. On February 3rd I drove almost an hour from my house to look at a bus. It was exactly what i wanted and I was hooked. I couldn't find enough reasons not to buy it so I did.

It's a 1992 Ward Senator, International, with DT466 engine and Allison transmission. The fine folks that I bought it from had already started demolition to convert it but quit due to medical issues. They had removed all the seats and probably 90% of the roof panels, all of which were left inside the bus so I do still have them. I have some pictures from their Craigslist ad and some pictures that I took as well. I made a quick test drive around the area, never having driven anything this large before. I placed a couple phone calls to get her insured and on the road back to my house. I ended up with Progressive commercial policy for private bus, to the tune of $288 per year. I left without a license plate but with my wife following me in our car and headed back to Somerset.

I went to the court clerk that afternoon and completed the transfer, and got my new license plate. She's still registered as "BU" for now but I checked with them on changing that to RV later and it seems to be a very simple process here. I don't think they even want to inspect it.

I definitely have my work cut out for me so I'll post a thread in the conversion section to help me keep everything organized and in one place. I look forward to learning all I can here and helping out where I'm able.

I attached a pic here of my #52 after I parked her in the driveway.

I have the same bus. Mine's #50 from Todd County.
These are EXCELLENT buses. Congrats!

Did you get air ride?

here's mine-

[ironrule]

Awesome! I love the look of these and yep, air ride it was. Very smooth coming back from Columbia with it, even though the seats were bouncing around in the back. It's governed at what feels like (and looks like) 58 on the speedometer. I worked on it a little more this afternoon, checked all the fluids again and did some much needed window cleaning! Hoping to take it out tomorrow and fuel up, then do some driving practice over at the school parking lot which is less than half a mile from my house and almost always empty on weekends. I bolted a couple seats back onto the chair rails so that my wife and daughter can ride along if they'd like to. I do have an unfortunate but mild oil leak I need to keep an eye on.

[BigBlueNation]

I've been searching the web relentlessly to find another Kentuckian who has completed this process as I am running into all kinds of roadblocks to title my bus (03 Thomas 28 pass) as an RV in the commonwealth. Long story short the dept of manufactured housing (who inspects and provides credentials for motorhomes and rvs here in KY) says no way no how can I convert the bus to an rv and obtain their seal of approval because I am not a "manufacturer" and therefore cannot possibly build to suit their standards (which they could not provide for me). He said they couldn't stop me from converting it but it would have to be titled as a "bus". When I spoke with KDOT they said they don't "technically do that" (titling bus to rv conversion) BUT it happens all the time all I have to do is find a fire marshall willing to approve it and a county clerk that is willing to register it as an "RV" but there is no statute or regulation for guidance, just a wing and a prayer. Have you been able to title your bus yet and if so what channels did you go through to get it done?? Thanks for your time!

[ironrule]

My experience has been pretty much the same as yours. No one knows and no one returns calls. For now mine is still a BU on the title. At some point I'm going to try again with the county clerk. I talked to one guy about it before, when I did my initial transfer to my name from the seller, and he thought it would be no problem to do it when I'm ready. Another clerk called her boss and started a long list of questions to find out what I was doing but that never lead to any answers or help. I left messages with manufactured housing and never got a return call. Maybe it's just a matter of finding the right clerk on the right day. I'm not sure the fire marshal inspection should be necessary, but I have yet to find that out. I was hoping to get more done on my conversion before I do the change to RV just in case an inspection is required.

[BigBlueNation]

After several calls with several depts I have learned that there is no such thing as an RV conversion in the state of KY. Frankfort said "the only way" to do it is find a fire marshal that will approve it and find a clerk's office that will issue an RV title based off of that approval. They actually admitted it gets done "all the time" but there are no laws,directives or regulations governing this that garuntee you can successfully pull it off. I guess it's just "who you know"...

[BigBlueNation]

Looks like I may have a bus for sale soon 😤

[EastCoastCB]

I've tried dealing with the yokels at the KY tag offices. I feel for you all.

[ironrule]

"who you know.." That may be true. I would just go to the clerk's office and try a different clerk until you get one who does it, hopefully without inspection. That's what I'm going to try. I don't know when I will be doing that but I will post an update to let everyone know the results and what I find out.

[StanC]

First post here! Well I've been trying the same thing. I found a 1991 Thomas Transit, front engine, short school bus 8 window. It has a Cummins 5.9 with an auto Allison, air brakes, & 79k miles. It was in Cincinnati OH at a bus lot. I reached an agreement for price & date to pickup. I live in Walton KY about 25 miles away.
I sought insurance and got all kinds of answers but no policy. My daughter-n-law's uncle is a Dupty Sherriff at Clerk's office for checking titles coming into KY. He told me that he didn't know of any requirements to have an RV license plate. But he said a lot of them (buses) he sees are either a bus, a van or heavy truck license plate.
For the Fed. tax purposes it must have sleeping, eating and restroom facilities. Thus it is an RV qualifying for an interest deduction on Sch. A. I always then thought that was the standard to meet for licensing as an RV.
Now he also stated that most police officers would require me to have a class B CDL to drive it because of the air brakes. I don't think that is accurate since it would not be used for commerce. But just having the CDL license would require stopping at all weight stations ect. because of it's GVWR.
I couldn't find anyone to drive it home for me so I passed on the purchase. Later I read of the Vermont method of title on this site. I may go that way if I purchase another one.

[ironrule]

Hey Stan, welcome to the site! Mine is 38' and also with air brakes, probably requiring a CDL when used for original intended purpose. However, I have driven it quite a few miles without a CDL. I don't move it around unnecessarily at this time because I'm still converting but if I needed to move it, I am not concerned with CDL as it's basically a big farm truck at this point. There's nothing inside but some tools and materials, no seats but the driver's. It's definitely something to consider.

[PNW_Steve]

You may want to consider registering it in VT as an RV then take the RV registration to KY with it all ready showing RV.

Extra steps and extra $. But it may be a usable work around for your problem.

Good luck!

Edit: I tried deleting my post but it won't go away.... I see, after I posted, that you are all ready aware of the VT option.

[ironrule]

Thanks Steve, I will definitely consider that option if I'm still able to do it since I've already transferred the title to my name within Kentucky.

[ThompsonEverlasting]

Hey yall! I am too from KY (Lincoln County) and my husband and I have yet to purchase our bus but are doing all the needed research and I came across this post and it really has me worried if this was ever settled and if y'all figured out a way around this all? Thank you all SO much!

[Kinglit]

Originally Posted by ironrule

"who you know.." That may be true. I would just go to the clerk's office and try a different clerk until you get one who does it, hopefully without inspection. That's what I'm going to try. I don't know when I will be doing that but I will post an update to let everyone know the results and what I find out.

What happened with this?
How hard was it to switch in Kentucky?

Thanks

[ironrule]

No, I'm sorry. I needed to sell my bus before I got this far so I didn't try to get it switched.

[Saucenbach]

Hey I just purchased a full size international bus 35 ft. going to pick it up 6 hours away in Ohio and drive it back to PA. did u get your bus insured as a bus or an rv through progressive. I want it insured on the way back so I don't have any unnecessary hit n runs lol

[Saucenbach]

sucks that it didn't work out. I hope the laws don't deter me away from really getting mine started....I did go a little big on the bus in a liquidation auction, kinda has me worried