the new guy

[bob]

howdy from oklahoma. I just bot a 1980 intern'l school bus and I plan on converting it into a tailgating party bus. So, I'm wide open for do's and don'ts. 1st. problem I've run into is getting insurance on it. Do you tell them it's a bus or a RV?? how's best to insure it with?

[phillbus914]

First try whoever you get your home or auto insurance with. If they can't help you, ask them if they know of anyone who will.

I've heard good sam is "skoolie friendly" but they were a little pricey for me, I last had progressive "drive" insurance. I believe it was about $300 a year or so. Go to Google and type in insurance and your zip code and start making phone calls. Also try typing insurance in the search bar at the top right of this page... theres a lot of discussion on this topic on here that you may find helpful.

I would make sure they know what they're insureing, so they can't use that for an excuse to deny a claim down the road.

Also welcome to the board, I think you'll find we're very friendly here and we understand that not everyone is internet savy. Don't be afraid to ask questions here. We're all here to help each other out.

Good Luck!

[bob]

Thanks for responding. What I have in mind is taking the back 1/3rd of the bus and taking it down to the bottom of the windows making a half wall for a deck area. We're going to turn it into a tailgate party bus. Debating whether to put the cooking unit in or outside of the bus. Is there anyone who has done the same, I need to hear do's and don'ts....I've started a posting on the discussion portion please send the replies there.

[Les Lampman]

Hi and welcome aboard.

I've insured my buses with GMAC with no issues. I didn't tell them it was a school bus but then again I didn't not tell them; they just didn't ask. I just told them it was a bus I was converting and gave them the make, model, and VIN and they were happy. Liability only though until it's actually "qualified" as a motorhome (in their eyes). They just asked me to send photos and an explanation of the conversion process when I'm done and they'll insure it as a motorhome (and offer full coverage). My bus is already licensed as a motorhome in Washington but it's a different process for the state and the insurance company.

Good luck!