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Old 08-09-2020, 09:07 AM   #1
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Jul 2020
Location: Spring Branch, TX
Posts: 64
Year: 2001
Coachwork: Thomas Built
Chassis: MVP-ER
Engine: Cummins 5.9L tan block, MD 3060
Gettting home from auction in TX no inspection

My bus is over 2600 lbs.
No license plate or up to date inspection.
Picking up this week and I know that I can register as RV later and all that.
If drive-able, I plan to go immediately to inspection station and fail. With that document I am hoping that if/when I get pulled over, they will let me continue to Austin to mechanic to correct failure. I will have the correct license to drive non-commercial commercial vehicle A or B.

Does this seem like it might work, or does anyone know of a better way (besides the $1875.00 tow).

Stephanie

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Old 08-09-2020, 09:30 AM   #2
Bus Geek
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 18,757
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
I went online and printed myself a temporary tag on texas DMV, hopped in the seat and drove it 1000 miles to st pete florida..



I never stopped at any of those inspection stations and I never got stopped for driving by them either..
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Old 08-09-2020, 09:32 AM   #3
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Jul 2020
Location: Spring Branch, TX
Posts: 64
Year: 2001
Coachwork: Thomas Built
Chassis: MVP-ER
Engine: Cummins 5.9L tan block, MD 3060
In Tx it states online that you must pass safety inspection to get our handy three day pass. I am assuming I would not get that if it fails. If it passes I will do that in a jiffy.
Anyone needed inspection to get the pass in TX?
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Old 08-09-2020, 09:33 AM   #4
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Temple, Ga
Posts: 23
Year: 2000
Chassis: BlueBird
Engine: 5.9 24v
Do a pre-trip inspection and make sure no safety features are in violation. IE all lights work, tires have at least minimum tread, all paperwork is current and correctly filled out.
I took the right lane on the interstates, drove between 55-60 since it was "new" vehicle for me. That way all the people that are in a hurry locate the LEO's for me as they blow past me!
Usually school buses are left alone providing you're not in an accident. The idea is to avoid drawing attention to yourself. Should you get pulled over play stupid and beg for forgiveness.
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Old 08-09-2020, 09:41 AM   #5
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Jul 2020
Location: Spring Branch, TX
Posts: 64
Year: 2001
Coachwork: Thomas Built
Chassis: MVP-ER
Engine: Cummins 5.9L tan block, MD 3060
Had a mechanic do pre-trip. No black smoke, no clunking into gear, and reported all six tires almost new (hard to believe but why I went to $3800), no test drive allowed. Trying to get National General school bus conversion ins policy, agent dragging heels (know a hungry agent??).
What do you mean by all paperwork filled out?? The title transfer?
I will not have to fake tears if called on, but TX peace officers can be sweethearts... or not.
Thanks
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Old 08-09-2020, 10:06 AM   #6
Bus Geek
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 18,757
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
Quote:
Originally Posted by SMMTX View Post
In Tx it states online that you must pass safety inspection to get our handy three day pass. I am assuming I would not get that if it fails. If it passes I will do that in a jiffy.
Anyone needed inspection to get the pass in TX?

I did a 30 day tag online.. cost me like 25 bucks.. no inspection.. I pritned it on ,my printer and taped it to the window ..
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Old 08-09-2020, 10:13 AM   #7
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Jul 2020
Location: Spring Branch, TX
Posts: 64
Year: 2001
Coachwork: Thomas Built
Chassis: MVP-ER
Engine: Cummins 5.9L tan block, MD 3060
Was this in TX or Ohio?
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Old 08-09-2020, 10:14 AM   #8
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Temple, Ga
Posts: 23
Year: 2000
Chassis: BlueBird
Engine: 5.9 24v
Paperwork should include bill of sale with current date, title and proof of insurance.
I have AllState Insurance on mine. A little pricey compared to others but I was straight up with them on my plans and timeline and it was smooth sailing. Made sure it was covered before picking it up.
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Old 08-09-2020, 10:19 AM   #9
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Jul 2020
Location: Spring Branch, TX
Posts: 64
Year: 2001
Coachwork: Thomas Built
Chassis: MVP-ER
Engine: Cummins 5.9L tan block, MD 3060
No issues with path forward once converted. It is the interim that is a problem for insurance, road-side, and registration. In TX we need the living-in parts to get the RV inspection (at least temporary essentials to live in). If I could get insurance it would help, but that first trip will be unregistered. Just need to get home...
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Old 08-09-2020, 10:59 AM   #10
Bus Nut
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Central Alabama
Posts: 541
Year: 1998
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: TC/2000
Engine: 5.9 Cummins 12-valve
Rated Cap: 1
Quote:
Originally Posted by SMMTX View Post
No issues with path forward once converted. It is the interim that is a problem for insurance, road-side, and registration. In TX we need the living-in parts to get the RV inspection (at least temporary essentials to live in). If I could get insurance it would help, but that first trip will be unregistered. Just need to get home...
It seems that you would not need an inspection for the One-Trip Permit on this site: https://www.txdmv.gov/motorists/regi...porary-permits and is less than $10.

I would go to Good Sam for the roadside https://www.goodsamroadside.com/

Insurance is required, not just helpful.
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Old 08-09-2020, 03:15 PM   #11
Bus Nut
 
Join Date: Jul 2019
Location: Suburbs of Winterset, OH
Posts: 802
Year: 2005
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: FS65
Engine: Mercedes 6.4L
Rated Cap: just the 2 of us
To get mine home, Maryland to Ohio, I got a liability only policy from Progressive...cost me $125./yr
I had a temp tag from Oh, drove past all the weigh stations...no problems.
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Old 08-19-2020, 07:12 PM   #12
Almost There
 
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: AZ
Posts: 93
Year: ‘09
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: Vision
Engine: 6.7
Rated Cap: 35’
School busses to not have to stop at inspection stations in AZ. I have never seen one pulled over either. No license plate would be a bust though. A friend of mine is a retired cop and his pet peve was people intentionally doing something wrong. I just depends on how deep you pockets are and how big your $#&&$ are..You'll figure it out.
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Old 08-19-2020, 07:43 PM   #13
Bus Geek
 
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Location: Dawsonville, Ga.
Posts: 10,482
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Genesis
Chassis: International
Engine: DT466/3060
Rated Cap: 77
My opinion is you have to really drive like an idiot to even get noticed and pulled over in a school bus. If you have proper signed title, Bill of Sale, and proof of insurance you're likely to not have any issue with LEO transporting the bus home. I had around 7-8k miles driving with no tags on buses.
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Old 08-19-2020, 09:19 PM   #14
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Jul 2020
Location: Spring Branch, TX
Posts: 64
Year: 2001
Coachwork: Thomas Built
Chassis: MVP-ER
Engine: Cummins 5.9L tan block, MD 3060
Well not admitting to the idiot part, but experience with 5 ton trucks does not help a lot with front wheels behind you and 12 ft of bus behind the rear wheels. It went fine, I am just paranoid I guess. I had all the paperwork, but the guy let me sign later so I could start process when ready. B drivers license taking two months to get test DPS jammed up. Then I can get one trip pass mentioned above to go to inspection. My sticker just ran out in July so prob all good, however I was wondering in anyone knows about taking off the school stuff. Read a reference to it but not sure and afraid of the buzzers. Any experience with TX law on that or on disconnecting stuff with alarms. I have to also get the sherriff to write a report on the conversion once done (temp will do... no seats and throw some living stuff in there.
Life is good.
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Old 08-19-2020, 09:41 PM   #15
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Pasadena Tx
Posts: 150
Coachwork: 1991 bluebird
Bought mine in Glen Rose Texas. Drove it just over 4 hours to Pasadena Texas. No plates, no inspection, no issues. Just notified my insurance company that I bought a vehicle and needed to have it covered for transport. Just gave them a vin number. Most insurance companies cover for up to 7 days doing that.
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Old 08-19-2020, 10:22 PM   #16
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Jul 2020
Location: Spring Branch, TX
Posts: 64
Year: 2001
Coachwork: Thomas Built
Chassis: MVP-ER
Engine: Cummins 5.9L tan block, MD 3060
I talked to my company, Allstate, they would not cover over 26k weight. I am 31k. I did get a Progressive policy online in case pulled over. But would not have paid a claim cause not converted yet. Had a friend tell me once if there is a way to do something legally, and you take another path, that is bad karma. Rings in my ears years later and I agree. I tried...
Can't wait to drive her down the highway all legal and free. This is TX after all, best not to poke the bear here.
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Old 08-20-2020, 01:52 AM   #17
Bus Geek
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 3,856
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Thomas Built Bus
Chassis: Freightliner FS65
Engine: Caterpillar 3126E Diesel
Rated Cap: 71 Passenger- 30,000 lbs.
Our automobile insurance company would not "cover" our bus as far as permanent insurance goes, but they did say they covered ALL newly purchased vehicles for 30 days. This was in Texas in 2016.
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Old 08-20-2020, 10:54 AM   #18
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Amarillo Tx
Posts: 142
Year: 1999
Coachwork: International
Chassis: 3800
Engine: T444EIEIO
Rated Cap: 8 window?
Allstate in TX

Quote:
Originally Posted by Native View Post
Our automobile insurance company would not "cover" our bus as far as permanent insurance goes, but they did say they covered ALL newly purchased vehicles for 30 days. This was in Texas in 2016.

I have cars and motorcycles with Allstate. When I asked about insuring my new bus purchase my agent told me that I automatically had insurance for 30 days. I purchased a policy on the bus anyway.
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Old 08-20-2020, 05:04 PM   #19
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Jul 2020
Location: Spring Branch, TX
Posts: 64
Year: 2001
Coachwork: Thomas Built
Chassis: MVP-ER
Engine: Cummins 5.9L tan block, MD 3060
As you Texans know, insurance is only the first step to inspection, registration, and title, which they have all linked by computer now. We used to be able to get away with this and that (like sliding a month every year on inspection). They all know everything now, and they charge for the month. And we have an odd way of registering skoolies, with a hole between a school bus and a motor home. There are plenty of ways to get insurance, or believe you have insurance, but if any question not answered correctly, they will cancel on you. I wanted to be fully street legal that first drive.
For example, the 30 days with Allstate.... fine print is that is for a 2 to 3 year old car. They (all insurance companies) will do just about anything to not pay a claim, including word purposefully to misconstrue.
The only company I think actually has a policy for the conversion process would be Western General, mentioned here on skoolie. They have a policy, but never returned my calls.
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Old 08-20-2020, 08:22 PM   #20
Bus Geek
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 18,757
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
I knopw progressive commercial has covered peoiple in texas.. they wont cover a converted bus.. im not sure how far into conversion they do cover. every year when I renew my red bus they ask if my bus is still a bus.. if you are driving a bus back friom its purchase location chances are it still is fully a bus and you would be covered..



insurance is such a grey area.. if i took the seats out of my red bus with the intention of upgrading to fancier seats, drove it empty to go get said new seats and crashed it on the way in a bus with the seats out would they cover me or not?? no idea.. they might say "you are converting it" I would say "im going to get new seats".. anything they can do, like mentioned, to NOT pay a claim.. they will do..



when my old bluebord burned up in a shared garage fire years ago, the ins company wanted to say I was negligent for parking my bus in a locked, secure, indoor (but shared) garage next to a classic car where 2 dummies spilled gas all over their engine and then fired up the car.. I had to threaten the 'L' (lawyer) word at them to get paid..
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