Hi Newby with insurance question in mi.

[Jfrost71]

Hi, I have been lurking the forums looking for ideas and information for a couple weeks now. I purchased a 2000 international 3400 shuttle bus to convert, but I'm having an issue trying to get insurance. I am disabled and use a powered wheelchair so I needed one with a lift. But no one I've contacted in michigan will cover a converted bus. Anyone have an agent I could call and would be willing to work with me? I would greatly appreciate it.

I will be around with questions but if I can't insure it I won't be able to keep it.

[Rucker]

Is your vehicle still registered as a commercial vehicle?

[rossvtaylor]

Call Progressive, ask for their Commercial division, and get a "commercial vehicle for personal use" policy. It will be a bit more expensive than RV coverage, but at least you'll be insured until you find another option. I've done this dozens of times and have two vehicles insured that way with Progressive. They don't need photos nor do they ask any questions about the vehicle, beyond the VIN and basic vehicle info.

[Jfrost71]

I amm waiting on the title should be here today. So I haven't transferred it to a rv or anything other than what it was. My problem is nobody wants to touch a converted bus. I even tried asking about insurance as a bus with no passengers and they didn't want to do that either because I don't have a business. I'm still working on it today but progressive is who I have for mt auto now and they just flat out said no.

[rossvtaylor]

Originally Posted by Jfrost71

I amm waiting on the title should be here today. So I haven't transferred it to a rv or anything other than what it was. My problem is nobody wants to touch a converted bus. I even tried asking about insurance as a bus with no passengers and they didn't want to do that either because I don't have a business. I'm still working on it today but progressive is who I have for mt auto now and they just flat out said no.

Did you specifically ask for a "commercial vehicle for personal use" policy? By definition that does not require a business. And did you speak with the regular auto division at Progressive, where your car is insured, or did you speak to their commercial folks? I use Progressive for this all the time...every bus I have prior to conversion. Right now my Crown bus and my Ford C8000 are both insured this way.

[Jfrost71]

I will call my agent back but the told myself they won't cover converted bases. I have talked to other companies and they say progressive won't cover them because that was their first goto company also.

[rossvtaylor]

I don't intend to sound repetitive...but the info you heard is wrong. Don't call the main Progressive number. Don't call your agent. Call Progressive Commercial. Here's a screenshot of my current bus policy on the Progressive Commercial website. This is a Commercial Vehicle for Personal Use policy. Use those words.

[rossvtaylor]

And here's a screenshot from the portion of my policy which lists the business for my commercial policy. As you can see, it says personal use.



The only thing they care about is that you have auto insurance on a "primary" vehicle besides this one. So I do have to show them proof of my USAA auto policy. Since you have your vehicle insured through Progressive, that should make it easy for you.

Good luck.

[Dbacks2k4]

I had good luck with state farm here in Iowa. Same as Ross, I have a personal use of a commercial vehicle policy. They'll change it to rv after conversion.

Use a local agent, not an 800 number. With State Farm at least it's a manual underwriting process, so my agent had to walk the policy through underwriting for a couple of weeks.

I also like to remind people that most insurance agents work on commission. So there are a lot of agents that will just say no to a policy that requires a lot of work if they are not going to earn much on the policy sale. Including other insurance business such as home, renters, or life (or working with an agent that is trying to build a community reputation) is likely to garner better results

[Dbacks2k4]

Also, you may be running into weird issues just being in Michigan. From what I've read in my party bus operator groups, Michigan has a strange insurance law, no fault something or other I think, that has made getting actual Passenger Authority Commercial Insurance very difficult up there. My guess is a lot of these insurance companies are now seeing an influx of commercial operators trying to get personal style policies so they can continue to operate (illegally nonetheless) so they are exercising a little more scrutiny and saying no more often without asking specific questions. In your shoes I'd be sure to emphasize when talking to these agents that you are not operating a party bus company and are using the bus for personal use.

[Jfrost71]

Well shot down again. I talked to the commercial division and told them I need a commercial policy for personal use. They told me no way possible progressive doesn't off that coverage in michigan. When I told them iv was told by people covered this way, they told me must be a loop hole but they don't offer that coverage. So I'm lost. I did get one quote today of $1600 for a 6 month policy which isn't going to work. I will just have to keep calling around unless someone has a specific agent I can call and work with? I'm 51, no tickets, no accidents in just over 10 years. Yes michigan insurance sucks. I was injured on a motorcycle 10 years ago,, and even though motorcycles had to pay into Michigan's "catastrophic insurance" they are some how not covered under the policy. I am now in a wheelchair and I never recieved a dime from insurance except to pay the bike off. This is thee biggest scam ever.

[Jolly Roger bus 223]

i have had my insurance through nationwide for both of my buses for years as bus for personal use commercial policy.
but the first of this year nationwide will no longer cover me after april but they had already found me a policy through good sam for about 20% more than what i was paying.
i was already talking with my local agent of 20 plus years about house insurance stuff and while talking to her i mentioned the letter of nationwide changed my bus policy.
she said she hadnt heard anything about it and to give her some time to look into it.
a few days later she called and said no we aint doing good sam because they were to high.
but she had found me a policy with progressive commercial for about the same price i was paying.
good luck.

[rossvtaylor]

Well, I'm sorry to hear that Jfrost71, that sucks...it must be a Michigan thing as Dbacks said. I'm in Arizona.

[Jfrost71]

Ya thanks, I'm not going to give up yet. Might even register it at my daughter's in Tennessee if I can't get anything done here.