How to immediatEly register your bus as an RV without conversion:

[Brewerbob]

Originally Posted by cromulence police

If you register through Vermont, you can avoid buying insurance until you finish the conversion (or whenever you start actually driving the thing). Not sure how it works in NY, but in FL you *must* have the vehicle insured as soon as it's registered, so Vermont is saving me a lot of money right now.

Same with MD and most states I think but they aren't saving you a lot of money. They are saving you some.

You can have it insured as storage. My Progressive policy went from $831 for 6 months to $80 for 6 months. Suppose next Wed when I need to drive it somewhere, I call them up and tell them I want to drive it for 3 days. The increase in policy is about $3 a day. Then it goes right back to storage. I owe them $9 for the 3 days. Easy peazy. Should have done that for the first 6 months but I'd thought I'd catch all kinds of hell switching it back and forth. Just requires a phone call.

[FunkyKoleMedina]

Originally Posted by cromulence police

If you register through Vermont, you can avoid buying insurance until you finish the conversion (or whenever you start actually driving the thing). Not sure how it works in NY, but in FL you *must* have the vehicle insured as soon as it's registered, so Vermont is saving me a lot of money right now.

So, Vermont doesn't require proof of insurance is what you're saying. Just keep it stationary until it's good to go, uninsured. Then take the transferable registration (bus is an 86) to NY DMV in a few months and get NY plates/title/etc... But how do I get insurance on it before going to the DMV, since they'll require it? Just get a policy on the bus for the purpose of getting it registered/titled?

[cromulence police]

Originally Posted by Brewerbob

You can have it insured as storage. My Progressive policy went from $831 for 6 months to $80 for 6 months. Suppose next Wed when I need to drive it somewhere, I call them up and tell them I want to drive it for 3 days. The increase in policy is about $3 a day. Then it goes right back to storage. I owe them $9 for the 3 days. Easy peazy. Should have done that for the first 6 months but I'd thought I'd catch all kinds of hell switching it back and forth. Just requires a phone call.

Wow, I had no idea that was possible. Very good info! Still, if nothing else, I'm happy I get to put off the hassle of acquiring a policy.

Originally Posted by FunkyKoleMedina

So, Vermont doesn't require proof of insurance is what you're saying. Just keep it stationary until it's good to go, uninsured. Then take the transferable registration (bus is an 86) to NY DMV in a few months and get NY plates/title/etc... But how do I get insurance on it before going to the DMV, since they'll require it? Just get a policy on the bus for the purpose of getting it registered/titled?

Before going to the NY DMV, you mean? I'm not sure what you're asking. Purchasing insurance before registering a vehicle is pretty normal, I think. If you're talking about the Vermont DMV, you don't need to have it insured when you go there. That's my whole point.

Also, maybe this depends on what part of NY you live in, but at least in NYC, vehicles with out-of-state registrations are legion and enforcement is practically nonexistent. It might not be necessary to ever register it in NY unless you feel a moral obligation to do so.

[Twigg]

Just filling in the states here.

In Oklahoma you can "black tag" a vehicle without insurance. Black tagging means the vehicle gets a tag, but it can't be used on-road. It's cheap and avoids any penalties. No one will force you to tag at all, but the penalty quickly rises to $100 for the year, and they can go back to a previous year. When you finally decide to tag for the road, it can cost you a $200 penalty, plus the tag fee. The black tag avoids that.

So for this state the process would be ...

Buy out-of-state, get temporary travel permit for the drive home. Go to tag office and register the vehicle on a black tag (unless you want to drive it around). Changing the title from bus to RV or MH requires only an affidavit declaring changes (usual list of changes).

When the changes are done, go get new title and regular tag. I'm pretty sure that "partial changes", porta-potty, bolted down grill of any kind, inveter, etc would be fine.

REgular tag requires insurance and I haven't investigated that yet.

[DirtyThirty]

Would this would work the same if it was a shuttle bus currently titled/registered as commercial ?

[FunkyKoleMedina]

Originally Posted by cromulence police

Wow, I had no idea that was possible. Very good info! Still, if nothing else, I'm happy I get to put off the hassle of acquiring a policy.


Before going to the NY DMV, you mean? I'm not sure what you're asking. Purchasing insurance before registering a vehicle is pretty normal, I think. If you're talking about the Vermont DMV, you don't need to have it insured when you go there. That's my whole point.

Also, maybe this depends on what part of NY you live in, but at least in NYC, vehicles with out-of-state registrations are legion and enforcement is practically nonexistent. It might not be necessary to ever register it in NY unless you feel a moral obligation to do so.

I was asking about the insurance policy because I was thinking it would still be titled as a Truck, but the Vermont method takes care of that, so I'll be able to get a better rate on the policy (and get it much easier) once its titled as MH.

[Truckerjose]

How did it go for you? Were you able to register your skoolie?

[FunkyKoleMedina]

Alright, we sent out the application for our '86 Ford/Ward today. Thanks for all the advice/help. It finally clicked for me that I can just keep the bus registered in VT, while living in NY, and my insurance doesn't really care. They just want to know where it's parked. Easy enough. I took pics of my application and itemized letter. Will post with results once I hear back.

[EastCoastCB]

FordWard

That's a nice bus name, if you ask me!

[warewolff]

I'm so happy that the method I posted has led to success for so many of you! Just a one year update: Vermont sent me out a form to renew my registration hassle free for another one or optionally two years. If any of you find that the instructions are outdated or incorrect, please shoot me a PM and I'll update it immediately. I'm still very much around but haven't been posting a lot as I've been working ... a lot. Still here to help though.

Continued good luck to you all,
warewolff

[FunkyKoleMedina]

I followed the directions exactly, and 16 days later...

We've got our plates!!

Thanks for this excellent method, it worked like a charm.

10/10
Would recommend.

[Tazam77]

I got the plates back and the Reg. It is still a school bus. VT DMV informed me it has to be completed conversion to be a MH not BU on the Reg. Painted a different color. Lights removed. etc.

[warewolff]

Then tell them it's completed.

[Georgia the bus]

On the form it says Vermont license number. Do I enter the license number from my state or leave it blank?

[BigBlue]

If you have a place to park it and don’t need to drive you can just not register it until you’ve done the conversion. Saves a good bundle of cash for the renovation.


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[Georgia the bus]

You can leave it blank Vermont will issue a number for there system.

[ambuland]

I've never posted here before but I came across this thread and tried this method to register our 1992 Ford ambulance conversion in Vermont. Sent my original paperwork including copy of the title, bill of sale, personal check in mid October. VT returned all my paperwork wanting more money for taxes (NADA value was higher than purchase price). Returned all paperwork with a new personal check and received my VT plates 12 days later on November 9. Unfortunately, I still have not received my registration and stickers. Called VT DMV today and they said they are mailing a replacement today. We reside in Colorado and I did not have to do any inspection or vin verification. Thank you for posting this thread OP! Fingers crossed I will receive my stickers soon! Will update when they arrive.

[DamnitAddie]

Has anyone tried to get sales tax credit? I registered mine as a bus in KY to get tags.. just so my neighbors couldn't call the city. Section 7 seems like it applies to trade-in?

Also for loaded weight, should I put the GVWR? The bus (unconverted, without seats or vinyl floor) weighs 19200, GVWR is 36200.

[dan0]

Originally Posted by warewolff

I'm so happy that the method I posted has led to success for so many of you! Just a one year update: Vermont sent me out a form to renew my registration hassle free for another one or optionally two years. If any of you find that the instructions are outdated or incorrect, please shoot me a PM and I'll update it immediately. I'm still very much around but haven't been posting a lot as I've been working ... a lot. Still here to help though.

Continued good luck to you all,
warewolff

Did you have the bus inspected at anytime in VT?

I registered my bus in VT thanks to this thread, but am curious on renewing as they had said when I registered that I was supposed to have it inspected within 15 days.

In CT, they won't allow you to renew registration if the emissions test is past due.

I'm curious what will happen when I try to renew in April.

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[warewolff]

DamnitAddie, it might be getting late and I'm getting groggy but I don't know if I understand the question. If you're talking about not double paying salex tax that you already paid, then yes -- you send the receipt in with your info and VT won't charge you. In my case I didn't pay tax so I paid VT.

dan0, no. Never had bus inspected. Vermont actually sent me a renewal application without my asking so I suppose they don't really care. I wouldn't drive in Vermont without an inspection sticker though.