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

[warewolff]

Originally Posted by deeplist

The Ohio title said "INTL" as the make. Hopefully, it's okay. And if not, it's too late to change it now, because the mail has already ran for today and the packet is on the way to Vermont.

I wouldn't sweat it too much. As long as the VIN is correct they'll process it, cross out your errors, and modify as necessary. That's also assuming you paid them the correct amount.

[deeplist]

Originally Posted by warewolff

I wouldn't sweat it too much. As long as the VIN is correct they'll process it, cross out your errors, and modify as necessary.

I figured as much.

Originally Posted by warewolff

That's also assuming you paid them the correct amount.

I cut them a check for a total of $214 which was $76 for the registration fee plus $138 in tax (6% of $2300)... now to sit back and wait...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yT1sI7HYAFI

[/youtube]

Thank you to everybody for your help on this process. I really appreciate it.

[o1marc]

I might have assumed incorrectly. I can't for the life of me find MY title. But I found the old Mt. title, says the Make is Genesis, Model is Transit Bus. So nowhere does it say AmTran though it clearly is one.

[Marceps]

Day...

• 17: Check processed.
• 23: Plates received.
• 27: Validation sticker received.

Green mountains, here I come.

[HazMatt]

Kudos!

Originally Posted by Marceps

Day...

• 17: Check processed.
• 23: Plates received.
• 27: Validation sticker received.

Green mountains, here I come.

This is a fine time of the year to visit Vermont.

[PoisenedLily]

ok I am about to do this thing lol. I have one question, and I have tried reading through the like 100 pages of posts here but all the debating and theorizing back and forth started to give me anxiety and more questions and well, I can't do that to myself haha.

So my ONE question here is do I need to have insurance BEFORE I send this stuff in? Or can I get the insurance AFTER I get my plates and such?

Thank you in advance!

[o1marc]

Originally Posted by PoisenedLily

ok I am about to do this thing lol. I have one question, and I have tried reading through the like 100 pages of posts here but all the debating and theorizing back and forth started to give me anxiety and more questions and well, I can't do that to myself haha.

So my ONE question here is do I need to have insurance BEFORE I send this stuff in? Or can I get the insurance AFTER I get my plates and such?

Thank you in advance!

It is wise to always have insurance first. What kind of policy you can get will depend on what the title says your bus is.

[PoisenedLily]

THIS is why I'm confused. It's titled as a bus and I'd need a commercial insurance policy but then my plates will say motor home? Wouldn't it be better to insure it when the plates and transferable registration come? Basically I guess I'm asking if Vermont requires proof of insurance. Not necessarily what is the safest route. Yes I know that's not always super smart BUT right now I just need the facts I think. Like can it be done or no. This whole process has me all stressed out LOL

[o1marc]

Originally Posted by PoisenedLily

THIS is why I'm confused. It's titled as a bus and I'd need a commercial insurance policy but then my plates will say motor home? Wouldn't it be better to insure it when the plates and transferable registration come? Basically I guess I'm asking if Vermont requires proof of insurance. Not necessarily what is the safest route. Yes I know that's not always super smart BUT right now I just need the facts I think. Like can it be done or no. This whole process has me all stressed out LOL

When you buy the bus you can not legally put it on a public road with out insurance coverage. A commercial policy would suffice for that. Once the title is converted to MH you will be able to insure it as a MH, but only after the insurance company approves the conversion.

[PNW_Steve]

Check with your insurance company.

I am insured with State Farm in Washington. Things do vary by state and insurance company.

I have insured three buses with commercial for personal policies while converting. All were titled and registered as RV's.

I asked my insurance agent directly and she told me that they don't care what is on the title. They are happy to insure it just not as an RV until the conversion is done.

I have had two insurance claims paid on buses titled and insured this way. No problem.

[PoisenedLily]

Ty! Ok now it makes more sense to me hearing that you basically just change your insurance type after the conversion.

To be clear I had no intention of driving it without insurance. My questions were really just a lot which steps to take in which order to cut down on how many different things I need to do LOL

I really appreciate people replying to help me better understand what I'm doing! Between the conversion, trying to make it road legal, and also trying to run my business and pay my "regular" bills I tend to feel upside down most days haha

[Ronnie]

seems to me if registered as a motorhome then insure as a motorhome.

[PoisenedLily]

Ronnie, yes that was the confusion I had. I clearly can't insure it as a motor home until I register it as a motor home in VT. That is where I was lost. But it appears as though I can send this all in to VT with no proof of insurance so I will do that and then when everything comes in from VT I will insure it as a motor home.

[john61ct]

To get the most useful answers, best to ask the right questions, worded as precisely as possible

[Sleddgracer]

Originally Posted by Ronnie

seems to me if registered as a motorhome then insure as a motorhome.

we're lucky here in BC - it's strict, but it's all laid out so there is no confusion - it's not a motorhome until it passes inspection - you can't license or insure a vehicle from out of province until it passes a safety inspection - if you need to move a vehicle under construction, before it's inspected, or to get it inspected, you get a trip permit - if you are bringing a vehicle from out of province, you get a transport permit from the jurisdiction it was sold in and transit insurance from ICBC in BC - once it's in BC, you don't drive the vehicle until it at least has a safety check

[warewolff]

Originally Posted by PoisenedLily

Ronnie, yes that was the confusion I had. I clearly can't insure it as a motor home until I register it as a motor home in VT. That is where I was lost. But it appears as though I can send this all in to VT with no proof of insurance so I will do that and then when everything comes in from VT I will insure it as a motor home.

You are correct. Vermont does not require registered vehicles to be insured. You cannot drive it without insurance, of course, however you are free to get the registration out of the way while you are building your rig before you insure it.

[PNW_Steve]

Originally Posted by Ronnie

seems to me if registered as a motorhome then insure as a motorhome.

It seems sensible to me but not in this case.

When I registered it, it met the states definition of an RV. So, I registered it as an RV.

Here in WA if a vehicle seats 16 or more OR has gvrw of 26,000 or more you must have a CDL UNLESS it is registered as an RV. My Bluebird is over 26k so if it were still registered as a bus, I could not drive it...

My insurance company won't insure it as an RV until the conversion meets their standards which are much stricter than DOL. They will cover it with a commercial for personal policy.

As you may have seen, a tree fell on one of my buses. Insurance paid without a hitch.

[musigenesis]

After 4 months, I have finally gotten:

* My new title
* My new VT registration and tags
* My insurance

Except of course there is a new wrinkle: Allstate is requiring me to provide proof of prior motor home ownership. But I have never owned one previously and never claimed to have owned one. My agent has no idea where this came from or what I can do about it, and it's already past due.

Anyone run into this with Allstate motor home insurance before? One of the proof options is "Letter of experience" - can I send a letter that says "yep, never owned a motor home before"?

[john61ct]

Yes. Do not stretch the truth past any point someone could verify.

[HazMatt]

Sounds to me, if you send the note you described, they'll drop you faster than the force G typically pulls!
Maybe say that a friend let you drive their MH, while vacationing..?
Be helpful to have a friend willing to support the fib.