Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 08-19-2019, 03:24 PM   #1
Bus Nut
 
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Western Oregon
Posts: 876
Year: 1995
Coachwork: Blue-Bird
Chassis: TC RE 3408
Engine: 5.9 Cummins 12V Mechanical/Allison MT643
Rated Cap: Blue-Bird says 72 pass.
It looks like I need a new insurance company

So I am just about ready to take my Washington school bus title to the Oregon DMV, and start the title conversion process. I am finally nearing completion of my insulated floor, and when that is done I will put in a semi-permanent bed, plus a temporary bathroom and kitchen, before heading to the DMV.

I'm not concerned about this part of the process anymore. It's pretty obvious from my communications with DMV staff, that they don't really have any standards to apply, and currently just wing it, approving nearly everything.

It's insurance that has me concerned now. The bus is currently insured with Progressive as a commercial vehicle for non-commercial use, but it hasn't left the property since I brought it here in April. Progressive no longer insures owner converted schoolbuses or transit buses. Just highway coaches.

I currently have my car insured with State Farm. They will insure the bus after it is converted too, IF I am not living in it. I could try to BS them, but they already know my personal situation, so they know my Dad died recently and my brothers and I are preparing to put the house on the market.

So I need a new insurance company. One that will deal with me through a PO Box, and accept the fact I do not have a "permanent" address. I have not yet asked the agent who sold me the Progressive policy for any recommendations she may have.

I will do that soon, but I wonder if anyone on this forum might have any recommendations.

gs1949 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-19-2019, 03:36 PM   #2
Bus Geek
 
o1marc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Dawsonville, Ga.
Posts: 10,482
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Genesis
Chassis: International
Engine: DT466/3060
Rated Cap: 77
I assume you are looking for comprehensive and collision? State Farms quote was higher than I expected, so will probably go elsewhere when my Progressive policy expires next month. Allstate wrote me a MH policy without inspection, $48 down, $26/m.
o1marc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-19-2019, 03:36 PM   #3
Bus Geek
 
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 2,831
Year: 2007
Coachwork: Thomas Built
Chassis: Minotour
Engine: Chevy Express 3500 6.6l
National General has the No Fulltimers rule. The rep mentioned no more than 6 months per year.
Danjo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-19-2019, 03:44 PM   #4
Bus Nut
 
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Western Oregon
Posts: 876
Year: 1995
Coachwork: Blue-Bird
Chassis: TC RE 3408
Engine: 5.9 Cummins 12V Mechanical/Allison MT643
Rated Cap: Blue-Bird says 72 pass.
The State Farm agent I talked to today said Sam's accepts full-timers. I haven't started looking at them yet. Does anyone have any experience dealing with Sam's?
gs1949 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-19-2019, 03:47 PM   #5
Bus Nut
 
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Western Oregon
Posts: 876
Year: 1995
Coachwork: Blue-Bird
Chassis: TC RE 3408
Engine: 5.9 Cummins 12V Mechanical/Allison MT643
Rated Cap: Blue-Bird says 72 pass.
@o1marc, No just liability. Any mashups will get fixed by me or they won't get fixed. I hate giving money to insurance companies.
gs1949 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-19-2019, 03:54 PM   #6
Bus Geek
 
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 2,831
Year: 2007
Coachwork: Thomas Built
Chassis: Minotour
Engine: Chevy Express 3500 6.6l
Quote:
Originally Posted by gs1949 View Post
The State Farm agent I talked to today said Sam's accepts full-timers. I haven't started looking at them yet. Does anyone have any experience dealing with Sam's?
Good Sam is National General.
Danjo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-19-2019, 04:03 PM   #7
Bus Nut
 
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Western Oregon
Posts: 876
Year: 1995
Coachwork: Blue-Bird
Chassis: TC RE 3408
Engine: 5.9 Cummins 12V Mechanical/Allison MT643
Rated Cap: Blue-Bird says 72 pass.
Thanks. This may take a while.
gs1949 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-19-2019, 04:12 PM   #8
Bus Nut
 
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Western Oregon
Posts: 876
Year: 1995
Coachwork: Blue-Bird
Chassis: TC RE 3408
Engine: 5.9 Cummins 12V Mechanical/Allison MT643
Rated Cap: Blue-Bird says 72 pass.
DuckDuckGo just found this:

https://www.goodsamrvinsurance.com/r...imer-insurance


Checking them out now.
gs1949 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-19-2019, 04:14 PM   #9
Bus Geek
 
o1marc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Dawsonville, Ga.
Posts: 10,482
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Genesis
Chassis: International
Engine: DT466/3060
Rated Cap: 77
Quote:
Originally Posted by gs1949 View Post
DuckDuckGo just found this:

https://www.goodsamrvinsurance.com/r...imer-insurance


Checking them out now.
Impressive coverage, what's it cost? Can't complete the online registration as it doesn't list International as a make.
o1marc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-19-2019, 04:33 PM   #10
Bus Nut
 
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Western Oregon
Posts: 876
Year: 1995
Coachwork: Blue-Bird
Chassis: TC RE 3408
Engine: 5.9 Cummins 12V Mechanical/Allison MT643
Rated Cap: Blue-Bird says 72 pass.
Good Sam says they do insure bus conversions, but not for full-timing. For full-timing you have to have a factory-built RV.
gs1949 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-19-2019, 05:20 PM   #11
Bus Nut
 
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Western Oregon
Posts: 876
Year: 1995
Coachwork: Blue-Bird
Chassis: TC RE 3408
Engine: 5.9 Cummins 12V Mechanical/Allison MT643
Rated Cap: Blue-Bird says 72 pass.
After another hour sifting information with DuckDuckGo, I'm going to go do something else.

Sometime later this week I will go talk to the independent agent who sold me the Progressive policy to see if she has any recommendations.
gs1949 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-19-2019, 10:24 PM   #12
Traveling
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Virginia
Posts: 2,302
Year: None
Coachwork: None
Chassis: None
Engine: None
Rated Cap: None
Progressive can suck it. Sorry, no polite way to say it.

I have my personal vehicle insured for rideshare to drive for Uber, which is a rip-off, but all I can do for work for now and in the foreseeable future (serious respiratory issues which are starting to appear to be Stage 2 COPD).

Anyway, I started with Progressive, and was paying $68 a month for my paid-for, 13-year-old Impala. All was well until Miss Daisy ran a stop sign and broadsided me about a year ago. The other driver's insurance refused to make me a reasonable offer on the car, so I asked Progressive if they could pressure them somehow.

Even though they said there was nothing they could do, and I explicitly told them I did not want to go through my insurance, they opened their own claim on my behalf. Um, why open a claim if there's nothing you can do? At some point, Uber's insurance stepped in, but not before charging me a BS $1000 deductible.

My replacement car was financed, so naturally insurance was more expensive, but this came at a renewal and I asked specifically if the newer vehicle and full coverage would change my $160 renewal payment, and they said no, further stating a $198 monthly premium... Next month's bill came to the tune of $338, with a $10 late fee for unpaid balance... For a sum they didn't inform me of.

Since then, Progressive has covered half of the bogus total loss deductible. However, at the most recent renewal time, they jacked my premium $53 a month. They insisted the claim had nothing to do with it. Yeah, right. I decided it was time to put Flo on the corner where she belongs...

Interestingly, Progressive loves to advertise saving an average of $699 a year... Geico saved me over $1200 a year over what they were charging me to start with, let alone after the attempted rate hike.

Oh, and now they're attempting to come back on me claiming I am responsible for a portion of the bogus deductible they covered. I will never do business with this sham of a company again, nor do I recommend anyone else do so. Granted, my story isn't specifically relevant to skoolie insurance, but who wants to do business with a company employing that kind of runaround and bait-and-switch?
CHEESE_WAGON is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-19-2019, 10:31 PM   #13
Bus Nut
 
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Western Oregon
Posts: 876
Year: 1995
Coachwork: Blue-Bird
Chassis: TC RE 3408
Engine: 5.9 Cummins 12V Mechanical/Allison MT643
Rated Cap: Blue-Bird says 72 pass.
Insurance is basically just licensed extortion and Progressive does seem to be one of the worst out there.
gs1949 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-20-2019, 03:24 AM   #14
Bus Geek
 
EastCoastCB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,764
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
Quote:
Originally Posted by gs1949 View Post
@o1marc, No just liability. Any mashups will get fixed by me or they won't get fixed. I hate giving money to insurance companies.
My feelings exactly.
EastCoastCB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-20-2019, 10:03 AM   #15
Bus Nut
 
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Western Oregon
Posts: 876
Year: 1995
Coachwork: Blue-Bird
Chassis: TC RE 3408
Engine: 5.9 Cummins 12V Mechanical/Allison MT643
Rated Cap: Blue-Bird says 72 pass.
Yeah, that feeling just kind of builds up after a while, doesn't it?
gs1949 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-28-2019, 04:32 PM   #16
New Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2019
Location: Where I park, currently California
Posts: 4
Year: 1985
Chassis: GMC Vandura
Engine: 5.7 Chevy 350
Rated Cap: 9,600
Aaa

I have my skoolie insured with AAA. I had to go to my local office and have an adjuster inspect it. Once they saw I was using it for personal use, not commercial, they issued me a policy. Easy. Pretty inexpensive too
bobsharits is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-28-2019, 04:45 PM   #17
Skoolie
 
vintageracer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Posts: 127
Wanna solve your problems??

MOVE!!!

At least as far as your legal residency is concerned!

Per your post you will soon be "Homeless" so why not establish a legal residence in South Dakota?

Easy to do, legal mailing address, cheaper insurance rates, register your bus there and other benefits. Afterall you gotta legally live somewhere even if you are NEVER there!

This may be a solution to your problems to your residency, vehicle registration and insurance issues.

Worth a look as there are several companies that offer these services.

https://gnomadhome.com/becoming-south-dakota-residents/

https://www.escapees.com/education/d.../south-dakota/
__________________
Mike

Remember "Drive Fast, Turn Heads, Break Hearts"
vintageracer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-28-2019, 06:56 PM   #18
Bus Nut
 
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Western Oregon
Posts: 876
Year: 1995
Coachwork: Blue-Bird
Chassis: TC RE 3408
Engine: 5.9 Cummins 12V Mechanical/Allison MT643
Rated Cap: Blue-Bird says 72 pass.
@bobsharits, thanks for suggesting AAA. I have been thinking about possibly joining AAA, so I will check them out. Is your schoolie registered as a motorhome, or is it commercial vehicle for non-commercial use?

@vintageracer, I have been thinking about South Dakota too, but I was assuming I would probably have to go there to start the process, which I don't mind at all but I'm not ready for that.

I'll be here for a while yet. This house is not ready to go on the market. The big hang up has been the septic system. My dad built it himself in the early 50s. He built the whole house by himself, and the only thing that was inspected was the important parts of the wiring, by the electrical company before they turned the power on.

There were no building inspections in rural Oregon then, so no one ever looked at the septic system as it was built. It's been grandfathered since they started enforcing regulations about septic systems. But to sell it we have to bring it up to code. Which it is, since today, and now the place is a mess.

The real estate market around here is very seasonal and the window will close for this year by early October. We don't want the house empty so I have agreed to stay here until it sells. So I will continue with my efforts to get an Oregon Motorhome title and may winter here. I won't mind another winter here if I know it's my last.

But the South Dakota thing sounds very much like what comes next. Thanks for the links. I will definitely check those out.
gs1949 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-28-2019, 07:19 PM   #19
Bus Geek
 
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 2,831
Year: 2007
Coachwork: Thomas Built
Chassis: Minotour
Engine: Chevy Express 3500 6.6l
Quote:
Originally Posted by bobsharits View Post
I have my skoolie insured with AAA. I had to go to my local office and have an adjuster inspect it. Once they saw I was using it for personal use, not commercial, they issued me a policy. Easy. Pretty inexpensive too
Wow, really??!!! Is that for an unconverted or converted bus? I’ve been a CA AAA multipolicy Insurance customer for many years and got a big fat no out of them.

But With National General for pre-conversion insurance, I was told it wasn’t offered multiple times. I made so many phone calls to them asking questions about what was acceptable for conversion before I was offered a policy that covers me during conversion. Maybe that was the trick, to ask lots and lots of questions? Seems like there might be a lot of subjectivity going on.
Danjo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-28-2019, 08:13 PM   #20
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Florida
Posts: 41
Year: 1997
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: Tc2000
National General in Portland Oregon is the only insurance company in the country that does schoolie conversion insurance
NavyVet is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 08:38 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.