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Old 03-18-2018, 04:55 PM   #1
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Greetings from MI, also we have a question about title transfer!

Hello,

My wife and I just purchased a 1997 Amtran international 3800 with air brakes that had priorly been converted into a party bus for a wedding. The bus has been repainted and some benches have been removed, Six rows of seats have been bolted sideways so as to form long benches, an inverter has been rigged into the battery bank, speakers have been replaced, a subwoofer box and amp have been installed, LED strip lights have been installed, and a dry bar has been built into the rear driver’s side corner.

The bus has a municipal title and it’s prior owner did not attempt to change to a mobile home or non-commercial title as he had a CDL.

My wife and I do not want to both have to go through CDL licensing in order to take turns driving the bus. Since we already have a 1997 VW Eurovan Winnebago we want to use the Amtran this year with minimal changes as we envision our ideal layout before completely remodeling for longer voyages.

We installed a microwave in the previously built dry bar area so as to help qualify for mobile home status. I can put a hot plate and bed in the bus as well if need be to qualify for the mobile home status.

Are there any tips on how to proceed when we go to the SOS in regards to titling the bus? We will be speaking with our insurance agent tomorrow to try to figure out a policy.

Thanks,

Hilton and Sally de Tar
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Old 03-18-2018, 05:10 PM   #2
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#1 = Check with your state as to whether you will need a Commercial Drivers License (CDL) or not. Chances are you won't.

#2 = Again, check with your state as to requirements for for titling.
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Old 03-18-2018, 05:24 PM   #3
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Thanks for the reply. Our local SOS is pretty helpful as we live in a rural area. We have read on this forum that some people have been able to get by with a loose definition of a mobile home or rather have titled a vehicle as a non-commercial truck. At 38 feet and at over 16,000 lbs we are wondering if a non-commercial truck title is permissible ( the threads we were reading were for short busses in MI).

A class A CDL will be needed with both passenger and air brake endorsements should we not be able to change the title. Our understanding is that a non-commercial vehicle is much easier to insure than a mobile-home conversion. If possible we would like to go non-commercial over mobile home conversion for that reason. We can store the bus until we figure out something else, but would like to go to the SOS prepared.

We suppose we are trying to find out how "permanent" our sleeping facilities and how conventional our "cooking" utilities need to be.

The MI definition of a mobile home is as such:

"257.32a “Motor home” defined.
Sec. 32a. “Motor home” means a motor vehicle constructed or altered to provide living quarters, including
permanently installed cooking and sleeping facilities, and is used for recreation, camping, or other
noncommercial use."

Thanks,

Hilton and Sally de Tar
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Old 03-18-2018, 07:36 PM   #4
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If you are NOT transporting people or products, why would you need a CDL? Does your state require it? You may just need an Air Brake endorsement on your Class D license.

Who Needs a Commercial License in Michigan?
You'll need to obtain a commercial driver's license (CDL) in MI if you intend to drive any of the following:

A single vehicle whose actual, registered, or gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) is 26,001 lbs. or more.
A vehicle that is towing a trailer or another vehicle with a GVWR of 10,001 lbs. or more, with a gross combination weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 lbs. or more.
A vehicle designed to either transport at least 16 passengers (including the driver) or carry hazardous materials.

Stripped down, your bus probably won't exceed 26K lbs.
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Old 03-18-2018, 07:52 PM   #5
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Thanks for the information! Our concern is in the bus being originally designed to have 72 passenger capacity and that now it has 12 benches which could probably seat 20+ people comfortably. The weight shouldn’t be an issue as you pointed out due to stripping of the other seats and the like. We only intend to transport us and our son and potentially other family members but we are wondering if the fact that we could transport 16 or more will be an issue making it insurable as a non-commercial vehicle rather than needing it to be a mobile home conversion. I suppose SOS should be able to answer that question.
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Old 03-18-2018, 08:18 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CaptSquid View Post
If you are NOT transporting people or products, why would you need a CDL? Does your state require it? You may just need an Air Brake endorsement on your Class D license.

Who Needs a Commercial License in Michigan?
You'll need to obtain a commercial driver's license (CDL) in MI if you intend to drive any of the following:

A single vehicle whose actual, registered, or gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) is 26,001 lbs. or more.
A vehicle that is towing a trailer or another vehicle with a GVWR of 10,001 lbs. or more, with a gross combination weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 lbs. or more.
A vehicle designed to either transport at least 16 passengers (including the driver) or carry hazardous materials.

Stripped down, your bus probably won't exceed 26K lbs.
A couple of things, just for info ...

The applicable weight is the plated weight, not the actual weight.

Secondly ... Unless you are driving with a commercial purpose, you do not need a CDL, period. The whole of the CDL regs are predicated on the nature of the driving, and not the vehicle. If you are driving commercially, then the rest of the CDL regs apply. If you are not, your state regs apply and your state cannot make you get a CDL. What they can do, as many do, is insist on "Non-Commercial" weight classes.

No state that I can find demands just an Air-brake endorsement. PA is the closest. What PA say is that ANY vehicle (regardless of weight or title) with air-brakes requires the driver to pass the Non-Commercial Class B.
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Old 03-18-2018, 08:37 PM   #7
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Thanks,

This definitely helps narrow down uncertainty in how we will approach the SOS clerk and our insurance agent about options so as to be the most efficient in our title transfer filing.

Now we will just have to find out about cost for non-commercial truck/bus vs mobile home conversion registration and insurance.
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