Florida registration for new conversion

[EastCoastCB]

No Problem Charles. Char is a really great agent and she's not afraid to take on "out of the box" projects like this. She's actually a friend of mine I would always run into around town. Then one day I found out she did insurance and the light bulb went off in my head. If you work with her I'm sure she'll come up with some options. She's one of us "bohemians" at heart

I could tell she definetely seems like "good people".
Seemed easy enough. She took my info on the phone, and is sending me a quote in the am. I'm excited.

 

[plochman]

This is a gold mine on information, thank you.

 

[CaptSquid]

It all boils down to:

Bring enough paperwork to denude the Pacific Northwest of all trees
Bring pix
Bring money -- LOTS of money

 

[plochman]

This worked flawlessly for me today in Plant City Florida. All I needed was the Florida Tittle for the bus, I gave them my Tittle and the Conversion Affidavit I created and showed them TL-13 so they could look it up themselves on what to do. After a 20 minute huddle with the supervisor, I was getting my new MH tittle worked up. It helps to be ready and to not say that BUS word. Its a Heavy Duty International truck that just happens to have a bus body on it. That was a key point so try not to say Bus and it should be ok. Thank you !!

 

[jacobszall]

Hey KJones, how did it turn out with registering in FL? I'm in the same boat, about to try and register my bus in West Palm Beach. How about an update!

Hey! I'm over in Royal Palm Beach! In a few months, maybe sooner, I'll be registering mine, too!

 

[Dana-SKO]

Ahoy plochman!
I'm in Lee County Florida. Did they "inspect" your Heavy Duty International? If so, how did that work, you can't drive it there, you have no tag. The TL-13 says all you need is ONE of the three things, but elsewhere a RV is said to require things like A/C and plumbing, etc.

 

[plochman]

Hey Dana,
I did not take my RV(Bus) to the tag office. Just follow my instructions to a T and you should be ok. On the affidavit I told them I had installed 110v power which in reality it was more like an extension cord through the window....so just go for it but take the TL-13 printed out and try not to use the "Bus" word. Lol. Here is the affidavit I made up.

Good luck ! Just be nice and try not to talk, let them figure it out lol...Ps. I drove around all day in Blue Bird One yesterday, having the seats out and put a futon in with some chairs, I loaded up my bicycle and hit a trail about an hour drive away and had a blast. I LOVE MY BUS !!!

 

[Dana-SKO]

I'm freak'in out that after all my work they will still turn me down. I am working on a budget and want to make sure I install what I need to get legal on the road. Its a pain because I know I need like $1600+ for tires and I have not take the bus on a long ride so I know very little about the drive train. But I have to dump a lot of cash in the interior FIRST so I can get it legal on the road to see what else needs fixing.

Don't want to put in a really nice fancy water & electrical system only to find out I need a new transmission!!!

 

[Dana-SKO]

Link didn't show . . .

 

[plochman]

Well all I did was take the seats out of my ride, took the tittle and the affidavit and hit the tag office in my little black truck. I spent nothing on the inside at all except for grinder wheels to get the bolts out of the seats. Stop all your worrying and just go get you tag and tittle !! I got insurance through a progressive, they wont sell it to you direct but they will give you a re seller local who will write the policy for them. $ 300.00 a year for minimum with road side assistance. You can probably get insurance right now today and then go get your tittle transferred and the tag all at once. Then go home and take a drive !!!

 

[Dana-SKO]

Well all I did was take the seats out of my ride, took the tittle and the affidavit and hit the tag office in my little black truck. I spent nothing on the inside at all except for grinder wheels to get the bolts out of the seats. Stop all your worrying and just go get you tag and tittle !! I got insurance through a progressive, they wont sell it to you direct but they will give you a re seller local who will write the policy for them. $ 300.00 a year for minimum with road side assistance. You can probably get insurance right now today and then go get your tittle transferred and the tag all at once. Then go home and take a drive !!!

How did you get insurance? Everywhere that I can find will insure a bus wants proof of conversion. The DMV said we have to Prove we converted it and said there would be an inspection.

 

[Dana-SKO]

plochman!
I followed your advice to a "T" and it worked, so far. I filled out the affidavit and had no trouble at the tax office getting "it" (we did not say the Bus word while there) changed over to RV status.

We hope this will help with our code violation we just got. They are saying it is a violation to park a bus in residentially zoned areas. I left a message with the code enforcement officer letting him know I do not own a "bus" I own an RV. We checked and it is NOT a violation to park an RV in the driveway.

Next is INSURANCE!

Thank you for your advice!!!!!

 

[Robin97396]

Remember these words. I need a "Commercial policy for private use."

You may reject that idea initially, as I did. Just keep that phrase in mind.

 

[plochman]

Whoohoo !! Happy for you. I used a reseller of Progressive and was issues a policy for minimum coverage with an add on for Road Side assistance. 300.00 a year. Good luck.

 

[Dana-SKO]

Code enforcement officer came over, looked at the title that says "MH" and NOT Bus. He said we were good, and that he would clear out the violation and apologized for the inconvenience.

Its craziness. The hoops one must jump through just to have a bus seem unusually excessive. One might even come to the conclusion the powers to be just don't want the average person owning one of these things.

 

[Robin97396]

That would make you question why this type of mobility is being stepped on, and it seems to be country wide. Registration and insurance are different in my case.

I did it the hard way. Mine is titled as a van, which is contrary to the general idea here. Strangely enough, if this was registered as an RV it would currently be uninsured. Uninsurable as an RV, unless converted professionally, was the phrase here in Oregon. I don't understand the sometimes drastic variations between different state's laws. So my registration as an RV would have given me a spare bedroom for the house that stays permanently in the yard. Weird.

 

[skoolie_n00bie]

RE: Reg, title and INS

Hey guys!
Just wanted to chime in, in case someone in the S.Broward Co. area needs to register/update title.

I went to the tag&Title office on palm ave & taft in P.Pines (next to the Domino's), brought as many others have suggested here:
1. original title
2. current reg
3. affidavit
4. proof of conversion (receipts of all i bought + pic of my "bedroom")
5. DL
6. INS
7. credit card/$$$

Now, I'll admit, Charles.... you were right....I did receive my cancellation notice from Progressive! I'm insured 'til 05/24, after that...Progressive did give me the # to someone local, so i'll try them
Last resource, either GoodSam (needs pics of conversion), or the friend from OP :wink1:
All in all, not too bad of an experience
Onward, to glory!

 

[Robin97396]

That's confusing about the insurance. Progressive just wrote me a Policy a few days ago.

 

[skoolie_n00bie]

That's confusing about the insurance. Progressive just wrote me a Policy a few days ago.

Progressive insured me, but cancelled on me later....since they took one payment, they're keeping me insured until mid-may.

When i called the to tell them what a bunch of liars they are, i was given the phone number to a local agent that might help.
I also called GoodSam, which (i was told over the phone from the rep) insures even non-pro bus conversions, but they need pictures of the FINISHED conversion before they sign off on it.

Also, I though I'd call the "friend" mentioned a few pages back :wink1:

Makes sense?

 

[skoolie_n00bie]

Whoohoo !! Happy for you. I used a reseller of Progressive and was issues a policy for minimum coverage with an add on for Road Side assistance. 300.00 a year. Good luck.

who was the reseller, if i may?