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

[Lasagna Dave]

If you already have a title in your name, why do you need to retitle it in Vermont?

Plenty of reasons to do that... I could have had my bus titled in my name here in California no problem, the issue is that with out the conversion being done they would have only titled it as a commercial bus... But because I wanted to have it titled as a MH prior to doing the conversion, for insurance reasons, I opted to go with the Vermont option... which requires no proof of insurance or conversion.

 

[Zork-SKO]

Ah. The problem is that you picked up the bus in Texas and therefore had to pay the sales tax there. So no, Vermont will not charge you sales tax again. Just the title and registration fees.

 

[MNbusboy]

My registration is in the mail!! In the meantime I used the Temporary Registration link from page 96 to print a temp plate for $6.

I paid 6.5% sales tax in MN, which is more than the 6% in VT. My bus was $750, plus a $98 Bidder Premium, for a total of $847.50. I didn't want my VT registration to get derailed over $50.85 in tax, but $50 is $50 right? I wrote a letter itemizing the fees I was paying, and told them that I included 2 of the VD-119 forms and 2 checks. One VD-119 has no sales tax, and the check covers the registration and warranty fees (didn't know if the warranty fees was required, but the directions sound like it is and it's only $6). The other VD-119 includes the taxes, and the second check covers the difference. This way they can make the decision on whether I need to pay the taxes with no delay or overpayment if it's not required. Hopefully they only need to cash the first check and I get my registration and plates quickly!!

 

[Zork-SKO]

I got a letter in the mail from VT DMV. A thick one. My heart sank. Sure enough, they returned ALL my paperwork and my check. I couldn't believe it! After a minute of despair, I sat down to read the letter to see what had failed so miserably.

Turns out I had sent too much money. They just asked me to write another check for $70-something less and send it all back. The MH tags are approved. When I picked myself up off the floor, I promptly sent it all by Priority Mail Express with a new check.

 

[HamSkoolie]

Zork, that's awesome. They did something similar with us though they simply moved the $6 warranty fee to another column, processed the paperwork, and kept our $6 (we ARE NOT going to complain about them fixing our paperwork for less than the cost of postage). This was March of this year

 

[HamSkoolie]

Hopefully this is okay to post.


We used VT to get our 40' AmTran pusher "converted" from bus (BU) to motor home (MU) because OR DMV was crazy delays and required building a garbage motor home set up.



If anyone wants to go the VT way our YouTube and our website both have step by step, block by block, instructions on how we did our VT paperwork at the end of Feb or first part of March 2021. It was a bit intimidating and a little scary wondering if we did things right so we put it on our blog and youtube. Pretty sure you can find both of those in our profile.

 

[the.storyteller]

Has anyone ever done this process in person in Vermont? My partner and I need to move our bus to a different location by this Monday so we really can't wait the few weeks it will take for the paperwork to come in. We're in Skippack, PA and would really prefer to have the bus registered before we move it!

 

[Zork-SKO]

Has anyone ever done this process in person in Vermont? My partner and I need to move our bus to a different location by this Monday so we really can't wait the few weeks it will take for the paperwork to come in. We're in Skippack, PA and would really prefer to have the bus registered before we move it!

You're kidding, right? Monday? Better start looking for a reasonably-priced towing service, unless you want to risk getting your bus impounded for driving it unregistered.

 

[john61ct-SKO]

Has anyone ever done this process in person in Vermont? My partner and I need to move our bus to a different location by this Monday so we really can't wait the few weeks it will take for the paperwork to come in. We're in Skippack, PA and would really prefer to have the bus registered before we move it!

Better to call to see their offices even open, COVID is far from over, might need appointments.

And if you stay there over a week or ever go back, inspections are required.

Driving unregistered is only taking a very slight chance

have all your VT paperwork all filled out to carry along if you do happen to get stopped

but **make sure** you are insured!!

 

[MNbusboy]

Vermont offers an immediate online temporary registration good for 60 days, but it doesn't specifically say RV or Motorhome, just passenger vehicle. The link is on page 96

 

[shwaydogg]

Broken Application Form Link.

The Original post link to the form is currently broken. I believe this is an updated

Perhaps best to link to this page https://dmv.vermont.gov/document/registration-new-application
which has the link to the PDF OR just upload the file to Skoolie.net or googledrive etc and link to that so it won't break...

Here's the direct link to the current pdf

This pdf also seems of relevance it's their instructions for 119 form? I imagine the OP is quite familiar to say the least....

 

[TRICH911]

It was registered as a bus. They gave me a hard time at the MVC, still are by appointment only, and a bunch of other hoops. I might have jumped those hoops had I know

HI, can you tell me about the hoops please?

I'm in NJ and just got turned away at my appointment for title and registration at my local dmv in Medford NJ. They had me fill out forms and highlighted my title where I needed to sign and fill info. I was then at window and everything appeared to be going well but then another employee walked over and I was told all buses need to go through Trenton and was promptly sent on my way with the phone number.. My bus is an 1989 GMC short with hydraulic brakes.. All seats were removed by the city that used it as a Emergency response type vehicle so it had metal racks in rear. It has no markings visible and is white.

 

[Vegerito]

I searched a few times and have most likely missed this. We got our plates back a few weeks ago along with a copy of the VD-119 (they wrote some stuff on this and validated it with body type showing MH). Just today got our registration and tags, they have the body type listed as BU, has anyone had this issue come up?

 

[o1marc]

I searched a few times and have most likely missed this. We got our plates back a few weeks ago along with a copy of the VD-119 (they wrote some stuff on this and validated it with body type showing MH). Just today got our registration and tags, they have the body type listed as BU, has anyone had this issue come up?

Where are you and where is the registration from? If from Vt. I would contact them have them correct the registration to reflect the MH designation.

 

[Vegerito]

Where are you and where is the registration from? If from Vt. I would contact them have them correct the registration to reflect the MH designation.

We are from KY. Bus originally titled in KY in our name, we sent to VT for the registration change.

To be a little more clear, our physical plates they sent us do not have BUS or TRK or whatever it is on them to designate as a bus or a commercial vehicle so it seems the info matches the temporary registration they sent us with the plates.

I am going to try calling tomorrow to see if I can get it cleared up. Technically I could have driven with a standard license using the temp registration and plates they sent but now I'm a little worried about it, if anything were to happen police or insurance trying to say its a commercial vehicle.

 

[richie23]

did you get your bus registered I live in NJ and I went the Vermont route I'm just waiting to get my tags. NJ is a not easy on anything that's why I'm leaving this state.

 

[Vegerito]

did you get your bus registered I live in NJ and I went the Vermont route I'm just waiting to get my tags. NJ is a not easy on anything that's why I'm leaving this state.

We had no issues with the process itself. Mailed a copy of our title (already in our name, no vin verification) on 6-18-21 and received plates back 7-12-21.
We got our plates back along with a copy of the validated VD-119 (MH, motorhome), I think it was just an error when sending out the registration, hoping to get an answer tomorrow!

 

[HamSkoolie]

Definitely call them. They may ask you to send the 119 back in but the whole purpose is to get the MH designation on the transferable registration.

 

[Vegerito]

I searched a few times and have most likely missed this. We got our plates back a few weeks ago along with a copy of the VD-119 (they wrote some stuff on this and validated it with body type showing MH). Just today got our registration and tags, they have the body type listed as BU, has anyone had this issue come up?

Quoting myself incase anyone comes across this again haha.

I called Vermont and explained exactly what happened, we converted a school bus into a motorhome, my temp registration (VD-119) and plates were correct showing MH / Motorhome but the actual registration that came in the mail with the sticker showed BU (BUS). She was super nice and said it WAS incorrect in the system, she updated it while talking with me on the phone and said the new registration would be mailed out the same day that will correctly show MH.

SO if anyone runs across this in the future just give them a call and explain the situation!

 

[farok]

I'm looking to go the VT route. I'm in NJ now but moving to KY. The nice lady on the phone from KY told me the state no longer converts titles, so I can't do it in KY, and haven't done in NJ yet. I'm about 75% done, I suspect with the conversion. My questions are...
1.) When I send in the forms to VT, how do I fill out the seller info, as I've owned the bus, titled in my name, for 2.5 years?
2.) Do I pay VT tax since I paid NJ when I bought it a couple years ago? (Assuming I can find my original registration receipt)
3.) We're driving the bus regularly for the next 5 months, and I don't plan to reregister in KY until after that, even though we'll have moved by then. Should I hold off the VT registration till then? Is there anything that would prevent me from keeping my current NJ plates while I work through the VT process? Does it "unregister" me from NJ when it processes?

Thanks again, all!

Chris