New here, have questions.

[BigMatt]

Hey guys, im new here and want to introduce myself and ask s few questions.

I'm big matt, I'm 35 from West Virginia originally and now a traveller of the road.

I currently have an HDT Peterbilt 387 that i pull my 36ft 5th wheel and I'm going to be selling both in the near future and I want a bus conversion.


I'm based out of south Dakota and does anyone have any experience registering a bus as a motorhome and getting insurance? How about insurance for getting the bus home.

I reallly like the looks of the MCI 102's and MC-12 buses. I am drawn to either the all white buses or the beautiful silver sided ones.

[RJ]

Matt -

Welcome to the madness! Busnutitis is incurable, but can be controlled with the proper equipment.

The number one piece of advice if you're wanting to buy a bus conversion to replace your Pete and Fiver?

Buy one that's already finished!

Live with it for a year or so to get used to the monster, then, and only then, remodel or upgrade parts of the interior at a time so the bus remains usable during renovations.

There are lots of horror stories out there about someone with a dream like yours that buys a worn-out revenue-service bus to convert into their tiny home for full-time adventures, only to discover that they've bitten off way more than they can chew, and the coach becomes a huge lawn ornament, much to the chagrin of the neighbors.

Be aware that it takes approximately 3,000 man-hours to basically convert a coach - 4,000 or more if you really do a "professional level" conversion.

South Dakota is a very popular state to "domicile" you and your coach, lots of full-timers do that now. There are ads for outfits in SD that do that, they can be found in the classifieds of Bus Conversions Magazine, or the monthly FMCA magazine.

Insurance is becoming more problematic. It's always best to go thru an agent or broker that's familiar with these beasts. DIY conversions are the most difficult to insure, units that were converted on a brand new shell from the factory are the easiest.

You'll definitely want a roadside assistance plan also. Forget Good Sam - they've been sending out notices this last week that they're cancelling anyone who has a bus conversion. Coach-Net is the "go-to" for this now.

One last point for this message: Sign up, if you haven't already, for the free TSD Logistics fuel-discount program: https://www.tsdlogistics.com/services/fuel-program/

FWIW & HTH. . .

[BigMatt]

I already have my south Dakota domicile and mail forwarding set up.
I have for several years now.

As far as buying a worn out bus, that's not something I'm worried about, I'll be getting something decent.
I'm a diesel and heavy equipment mechanic so none of that scares me.
As for the conversion, it'll be a quick and dirty conversation where i just remove the seats and add 2 bedrooms, a kitchen and a bathroom to whats already there plus the electric, mini splits and plumbing/holding tanks.

I'm not building a mansion, I'm building functional.

One of my goals is to keep the overhead storage racks because the thought of 80 linear feet of storage sounds nice to me.


I've already set a budget and know what the materials cost of my conversion will be,  my biggest concern is the south Dakota DMV and the evil insurance companies.

[luvrbus]

I thought they were cracking down on the South Dakota out of state resident laws now spending 1 night a years was going to fly any more 

[windtrader]

The topic of registering vehicles in states like SD while not being a resident or even being there physically seems like an insurance claim just waiting to be denied.


I've not research it in detail but it seems most insurance policies have some clause about the vehicle being kept and registered where you live and use the vehicle. I know insurance rates are somewhat determined by location, or at least it used to be so.


If nothing else, I'd bet they can reject a claim if you were not truthful on your policy application.


All my time here though, I have not seen tears shed due to claim being rejected.

[buswarrior]

Nobody brags about their foolishness bringing a loss down on their head.

You read very little about all the dents in the sides of buses, you never hear about the guy getting audited for tax fraud, you don't hear about insurance fraud coming home to roost.

You sure do hear them brag on the flip side.

Unbalanced reporting, leads to fools having lots of company...

Happy coaching!
Buswarrior

[someguy]

Matt -

There are lots of horror stories out there about someone with a dream like yours that buys a worn-out revenue-service bus to convert into their tiny home for full-time adventures, only to discover that they've bitten off way more than they can chew, and the coach becomes a huge lawn ornament, much to the chagrin of the neighbors.

Be aware that it takes approximately 3,000 man-hours to basically convert a coach - 4,000 or more if you really do a "professional level" conversion.

Several conversions of more modern buses have happened on YouTube in the last year.  If you buy a good chassis, the "conversion" part of the conversion doesn't have to take forever.   Most often when projects go awry it is due to the chassis part of the conversion, not the conversion part of the conversion.

OP: I get that you might like shiny SS, but I urge you to look for a newer chassis and avoid buses with 2 stroke diesel engines like the plague. 

The earliest MCI I would consider is a late 90s 102EL3 with a Series 60.  You'd be much better served by getting a post 2004 MCI E/J 4500 with a Multiplex system instead of the gold bricks.

[Jim Blackwood]

If you are completely comfortable with the multiplex system that might be OK. If there is any doubt at all it's much safer to go with a mid 90s DL3 which will have DDEC-III. My '96 has the S60, B500 and R134 refrigerant. It's a good choice at a good price.

I also chose to keep the bins, it's just too much really good storage cabinetry to give up. I removed them aft of the rack AC units for headroom in the bathroom and bedroom. I am adapting the OEM AC unit to be used like a modified multi-zone mini split type system. I have a guy working on finding me some 120v sealed compressors to use doing that.

Jim