How to get it home the first time Part I -- following the rules

[BG6]

In the movie "Finding Nemo," the final scene shows the fish, in plastic bags, floating in the harbor that they have finally reached, free at last.

Then one of them asks "Now what?"

One sure way to know that exact feeling is to be standing there, holding the title of the big coach that you have just bought from the tour company, and then realize that you have 1300 miles and four states to go through before you get it home.

What you own is NOT a coach conversion, it is a COMMERCIAL VEHICLE.  That means that the coach AND DRIVER are subject to the CV laws, regulations and absurdities that plague the professional driver.

So, first, in order to be legal, you need a Commercial Driver's License with Passenger endorsement and a valid Medical Certificate.  Your new toy will also need "operating authority" documentation --  a USDOT number and, in most states and Canada, a current International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA) sticker.  The handful of states which aren't on IFTA require purchase of a fuel permit prior to entering that state.  Some fuel stations won't turn on the pump for you until they see the IFTA sticker or you give them that state permit number or a DOT number.  You also have to have current insurance and some form of registration (more on this later)

Second, you need to follow the Federal laws on Hours of Service, and keep a current logbook proving compliance, and obey all laws for CVs, such as "split" speed limits, road weight limits, size limits, etc.

Registration can be a One Trip Permit, 3-Day Permit, or similar temporary registration, which you obtain from the state you're starting from.  Some states will require you to have their state's temp tag.  You may be tempted to borrow a friend's Transporter or Dealer license plate -- if you do, make sure you know what the limitations are.  Some states (such as Idaho) don't recognize the Transporter plate, and not only will you have to pay for a temp tag, you will also be FINED for not having registration.  If you remember that the people who run weigh stations are usually tax collectors, you will understand that any way they can nail you, they will nail you.  And they do it with a smug smile.

The seller MAY allow you to run on their documentation, such as the IFTA sticker and license plate currently on the coach, but they are going out on a limb if they do, and I've never heard of a company doing that for someone who isn't already equipped with CDL and their own insurance.  It never hurts to ask.  Another option is to pay the company to run it to your hometown, or to hire a transporter to move it for you.

If you don't have a CDL and your own operating authority, running a non-converted coach is taking a big, expensive risk.  You may be cited, fined or ever arrested, and your coach may be towed and impounded!  Weigh that possibility against the cost of hiring someone to get it home for you, and make up your own mind.

If you want to risk it, Part II will deal with the ways that you might manage it without getting in too much trouble.

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Hi BG6,

Very good points...

It's a shame that we can no longer roam free about this country anymore....

It just might be time to dump the tea in the water.

Nick-

[bottomacher]

I'm not sure about other states, but in mine a CDL isn't required if you own the bus. You own it as soon as the title is transferred or the bill of sale is secured. Last time I heard from my lawyer cousin, the licensing requirements in your state of registration are binding everywhere in the country, so I need no CDL to drive my bus anywhere in the USA. You should of course notify your own insurance agent ahead of time and secure a binder that covers you as soon as you buy the bus. I have done it many times, and I have never had a problem with any law enforcement agency in the 40 or so states that I've driven through.

[BG6]

I'm not sure about other states, but in mine a CDL isn't required if you own the bus. You own it as soon as the title is transferred or the bill of sale is secured. Last time I heard from my lawyer cousin, the licensing requirements in your state of registration are binding everywhere in the country, so I need no CDL to drive my bus anywhere in the USA. You should of course notify your own insurance agent ahead of time and secure a binder that covers you as soon as you buy the bus. I have done it many times, and I have never had a problem with any law enforcement agency in the 40 or so states that I've driven through.

Your lawyer cousin is steering you wrong.

Laws apply in the jurisdiction where you are at any given moment.  And a commercial vehicle is a commercial vehicle until titled as a non-commercial vehicle, except in a state which has a law specifically saying something different.

However, ignorance is no excuse, but it's a heck of an alibi. 

[RJ]

BG6 -

Overall, your four-part commentary about getting it home the first time is pretty good.  I'd like to add the following thoughts:

1.  If you're buying a coach from a dealer, and it still has all the seats in it, negotiate with them to remove all but the first two rows on each side, so that there is NO WAY the coach can "seat" more than 9 passengers, including the driver.  Most states consider it a commercial bus if it seats 10 or more.  Having the rest of the seats loose in the back MAY be considered "freight", so avoid that if possible.  Big dumpster?

2.  If the coach still has the original restroom, then a cot, sleeping bag and Coleman stove are good things to have along.

3.  Proper sales documentation, easily accessed, is very important.  I disagree with BG on pulling trip permits for every state, and agree with Buswarrior that the more we call attention to our little hobby, the greater the chances for more government interference.  Appropriate bill of sale, "private coach" placards in the windshield & door windows, commercial markings removed, and no seats usually covers what's needed.

4.  CDL's have been hashed over and over again regarding bus conversions.  Every state in the union exempts RVs from requiring a CDL, with a few exceptions (like CA for 45-footers, which require a non-commercial CDL).  So it's up to you, as the new owner, to have proof positive that your coach is an RV/motorhome, not a commerical rig.

5.  Driving mostly during daylight hours will reduce the risk of being stopped at night for malfunctioning lights.

6.  Fuel the coach as soon as you leave the seller's, then fuel at 500 mile intervals.  You DON'T want to run out of fuel - priming's a B***h.  Most newer Flying J's, Pilot's, TA's and other major truck stops also have RV islands, using those generally will eliminate the "dual pump hose dance" at the truck islands - plus you won't be dealing with a cashier wanting your DOT numbers.  If in doubt as to whether or not there's room, then park safely out of the way and WALK the islands to check - exercise will do you good anyway!

7.  Drive in such a manner that you DON'T draw attention to yourself:  flow with the traffic, keep to the RH lane except to pass, watch speed limits, etc.

8.  Change the destination sign roller curtain to a blank display, too.

9.  Totally agree regarding doing a morning pre-trip that's documented.  There's a good one here: http://www.busnut.com/bbs/messages/12262/16203.html?1167072614

10.  Most of all?  Enjoy your new toy!!

FWIW & HTH. . .

[BG6]

BG6 -

Overall, your four-part commentary about getting it home the first time is pretty good.  I'd like to add the following thoughts:

3.  Proper sales documentation, easily accessed, is very important.  I disagree with BG on pulling trip permits for every state, and agree with Buswarrior that the more we call attention to our little hobby, the greater the chances for more government interference.  Appropriate bill of sale, "private coach" placards in the windshield & door windows, commercial markings removed, and no seats usually covers what's needed.

The point that I was trying to make is that you need to know what the laws are BEFORE you enter a state.  If you need permits, get them before you need them (Oregon, for instance, may fine you if you don't have the fuel permit and "the vehicle in its entirety is within the State").

You want any cop or weighmaster who stops you to see someone who is just trying to get home, not someone who is trying to game the system.  You're going to get attention without trying to -- what you want is, once you have drawn focus, to show that you are trying to play by the rules (and just "didn't know about that" for the ones that you can't hit, like the CDL).  If you get stopped without any required permits, your coach is LIKELY to be towed, because EVERYONE knows that you have to have SOME kind of registration to drive on the road (that's what a permit is).  If you show the permit, the "money" part of the equation has been satisfied, and that is more likely to be as far as the discussion goes, thanks to the benefit of the doubt.

4.  CDL's have been hashed over and over again regarding bus conversions.  Every state in the union exempts RVs from requiring a CDL, with a few exceptions (like CA for 45-footers, which require a non-commercial CDL).  So it's up to you, as the new owner, to have proof positive that your coach is an RV/motorhome, not a commerical rig.

This is the problem -- according to the title, it's NOT an RV, it's still a commercial vehicle until you re-title it.  I've never heard of a state which will title a vehicle which is currently titled in another state, without an inspection in the new state, so it's still a CV until you get it to your home state's DMV.

That's the whole point of my original post -- it's not like buying a pickup truck.  There are a whole new set of laws which most of us don't know about, but which apply during that one trip home.

[PacNWNomad]

Most states consider it a commercial bus if it seats 10 or more.

What about families that have that many or more family members?

[John316]

Most states consider it a commercial bus if it seats 10 or more.

What about families that have that many or more family members?

I have heard that it is considered commercial if it seats 16 or more. That is why 15 passenger vans are okay.

God bless,

John