Ambo to Motorhome classification change AZ

[Ozrockrat]

I just went through the painful process of changing my Ambo to a Motorhome.

Here is the definition from Arizona MVD (Arizona Revised Statutes, Title 28 - Transportation 28-4301 Definitions )

20. "Motor home" means a motor vehicle that is primarily designed as temporary living quarters and that:

(a) Is built onto as an integral part of, or is permanently attached to, a motor vehicle chassis.

(b) Contains at least four of the following independent life support systems if each is permanently installed and designed to be removed only for purposes of repair or replacement:

(i) A cooking facility with an onboard fuel source.

(ii) A gas or electric refrigerator.

(iii) A toilet with exterior evacuation.

(iv) A heating or air conditioning system with an onboard power or fuel source separate from the vehicle engine.

(v) A potable water supply system that includes at least a sink, a faucet and a water tank with an exterior service supply connection.

(vi) A 110-125 volt electric power supply.


The other part that takes a lot of buggering about is getting the inspection. It only requires a level 1 inspection. In theory a 3rd party provider can do this. In practice they do not seem to know what to do and will refer you to the MVD.

They check that you have at least 4 of the 6 items listed above (it helps to have been running your box AC so when you turn the fan on they think you have battery powered AC!!! Who am I to spoil their fantasies).

The only real change on the inspection was changing the model from incomplete cab chassis to SPCON for special construction. Then they changed the body style from AM for ambulance to MHC for Class C Motorhome. Contrary to what the 3rd party MVD guys tell you there is no need for a "Motorhome coach number" if they go with the SPCON model.

Now you all know that this will all depend on what sort of a day the MVD person is having. I am sure they make some of this stuff up on the spot.

 

[hobietony]

Ha! About 2 years ago I showed up at the DMV with all my motorhome bits in boxes, thrown in the back of my gutted ambo, and asked of they could give me a motorhome designation based off of my good intensions. they laughed and said "cool project, come back when it's done"

 

[4x4BNB]

What's the advantage to the classification change? Tabs? Insurance?

 

[pugslyyy]

What's the advantage to the classification change? Tabs? Insurance?

Usually the tags are cheaper, and sometimes the taxes as well.

 

[Ozrockrat]

In my case the tags were cheaper but the important part was the insurance cost and the amount it could be insured for.

 

[flightcancled]

How hard is it to insure an ambulance? Nationwide doesn't even want to talk to you if you don't have a VIN for them to run through the computer.


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[Ozrockrat]

Since I just had to go through this painful process again I added the AZ statues information for future reference.

 

[pugslyyy]

How hard is it to insure an ambulance? Nationwide doesn't even want to talk to you if you don't have a VIN for them to run through the computer.


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Progressive had no problem insuring my Fuso as an RV even though it is a medium duty truck. It is titled as a House Car (what the NCDMV call an RV), but if you run the VIN it is a truck - titles can change but VINs don't.

Insurance companies will balk at doing more than liability coverage for anything unusual. If you want comp/collision expect to have to work for it, and pay a lot.

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

I like the SPCON classification, thats cool

 

[tgreening]

Progressive had no problem insuring my Fuso as an RV even though it is a medium duty truck. It is titled as a House Car (what the NCDMV call an RV), but if you run the VIN it is a truck - titles can change but VINs don't.

Insurance companies will balk at doing more than liability coverage for anything unusual. If you want comp/collision expect to have to work for it, and pay a lot.

It boggles my mind the varying experiences people have over this subject. I showed up at my DMV and said "it's a camper conversion with this, this, and that". The lady said "okie dokie" and now it's titled as an RV. Progressive told me to ppound salt and that it was and forever shall be a commercial vehicle since that's what the vin says it is. Unless I had a professional licensed RV converter do the work and sign off on it. They even went so far as to tell me they wouldn't insure it period, unless I removed the rv type stuff already in there.

What I got from the service rep I was talking to was that basically I said the magic bad word, RV, so they couldn't insure my "commercial" vehicle. I could have called it most anything else, mobile office, service vehicle, or just about anything else and they would have had no problem with it even though it had stove, sink and what-not. So now if I have an accident I just need to let them know that my "mobile job site command center with convenience facilities" needs repaired.

How stupid is all that?

 

[pugslyyy]

It boggles my mind the varying experiences people have over this subject. I showed up at my DMV and said "it's a camper conversion with this, this, and that". The lady said "okie dokie" and now it's titled as an RV. Progressive told me to ppound salt and that it was and forever shall be a commercial vehicle since that's what the vin says it is. Unless I had a professional licensed RV converter do the work and sign off on it. They even went so far as to tell me they wouldn't insure it period, unless I removed the rv type stuff already in there.

What I got from the service rep I was talking to was that basically I said the magic bad word, RV, so they couldn't insure my "commercial" vehicle. I could have called it most anything else, mobile office, service vehicle, or just about anything else and they would have had no problem with it even though it had stove, sink and what-not. So now if I have an accident I just need to let them know that my "mobile job site command center with convenience facilities" needs repaired.

How stupid is all that?

Yeah, it's stupid and I have no rational explanation.

I applied online and had people tell me (including insurance professionals) that Progressive would flag it and never actually write the policy even though they quoted it... but I gave them money and they wrote the policy.

 

[java]

Hmmm Im interested to hear more about the insurance bits people are going thru.

Im needing to get my truck insured.... All state told me to bugger off since it was a "commercial truck" even though its for personal use. Geico insured it no issues, but I have not gotten around the "RV" part of it yet.

 

[zuke]

Im needing to get my truck insured.... All state told me to bugger off since it was a "commercial truck" even though its for personal use. Geico insured it no issues, but I have not gotten around the "RV" part of it yet.

The state you are in makes a difference too, I had a fair number of hassles getting mine insured in Virginia for a couple reasons. First, I went to my current agent, who is a Nationwide agent, We went to put it into nationwide, and they wouldn't touch it, simply wouldn't do anything with it because of the VIN, No Commercial Vehicles... So then my Agent went to Hagerty..

Hagerty was by far the best deal, They were going to write me an Agreed Value ($12,000), Full Coverage policy (This is after sending them pics, and them knowing it was an Ambulance that I would be towing with and sleeping in, But Not registered as an RV) for about $320 a year. Then we got bit by a Virginia law, The law says that No driver in the house can be ignored by an insurance company, even if they have their own policy. My son at the time had a suspended license for under age drinking (Another Virginia law, He wasn't drinking and driving, he was drinking under age...). Hagerty won't insure you if they have to cover someone with a suspended license...

Next we went to Nationwide's Commercial Underwriter. They wrote me a commercial policy for about twice the cost of the Hagerty Policy, but they covered it... For 3 months and then mysteriously canceled me... My Agent called and they said we never sent them pictures. She told them the exact date she emailed the pictures, and they miraculously found them, and said "That's an Ambulance! We won't insure that!".....

Went to progressive's web-site, put in my VIN and all my Info, And had a policy 15 minutes later, Liability only at 6 times what the Hagerty Policy would cost

So, Moral of the story is, Insurance, Registration, and Classification will be greatly different dependent on Location/State, and kick your kids out as soon as you can

 

[java]

The state you are in makes a difference too, I had a fair number of hassles getting mine insured in Virginia for a couple reasons. First, I went to my current agent, who is a Nationwide agent, We went to put it into nationwide, and they wouldn't touch it, simply wouldn't do anything with it because of the VIN, No Commercial Vehicles... So then my Agent went to Hagerty..

Hagerty was by far the best deal, They were going to write me an Agreed Value ($12,000), Full Coverage policy (This is after sending them pics, and them knowing it was an Ambulance that I would be towing with and sleeping in, But Not registered as an RV) for about $320 a year. Then we got bit by a Virginia law, The law says that No driver in the house can be ignored by an insurance company, even if they have their own policy. My son at the time had a suspended license for under age drinking (Another Virginia law, He wasn't drinking and driving, he was drinking under age...). Hagerty won't insure you if they have to cover someone with a suspended license...

Next we went to Nationwide's Commercial Underwriter. They wrote me a commercial policy for about twice the cost of the Hagerty Policy, but they covered it... For 3 months and then mysteriously canceled me... My Agent called and they said we never sent them pictures. She told them the exact date she emailed the pictures, and they miraculously found them, and said "That's an Ambulance! We won't insure that!".....

Went to progressive's web-site, put in my VIN and all my Info, And had a policy 15 minutes later, at 6 times what the Hagerty Policy would cost

So, Moral of the story is, Insurance, Registration, and Classification will be greatly different dependent on Location/State, and kick your kids out as soon as you can

Thanks! Hagerty was my fall back, I knew they would do anything, but figured it would be $$$. Good to hear it was reasonable.

 

[zuke]

Thanks! Hagerty was my fall back, I knew they would do anything, but figured it would be $$$. Good to hear it was reasonable.

Yup, Hopefully they are as good in Washington as they are here!