{"id":188,"date":"2026-03-17T01:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-17T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.buslife.site\/garage\/?p=188"},"modified":"2026-03-14T17:45:17","modified_gmt":"2026-03-14T21:45:17","slug":"can-you-get-insurance-for-a-converted-school-bus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.buslife.site\/garage\/can-you-get-insurance-for-a-converted-school-bus\/","title":{"rendered":"Can You Get Insurance for a Converted School Bus?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n

A couple months back I was talking to a guy at a truck stop who had a converted transit bus. I asked him about his insurance situation and he just laughed. Turns out he’d been through four companies before one would even talk to him. That conversation is basically why I dug into this topic as much as I did, because the process is way more annoying than it needs to be.<\/p>\n\n

Yes, you can absolutely get insurance for a converted school bus, but your regular car insurance company probably won’t do it. Most major carriers like Geico, State Farm, and Progressive don’t insure bus conversions. You’ll need to go through specialty RV insurance companies like National General, Roamly, or Good Sam. Expect to pay somewhere between $1,000 and $2,500 per year for full coverage, depending on your build’s declared value, where you’re domiciled, and whether you’re living in it full-time.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

\"Clean
Getting insurance for a build like this is doable — you just need to know who to call.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

What do y’all do about insurance? My insurance company will not do bus conversions. Please help.<\/h2>\n\n\n
\"What<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I hear this one constantly and honestly it was my experience too. I called my regular insurance company and the person on the phone literally didn’t know what to do with me. Their system has “car,” “truck,” “motorcycle,” and “RV.” A school bus someone turned into a house? They don’t have a button for that.<\/p>\n\n

The companies that actually insure skoolies are specialty RV insurers. The names that kept coming up in every forum and Facebook group I searched were National General (formerly GMAC), Roamly (built specifically for van and bus conversions), Good Sam Insurance, and sometimes State Farm through specific agents who are willing to write the policy manually.<\/p>\n\n

But here’s the thing I didn’t realize at first. Your first step isn’t calling insurance companies, it’s re-titling the bus as an RV or motorhome with your state’s DMV. Without that RV title, most insurance companies won’t even start a conversation. Once you’ve got the RV title, these specialty companies have a category for you. I put together a guide on how to register a converted school bus as an RV<\/a> that walks through the whole process.<\/p>\n\n

How is the insurance on a skoolie conversion? How much does it cost?<\/h2>\n\n\n
\"How<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Cost varies a lot and I spent a while trying to pin down real numbers from actual skoolie owners instead of just guessing. It comes down to four things: your declared build value, your state of domicile, whether you’re full-timing, and your driving record.<\/p>\n\n

For a basic conversion with a declared value of $30,000-$50,000, most people I talked to were paying $100-$200 per month for full coverage. That’s $1,200-$2,400 per year. Liability-only is cheaper, sometimes as low as $50-$80 per month. But I’d think hard before going liability-only on a bus you put 500 hours of work into.<\/p>\n\n

Here’s a key concept that tripped me up: declared value. Unlike a car where the insurance company checks Kelley Blue Book, there’s no book value for a custom bus conversion. You tell the insurance company what your build is worth, you provide photos and receipts, and they insure it for that amount. Higher declared value means a higher premium, but also a better payout if something happens. Some people try to lowball this to save money and I cannot stress enough how bad of an idea that is.<\/p>\n\n

What company insured your bus? Geico telling me no.<\/h2>\n\n\n
\"What<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Converted
A build this clean makes the insurance conversation a lot easier — photos of your finished conversion are your best friend.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Yeah, Geico will tell you no. So will most of the big names you’re used to. Here’s the short list I put together after going through way too many forum threads and asking around.<\/p>\n\n

National General<\/strong> — The most commonly used by skoolie owners. They understand converted vehicles and have a straightforward process. You’ll need your RV title and photos of the build.<\/p>\n\n

Roamly<\/strong> — Built from the ground up for van lifers and bus converters. Their whole business model is insuring DIY conversions. Online quotes, pretty painless process. This is the one I’d start with if I were doing it today.<\/p>\n\n

Good Sam Insurance<\/strong> — Backed by Camping World. They insure all types of RVs including conversions. Membership gives you a discount.<\/p>\n\n

State Farm<\/strong> — Hit or miss. Some individual agents will write the policy, others won’t. It depends entirely on the agent knowing how to classify it in their system. I’ve heard of people calling three different State Farm offices and getting three different answers.<\/p>\n\n

USAA<\/strong> — If you’re military or a military family member, USAA has been known to insure bus conversions, though policies vary by state.<\/p>\n\n

Call multiple companies. Get at least 3 quotes. Prices can vary by hundreds of dollars for the same coverage, and that’s not an exaggeration.<\/p>\n\n

Is insurance a real problem with amateur-built RVs?<\/h2>\n\n\n
\"Is<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It can be, but it’s not the roadblock people make it out to be. The key is having your bus properly titled as an RV before you start shopping for insurance. That title change is what unlocks everything.<\/p>\n\n

In the US, there’s no required build inspection or engineer certification for DIY RV conversions in most states. That’s different from places like Australia where you need an engineer to certify the build before you can register or insure it. So we’ve got it easier than some folks.<\/p>\n\n

The biggest insurance issue people actually run into isn’t getting coverage, it’s getting coverage that reflects their actual build value. You spent $40,000 on your conversion, but if you only declare $20,000 to save on premiums, you’re only getting $20,000 back if it burns down. I read a post from a guy who lost his bus in a fire and his payout barely covered the cost of the bus itself because he’d undervalued the build. Don’t be that person.<\/p>\n\n

Document everything. Keep receipts. Take photos during the build. This protects you when filing a claim and honestly it’s worth doing for your own records anyway. If you’re curious about what a full build costs so you can set your declared value right, check out the school bus conversion cost breakdown<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

Would love to know how you got insurance with a wood stove.<\/h2>\n\n\n
\"Would<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Cubic
Looks cozy, but most insurance companies see this and run the other way.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Wood stoves are the one thing that can genuinely complicate your insurance. Most carriers flat-out won’t cover a bus with a wood-burning stove. The fire risk is too high for their underwriters, and I kind of understand why when you think about it. A wood-burning appliance inside a vehicle with wood framing and insulation right behind the walls.<\/p>\n\n

Some people get around this by not mentioning the wood stove during the application. That’s a terrible idea. If you have a fire, they’ll deny your claim and you’ll have nothing. I’ve seen it happen in forums and it’s ugly.<\/p>\n\n

Roamly is one of the few companies that will insure conversions with wood stoves, though your premium will be higher. Some Good Sam policies will cover it too, depending on the agent.<\/p>\n\n

The alternative that a lot of full-timers end up going with is a propane or diesel heater. Companies like Webasto and Espar make diesel heaters that draw from your bus’s fuel tank. They’re safer, insurance-friendly, and honestly more practical for full-time living. I’ve talked to several people who started with a wood stove and switched to diesel within the first year. We’ve got more on heating your bus in winter<\/a> if that’s where you’re at in your build.<\/p>\n\n

I have a van build and can’t find insurance. Where are you buying insurance?<\/h2>\n\n\n
\"I<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Van builds and bus builds face the exact same insurance challenge. Mainstream carriers don’t have a box for “DIY conversion.” The solution is the same either way: specialty RV insurers.<\/p>\n\n

Roamly was literally built for this. Their whole pitch is “we insure the rigs that nobody else will.” Van conversions, bus conversions, truck campers, whatever. If you’ve been getting rejected everywhere else, start there.<\/p>\n\n

National General and Good Sam also insure van conversions once they’re titled as RVs. The process is the same: re-title as an RV, gather your build photos and receipts, declare your value, and get quotes.<\/p>\n\n

The Bottom Line<\/h2>\n\n\n
\"The<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So after digging into all of this, here’s where I landed. Getting insurance for a converted bus is absolutely doable, it’s just annoying because you can’t go through the normal channels. Your regular insurance company is going to say no, and that’s fine. Go straight to National General or Roamly and skip the runaround.<\/p>\n\n

The most important thing is getting your bus re-titled as an RV first, because that’s what unlocks everything with the insurance companies. After that, document your build value honestly, get at least three quotes, and don’t cheap out on your declared value just to save a few bucks on premiums. If you ever need to file a claim you’ll be glad you insured it for what it’s actually worth.<\/p>\n\n

And if you’re set on a wood stove, Roamly is probably your best bet. But honestly, a diesel heater might save you headaches in more ways than one.<\/p>\n\n\n