Episode 5 - Getting the bus
registered as a Motor Home
It’s mid-October. The temporary license plate and insurance I got
in Georgia is coming to an end. The expensive safety inspection
done by a Thomas dealership in Ontario is good for only 30 days.
I have to get the ownership transferred to Ontario soon.
I plan to spend up to a year converting the bus to a functional
motor home (a skoolie.) But for a number of reasons (explained
in this episode’s video) I decide to try to get the Ontario Ministry
of Transportation (MTO - like the DMV in many U.S. states) to
register it right away as a motor home, and not the commercial
vehicle it now is.
Under the regulations, the MTO will consider a vehicle to be a
motor home if it has any four of six listed features. I don’t want
to spend a lot of money on components that will not be included
in the final build. I don’t want to expend too much effort on
modifications I’ll just be ripping out after. But I figure that, with
about $300 in parts I won’t later use, and three day’s work, I can
add these five items from their list of six:
•
cooking facilities,
•
an ice box,
•
a self-contained toilet,
•
a drinkable water supply system that includes a faucet and
sink, and
•
a separate 110 volt power supply.
I was advised by another Ontario skoolie owner that the staff
behind the counter may be unfamiliar with the relevant
regulations. To speed the process, I took his advice and brought
along a printed copy of the regs. I’ve made them available here.
While undertaking this project I also need to get insurance in
Ontario, and Ontario license plates. Along the way I manage to
spend my first night sleeping in the bus - Wallydocking.
1
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Copyright 2023 TheSkoolieLife.com
Endnotes
1
Wallydocking: staying overnight in your RV in a Walmart
parking lot. A specific instance of:
Boondocking: Camping in an RV in a place that offers no water,
electrical or sewage hookups. It’s also known as dry camping,
except it is not done on any developed camp ground. See, too:
Moochdocking: Staying overnight for free in the driveway or
other property of a friend or relative. There may or may not be
hookups. Also known as driveway surfing.