Registering and insuring a van as an RV?

[frankieC55]

Does anyone here have experience registering and/or insuring a van as an RV? In Illinois or Michigan? Advice, Pros/Cons?


I have an 85 dodge van that I am converting into a campervan. I have owned it for about 6 months, and have yet to register it. I currently keep it in my garage in Chicago. I received a few parking tickets on it when I first bought it and briefly parked it on the street(the vin is on the tickets).

I can get Michigan residency fairly easily and register it up there. This would allow me to avoid those tickets, I plan to claim that I didn't own the van at that point anyway. I would also be able to avoid $200 Chicago city stickers and emissions testing as well.

With it being 30 years old, I am thinking of registering it as an antique vehicle. Friends have told me that it would be cheap for me to insure it as an RV. What requirements would need to be met for me to register it as a Class B? Do you see any advantages to doing this? Antique plates would legally restrict the van's use, but the majority of it's use will involve it either towing a trailer or travelling out of state during summer months. I have also read that antique plate laws are only sparsely enforced. Due to my van's age, I do believe it is exempt from Illinois emissions testing, but there are no emissions regulations throughout most of Michigan.

I should also mention that I currently have an Illinois license with a Chicago address and a car registered in Chicago. The car is on my parent's insurance policy and will likely remain that way for the foreseeable future. My car does need new o2 sensors before i renew the registration and get it tested, so it may be advantageous for me to register both vehicles in Michigan. I do not plan to use the car much once the weather warms up, and I am trying to focus my maintenance efforts on the van. With my car being an older hybrid, it needs to be driven somewhat regularly to prevent battery degradation; so I will most likely leave it with my folks to use as a secondary car.

I have little experience dealing with these issues, so your input is appreciated.

 

[Seraphim]

You'll have to ask your state licensing bureau. Did one in Ohio 30 years ago, but I forget the standards. I remember we got the license for the cargo van, but there were things we had to promise to do to it: sleeping arrangements, lighting, etc. Your licensing bureau can tell you exactly - it will vary state to state.

 

[Seraphim]

By 'avoid those tickets' do you mean avoid paying them? Mistake. Illinois can suspend your driving privileges in Illinois - doesn't matter where your license is issued - and most states have collateral agreements: if your privileges are suspended in one state, they are suspended in the other. So suspended driving privileges in Il. May prevent you from getting a license in MI - or many other states.if you have outstanding tickets, get them taken care of.

 

[frankieC55]

My name isn't on the tickets, I left it parked in the street for about an hour with an old license plate on it while I made room for it in the garage. The tickets only have the vin number of the van and that plate was last registered to someone who is no longer living. I doubt they would trace that vin all the way up there. I will run the vin through the city of chicago website and take a look now though.

That sounds like more trouble than it would be worth. I may just register it as a van up there and get liability insurance, but i'll see.

 

[SoulRaven]

I wouldn't register it as an RV. Many areas have laws against parking an RV on the street. As a van there are far fewer restrictions.

 

[Seraphim]

My name isn't on the tickets, I left it parked in the street for about an hour with an old license plate on it while I made room for it in the garage. The tickets only have the vin number of the van and that plate was last registered to someone who is no longer living. I doubt they would trace that vin all the way up there. I will run the vin through the city of chicago website and take a look now though.

That sounds like more trouble than it would be worth. I may just register it as a van up there and get liability insurance, but i'll see.

It takes 30 seconds to run a VIN number - they don't have to TRACE it anywhere. It's on an online database.

Your call. I have 28 years experience in the matter.

 

[highdesertranger]

I would just pay the tickets and be done with it. higdesertranger

 

[David]

It will also probably be a no go for you on the [font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]Antique plates as well. Those plates are meant for cars which are driven to club meetings or shows, parades ect..ect. They are not meant to be used on a daily driver and the plates are only valid in the state they are issued. Most people whom get them don't seem to understand this, but they are not just "cheap" plates because your car is old. They are very limited as to their usage, which is why they are cheaper.[/font]

 

[MK7]

Sticking old license plates on a car that wasn't registered to them can be a serious misdemeanor in many States, which ends up with high fines. A friend of mine did this to drive home a used car he just bought and got stopped for some traffic violation. When the plates didn't match the car, he ended paying about $1500 in fines, towing, impound, etc.

Since you weren't driving, it's just a parking ticket. I'd pay it so that there's less to zero chances of it brewing into a jackpot.

 

[Seraphim]

Frankly, I'm surprised they didn't tow the vehicle. By using only the VIN, they recognized the plates were no good. Running the tags should have notified the officer the registrant for the tags was deceased.

The court is expecting the owner - and the owner is the person associated with the VIN, not the tags, to either pay the fine or show up in court to contest the ticket. When neither happens, the judge can issue a warrant, or suspend the owner's license. The only attempt at contact they will make is to send a letter to the address on the VIN. Doesn't matter if the owner still resides there or not.

WILL the judge do that? IDk. Ours would have automatically. Was the car titled to you at that time? If not, you're safe. If it was, they can hold you responsible. You may already be driving on a suspended license and not know it. Not saying you are, saying it's possible. Depends on how that particular court operates. They just put the information into the LEADS database on the NCIC computer, and every pd, every bureau of motor vehicles and every court across the country will know about it if they run your name.

Just fyi.

 

[David]

Sticking old license plates on a car that wasn't registered to them can be a serious misdemeanor in many States, which ends up with high fines. A friend of mine did this to drive home a used car he just bought and got stopped for some traffic violation. When the plates didn't match the car, he ended paying about $1500 in fines, towing, impound, etc.

Since you weren't driving, it's just a parking ticket. I'd pay it so that there's less to zero chances of it brewing into a jackpot.

In FL it can get you arrested.. 

I had a floor cleaning company for a while and was using a older dodge van. I replaced the van with a Ford and the first day it wouldn't start. I had to get my jobs done, so I stuck the plates back on the Dodge and went off for the night to do my stores. As I pulled into the last store at 5am in the morning a cop stops me because I have a broken tail light..

Long story short he said I was technically under arrest because of the wrong plate being on the van, but he let me off with about $400 in tickets plus a date with the court.. This was for a van that was already registered in my name and had previously been tagged the day before and still had insurance.. I'd hate to see what would happen if it wasn't in your name yet with no insurance..

 

[MK7]

You may already be driving on a suspended license and not know it. 

This is the scariest part, depending on different States. I had a ticket that I didn't pay in Virginia when I drove there a lot visiting some chick. Some 15 years later, I passed through VA again, got stopped for using a radar detector. Cop finds out that my driving privilege was revoked in VA for not paying that ticket. But VA has since made some drastic changes in fines & penalties for simple traffic & DMV violations. This was after 9/11, where many of the Terrorists got fake driver's licenses through the weak check systems of the DMV in Northern VA and they took a lot of heat nationwide for it. Driving on a suspended license was now a possible 1 year jail sentence for first offense, lots of fines and a Class 7 Felony, or something like that. I had to get a lawyer and all that jazz, at least $1000 after it was all done.

 

[MK7]

Long story short he said I was technically under arrest because of the wrong plate being on the van, but he let me off with about $400 in tickets plus a date with the court.. 

This cop was pretty cool. Because technically, if you drove off and plowed into a bunch of people, killing them and causing millions in property damage, etc.....the victims and even yourself, can possibly make a GOOD case against the Cop for negligence in letting you drive off with false plates like that. Lawyers on all sides will sue the City and everybody and their mother for a piece.

That's why a Cop should tow & impound your car immediately....or, in my case.....(my 2nd suspended license occurrence in VA), after I begged him, was to let me park the car and have a friend pick me up. He said if I tried to drive it home and he catches me, then I'm def. going to jail. The 1st time, I was lucky as the Cop got a call on his radio....he said he was going to take me to jail and shiz...this one, I wasn't as polite with him in the beginning and was arguing w/him, and it was a cold and rainy day too.
 

 

[David]

This cop was pretty cool. Because technically, if you drove off and plowed into a bunch of people, killing them and causing millions in property damage, etc.....the victims and even yourself, can possibly make a GOOD case against the Cop for negligence in letting you drive off with false plates like that. Lawyers on all sides will sue the City and everybody and their mother for a piece.

That's why a Cop should tow & impound your car immediately....or, in my case.....(my 2nd suspended license occurrence in VA), after I begged him, was to let me park the car and have a friend pick me up. He said if I tried to drive it home and he catches me, then I'm def. going to jail. The 1st time, I was lucky as the Cop got a call on his radio....he said he was going to take me to jail and shiz...this one, I wasn't as polite with him in the beginning and was arguing w/him, and it was a cold and rainy day too.
 

He didn't let me drive off, I was in the parking lot of the store I had to do and he told me I'd have to have the van towed. I did my store parked the van (cause I knew he was watching) took a cab home and went to bed. I then got a ride back later that day and drove it home..