I had no trouble with insurance (State Farm) and I did fully disclose that it was a retired ambulance. It is simply registered as an E350 van. I did have an issue with AAA however.

I had a minor issue with a brake line close to home and when I called for a tow, I was told it was a commercial vehicle and they would not tow it. I said WTF?!?! I had the plus + RV package from AAA which I was told would cover the tow vehicle and whatever it was towing for 200 miles. They said the ambulance would be too expensive to tow. I asked about the 'RV' in the name of my coverage - they said an RV was fine. So, if I was driving a 43' Class A diesel pusher and it broke down you would tow me and the trailer but you won't tow my E350 van? Yep, that was the answer I got. After a decade plus of faithful membership, I no longer have a AAA card. *******... [/endrant]

 

I currently have USAA. I tried them, AAA, and Progressive and all told me no for insurance for the box truck and bus.

Well that is good to know and sucks. I have been a AAA member since I started and so far have had zero issues with them. Who did you end up switching to? I know USAA offers the service, but it is car specific and not tied just to me.

I had wanted to buy a diesel bus and convert to RV. Unfortunately the only company that was doing insurance on the conversions was Progressive. They have since stopped taking new people for that plan. You can sign up and generally you get about a month before you get a call saying they won't insure you because the underwriter said no. Older customers who were grandfathered in are good though.

So at the end up the day I will end up with a 7.3 diesel van some day. Hopefully sooner rather then later. I know AAA will tow the E350 van, as they had no problem doing it with my gas e350.

 

USAA is very good because they are used to dealing with service members bringing cars from different markets to the states (you are allowed one per year), so they can probably deal with out of the ordinary situations better.

 

Speaking of bulletproof, badass 7.3s, I have a manual 6spd, crew cab, 4x2 one for sale here in Richmond, VA:
2000 F250 Powerstroke 7.3 Manual

We load up a TON of gear and pack the car with drivers in addition to our trailer which turns out to go over the GVWR on the truck. I need to tow legally so I got something that met my numbers. If you don't have my weird payload scenario, this is an awesome truck, tows like a dream and rides great just driving around. 6 speed manual because they are crazy reliable. I went through the whole thing so it's in good shape now as many from that era require a lot of work due to age & neglect.

Replaced with a 2016 RAM 3500. 6.4L Gas. Got it at end of year discounting, last day of month, on a rainy day for $34,500 OTD with solid options. I don't put enough miles on it to justify the $10k more (with 6.4L rebate) diesel. A much rougher ride than the 2000 F250 when unloaded. Swapped shocks & put on Sulastic Shackles which cut out the harshest hits to the chassis but still doesn't make it ride as well as the 2000 F250... also why it has enough payload for my scenario though.

 

That does look nice. The problem is that getting a F-350 over the E-350 tends to pull a 6$k-$10k premium. For something I will use a dozen times a year for 2-3k miles, I just can't justify that much extra cash.

 

I put emergency roadside service on through State Farm. I asked a lot of specific questions and got specific answers. One was 'what about the trailer?'. They said the coverage on the tow vehicle extends to whatever it is towing as long as I am actively towing at the time. For example, if the ambulance broke down in the paddock (got to the track but failed to start), I would need to argue that it broke as I was rolling out or else the trailer wouldn't be covered. Either way, I would be out of pocket until I made the claim and got reimbursed and I only get to the 'nearest repair facility' instead of 200 miles. I've had AAA bring me home a few times with passenger cars (fuel pumps in two different cars, etc.) because I do my own work. It will be annoying to argue that point with the State Farm coverage.

AAA is awesome but if anyone tows with something unusual, I encourage you call and ask before you are stuck on the side of the interstate at 1am after a long weekend at the track...

 

Have you been dealing with a broker or just calling companies directly? My cars are all through brethren mutual and the bike through progressive. I believe the ambulance is through brethren also but I'd have to double check the card.

 

I would definitely go through a broker for an odd vehicle such as a ambulance or short bus. They have much more flexibility versus calling a captive.

 

Wow those are pulling a premium out there... I got my crew cab long bed 2000 F350 dually with ZF6 for $1000 less with 115k less miles lol. But I also did have to do new tires and some other work to it.

 

You can get them cheaper but then you have to put all the work in that I already put in it. The work and parts ad up quickly. When I was looking for mine, I did see a perfectly maintained one near my current asking price. In retrospect, I wish I had gone that route and saved a ton of time.

 

We towed behind a "bulletproofed" 6.0 F350 the last two years.
Finding a previously "bulletproofed" 6.0 was chosen over a higher mile, older model 7.3 due to bank financing and CFO "that's too old" factor.

 

Bulletproofing a 6.0 is expensive as Andrew mentioned. A lot of people do it as a cab off service. But its also not impossible to do yourself.

Unless a 7.3 falls in my lap I will be shopping for a 6.0 at some point.

Would love a bulletproofed 6.0 excursion.

 

Buying a 6.0 that's already been bulletproofed with receipts is a solid choice. The truck I ended up with is a unicorn, that's why I went with the 7.3 in order to have 2wd, manual, crew cab long bed, etc etc.

I want to get some '08+ tow mirrors, do a stereo system and maybe a small sub and then I've got to get PHP Hydra chip in there then that's it for tow rig mods.

 

Was the unicorn part the NBS 7.3? Or the blown turbo and broken everything

 

That combination of features is almost impossible to find. I've never seen another one like it for sale. At least everything other than the turbo and fan clutch I was planning on upgrading anyways. Actually on second thought I probably would have upgraded the turbo anyways lol...

 

The one I am selling above is a 4x2, crew cab, 7.3, 4x2, that rides, handles, and tows awesome . 6.5ft bed though. So who wants some Unicorn? Turbo builds solid boost and the thing hauls great. Just needed more payload, otherwise had planned to keep it for a decade.

Anecdotally, when looking for my new truck, 4x2 was RARE. Everyone seems to think 4x2 is a no penalty option. I prefer the better ride, fuel economy, maintenance, handling, and ride height of 4x2. Have not been stuck once. Chains stay in truck but I have only used them once every few years.

Meanwhile, when my family goes skiing, we take a corolla with winter tires mounted and chains just in case. We shoot up the mountains at high speed laughing at the overconfident 4x4 trucks & SUVs littering the sides of the roads without chains and with all season tires mounted.

 

Picked up a new trailer yesterday, it's a TPD 24 foot triple axle. I've been looking for one of these for a while, so when one showed up on Craigslist in San Diego I had a buddy down there give him a deposit and then jumped in the truck for a lightning trip down there.

(perspective makes the trailer look huge in this photo)




--Ian

 

damnnnn. That is sexy.

What is that old trailer doing now then....

 

Taking up the parking space this trailer is supposed to go in. It's for sale, there's one guy interested but nothing committed yet.

--Ian

 

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