Searching for right RV for cross country with disabled son.

To me it sound like you should look at a van conversion or class B motorhome. I realize you had a conversion van, but there are many many configurations, including seating for 6, a small kitchenette and small bathroom. There many different plans out there, take a look at sportsmobile.com, to get an idea of the possibilities. There are many options available used in the price range you are looking at.

I can't help much with what type of MH to purchase for your needs, but with respect to your budget and location (the rust belt), you may want to decide what works best for you and then search in areas more popular for RV's.
I spent a couple years in AZ and every spring there was a glut of used RV's for sale by all the snowbirds who had taken their last trip (literally and figuratively) or decided to relocate permanently.
Rust was not an issue because they all wintered in AZ and were only in the snowy regions spring through fall.
Mileage was typically low becasue they were mostly desination vehicles, 1 annual trip N to S and back.
Perhaps the only downside is that they all had alot of "use" of living quarters.
Not an issue for you since you dont really plan on long term use of the lq.
Florida is similar.
Just watch the used market in the snowbird areas in the spring. I'd bet it would be worth the trip.

There are class A MH with front facing couches and seat up to 10 people with belts. With a center kitchen most could be updated with front facing couches.

Buy a good used model and remodel the floor plan to accommodate your needs.

When you make your next trip, why not rent a class C and see if it works for you?

Buy a MH in California and no worries about the emissions requirements. In general in California the emissions allowed varies by age of the vehicle so it will be less stringent on a 20-year old MH than a new one. You can check with the DMV at their website and learn the specifics.

Motorhome prices are a function of age and not mileage. In a lot of ways it would be better to buy a 20 year old motorhome and have a mechanic go through it replacing hoses and belts and brakes and tires and having a reliable vehicle when you are done.

Certain engines have been less reliable than others and the owner specific forums for different coaches will provide good information on particular makes and their engines that are now giving their owners grief and which ones are relatively troublefree and easier to maintain and repair.

Sounds like you really need a touring vehicle that comfortably seats six, but with the benefit of a bed/bathroom. Might be a tough thing to find! So - I was thinking about how to seat the most people comfortably and thought of the Coachmen 23cb.

Admittedly, I may be a little biased as we have a unique Coachmen layout that we think is fantastic...the Coachmen 23cb is the closest they've made to our floor plan since the one year they released ours (in 2007). For whatever reason, we seem to have odd taste in floor plans, as we were told it wasn't popular, hence being discontinued quickly. Looks like that may have happened again, as I don't see the 23cb in the current lineup...

Anyway, my thought is you want to maximize comfortable seating for travel. This unit has two dinettes and a total of includes eight seatbelts. Since there are three front-facing dinette seats, a total of five people could face forward while traveling (I am the type who gets sick going backward, so this seems like a plus to me). Keep in mind - in order to qualify as "comfortable" for long distance travel, you may need to plan on upgrading the dinette cushions. They usually give out pretty quickly, especially on more entry-level units.

Here's a YouTube tour of the Coachmen 23cb. (The guy and video cite the wrong model number, but from everything I've seen, that's the 23cb.)

I didn't really look much, but in trying to find the floor plan I noted some for sale new (on the West coast) for about $45K. Might be within the right price range. And you get a nice bed/bath/kitchen as well! We've been very happy with ours...

Take a look at Sportsmobile (www.Sportsmobile.con). They custom convert vans for a variety of purposes. I am sure that they can come up with a plan that will fit your needs.

There are a couple of things to keep in mind for wheelchair access.

First off, the height of the vehicle door off the ground. If you get one that is too high, you may be beyond the use of many portable ramps. There is a great resource here for determining the correct length ramp for the height of the door you are using it at: Wheelchair Ramp Wizard

The other consideration is the width of the door. Most RV's have fairly narrow doors. Most portable wheelchair ramps are made to 30 inches wide, so to use a standard portable ramp, you would want to find a unit that has a door that opens at least 30 inches wide. If so, then you should be able to use standard Wheelchair Ramps like these.

As you do not really need all the features of an RV, what about looking for a small touring bus with a bathroom? They generally have comfortable seating, a toilet or you could add one, and I am sure you could partition off some of the space to give your son a quiet room.

Most RV bathrooms are tiny and would not accommodate an adult and teen.

Something to think about with RV seating. Many people get car sick if they are not looking forward. If you do choose and RV you may want to rent and see how the various family members do if they are looking sideways or backwards before putting down $$$.

There are many varieties of floor plans out there, start looking.
You are looking to carry six people by my count and that is not tough. But, some of your conditions are. Getting the room to manage a severely disabled person is. A Class-A with no slides will give you the most room to manage things on the road. Slides are great when you are stopped, but in some units, the slide inhibits access to the kitchen and bathroom (not good planning in my book).

Do Not fret about California emissions test. Most engines that have not been messed with will pass. If you end up buying a 49-state that doesn't pass CARB, then sell it in Nevada. If you decide to buy in California, then require the seller to provide a current CARB certificate. It is transferable if it is recent enough.

As you will be buying used, just be certain the owner did at least the required maintenance. There are used coaches out there that are better than new.

Two very important things to be aware of...
1-If a unit has any detectable water damage - walk (run) away.
2-Tires last 5~7 years and regardless of wear must be replaced or body failure may result and the expense of this damage is far more than the cost of tires.

If the unit is more than ten years old. The brake system should be flushed, and the LP tanks may need to be recertified or replaced (neither is big bucks).

I wish you well in both your travels and your life.

Matt