Hi all. We are 2 years out from retirement and plan on traveling back and forth Wisconsin to California several times for the first few years at least. We don't camp as we have a place to stay at our destination but our disabled son needs a little more room than the new passenger car/van vehicles offer. I use to drive a Dodge B250 conversion van but he got old and rusted out.Our group: Dh, myself, 1 adult semi-dependent son, 2 teens (one disabled) and an elderly mother. Objectives: a vehicle that all six of us can travel comfortably in cross country with space for dressing/changing my disabled son. Any kitchen/bath/bedroom would be icing on the cake. We would stop at night at hotels for my elderly mother and then once we get to California she'd be staying with my siblings. We have a family cabin in California so the RV would be used for short trips around California and The Great Lakes for mostly just DH & I and our 2 teens.I like the idea of a Class C with bdrm in rear and either 4 overstuffed chairs or sofa & dinette.I'm very concerned about rust and I suppose I need to consider California emissions requirements in the event we decide to relocate there permanently.*Mom and I are native Californians and I haven't been home in 15 years because of my disabled son (too difficult) so this is really important to me to have to look forward to.Thank you for any ideas!

Hi:Good for you on your plans to travel - that's quite a group!Some thoughts - have you set your budget? Do you require wheelchair access to the RV? A travel trailer and full sized van may be a good solution. My neighbor tows a TT with his van, and they take four adult family members camping with them.Have you spend much time looking at RVs? If not, drive to your nearest large RV dealer (without your check book) and do some shopping. You may find type that will work best for you. Happy camping,Elizabeth

Thank you Elizabeth.We don't require wheelchair access and I have no desire to have a TT as we won't be stopping and setting up camp. We'll be making a straight shot across country with 3 drivers we should make it to Nebraska where we have relatives. We'll get hotel rooms there and spend a day or two, have lunch with an aunt and unwind, swim in the hotel pool, etc. Then proceed on to California where we would drop Mom with my siblings and stay in a family summer home very near my home town and then do day trips around California from there.I've seen a website that sells a Phoenix Cruiser which is a 21 footer with seating and a kitchen but no bdrm. The kind of look like a smaller shuttle bus but they are fairly new on the market and still quite expensive.I'd like to put about $10K-15K down and stay well under $400 for a payment.

dayakster wrote: I'd like to put about $10K-15K down and stay well under $400 for a payment.An important condition!I think this puts you in the $50 to $60 thousand neighborhood. If, for example, with $10k down you were able to qualify for a 15 year loan of $40,000 at 7%, your monthly payment would be $360.00. Not counting insurance, of course. Payments would be higher if the interest rate is. Figures are from RV buyer's loan calculator at this link. You might enjoy noodling around with the numbers there. It'll even give you full amortization schedules of a loan. A useful tool for folks in the planning stages, I think.

Thank you Francesca. I have played around with a few of those calculators. I was hoping to find a sweet spot somewhere in the $40K range but I may have to go up to $50-60K to get something mechanically sound with mileage low enough for our purposes.

look at toy haulers, they have large open area, would possibly be good for a disabled person in a wheel chair and make modifications if needed

Searching for right RV for cross country with disabled son.

19 Replies

dayakster
Explorer
Jul 29, 2013
cont....as far as the overhead space being wasted...we will have at least 6 duffle bags for our clothing along so I thought that would be where that goes. My father always had a cab over camper when I was a kid and that's what we used that space for.

I will look into a shorter Class A though now that you suggested it bsinmich. Thanks.
dayakster
Explorer
Jul 29, 2013
Thank you Relaxin & bsinmich.

My son is low functioning autistic. He's NOT in a wheelchair but he is in pull ups and needs privacy for changing. We are way past the age of taking him into the ladies room and having our own clean restroom for him is worth a million bucks.

He also gets overwhelmed so having a nice space (the bedroom maybe?) to go decompress in will be useful. When he was smaller I use to take him into my Dodge B250, turn on the a/c and pull the curtains if he had a melt down or needed his clothes changed but these cross country trips are going to be alot different than anything we've done before.

Having that bedroom so the resting driver can sleep while on that long haul down I-80 sounds good too.
bsinmich
Explorer
Jul 29, 2013
Since you don't plan on sleeping ini it I would forget a Class C and look at a shorter Class A. All that space over the cab in the C would be just wasted for your use. IMHO it is also the source of most water leaks on the Cs. You will get more usable space to move around in that way. You will need seat belts for everyone.
I_am_still_wayn
Explorer
Jul 29, 2013
In a motorhome, all passengers MUST remain seated and seat-belted. They cannot roam around like when it is parked. You will have a problem finding a Class C with this many seat belts, I think, where everyone will be comfortable for hours on end.

The previous suggestion of a van and trailer is a good one, and will keep you inside your budget easier.
relaxin
Explorer
Jul 29, 2013
look at toy haulers, they have large open area, would possibly be good for a disabled person in a wheel chair and make modifications if needed
dayakster
Explorer
Jul 29, 2013
Thank you Francesca. I have played around with a few of those calculators. I was hoping to find a sweet spot somewhere in the $40K range but I may have to go up to $50-60K to get something mechanically sound with mileage low enough for our purposes.
Francesca_Knowl
Explorer
Jul 29, 2013
dayakster wrote:

I'd like to put about $10K-15K down and stay well under $400 for a payment.

An important condition!

I think this puts you in the $50 to $60 thousand neighborhood. If, for example, with $10k down you were able to qualify for a 15 year loan of $40,000 at 7%, your monthly payment would be $360.00. Not counting insurance, of course. Payments would be higher if the interest rate is.

Figures are from RV buyer's loan calculator at this link. You might enjoy noodling around with the numbers there. It'll even give you full amortization schedules of a loan. A useful tool for folks in the planning stages, I think.
dayakster
Explorer
Jul 29, 2013
Thank you Elizabeth.

We don't require wheelchair access and I have no desire to have a TT as we won't be stopping and setting up camp. We'll be making a straight shot across country with 3 drivers we should make it to Nebraska where we have relatives. We'll get hotel rooms there and spend a day or two, have lunch with an aunt and unwind, swim in the hotel pool, etc. Then proceed on to California where we would drop Mom with my siblings and stay in a family summer home very near my home town and then do day trips around California from there.

I've seen a website that sells a Phoenix Cruiser which is a 21 footer with seating and a kitchen but no bdrm. The kind of look like a smaller shuttle bus but they are fairly new on the market and still quite expensive.

I'd like to put about $10K-15K down and stay well under $400 for a payment.
eabc5454
Explorer
Jul 29, 2013
Hi:

Good for you on your plans to travel - that's quite a group!

Some thoughts - have you set your budget? Do you require wheelchair access to the RV? A travel trailer and full sized van may be a good solution. My neighbor tows a TT with his van, and they take four adult family members camping with them.

Have you spend much time looking at RVs? If not, drive to your nearest large RV dealer (without your check book) and do some shopping. You may find type that will work best for you.

Happy camping,
Elizabeth

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Searching for right RV for cross country with disabled son.

19 Replies

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