Succeeding means doing what you gotta do, and that may not match how you would like to do it. Your available funding will cut your marching orders. Run the numbers, then decide.

Well, building motors with no money is difficult, so which relative will haul your fifth wheel for some sort of deal? You got a haul quote, so if you HAVE to go then that means "sell something you don't want to sell like it or not" and get the loot to pay to haul the fifth wheel.

Trailer is survival because you'll live in it. F350 isn't survival, and is dead. What would it scrap for where you are and how much closer would that get you to your goal?

Money is money. I'll smash anything in a heartbeat to turn a buck and smile while doing it.

This might be useful:
A Ranger, if it's a six-cylinder in decent shape is capable of taking the Volkswagen on a tow dolly which is much lighter than a flat trailer. It'll be slow in the mountains of course. A Ranger is plenty to take care of business at your destination until you can find another larger truck.

You had that long to learn better than wasting effort on anything that wasn't a moneymaker, and save/scrap/swap enough to buy the right truck long before needing it. If the way you've been doing vehicles was smart you wouldn't be in a bind right now.

That bind is life (not me, life) telling you to make adult choices since you are caring for another person.

ranger is a 4cyl splash
 

the ranger splash is a 96 splash with a 4cyl . think stepside.it has a gutless 2.3 with 270000 miles and a m50d trans.the f350 for scrap is only worth 300.00.the allison with the olds motor is only worth maybe 500-600 dollars if im lucky .that litle amount of money wont get us anywhere if i have to put in a new engine so that the splash will tow the rabbit .the rabbit is only worth 150.00 for scrap .they dont care that its set up for handiccaped .a tow bar in the area that i live is 500.00.
. .we had the 5th wheel inspected and it wont make the trip .and used handicapped equipment has no value.so that makes a handicapped equiped rabbit a piece of junk .the same goes for the ranger.the f350 has all the outside trim except for the center strip on the door and fender.the door panels have a chrome strip with a black strip in between.then a white strip then a light colered wood grain strip .the door handles are white .it has black carpet it has optional mark brand air conditioning.it has white bucket seats .it has a black dash pad..and 13 leaf springs.10 springs plus 3 helper springs.i changed out the 16s and put on 8r19.5s i had to take off the disc brake suspension because i didnt take a better look at the ibeams .thay where bent .had to put back the drum brake now i have marginial front brakes.now it appears that this f350 camper special motor home chassis has no value.so according to everybody else we have to give up everything we own . the relatives wont help untill we get to the oregon washington border .the ranger wont tow the rabbit because the rabbit weighs more than the ranger.its just a stupid 2.3 with 3.45 gears those are not very good towing gears.if im careful the 1200.00 will get us to at least sacramento
.i can borrow enough money to get to astoria washington.then the relatives will put everything on trucks and trailers..the relatives will help us to get started over.then we will start paying everybody back .i wont buy a piece of rusted out junk vehicle from washington.we have to pay full price for any vehicle because we live on disability and social security and for that reason car dealers wont even talk to us.we have beentrying for 32 years.to get a decent vehicle that will carry a electric chair.that is why built the rabbit and the ranger for wheechair.it took 8 years .where did you get the idea that i was going to build a engine.the olds the allison are runners.this gutless ranger wont even carry 10 90lb bags..of mortar mix and you expect the ranger to tow a 3600 lb rabbit so much for the ranger taking care of business.as for finding a not rusted out large truck in washington thats less than 10.000 dollars they dont exist.
lrd56

Bummer. Sounds like the "perfect storm" of bad vehicles.

I don't find anything funny about the situation you find yourself in. A lot of your fellow Americans are also in the very same boat. Many people are just one sickness, one disater, one paycheck away from being out on the street.

If money is tight, then I would suggest that whatever means that you find to head north that you not the the coast hyway. Beautiful yes, long yes, and with some steep hills and lots of rolling hills. I would suggest coming up thru eastern Oregon, shorter (save what, $400 to $600 on fuel alone) slower roads so you can take your time, still have some hills to climb though most is flatter. Plus, there are ample straights that people can pass you so you do not feel pressured to drive faster.

As I said, and I meant, the best of luck with your travels. You have some very hard desicions to make in how you are going to accomplish your goals. You may have to sacrifice a lot of thing to get your lad that you want. I would just say at the end of it, if you in fact only have two years from a wheelchair yourself, would land and the need to improve it to be habitable be the best life choice?

Again, I find nothig funny about your situation, and only giving advice on what and how I might think and at the end of the daay, it is your life and that of your wifes and you and her have to make the desicions gpoing forward.

David