Today we launch officially on our 60 day Road School journey. The Dinosaur Valley and College Station were good test runs for preparing us for this day. Lessons learned from the two trial runs were priceless for venturing out on the road in a trailer older than me. Here are a few, some are vintage trailer specific:

• Arrival and departure checklist. If anything the departure checklists is the most critical.
• Have tools and supplies on hand. My twenty year old cordless dill battery almost cost us another day in College Station.
• Airstream Specific: Have rivets and a rivet gun on hand with sealant. A few popped out on our second trip and trying to fix these in a remote state park would be tough to do not to mention possible further damage that could occur from a delayed repair.
• Know how to seal leaks. Every trailer I’ve ever been in has leaked. Having the right materials and tools on hand to fix can quickly keep a minor problem from becoming a major problem.
• Be ready for bad days and lengthy delays. The five hours and multiple problems encountered trying to leave College Station will probably not be our last trial. For me, being mentally prepared for them goes a long way to not getting worked up about them.

There are many more lessons learned ahead. Hopefully most are about lessons in appreciating the amazing gift my family has to travel freely around a nation without fear of police bribes, civil unrest, war, regulatory restrictions, or many other trials that would befall a person trying to see their country in many parts of the world.