What might be making you a tad apprehensive, but might not, as it's too soon to tell

[glatt]

So the working plan we have now is that I rent the van. Done.

Not sure if I can add him as a driver if he isn't there in person. Maybe if I have a copy of his driver's license.

And this lawyer dad is going to fly to his important St. Louis meetings with all his backpacking gear in addition to all his lawyer shit. After the meetings he's going to the airport hotel, pack up, change into camper mode, and fly to Billings MT in the morning and meet us at the KOA when we arrive that afternoon. Or maybe we will pick him up in the Billings airport. I guess we'll be driving around with his big briefcase and suit/garment bag at the bottom of the pile under the camping equipment and backpacks.

So he will miss the first week of the trip, but that's the relaxing fewer miles driven part of the trip anyway.