Indeed a test of the complete vehicle.
I like the part where they meet some people who's truck broke down in the "road", so they pulled the engine and sent it off for repair. The were excited that the parts were only a few weeks out and acted like it was nothing to have camped out with the vehicle for over a year already...
As for taking the wife, not all wives are frail and delicate little flowers who wish to live on a pedestal. She was no doubt very aware of the dangers and made her own conscious decision to go. It wouldn't be very fair to say "I'm going, but you can't.. It's too dangerous." The danger wouldn't really change or go away if he elected to make her stay at home. It seems they made an excellent team and she had a very important job for the trek. I'd venture to say that without her, it would have been much harder, to almost impossible to do with her.
