"Where can I sign up for a Tour date?"
^ That's probably the most common question I'm asked, besides what oil to use. (Check your owners manual for that one…)
Not yet!
Sign-ups will be announced in this order:
- Past Air-Schooled graduates
- 2020 Tour cancellations
- Social media followers
[Most cities 'sell out' by this point.]
- TheSamba.com forum members
- General population
Scheduling 50 stops all over the country, each with a different set of challenges, is mind-bogglingly intricate, hence the tiered announcements. From the time I publicize Tour, (soon!) to the time I hit the road in spring, I send about 400 e-mails detailing everything from what parts to buy, how we can coordinate 51 schedules, what to do if my vintage economy car kicks the bucket, and how I can best help you regardless of your mechanical aptitude.
Here's how it goes:
- You see sign-ups are open
- You e-mail me with your year/model vehicle, and what you'd like to learn
- We discuss schedule options and requirements
- I wait a month or two for the lolligaggers to sign up
- I propose hard and fast dates to you first, because you did not dawdle
- We agree on a date, and you pay the $100 deposit
- Buddy and I show up at 9am on the agreed date
On my end, the planning is a little more nebulous… And a lot more analog!
Different regions of Turtle Island require different planning and travel styles, so I use a color-coded system to keep track of where Buddy will take me. Red is friends/family, and the rest of the colors are groupings of VW owners that have paid their deposits. (Picture from March 2020, HA!)
Once Buddy and I have a rough travel outline and student roster, I start proposing dates, and we pencil things in. Assigned dates USUALLY shift a little, as more people realize that maybe, just maybe, shops aren't going to show the same level of care for cars as their owners… If we make it this far, I'll send you the link to pay your deposit by card, PayPal, or Venmo. Date conflicts also favor the side of earliest deposit, so don't be slow like Buddy?
My goal is to have the entire Tour schedule locked in by April 2nd, so humor me and let's plan ahead!
See you on the road,
Robbie
