
Sounds like a plan. One more note: be sure it's well secured when on the road in case you have to apply the brakes hard or hit a big bump. Vibrations should be fine, but you don't want it flying into the air!
Another thing to be aware of is that laptops typically consume much less electricity than desktop computers. This may be a consideration if you plan on working off of battery power. External USB CD/DVD writers are reasonably priced if you can't find a laptop with a built-in one. They are becoming a rare breed.