What spares do people carry?

There's probably a difference depending if you have breakdown cover or not.

I carry spare cables because they are longer than on most vehicles, so your breakdown service are unlikely to be able to mackle something together to get you moving if they break. I suppose I ought to get a spare fan belt too. They don't take up much space stuffed under the rear seat. I wouldn't run around with a trolley jack though - the breakdown van should have one

 

Good point - decent breakdown cover should have all the tools needed, just carry the spares they almost certainly won't have or be able to source.

Seems daft to pay for breakdown cover then stubbonly insist on fixing it yourself ?

 

Sometimes it's an easy fix that a spare fuse, nut and bolt or a bit of wire will fix. Depends on where you're going and how handy you are I guess.
I'd rather fix it myself but to be honest sometimes that's just not possible.
We freed off stuck calipers after a daft descent in the Austrian Alps, but had to get breakdown service to recover us to a main VW dealer on Crete when the rear drums seized solid.
Horses for courses..

 

I've got most of the above spares permanently stashed in the bus.

Remembering where they all are is a different matter.

I suggest you make a note of where they are all stashed and keep that note book in the glove compartment.

I also suggest I follow my own advice, as I just took photos of what bits are stashed where & didn't ever get round to writing it down.

Good storage spaces i've found are:
Spare wheel: clutch and accelerator cables, pretty sure i've got a bottle jack in there as well.
I have a westy bed that has useful spaces on either side of it. Drivers side has a spare coil, fuel pump and all sorts down it. Passenger side has some blocks of wood and other goodies.

The weird long gaps under the front seats also have much space to stash stuff. I have high vis jacket, warning triangle, fan belt, plus an Aldi/Lidl telescope of course!


You'll be fine. Have a great time

 

I carry a small basic toolkit too - just a little zip-up wallet style kit with screwdrivers, pliers, knife, cable ties, etc. Again under the back seat

 

Most of already mentioned plus rocker gaskets and box of mixed bolts, nuts screws, etc, boxof mix electrical bits.


Whater you thi k could get you out of trouble and back home.

Obligatory gaffa tape and cable ties too.

 

Some space under the passenger seat too. That's where I keep the Orla Kiely pouch with all the spare cables!

I ended up stealing some nuts off the Rusty Lee bed once to repair something on the road.

 

Like it, good idea.

Plus the nicking of bed nuts is a great idea

 

From memory I think I had to nick the nuts to use the double nut trick to remove an inlet manifold stud.
I'd installed the stud the wrong way round so I couldn't get the spark plug back in that had decided to spit itself out.

 

All these things I have in various stash points around the bus. Really useful, just changed out a clutch cable a couple of weeks ago. 45 mins and away

But the main useful thing I’ve included lately is a thick old curtain, for chucking on the floor, so I don’t get totally filthy when going down under the engine etc
. Saves on clothes if youre on a multidayer, you can stay clean with a pair of latex gloves and slow considered moves ...back in the cab and away... when it gets too oily, get another one

 

Quiche. Always carry quiche.

 

I'm glad this thread came up as it prompted me to check my own inventory and remember I'm short on a couple of bits. Anyway, this is pretty much what I've been lugging around for the past 23 years and, touch wood, I've never yet had to resort to a yellow taxi in 45,000 miles; a lot of that on our big European tours back in the late 90s and noughties....








In addition to the above, I always carry (obviously) a good jack and blocks of wood plus a handy collapsible axle stand.

 

Duct tape
Cable ties
Hammer
A few bits of wire and connectors
A few nuts and bolts
Spare long sparkplug lead and spark plug
Throttle cable
Fan belt
Rocker cover gasket
Small basic tool kit
1lt oil

I think that’s it and gets me out of most problems

 

Thanks for all the input guys. Very helpful. My idea was to have various spares even if it was for the RAC to use to get us on our way should the worst happen.


Once packed and ready to go I’ll make sure we have space for a quiche @snotty

 

Never travel without it!

 

Wow … I don’t even carry a jack !! Lol
I don’t intend to break down,. If I do I’ll call the RAC if I have mobile reception…

 

Is the face mask for the smell

 

I was like you for 2 decades, then I got a puncture in the middle of nowhere.
I seem to have a few tools in the van and now a spare distributor...just because I have one. It's all a bit mysterious to me as apart from the flat and waaaay back, the points stuck on a moggie minor fuel pump someone had fitted, I've never broken down. I mean, if you carry a spare "whatever" does that mean you suspect the "whatever" ? and if you do, wouldn't it be more convenient fix it at home rather than on the side of the road?
I just got my insurance renewal - £125 inc roadside rescue. That'll do me but I've never had to use it.

 

Does anyone ever actually use any of this stuff they cart round with them?
I don’t even have a spare wheel!

 

I remember breaking down on the A1 back in the early 80s in my Beetle with a broken throttle cable. RAC guy actually had a spare on board!