Not something we keep on hand, but an “ounce of prevention”: we installed in-line shut off valves on all of out service lines (sinks & toilets). There’s a reason why all homes have service line shut off valves. It’s the same logic for why you need them in your RV: isolate the flow to the source of the repair. For example, you can shut off the water to a toilet when (not if) the flush valve fails. With in-line shut off valves, all other water lines remain usable until the repair is made.
All very good items to have on board for emergencies. You left off one important one that should be carried for emergencies and that is an excellent bottle of Bourbon!
I always travel with a small air compressor (110 volt) and a pneumatic wrench for changing out flat tires. I also carry an air assist 30 ton jack. You would not believe how many times I end up using those tools to replace blown tires for folks along side the highway or adding more air to other campers in the campground. I am 70 years old and these make my RV life a lot easier.
Make sure you have a wheel wrench that can take the nuts & the spare tire off. I didn't have that on the side of the interstate. Big Thanks to Tennessee road side assistance that helped with that.
I do mostly boondocking and camp nine months out of the year. I carry an extra circuit board for the furnace as well as some of the common parts that fail on the furnace. If you're going to carry spare bearings, you might as well grease them at home and put them in a heavy duty zip lock bag. A set of grease seals and cotter pin go in a separate zip lock. The right socket for the axle nut is kind of important. On my trailer the nut is big enough that the socket for it isn't something that would be found in a common socket set. For older RV's, a spare AC circuit breaker might come in handy. I carry two trailer spares. I had to use both at the same time earlier this year due to tread separation on one tire and missing chunks out of the tread on another tire. The tires were on different axles and different sides of the trailer. That was a strange one, but I caught both before the tires blew.
Jim : you are 1000% right on about the bearings. After a set of bearings went out on my boat trailer way back on 7/4/76. Left on the side of the road for 10+ hours running back & forth 25+ miles to the only automotive parts store open giving me incorrect ones; I vowed not to let that happen again. I ALWAYS make sure they are greased every trip and I inspect for heat at every stop we make.
A handy test/patch tool to carry, for those that travel remotely, is a basic "spade fuse" holder with a few inches of 10awg leads with #10 or 1/4" ring terminals attached... Properly fused, its a test wire. a bypass wire for a failed circuit breaker/switch, or as a fuse holder for a temporary emergency circuit as may be necessary...
I carry a propane regulator. I have had them fail on two trailers and if you read the Amazon reviews for regulators everyone talks about them failing. We boondock a lot and losing our refrigerator, cooking, hot water and heat all at once would end or trip.
Grease and a small grease gun. Cheap temp gun, after a long drive, check the temp of your hubs. I know this sounds a little over the top but it's super quick and easy. A bad bearing will let you know a it's going out, a long time before it fails, if you are paying attention. Plus a temp gun is super handy (and fun) for all kinds of things.
The first time I had a flat on my old trailer I realized that I'd forgotten to get a lug wrench that fit the trailer's lug nuts. After a 4.5 hour round trip from the campground to a Walmart I discovered that the spare was attached with different size nuts than those on the wheel hubs. Back to Walmart. I'm just glad that I got the flat while in a campsite rather than on the road.
Things I carry: 1. Spare capacitors for the ac. Mine went out i had covid. No ac while you think you're dying is a problem. I turned the fan on and spun it to start, left it run on fan until I got the part. 2. Dometic toilet valve, vacuum check valve, bowl seal. 3. Install a pex valve in the line for the toilet. 4. A couple of spare LED lights so it's a quick fix when the light starts signaling the mothership.
For roof repairs and all other caulking uses. Sika Flex in masonry section of Lowes and HD. They have self leveling and regular, in various colors too. Sika Flex is very strong yet flexible and will stick almost all materials. It can be cut back off but will take some strength and sharps to do so. I use this in lots of Maintenace repairs in my HVAC job. I've used it to repair building rubber roof cut and it held out water great even if puddled on it. Co-worker even used it to seal a hole in his shoe.
There's a limit switch on the heater fan that will keep the heater from working if it fails. It's a $12 switch but priceless when you need one. it is a part you can often "hit" to make work. If you manually function it by hand it will often work again. You just don't want to depend on that. Maybe a water pump as well. I'm thinking small essentials because if you go crazy with this, you'll need to pull a trailer the same size as your rig to store all these parts...
I’m in the middle of diagnosing an issue with our furnace and I was thinking of getting one of those switches as well the little button temp sensor that is like $8
I prepack the bearing in good grease then use my food storage bags vacuum machine to seal them up good. Keeps the dirt out and keeps it tidy so grease isn't going everywhere. I also will include small specialty tools in the same bag sometimes.....Hope this helps. Thx for the Vids Jared
Check the spare tire regularly for air pressure. The one in the video is upside down so it can't be checked. It also appeared to have a winch system to lower and raise it. Without maintenance it probably won't work when you need it. I spray all my wheels with LPS #3 rust inhibitor. The spare wheel takes more abuse than the working wheels. How about jacks and blocks not to mention the knowledge and physical ability to actually get the spare and change a tire? For trailer bearings, I keep inner and outer bearings in a plastic container already hand packed with grease and some extra grease along with spare cotter pins, seal, castle nut and washers. I do the motor home front bearings during brake jobs. Did you know that when you have a shop do your wheel bearings they often only do the outer bearings? For the generator I keep a fuel filter, a fuel pump, an air filter and a spark plug. A serpentine belt for the engine. Engine oil for the motor home and the generator. Injector and fuel system cleaner. It's good to use it on long highway runs. 12 volt light switches. Ignitors for refers, water heaters and furnaces and whatever other small parts they have. Spare drain plug for the water heater. Teflon tape. At some point you might as well bring along a second identical RV for parts.
Love the videos and the simple approach to explaining things. I'm a long-time fan. I think the takeaway from this video and the suggestions from others is to evaluate how you camp, how you use your unit, and what critical systems in your unit are important to you should they fail. ALL suggestions in this thread are great ideas, but if you try to have a contingency of spare parts for every system in your trailer, you are going to need to tow a small cargo trailer behind your trailer that contains all the backup parts! Without knocking anyone's ideas or recommendations, here is what I am suggesting. Weekend camping warriors probably only need to carry a small contingent of parts. More like an emergency kit. Coast-to-coast campers, you probably will want a whole storage bay of parts at your disposal. Then there is everyone else in-between. Contingency plans and emergency preparedness are rabbit holes we all can easily go down. The bottom line is don't overcomplicate your preparedness. Enjoy your travels. Enjoy camping. Enjoy the outdoors. Things are going to happen and things will break. That is the nature of the beast!
Tire puncture kit. They are $10 for something that’ll last years. And will work for your tow vehicle too. Sometimes might be easier/safer to just plug the puncture and inflate with a 12v air compressor.
Agree with this comment. I've had a tire puncture kit in my truck for years before I had a trailer. Breaking down camp one morning turned on TPMS monitor and 1 tire read really low PSI. So sprayed soapy water on it and there as a screw in the tire. Pulled screw, used plug, aired up with 12V compressor and was on the road. Many months later still holding pressure just fine.
Thanks. I also appreciate and enjoy your advice. A WARNING: there are many off-brand 12v fuses that do not blow at their rated amps. I stick with the major brands.
We carry an assortment of screws to reattach trim or other pieces that seem to come apart after long trips across bad stretches of highway. Also good quality selftapping screws to help hold the underbelly in, we have had that fail because the factory decided to go with what I thought was waaay fewer than should be there. A good bottle jack for a quick spare tire change. Not really "spare parts", but you must know where the tools to manually operate your jacks and slides lives, you won't know you need it until it happens. Thanks for the vid.
Agree with everything here. I think suspension parts should be carried at all times though. I even have a new brake drum/hub with bearings already packed and ready to go on. Yes it’s extra weight, but beats sitting beside the road.
We carry a water pump, sail switch and high limit switch( for furnace). Learned all that the hard way. Didnt think of leaf springs, but willget that too.
U bolts to go along with the spare leaf spring and also a small space heater that can run on the generator if the furnace goes out or we run out of propane.
I keep a really bright work light in case I have to do something after dark. It is USB rechargeable and can help in lots of situations. Also, while I love the sharkbite stuff and carry it, I also bring plumbers tape. I've needed and not had it. Good video.
coming from a trailer mechanic a good thin to have along with the bearings would be the wheel seal that keep the bearing greased . a lot of the time a bearing fails is because the seal failed first .
Thanks for this. i would love to see you do videos on some of the fixes you mention. It's great to have these extra items but many people need a little instruction to do these jobs.
Thermal wire cutoff for water heater, water pump are 2 things I carry after each one broke down on seperate boondocking trip. Water is pretty important while Boondocking!!
A small, inexpensive Volt Ohm Meter seems indispensable. Almost everyone needs a small selection of 1.5V & 9V batteries. RV mfgrs. tend to prefer a specific set of fastener types and sizes when building out interiors. Having some replacements of those will eventually be helpful. For me, the single most helpful item is an organized, 3-ring binder with all the equipment install & operating manuals, which also includes the mfgrs. contact details. I'd be lost and not know where to start without it.
Great video, and solid suggestions. The only thing I would add would be a bottle of KY for when you try and do the extended warranty claim, should make it less painful.
I would add cables for the cable slides. Had to travel from Anchorage to Whitehorse before I found a cable. Even finding someone to install was hard to find. One tech? In Whitehorse said he would need to remove the entire slide because the cable was not visible on the outside. There are several videos that show how to install the cables and how to adjust. Also, carry a 6 foot ladder.
Great ideas, thanks. Has an awning motor fail (awning extended). Found my awning switch stuck in both directions. A button pushing grandson helped me decide to pull fuse when not using awning. I now have a new primary switch on the panel but a second switch at the fuse panel for both awning and slide. Now he can push all grandpa’s buttons.
I carry an extra water pump and an extra gas strut for the yawning. I also carry a few odds and ends that I bought that turned out to be the wrong part for my trailer but may help out a neighbor.
I own 2 Grand Design 5th wheels and a Tiffin pusher. The parts I use the most? Zip ties, big and small, velcro, and, self-tapping stainless steel screws that drive themselves into and through metal.
I have a 5th Wheel and I carry a spare landing jack motor, gear unit, as well as a complete landing jack assembly. Had some folks in a site next to us have their landing gear fail and they were not able to disconnect from the 5th Wheel. Cost them two days and a lot of cash. I learned from their bad experience. Thank you for the reminder of being prepared.
@@AllAboutRVs The couple next to us had to call a mobile RV mechanic. He could not get the correct size landing jack but was able to custom make something. They were stock for two days unable to disconnect the trailer or go anywhere. I felt bad for them, but made a "note to shelf." Springs, shackles, and bearings are a good idea, especially if you full time.
I went through my spares and realized I had a lot of readily accessible items I could pick up at virtually every Walmart or Lowes. For instance, a water hose? Pointless to carry when it hasn’t been a problem in 7 years. Fuses are a necessity, all of them. LED lights may be useful to keep on hand. Wiring and shrink wrap tubing. A multimeter, linemen pliers, wire cutters.
I carry a spare propane regulator, spare motor for the front jacks (5th wheel), battery charger, extension cord, full set of sockets and breaker bar, lots of fuses, multimeter, tool kit.
Jared you have taught me so much, I appreciate all you do and share with us. You have such a thoughtful way of teaching about products and the benefits. Massive time saving, life saving tricks and tips! Jared you are one of my FAVORITE !! Huge Thanks
Great video, the only thing Julie and I are finding since moving into our motorcoach 6 months ago..., if I have a spare part for repairs, I won't need it or not needed until I lose it or misplace it. Main staples are Fuses, bulbs, caulking, gorilla tape...that about covers it. Thanks for all your great videos.Stay Safe. Peace
We've had to replace a leaf spring on the side of highway 12 on the Outerbanks (Thank you to the NC Trooper for help keeping g traffic away from me while I was replacing the spring). We learned a bug lesson then. Carry a spare, have a charged impact driver with the right side sockets, and two Jacks. We've learned the tow truck jack is not heavy enough to lift our newer RV so we upgraded to a heavy duty Hydraulic jack. Other things we carry are fuses and inline fuses also. Spare LED lights for the markers, tail lights.
Recently, I just ordered a spare leaf spring, shackles, bolts and a leaf spring equalizer to take with us when we roll in our RV. I've seen too many videos where people have been broken down on the highway or worse yet, out boondocking someplace with a broken leaf spring. Ain't happening to me.
Recent purchase of a new $60k ORV and they were kind enough to provide a 5 lug spare tire for 6 lug wheels. I checked mine after seeing it occurred to an ORV owner that had a flat tire and lo and behold, he had the 5 lug also. Check your spares!
I carry a folding saw and small axe with waterproof matches and a emergency whistle! Survival heat and signal fire for remote areas we may end up in! Also I have some wax and tinder cubes to start a fire more quickly and easily!
No need to replace Shark fittings, they work great. Have had repairs on my trailer using them that have lasted several years and thousands of miles. Good advice on extra parts. Thx.
I love these very pragmatic videos. I would add to the list a spare water pump. Sorry if it is already in the responses below but I didn't catch it in a quick scroll. For around $60 you can have the spare pump tucked away somewhere easily. I don't do much boondocking but I still have the overnighters here & there and I wouldn't want to be in a situation where I couldn't use sinks & toilet.
I like your list. I’ve added a few more plumbing parts, look at your particular plumbing parts and have them. I carry a leaf springs as well, shackles and bolts. I have sumo springs on the rv if the leaf spring fails the sumo will keep the axels off the rv frame. I have parts for the water heater, for propane and electrical parts for my rv. I really like your channel and I pattern my stuff after you
We have a set of SharkBite fittings to protect against plumbing issues:. One plug, one tee, one elbow, a coupler, and a piece of PEX tubing 18" long. I can replace any fitting that fails, splice a piece of tubing back together, and cap off a line if needed to get us through the trip. As you said, I'd replace it with proper crimped PEX fittings after the trip, but it'll keep is from ruining the trip!
I carry spare turn/brake light bulbs. Why Forest River didn't use led bulbs during manufacturing, I'll never know. I had to replace the porch light bulb this weekend, and it is an automotive light bulb also, so I had that bulb with me. I also carry an extra fresh water pump just in case mine bites the dust. Enjoy your informative video's.
Eterna Tape is a great way to fix a leak or hold some thing together. It's 31teen times stronger then duck tape, but keep it in the refrigerator if you ever plan to be able to use it. When it gets warm its hard to use and may stick you to something.
Good info, I carry a new spare slinky and accessories, trailer brake breakaway cable and switch (I've had the switch fail shorted out), small amount of auto wiring, tail/brake lights and spare propane regulator. Not an exhaustive list, but I find things get added over time.
Rather than a screw in the end of a caulk tube, try using foil tape. It’ll seal much better, which in turn will keep the sealant usable much, much longer. I carry extra nylon plugs for our water heater as it’s easy to cross thread them. I used one as a temporary plug on our fresh water tank after having snapped the drain off while pulling out of a Walmart out west. That spare plug saved our trip, as we were boondocking. We didn’t realize there was a problem until we pumped water into the tank, and heard it pouring right out. Looking back, I knew exactly where it happened. I knew better, but was in a rush and pulled out onto the road too straight and way too quickly.
Good to think about. Must balance what if with storage space and weight limit of RV. Those who have smaller RV have limited space and weight restrictions. We mostly travel in very remote locations and do carry a good supply of tools and parts. We carry two spar tires. On one of our earlier trips we lot two tires at once on a back road 50 miles from the closest tire store. I need to think about suspension parts, good idea.
If you read my post, that's what I do. I carry 2 spare tires and a leaf spring, shackles, bolts and an extra equalizer. Try finding these parts in the middle of nowhere. You can always at least find a place that sells tires, but not the suspension parts for your RV. You'd be screwed out boondocking with a broken leaf spring.
An old proverb here would be advantageous - "If it moves, and shouldn't: duct tape. If it doesn't move, and should: WD-40." Of course this doesn't always hold true, but you get the idea. :-)
The big one on your list is pex fittings and crimp rings not sure about other rv's but grand design run tubing off the pex fittings to water heater outside water connection and behind water bay and they secure it with a pex crimp ring not designed for that I have had 2 that failed which created alot of things getting wet after the second time went through the rest of the rv and replaced with pex
I would add a couple of wheel studs and lug nuts to your list. I also would recommend that you grease the spare bearing and place them in a zip lock bag, this makes sure that the bearings do not get rusty before you need them.
Fusible link for dometic refrig. Interior coach bulbs. Along with bearings, I carry the races, seals, grease, 2 cans brake cleaner, bearing cap, and brass punch, all fits nicely in ammo can to keep it sealed.
I keep most of what you mentioned. I grew up building things and have welded most my life so I keep my small welder on board and a small set of torches with an assortment of metal. I have had the valve on the water heater go bad and was without hot water for a few days, luckily I was able to shower at a relatives house. My class a is older but that and a fitting breaking at the water pump are the only failures I have had so far in about 18 months of living in it.
Interesting, I’ve been looking at both but haven’t found a good option that’s small enough (or cheap enough)! What kind of welder and torch do you have / recommend?
FUSES. I want to reiterate fuses. I lost three days because of a ten cent fuse. I thought I had all my fuses based on the fuse panel, but my fridge has two different shaped fuses inside it. Not only are they different from the fuse panel shape fuses, but they are a slightly more narrow, shorter version of a glass fuse. My local hardware store had something similar, but not the same shape. My local electronics guy had that shape, but not the amperage-voltage. I ended up buying some alligator clips, and a fuse holder, and I jumped the gap. Then, I ordered the correct fuse online. Wow that was a waste of time and energy. The correct fuse only came in a multi pack of a hundred, for ten bucks, so clearly these fuses are cheap, and I should have known that the fridge circuit has it's own unique fuse.
Regarding your caulking, if you squeeze out about 1/2” pass the tip, then unlock it and lay it down to dry the exposed tip, you could get months of use out of it. I do this on all my caulking and silicone and the only thing I have to do is take off the cone cap, pull out the dry material or use a skinny screwdriver to help pull the dry material out and your ready to use it.
This is great advice for full timers, but us weekend warriors who don't go more than 2 hours away once a month, it's too much to carry when there's a HD/Lowes/WalMart not far away.
I’d say the difference is not full or part time but how far from your home base you are. If we’re going 3 or 4 hours away I won’t bring nearly as much as when we’re going 12 or 20 hours away. If we’re 2 or 3 hours away then no matter how bad it got, I could be back home in a few hours. I think you sort of missed his point though, if you’re referring to Home Depot and Walmart being close by. A lot of the things he mentioned are specific to RVs, if not specific to your particular RV and not something you’d be able to get by just popping into a local store.
@@jeremyspecce I can find half of what he listed... it's the leaf springs, shackles, and bearings that would be an issue, but, to me, that's for people who camp more than once a month because it's a very low chance of ever needing one.
I've started brining spare exterioir screws in the event that some of the flaps on the slide outs wiggle some loose...which seems pretty common!! Also zipties !!!
definitely add a small screwdriver set with #2 square and a 1/4" nut driver. I would also consider a few automatic resetting fuses to help in troubleshooting without burning through your fuse supply. also, a rotary wire brush(dermal or another brand). as a lot of problems can be fixed with a simple polish( fridge, Furnace, HWH, batteries). and a 12v test light or small multimeter
Drags out info. Some spare parts go from obvious (spare tire) to extreme (leaf springs). Advice like road service contract, timely PM and sources for help like Walmart were not mentioned.
Do you have a link for that metal backflow preventer? Good call on the bearings. I've seen too many other RVs have problems with them and I also keep a set and a small tube of grease. I check the hubs to see if any are getting hot while stopped for gas. If you don't catch a bad bearing in time it can ruin the spindle which means new axle.
Good list & some items I hadn’t thought of. Thx! I do carry a spare water pump. Our current one is working ok, but it’s a bit noisy, so I got one to carry with us.
I carry an extra 12 volt power converter you can chose the one you like, I carry the Progressive Dynamics PD9260CV Inteli-Power 9200 Series Converter/Charger with Charge Wizard - 60 Amp.
I am slowly building up my spare parts but as I'm going to be living in my RV and not moving it except foe one more time as far as I know... figures crossed anyways... I do have fuses already, I went and got that right away, and I will get extra water pressure flow valves... what other things should I have on hand... I screen shot your list and will be getting some RV seal as well
Not something we keep on hand, but an “ounce of prevention”: we installed in-line shut off valves on all of out service lines (sinks & toilets). There’s a reason why all homes have service line shut off valves. It’s the same logic for why you need them in your RV: isolate the flow to the source of the repair. For example, you can shut off the water to a toilet when (not if) the flush valve fails. With in-line shut off valves, all other water lines remain usable until the repair is made.
All very good items to have on board for emergencies. You left off one important one that should be carried for emergencies and that is an excellent bottle of Bourbon!
Too true! Don’t forget Tequila, margarita mix, coffee and Irish cream! RVing can be stressful!😋
Haha. That could take the edge off.
For medicinal purposes of course! Lol
Would you like a french translator for your excellent videos. There is nothing like this in quebec
Got that one covered, kinda like the duct tape of life 😁
Don't forget a very important "spare part". Lots of money!
I always travel with a small air compressor (110 volt) and a pneumatic wrench for changing out flat tires. I also carry an air assist 30 ton jack. You would not believe how many times I end up using those tools to replace blown tires for folks along side the highway or adding more air to other campers in the campground. I am 70 years old and these make my RV life a lot easier.
We like to carry a water pump. We carry a lot of thing we mentioned.
I’ve been thinking about that too, I know the check valves on the pumps are prone to failure so some people carry an in-line check valve
Make sure you have a wheel wrench that can take the nuts & the spare tire off. I didn't have that on the side of the interstate. Big Thanks to Tennessee road side assistance that helped with that.
I do mostly boondocking and camp nine months out of the year. I carry an extra circuit board for the furnace as well as some of the common parts that fail on the furnace. If you're going to carry spare bearings, you might as well grease them at home and put them in a heavy duty zip lock bag. A set of grease seals and cotter pin go in a separate zip lock. The right socket for the axle nut is kind of important. On my trailer the nut is big enough that the socket for it isn't something that would be found in a common socket set.
For older RV's, a spare AC circuit breaker might come in handy.
I carry two trailer spares. I had to use both at the same time earlier this year due to tread separation on one tire and missing chunks out of the tread on another tire. The tires were on different axles and different sides of the trailer. That was a strange one, but I caught both before the tires blew.
Jim : you are 1000% right on about the bearings. After a set of bearings went out on my boat trailer way back on 7/4/76. Left on the side of the road for 10+ hours running back & forth 25+ miles to the only automotive parts store open giving me incorrect ones; I vowed not to let that happen again. I ALWAYS make sure they are greased every trip and I inspect for heat at every stop we make.
A handy test/patch tool to carry, for those that travel remotely, is a basic "spade fuse" holder with a few inches of 10awg leads with #10 or 1/4" ring terminals attached...
Properly fused, its a test wire. a bypass wire for a failed circuit breaker/switch, or as a fuse holder for a temporary emergency circuit as may be necessary...
I carry a propane regulator. I have had them fail on two trailers and if you read the Amazon reviews for regulators everyone talks about them failing. We boondock a lot and losing our refrigerator, cooking, hot water and heat all at once would end or trip.
Grease and a small grease gun.
Cheap temp gun, after a long drive, check the temp of your hubs. I know this sounds a little over the top but it's super quick and easy. A bad bearing will let you know a it's going out, a long time before it fails, if you are paying attention. Plus a temp gun is super handy (and fun) for all kinds of things.
The first time I had a flat on my old trailer I realized that I'd forgotten to get a lug wrench that fit the trailer's lug nuts. After a 4.5 hour round trip from the campground to a Walmart I discovered that the spare was attached with different size nuts than those on the wheel hubs. Back to Walmart. I'm just glad that I got the flat while in a campsite rather than on the road.
Things I carry:
1. Spare capacitors for the ac. Mine went out i had covid. No ac while you think you're dying is a problem. I turned the fan on and spun it to start, left it run on fan until I got the part.
2. Dometic toilet valve, vacuum check valve, bowl seal.
3. Install a pex valve in the line for the toilet.
4. A couple of spare LED lights so it's a quick fix when the light starts signaling the mothership.
For roof repairs and all other caulking uses. Sika Flex in masonry section of Lowes and HD. They have self leveling and regular, in various colors too. Sika Flex is very strong yet flexible and will stick almost all materials. It can be cut back off but will take some strength and sharps to do so. I use this in lots of Maintenace repairs in my HVAC job. I've used it to repair building rubber roof cut and it held out water great even if puddled on it. Co-worker even used it to seal a hole in his shoe.
There's a limit switch on the heater fan that will keep the heater from working if it fails. It's a $12 switch but priceless when you need one. it is a part you can often "hit" to make work. If you manually function it by hand it will often work again. You just don't want to depend on that. Maybe a water pump as well. I'm thinking small essentials because if you go crazy with this, you'll need to pull a trailer the same size as your rig to store all these parts...
I’m in the middle of diagnosing an issue with our furnace and I was thinking of getting one of those switches as well the little button temp sensor that is like $8
I prepack the bearing in good grease then use my food storage bags vacuum machine to seal them up good. Keeps the dirt out and keeps it tidy so grease isn't going everywhere. I also will include small specialty tools in the same bag sometimes.....Hope this helps. Thx for the Vids Jared
Check the spare tire regularly for air pressure. The one in the video is upside down so it can't be checked. It also appeared to have a winch system to lower and raise it. Without maintenance it probably won't work when you need it. I spray all my wheels with LPS #3 rust inhibitor. The spare wheel takes more abuse than the working wheels. How about jacks and blocks not to mention the knowledge and physical ability to actually get the spare and change a tire?
For trailer bearings, I keep inner and outer bearings in a plastic container already hand packed with grease and some extra grease along with spare cotter pins, seal, castle nut and washers. I do the motor home front bearings during brake jobs. Did you know that when you have a shop do your wheel bearings they often only do the outer bearings?
For the generator I keep a fuel filter, a fuel pump, an air filter and a spark plug.
A serpentine belt for the engine.
Engine oil for the motor home and the generator. Injector and fuel system cleaner. It's good to use it on long highway runs.
12 volt light switches.
Ignitors for refers, water heaters and furnaces and whatever other small parts they have.
Spare drain plug for the water heater. Teflon tape.
At some point you might as well bring along a second identical RV for parts.
as a retired mechanic and welder i have a good quality basic tool collection. love your videos keep up the good work
Love the videos and the simple approach to explaining things. I'm a long-time fan. I think the takeaway from this video and the suggestions from others is to evaluate how you camp, how you use your unit, and what critical systems in your unit are important to you should they fail. ALL suggestions in this thread are great ideas, but if you try to have a contingency of spare parts for every system in your trailer, you are going to need to tow a small cargo trailer behind your trailer that contains all the backup parts! Without knocking anyone's ideas or recommendations, here is what I am suggesting. Weekend camping warriors probably only need to carry a small contingent of parts. More like an emergency kit. Coast-to-coast campers, you probably will want a whole storage bay of parts at your disposal. Then there is everyone else in-between. Contingency plans and emergency preparedness are rabbit holes we all can easily go down. The bottom line is don't overcomplicate your preparedness. Enjoy your travels. Enjoy camping. Enjoy the outdoors. Things are going to happen and things will break. That is the nature of the beast!
Roll pins, cotterpins, thermo coupling, spare wheel nuts, piece of pix pipe(2’), Teflon tape, just some thatI can remember.
Tire puncture kit. They are $10 for something that’ll last years. And will work for your tow vehicle too. Sometimes might be easier/safer to just plug the puncture and inflate with a 12v air compressor.
Agree with this comment. I've had a tire puncture kit in my truck for years before I had a trailer. Breaking down camp one morning turned on TPMS monitor and 1 tire read really low PSI. So sprayed soapy water on it and there as a screw in the tire. Pulled screw, used plug, aired up with 12V compressor and was on the road. Many months later still holding pressure just fine.
An extra fire extinguisher, reflective triangles or a couple road flair’s.
Thanks. I also appreciate and enjoy your advice. A WARNING: there are many off-brand 12v fuses that do not blow at their rated amps. I stick with the major brands.
Thanks
We carry an assortment of screws to reattach trim or other pieces that seem to come apart after long trips across bad stretches of highway. Also good quality selftapping screws to help hold the underbelly in, we have had that fail because the factory decided to go with what I thought was waaay fewer than should be there. A good bottle jack for a quick spare tire change. Not really "spare parts", but you must know where the tools to manually operate your jacks and slides lives, you won't know you need it until it happens. Thanks for the vid.
Agree with everything here. I think suspension parts should be carried at all times though. I even have a new brake drum/hub with bearings already packed and ready to go on. Yes it’s extra weight, but beats sitting beside the road.
We carry a water pump, sail switch and high limit switch( for furnace). Learned all that the hard way. Didnt think of leaf springs, but willget that too.
U bolts to go along with the spare leaf spring and also a small space heater that can run on the generator if the furnace goes out or we run out of propane.
I keep a really bright work light in case I have to do something after dark. It is USB rechargeable and can help in lots of situations. Also, while I love the sharkbite stuff and carry it, I also bring plumbers tape. I've needed and not had it. Good video.
coming from a trailer mechanic a good thin to have along with the bearings would be the wheel seal that keep the bearing greased . a lot of the time a bearing fails is because the seal failed first .
Thanks for this. i would love to see you do videos on some of the fixes you mention. It's great to have these extra items but many people need a little instruction to do these jobs.
Thermal wire cutoff for water heater, water pump are 2 things I carry after each one broke down on seperate boondocking trip. Water is pretty important while Boondocking!!
Some weight distributing/anti-sway hitches like the Hensley have some unique parts that can get lost. Hensley sells a spare parts kit for theirs.
A small, inexpensive Volt Ohm Meter seems indispensable. Almost everyone needs a small selection of 1.5V & 9V batteries. RV mfgrs. tend to prefer a specific set of fastener types and sizes when building out interiors. Having some replacements of those will eventually be helpful. For me, the single most helpful item is an organized, 3-ring binder with all the equipment install & operating manuals, which also includes the mfgrs. contact details. I'd be lost and not know where to start without it.
Great ideas! For my manuals and notes, I keep most in PDF format in my Google drive so I don't have a ton of paperwork laying around.
Great video, and solid suggestions. The only thing I would add would be a bottle of KY for when you try and do the extended warranty claim, should make it less painful.
I would add cables for the cable slides. Had to travel from Anchorage to Whitehorse before I found a cable. Even finding someone to install was hard to find. One tech? In Whitehorse said he would need to remove the entire slide because the cable was not visible on the outside. There are several videos that show how to install the cables and how to adjust.
Also, carry a 6 foot ladder.
Great ideas, thanks. Has an awning motor fail (awning extended). Found my awning switch stuck in both directions. A button pushing grandson helped me decide to pull fuse when not using awning. I now have a new primary switch on the panel but a second switch at the fuse panel for both awning and slide. Now he can push all grandpa’s buttons.
Sounds like duct tape or handcuffs might not be a bad idea either 🤔 🤣😂
I keep a spare water pump, propane regular failover valve, the fuses for the slideouts are special and large. Fuses for converter.
I carry an extra water pump and an extra gas strut for the yawning. I also carry a few odds and ends that I bought that turned out to be the wrong part for my trailer but may help out a neighbor.
I own 2 Grand Design 5th wheels and a Tiffin pusher. The parts I use the most? Zip ties, big and small, velcro, and, self-tapping stainless steel screws that drive themselves into and through metal.
I have a 5th Wheel and I carry a spare landing jack motor, gear unit, as well as a complete landing jack assembly. Had some folks in a site next to us have their landing gear fail and they were not able to disconnect from the 5th Wheel. Cost them two days and a lot of cash. I learned from their bad experience. Thank you for the reminder of being prepared.
Wow that is a good one. We had a similar issue but I was able to fix our front jacks.
@@AllAboutRVs The couple next to us had to call a mobile RV mechanic. He could not get the correct size landing jack but was able to custom make something. They were stock for two days unable to disconnect the trailer or go anywhere. I felt bad for them, but made a "note to shelf." Springs, shackles, and bearings are a good idea, especially if you full time.
They were not stock, but stuck. Darn computers.
I went through my spares and realized I had a lot of readily accessible items I could pick up at virtually every Walmart or Lowes. For instance, a water hose? Pointless to carry when it hasn’t been a problem in 7 years.
Fuses are a necessity, all of them. LED lights may be useful to keep on hand. Wiring and shrink wrap tubing. A multimeter, linemen pliers, wire cutters.
As a beginner with new RV, I faced troubles, luckily met Jerry and got a lot of tips and help. Thank you
I carry a spare propane regulator, spare motor for the front jacks (5th wheel), battery charger, extension cord, full set of sockets and breaker bar, lots of fuses, multimeter, tool kit.
Jared you have taught me so much, I appreciate all you do and share with us. You have such a thoughtful way of teaching about products and the benefits. Massive time saving, life saving tricks and tips! Jared you are one of my FAVORITE !! Huge Thanks
Great video, the only thing Julie and I are finding since moving into our motorcoach 6 months ago..., if I have a spare part for repairs, I won't need it or not needed until I lose it or misplace it. Main staples are Fuses, bulbs, caulking, gorilla tape...that about covers it. Thanks for all your great videos.Stay Safe. Peace
Glad to see that I’m not the only one who wants a second set of running gear in my pass through.
We've had to replace a leaf spring on the side of highway 12 on the Outerbanks (Thank you to the NC Trooper for help keeping g traffic away from me while I was replacing the spring). We learned a bug lesson then. Carry a spare, have a charged impact driver with the right side sockets, and two Jacks. We've learned the tow truck jack is not heavy enough to lift our newer RV so we upgraded to a heavy duty Hydraulic jack.
Other things we carry are fuses and inline fuses also. Spare LED lights for the markers, tail lights.
Recently, I just ordered a spare leaf spring, shackles, bolts and a leaf spring equalizer to take with us when we roll in our RV. I've seen too many videos where people have been broken down on the highway or worse yet, out boondocking someplace with a broken leaf spring. Ain't happening to me.
If you do a lot of boondocking, it’s also a good idea to have a spare water pump.
Also, extra sewer hose.
Excellent ideas
Recent purchase of a new $60k ORV and they were kind enough to provide a 5 lug spare tire for 6 lug wheels. I checked mine after seeing it occurred to an ORV owner that had a flat tire and lo and behold, he had the 5 lug also.
Check your spares!
I carry a spare water pump but I have installed some hoses so it can transfer water from a jerry can to the fresh tank in a pinch
I carry a folding saw and small axe with waterproof matches and a emergency whistle! Survival heat and signal fire for remote areas we may end up in! Also I have some wax and tinder cubes to start a fire more quickly and easily!
We carry a water pump, spare motor and gearbox for the cable slide-out, and fuses and splices for the electrical system.
No need to replace Shark fittings, they work great. Have had repairs on my trailer using them that have lasted several years and thousands of miles.
Good advice on extra parts. Thx.
I love these very pragmatic videos. I would add to the list a spare water pump. Sorry if it is already in the responses below but I didn't catch it in a quick scroll. For around $60 you can have the spare pump tucked away somewhere easily. I don't do much boondocking but I still have the overnighters here & there and I wouldn't want to be in a situation where I couldn't use sinks & toilet.
I like your list. I’ve added a few more plumbing parts, look at your particular plumbing parts and have them. I carry a leaf springs as well, shackles and bolts. I have sumo springs on the rv if the leaf spring fails the sumo will keep the axels off the rv frame. I have parts for the water heater, for propane and electrical parts for my rv. I really like your channel and I pattern my stuff after you
We have a set of SharkBite fittings to protect against plumbing issues:. One plug, one tee, one elbow, a coupler, and a piece of PEX tubing 18" long. I can replace any fitting that fails, splice a piece of tubing back together, and cap off a line if needed to get us through the trip. As you said, I'd replace it with proper crimped PEX fittings after the trip, but it'll keep is from ruining the trip!
Great list of Plumbing spare parts to handle most anything.
I carry spare turn/brake light bulbs. Why Forest River didn't use led bulbs during manufacturing, I'll never know. I had to replace the porch light bulb this weekend, and it is an automotive light bulb also, so I had that bulb with me. I also carry an extra fresh water pump just in case mine bites the dust. Enjoy your informative video's.
I would also add a spair water pump to the list .
I like to keep extra parts like cotter key pins and various parts for the Equalizer hitch
Excellent Presentation ! Thank You For Sharing. Great Tips And Advice.
Eterna Tape is a great way to fix a leak or hold some thing together. It's 31teen times stronger then duck tape, but keep it in the refrigerator if you ever plan to be able to use it. When it gets warm its hard to use and may stick you to something.
Good info, I carry a new spare slinky and accessories, trailer brake breakaway cable and switch (I've had the switch fail shorted out), small amount of auto wiring, tail/brake lights and spare propane regulator. Not an exhaustive list, but I find things get added over time.
Great additions! I’ve replaced a few of the breakaway switches because they do fail often.
Rather than a screw in the end of a caulk tube, try using foil tape. It’ll seal much better, which in turn will keep the sealant usable much, much longer.
I carry extra nylon plugs for our water heater as it’s easy to cross thread them. I used one as a temporary plug on our fresh water tank after having snapped the drain off while pulling out of a Walmart out west. That spare plug saved our trip, as we were boondocking. We didn’t realize there was a problem until we pumped water into the tank, and heard it pouring right out. Looking back, I knew exactly where it happened. I knew better, but was in a rush and pulled out onto the road too straight and way too quickly.
Thank you for posting. I know you have leaf springs so that is what you commented on; what should be carried for torsion axles?
Good to think about. Must balance what if with storage space and weight limit of RV. Those who have smaller RV have limited space and weight restrictions. We mostly travel in very remote locations and do carry a good supply of tools and parts. We carry two spar tires. On one of our earlier trips we lot two tires at once on a back road 50 miles from the closest tire store. I need to think about suspension parts, good idea.
If you read my post, that's what I do. I carry 2 spare tires and a leaf spring, shackles, bolts and an extra equalizer. Try finding these parts in the middle of nowhere. You can always at least find a place that sells tires, but not the suspension parts for your RV. You'd be screwed out boondocking with a broken leaf spring.
I carry tube of JB Weld Plastic and metal repair, the putty type that you blend together to activate. Lasts forever and take up hardly any space.
Great addition
Your videos are the best for RV maintenance! Thanks and safe travels!!
An old proverb here would be advantageous - "If it moves, and shouldn't: duct tape. If it doesn't move, and should: WD-40." Of course this doesn't always hold true, but you get the idea. :-)
We carry hydraulic jack and aluminum jack stands. Had tong jack collapse this summer on a trip. Made it so we could level trailer and get new jack.
The big one on your list is pex fittings and crimp rings not sure about other rv's but grand design run tubing off the pex fittings to water heater outside water connection and behind water bay and they secure it with a pex crimp ring not designed for that I have had 2 that failed which created alot of things getting wet after the second time went through the rest of the rv and replaced with pex
A water heater diode is a good thing to have on hand.
I would add a couple of wheel studs and lug nuts to your list. I also would recommend that you grease the spare bearing and place them in a zip lock bag, this makes sure that the bearings do not get rusty before you need them.
I was about to comment the same! Also, a tire repair kit (valve stems, cores, patches, etc)
Excellent addition, very good point.
Love your videos! I don’t think I saw in the comments but may have missed it is the RV Water Heater Thermal Cutoff Kit - Replacement Part
Fusible link for dometic refrig. Interior coach bulbs. Along with bearings, I carry the races, seals, grease, 2 cans brake cleaner, bearing cap, and brass punch, all fits nicely in ammo can to keep it sealed.
I keep most of what you mentioned. I grew up building things and have welded most my life so I keep my small welder on board and a small set of torches with an assortment of metal.
I have had the valve on the water heater go bad and was without hot water for a few days, luckily I was able to shower at a relatives house. My class a is older but that and a fitting breaking at the water pump are the only failures I have had so far in about 18 months of living in it.
Interesting, I’ve been looking at both but haven’t found a good option that’s small enough (or cheap enough)! What kind of welder and torch do you have / recommend?
Thermostat fuse that’s located in the thermostat housing.
Nah I think I’m just gonna make sure that I’m at a rest stop next to you when I have any problems. Cuz you have everything I would need.
Regarding the spare tire, be sure to check the pressure before each trip. Spare tires tend to lose pressure over time.
FUSES. I want to reiterate fuses. I lost three days because of a ten cent fuse. I thought I had all my fuses based on the fuse panel, but my fridge has two different shaped fuses inside it. Not only are they different from the fuse panel shape fuses, but they are a slightly more narrow, shorter version of a glass fuse. My local hardware store had something similar, but not the same shape. My local electronics guy had that shape, but not the amperage-voltage. I ended up buying some alligator clips, and a fuse holder, and I jumped the gap. Then, I ordered the correct fuse online. Wow that was a waste of time and energy. The correct fuse only came in a multi pack of a hundred, for ten bucks, so clearly these fuses are cheap, and I should have known that the fridge circuit has it's own unique fuse.
Regarding your caulking, if you squeeze out about 1/2” pass the tip, then unlock it and lay it down to dry the exposed tip, you could get months of use out of it. I do this on all my caulking and silicone and the only thing I have to do is take off the cone cap, pull out the dry material or use a skinny screwdriver to help pull the dry material out and your ready to use it.
One part that came in handy for me on a long weekend trip was my electric water heater lighter unit it’s by the water heater and simple to install
This is great advice for full timers, but us weekend warriors who don't go more than 2 hours away once a month, it's too much to carry when there's a HD/Lowes/WalMart not far away.
I’d say the difference is not full or part time but how far from your home base you are. If we’re going 3 or 4 hours away I won’t bring nearly as much as when we’re going 12 or 20 hours away. If we’re 2 or 3 hours away then no matter how bad it got, I could be back home in a few hours. I think you sort of missed his point though, if you’re referring to Home Depot and Walmart being close by. A lot of the things he mentioned are specific to RVs, if not specific to your particular RV and not something you’d be able to get by just popping into a local store.
@@jeremyspecce I can find half of what he listed... it's the leaf springs, shackles, and bearings that would be an issue, but, to me, that's for people who camp more than once a month because it's a very low chance of ever needing one.
I also carry tools to make the repairs and a jack and jack stand and leveling blocks incase I need to raise the jack.
I like sharkbite fittings, have used them for years with no issues.
Spare water pump. Sail switch
Long Long Honeymoon just learned the water pump lesson recently. 👍👍
Circuit board on our furnace failed. We had many cold nights on our last outing.
Thank you for your help will be getting a list made to go get everything you said as we are planning a trip to Alaska next year.
I've started brining spare exterioir screws in the event that some of the flaps on the slide outs wiggle some loose...which seems pretty common!! Also zipties !!!
5 to 10 ton bottle jack to change blown tires
definitely add a small screwdriver set with #2 square and a 1/4" nut driver. I would also consider a few automatic resetting fuses to help in troubleshooting without burning through your fuse supply. also, a rotary wire brush(dermal or another brand). as a lot of problems can be fixed with a simple polish( fridge, Furnace, HWH, batteries). and a 12v test light or small multimeter
Drags out info. Some spare parts go from obvious (spare tire) to extreme (leaf springs). Advice like road service contract, timely PM and sources for help like Walmart were not mentioned.
Do you have a link for that metal backflow preventer? Good call on the bearings. I've seen too many other RVs have problems with them and I also keep a set and a small tube of grease. I check the hubs to see if any are getting hot while stopped for gas. If you don't catch a bad bearing in time it can ruin the spindle which means new axle.
Yes. The water heater part link?
Spare hitch pin and pin clips.
Also, Don’t forget spare keys for the RV and tow vehicle.
I agree, a collection of fuses will save the day!
Pre grease bearings and put in plastic container with the seal
I keep almost the same, but also carry a square bit screw driver and plenty of zip ties. Also a small tarp and some type of air pump.
Thermal fuse. I tested the capacity of the 30amp.... no more stove fan.
Good video to get people thinking! I would add a water pump, extra water filters.
Thanks, good things to add
Good list & some items I hadn’t thought of. Thx! I do carry a spare water pump. Our current one is working ok, but it’s a bit noisy, so I got one to carry with us.
Yes the water pump is a great one to have as a backup
I carry an extra 12 volt power converter you can chose the one you like, I carry the Progressive Dynamics PD9260CV Inteli-Power 9200 Series Converter/Charger with Charge Wizard - 60 Amp.
Great video. One reason i bought a Flagstaff with no leaf springs. Water pump was recommended but i recommend this for full timers most often.
I had my Propane regulator Fail on a trip, I now keep just a Single Regulator on hand to get me thru the trip.
I am slowly building up my spare parts but as I'm going to be living in my RV and not moving it except foe one more time as far as I know... figures crossed anyways... I do have fuses already, I went and got that right away, and I will get extra water pressure flow valves... what other things should I have on hand... I screen shot your list and will be getting some RV seal as well