Question for fellow full timers

alwaysared

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During this enforced break I have taken the time to carry out some necessary (and unnecessary :oops:) upgrades to the van and now it's time to get ready for lockdown to end on 01/08/2020 So I'm now sorting through the boot and cupboards and my question to fellow full timers is when do you know you have enough spare bits and pieces?
I have a spare pump and a few gas fittings which is probably okay, but I have a box full of insulation tape (3 different couors), Gorilla tape, 3M duct tape, double sided tape, clear Gorilla tape and some aluminium tape! I also have 2.5mm, 10mm and 6mm (solar) cable in both red and black plus numerous other bits of cable, spare solar connectors, all types of electrical connectors and the associated crimping pliers! In addition to this I have enough spanners, screwdrivers and sockets to rebuild my engine on the side of the road!
So have I gone overboard or not? What do other fulltimers carry?

Regards,
Del
 
I carry a lot of tools plus a few electrical items,mainly fuses and bulbs,spare mirrors and a small shovel but I do try to limit the amount of stuff I carry just to stop the clutter building up. As a full timer I'm not that bothered if I have a break down as long as I'm parked safely,I've got all the time in the world to order anything I'm not carrying.
 
What bafels me is if van fails a mot and is only allowed to be driven home or to a place of repair,where do you go of road when doing so ,and if its a garage where do you sleep.
Mot ststions here unlike mainland ones do not repair veh at all and if a big failure they can hold it at station to you get a low loader to remove it.
 
After losing a roof vent cover I started carrying a sheet of heavy clear plastic,about 500mm square,pull up the rubber seal,lay the plastic over and hammer the seal back in.
Cheap stick on battery lights as a backup,extra fan belt,extra wiper blade and a storage container doubles up as a bucket for a quick washdown on the side of the road with a soft broom,I also have a spare tail light lense and side marker light.
 
What bafels me is if van fails a mot and is only allowed to be driven home or to a place of repair,where do you go of road when doing so ,and if its a garage where do you sleep.
Mot ststions here unlike mainland ones do not repair veh at all and if a big failure they can hold it at station to you get a low loader to remove it.

I think you answered your own question,drive to a place of repair. If you need a snooze on the way then that's fine, you're still making your way there. It doesn't have to be the nearest either,you could book it in at the other end of the country and legally drive there.
 
After losing a roof vent cover I started carrying a sheet of heavy clear plastic,about 500mm square,pull up the rubber seal,lay the plastic over and hammer the seal back in.
Cheap stick on battery lights as a backup,extra fan belt,extra wiper blade and a storage container doubles up as a bucket for a quick washdown on the side of the road with a soft broom,I also have a spare tail light lense and side marker light.
Read that wrong at first and thought you said with a soft BROWN. :eek:
 
During this enforced break I have taken the time to carry out some necessary (and unnecessary :oops:) upgrades to the van and now it's time to get ready for lockdown to end on 01/08/2020 So I'm now sorting through the boot and cupboards and my question to fellow full timers is when do you know you have enough spare bits and pieces?
I have a spare pump and a few gas fittings which is probably okay, but I have a box full of insulation tape (3 different couors), Gorilla tape, 3M duct tape, double sided tape, clear Gorilla tape and some aluminium tape! I also have 2.5mm, 10mm and 6mm (solar) cable in both red and black plus numerous other bits of cable, spare solar connectors, all types of electrical connectors and the associated crimping pliers! In addition to this I have enough spanners, screwdrivers and sockets to rebuild my engine on the side of the road!
So have I gone overboard or not? What do other fulltimers carry?

Regards,
Del
I'm not fond of the quote how long is a piece of string because as we know it's twice as long as half it's length, but there's many different types or ways of fulltiming and therefore different things and spares we carry. You sound like you've got the right stuff.
 
I carry a similar amount as you by the sound of itDel including the sockets and spanner’s which unless a very small job I wouldn’t now be able to do probably lol
I don’t have all those different tapes (quite) but also have a few different adhesives and sealants along with that captain whatever his name creeping leak and seal stuff and Milliput lol
I think the tools are handy for me anyway as I sometimes meet folks who have a problem but no tool to fix so nice to be able to help in some way.
I have been toying with a collapsible ladder fir around 12 months and have now decided as I have managed without I don’t really need it. Ideally I wanted a collapsible tower though to give a safe working platform so an easier choice not to due to amount of parts.
I think one of the biggest things I carry and don’t use unfortunately is the handcycle. It not that easy fir me to get on and off the bike rack, I have to wait til there is someone to help. The main problem though is I am usually on my own in the van with the dogs. The dogs won’t run safely alongside so I would always need to stick them in the trailer (yes I carried a two dog (or child) trailer as well) but until I sort an electric drive (which would make it even harder lifting up and down) that’s rarely doable.
As already posted though, the bit you sometimes need is the one you haven’t got lol
 
Well i carried tools in my last skoda car for 15 years and when it did stop once due to a head gasket blowing at 300.000 miles they were no good,i carry little in my van apart from a fan belt and tools to change a wheel as any thing else i will call my breakdown service team at aib to get me home.
A mobile PH is the best tool to have as long as reception is good,a duel sim one is handy so one may work in remote places.
 
Well i carried tools in my last skoda car for 15 years and when it did stop once due to a head gasket blowing at 300.000 miles they were no good,i carry little in my van apart from a fan belt and tools to change a wheel as any thing else i will call my breakdown service team at aib to get me home.
A mobile PH is the best tool to have as long as reception is good,a duel sim one is handy so one may work in remote places.
I only carry them as I live in the van Trev, if not most would be at home. I use breakdown or will if needed 👍
 
when i full timed i carried enough tools to set up a bush workshop , mainly carpentry,but all the tools for welding plumbing ,tiling whatever, with extensions ,stepladder and a large tarp for shade .
now i carry a meter,connector block and multi screwdriver ,and a small socket set,small roll of galvanised wire and a towrope . last time i needed a tow ,it was for about a metre to get me out of some wet grass . i 'd have felt an idiot waiting for breakdown ,and a passing 4x4 was more than happy to help , they love doing stuff like that !
 
Thank you for all the suggestions and advice, I think I will carry on as I am for now and will dump anything I haven't needed for the last six months

What about a spare mobile phone and a charger for it, its probably when of the most useful tools :)
I have one, it's currently being used as a screen for my Victron/Pi setup ;)

Regards,
Del
 
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In the dark days when I was working AGHHHHH at the Southampton Ford plant we had an engineering store and we carried 2 million dollars worth of spares and equipment and could replace any robot part, air logic , hydraulics, pneumatics electrical press tools jigs etc,etc ,from stock, but along came the accountants, and in their unfathomable wisdom it was decided that any item we had in stock that had not been called for in the past 8 years should be scrapped and thus reduce our inventory ? So a programme of scrapping was introduced we made pennies on the items that had cost thousands of pounds and would cost a lot more to replace at current prices, much overtime was work by our staff to implement this operation lovely jubbly everyone said. , yea you guessed it, once the items were gone our maintenance department had a problem with breakdowns for which we did not have replacement parts so in some areas production stopped costing thousands of pounds , no problem, said those in the know ? just order the parts in needed OK they have to come from Italy, Japan, America , the near continent etc, so more delays ,chartered Aircraft etc, as just in time which was the mantra became just too late , but hey ho who cared ? SO long story short , f you have gear on your van that you thought you would need sometime , sods law says YES you will, keep it, till you do .
 
Sod's law says you will need it the week after you decide not to keep it. It was ever thus.
 
Just an update, I will have added a telescopic ladder to my collection by end of day. This year I have had several occasions where I need roof access and no son in law handy. I am not able to get on the roof through a skylight though, the mind may be willing but the body definitely isn’t lol
 
They're really heavy. I'd get the longest lightweight normal ladder I could store.
(Later) Perhaps a surveyors ladder. I used to have one of them for work. Light and strong, easy to store. Twelve feet long, but only a metre long in sections.
 

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