What Spares Do You Carry

A little stash of cash.
Way back when I was at school, one of my teachers had lived in New York and he always carried a small amount of money in a different pocket so when (not if) he got mugged or had his wallet stolen, he had taxi fare home. Nowadays I still divide my cash up and leave a little in the van when we are travelling.

Richard

An ex colleague of mine got mugged in Nottingham, he only had about 20 quid on him, he actually negotiated with the mugger to leave him enough for bus fare home!
 
Steak & Kidney Puddings, Bisto, a couple of spanners & a screwdriver!!
 
Spare wheel and the phone number of my recovery company. No jack or wheelbrace strong enough to crack the wheel nuts (16" wheels).
 
Come on you lot
You cant get all that here The only thing you must bring Is

Spare corkscrew and Bottle opener :wacko::cheers::cheers:
 
Think I've spent too much time with farmers, but:

Bailing Twine, look at any farm and see the uses it's put too!!

Plus tools, fuses. lamps etc

Always enough food in tins to last 2 meals. 2L water bottle
 
Ok...here's mine as it's a small campervan and I've been on the road in it for several months on and off.

Minimum:
  • Rescue Tape (Waterproof and Pressure Resistant self congealing tape...Google this - it's a worthwhile thing to have)
  • Duct Tape
  • Spare Fuses
  • Powerful Torch (bought the 2300 lumens one as suggested on this site)
  • Lifesaver Bottle or JerryCan (bottle good to filter a min of 1000 litres of sterile water from any dirty puddle while the JerryCan will replenish the onboard tank)
  • At least 1 Sleeping Bag capable of keeping you warm down to -5
  • Food for 3 meals (tins)
  • 2 Tyre repair & inflate cannisters
  • 1 spare gas cannister
  • First Aid Kit inc Insect bite spray and usual cold remedy tabs
  • Minimum of tools necessary to remove tyres and battery.

    If on a planned trip then I also carry the 2.0 Honda gas powered generator and a Duvalay Memory Foam sleeping bed.
 
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Spares

Call me paranoid but
Front and rear wheel bearing
Fan belt
Fuses
Bulbs
Filter set
Thrust bearing
Oil
Brake fluid
Big jack
Extending wheel wrench
Levelling ramps
Appropriate sockets and spanners
Duct tape
And RAC card
However our trip to Lewis last month almost came to a grinding halt due to double punctures somewhere before bridge of Orchy and finally noticing 10 miles past (run flats feel the same on a 30 year old wandery bus)
The RAC very reluctant to recover us saying I'd been driving without a spare but after lengthy explanations and the recovery guy seeing my spares kit, I got a full if reluctant recovery to Stornoway.
Garages were shut when we got to Harris but a knowledge of what else fits and a quality recovery guy from Hughsons who knew a man called Norman of Laxdale, meant for the princely sum o £30 I got 2 merc steels with good tyres and we were on our way in an hour plus he allowed us to leave my 2 dead alloys at his yard for the week.
Despite this, she who must be obeyed has stated that I am not allowed 2 spare wheels
Ps because I had a run flat (with 2 fist sized holes in the sidewall)with my spare on the back I was allowed to drive on and off the ferry.
 
Spare beer

More beer

Wine

Scotch (banned in our van by Mrs D)

More beer?
 
While we were away for the first time for ages, I was thinking to myself that all we really needed was the means to make a cuppa. a toilet and somewhere cosy to sleep. Then my husband knocked his cup over and I couldn't find the kitchen roll and there was tea everywhere. Wasn't really a drama, used some toilet roll instead, so I was glad we had a spare one of those.
 
Following a recent incident, I now carry a wheel wrench extender bar.

Routinely, I carry sleeping bag, water, spare dog food, wellies, set of waterproofs, loo roll, spare bulbs, rope, foot pump, torch, radweld, WD40, spare specs, spare valve caps, and a spare wheel nut.

About 6 months ago on the way home from Liverpool, I heard a strange knocking sound coming from a front wheel. I pulled over and investigated but could see nothing untoward. It got worse and worse and the steering became very loose. I managed to get to a friend's house and discovered that a wheel nut was missing and 2 of the remaining 3 nuts were very loose, the wheel was only held on by 1 nut. I was in a total state of shock - in 25 years of driving this is the first time this had ever happened. I can't believe how lucky I was that day. Another couple of miles and I would have lost the wheel. I tried various different places to get a new wheel nut - petrol stations, Halfords, garages and couldn't get one and had to go to Peugeot, so I bought a spare aswell as a replacement. I'll probably never need the spare but having come so close to disaster once, I wouldn't risk it again.

And I have't got any thing against Liverpudlians (my dad's family lives in Liverpool) but it's odd that it happened after being parked up at Crosby Beach for a couple of hours... next time I go to Liverpool, I'll go on the train!
If you lose your nuts off one wheel take one nut off each of the other wheels to get you home.
 
Some people would do this more to try a get a new tyre or wheel, but more likely they would slip a match into each of your tyre valves, or a blade into your tyre for speed if the intention was for mischief.

Not a bad idea to fit locking wheel nuts though just in case - then at least you have one firm one which ain't coming off in a hurry.
 
When I was a teenager my brother nicked the nuts off the front wheel on my pushbike, I did a wheelie, saw the wheel drop off then the pavement. Next thing I remembered was the back door of an ambulance where I was carted off to hospital and had to stay overnight for observation. :mad2:
 

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