Oddly enough I was just doing this very thing last week- combing through the archives looking for lists and suggestions to cobble together. I basically included everything I found mentioned to start with along with a few things of my own; I haven't had time to fiddle with it or think about it much since. Feel free to comment, add to, criticize etc. Part numbers and quantities would help for a start. Supplies: AAA+ (or preferable roadside service) Atlas Baggies Battery pack/charger (jump type) Bentley Cash Cell phone Ceramic block sealer, Moroso Duct tape DVD player Emergency food Fire extinguisher(s) First aid kit Flashlight(s), spare batteries Fluids: oil, tranny/ps, brake, antifreeze (mixed), liquid wrench or ? Form-a-gasket/sealer Foul weather clothes Gas can Gasket material Glue: Gorilla, super, epoxy Gojo/paper shop towels Jack(s) Jumper cables Lists- VW dealers along route, Larry's shops, Rescue folks, etc. Lug wrench Matches/lighter Rope Shovel, camp type Spare tire Stop leak, various Sunglasses, spare Tarp Tools: (What makes a basic all-purpose Vanagon tool kit?) Tow strap/lights TP/wipes Water jug(s) Wire, electrical Work clothes Zip ties
Spare parts: Alternator/Alt. rebuild kit? Asst. metric bolts, screws, washers Belts Bulbs/fuses/connectors Circlips Clamps/hoses/adapters Coil Distributor cap/rotor Distributor O-Ring Fuel filter(s) Exhaust System Gaskets Fuel pump Fuel/vacuum lines (kit?) Alternator Bracket, lower Oil filter O-rings, asst. PVC (hose sizes) Sensors? Spark Plugs-1 set Spark plug wires Starter T-stat Water pump?
I note that those of you that have Westys already have the kitchen sink.
Cya, Robert
----- Original Message ----- From: "Zoltan" <zolo@FOXINTERNET.NET> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> Sent: Tuesday, May 31, 2005 5:25 PM Subject: Zoltan: Re: Halifax to Vancouver & back
> In my opinion, one keeps an eye on all things at all time. For a very > long > trip one should take small items that if they go would immobilise the van. > Mostly electrical, but I would include some hydraulic items too. Even a > water pump is not large and heavy. You would have to go through in > thought > what those items are. Here on the list I don't know if we have an > accepted > list that one should take for a long trip. I think, we don't have a > finally > accepted list after all the lamentations and suggestions from all the > members. > Sometimes, I would like if there was a place in our website where we would > have the best of all the suggestions on all the problems written down > other > than reading through all the postings through the ages. This way we would > know what the result of all the input was cristallising in the best > answers. > Finding the best solutions for the problems immediately without wasting > all > the time reading so many postings through years. > In this case now we would have a small and a long list of items for > constant > keeping in the car and for the occasional long trips. Mechanics all over > the US are looking at a car they never seen before without admitting it > and > accepting your keys with all the confidence in the world without telling > you > that they don't have a clue to the problem. > But they like the challenges and they will take the job on and they will > charge you big time for all the time they spend learning your car. In the > process they can do great damage that can not be repared and they will not > admit and blame you or VW. > So, the best is to take some parts that will keep the car going and take > all > the tools you would need for all those jobs. The tools should be in the > car > always anyway, I think. > Together with some of those items that can give you a hard time anytime on > the road and instead calling around and towing a the likes, you should fix > it right there. > That's all for today on this. > Zoltan > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "John Rodgers" <inua@CHARTER.NET> > To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> > Sent: Tuesday, May 31, 2005 3:29 PM > Subject: Re: Halifax to Vancouver & back > > >> Good luck on your journey. >> >> Zoltan is right. Though there are plenty of mechanics and shops around, >> nobody is going gong to know your van like you do. So you are in a >> sense, all alone. If you tended to every thing befor departurpe, chances >> you will have a trouble free trip. Just do your routine maintenance as >> you go and you should be ok. >> >> Longest trip for me so far was the leg from Anchorage to Birmingham in >> my old '85 GL - 4500 miles. NO problems at all on the journey until 60 >> miles out of Birmingham, and the water pump went out. Had to be towed >> that last 60 miles. Frustrating. >> >> But that pump had 200,000 miles on it so it all was forgiven. >> >> Good journey and fair weather to you. >> >> John Rodgers >> 88 GL Driver >> >> Malcolm Stebbins wrote: >> >>>We leave tomorrow for an 9,000 or 10,000 mile trip across Canada and back >>>through the northern US >>>in our 91 Westy. I've never made a trip of this length without some >>>mechanical failure. So what >>>will it be this time???? May the Vanagon gods watch over the van. >>>Malcolm >>> >>> >>> >>>__________________________________ >>>Do you Yahoo!? >>>Yahoo! Small Business - Try our new Resources site >>>http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/resources/ >>> >>> >>> >>> >> |
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