Date:         Tue, 23 Aug 2011 13:31:10 -0700
Reply-To:     Poppie Jagersand <poppie.jagersand@YAHOO.CA>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Poppie Jagersand <poppie.jagersand@YAHOO.CA>
Subject:      Minimum spares kit. Was: Alternator Brushes Wore Out Pretty Darn
              Quick
Comments: To: Rocket J Squirrel <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <4E53BAFF.1000901@gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1





----- Original Message -----
From: Rocket J Squirrel <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
"if you are into fixing it yourself..
and going on semi-remote trips and being your own rescue team ..
one should, or could,  have more than one alternator total."

But where does this end?
----------------------------------

I also ask: How many spares should one really carry? Wife drives Toyota with no clue what to do if it stops... So do 99% of others whether they drive a car or RV.

I used to have spares and tools filling the whole storage under the bench, but with a growing family there's need for the wife and kid's stuff too!

Spare regulator is easy: I have one in the glove box. 
Spare alternator? I'd rather know how long I can drive on a full battery and know if that will take me home. Or bring one of those ctek pocket size chargers and make sure my next campsite has power to charge overnight.
For the Diesel I've even wondered if there would be a way to jam open or remove the stop solenoid so it can be push started and driven w/o any electric whatsoever.

Spare belts make sense.

Similar theory goes for other things. Full hose set has been trimmed to just the octupus and the other split hose, assuming anything else can be fixed with generic hose from a FLAPS. Would be nice with a proven "clamp-on" or "tape on" solution for minor leaks. Should get some plugs so I can plug off heater core loop, and would be interesting if it is at all possible to close off rad loop and drive slowly w. just heater core and fan on max. (remember at Canadian temps the heater cpore can remove 30-50,000 Btu at peak.) 

Tool kit has gone from the full works, to a neat "sockets store in the handle" 3/4 driver and the sockets  I actually need + 2 extensions  +6mm allen . An adjustable wrench, Original VW 10/13mm wrench and screwdriver (recently lost at Dinner Roch, BC  :(, electric multimeter, some spare wire, electic tape, hose clamps, nuts and bolts.

Martin (and '82 Westy "Poppie")