Which spare parts should you take on a long trip?

It's pretty awful to have a trip interrupted by a mechanical problem on your Airstream. Nobody wants to tell their fellow traveler(s) that the fun has to stop. But, it happens. So, Airstreamers often ask us, "Which spare parts should we have on board, to fix problems?"

Here's what we carry in our Airstream and the reasons why.

Start with safety

First, we start with essential safety equipment–like a tire changing kit. That's because tire problems are the #1 potential trip-killer that Airstream and other brand RV owners encounter during travel.

Really, a flat tire should never stop you, if you have a good spare tire and the tools to swap it. Pro tip: Make sure the spare is inflated properly before every trip. An "Easy AIR" will help there. 

Our decision-making guideline for spare parts

With tire and other safety equipment on board, there are three big considerations we use to determine the other spare parts to carry:

1. Is the part likely to be needed during the trip?
2. Is it something that would ruin the trip if it fails? (In other words, it can't easily be worked around.)
3. Is the part something that you can replace yourself? (If you can't and you have to go to a service center, they'll probably be able to get that part for you as part of the service.) 

In addition to these three questions, consider the cost of the part. Things that are small or cheap might be worth taking along even if you can't install them yourself, or aren't really likely to need them.

For example, I once went to pick up my Airstream at the service center and discovered that a hitch pin had gone missing. Without it, I couldn't hitch up. Fortunately I always have a spare hitch pin and a few other small pieces of hardware that are needed for the hitch. Otherwise, I'd have to go find an open hardware store to replace a $0.80 item.

Think also about the little things that you might take for granted: cotter pins, hitch pins, screws, rivets, fuses, etc. Those things are usually worth having in a small parts box, just in case. You'll find a lot of important "little things" in our Maintenance Essentials Kit, and our Rivet Replacement Kit. 

I realize all these questions can make things difficult. So I made the Venn diagram below to help with the decision process.

The point of the Venn diagram is to give you a guideline. The more circles that overlap for a particular item, the more sense it makes to take that particular part.

How we handle "unobtainium" parts

Once in a while there's a really odd and essential part that is too hard to find when you're in a remote area.

For me, it's the weird Zerk (grease) fitting that Hensley and Pro-Pride use on their hitches. The spring-loaded end of that fitting eventually wears down, and when it does, the weight distribution bars will fall out. It's simple to replace, but good luck buying one locally. I keep a pair in my spare parts tackle box. I haven't needed one in many years, but the day I do, that little part will be worth many times its cost to me.

Which spare parts shouldn't you carry?

People tend to carry spares of the things that have given them trouble in the past, even if they don't make sense. After my external city water connection cracked in freezing weather, I carried a spare for years (and never needed it). Recently an Airstreamer told me that he had to replace his defective Dometic thermostat twice, so he always traveled with a spare thermostat.

But these types of problems are more of the "struck by lightning" type. Also, if a part repeatedly fails, you should consider replacing it with something better. For example, we replaced that annoying Dometic thermostat with a Micro-Air EasyTouch Digital Thermostat.

We don't travel with bulky common parts that can be bought at hardware stores, auto parts stores, Camping World, and RV dealers. These days, it's easy to have parts shipped in (often overnight) from big stores like Amazon, in much of the 48 states and Canada. Think twice before packing your gear boxes with replacements just because they failed once in the past.

Beware of overloading

I don't know about you, but I'm certainly not toting a spare power converter, air conditioner, batteries, drum brake or refrigerator around! 

All RVs have weight capacity limits which you need to respect. So if a part is heavy (or the tools needed to replace it), factor in the weight when you load your truck. 

Work-arounds abound

Some things can fail, and they might seem catastrophic, but they don't have to ruin your trip. For example:

• If the electric hitch jack fails, there's a tool provided so that you can raise and lower it by hand. 
• Zip-Dee provides instructions for retracting the awning if it fails.
• If the fridge fails, pop a chunk of dry ice in the freezer (available from some grocery stores).
• Water pump failure can be worked around with campground bathrooms and jugs of water until you get a replacement pump.

You can even tow on three wheels for a while! If you get a flat (with no spare available), a bad wheel bearing or a stuck brake on a tandem-axle or triple-axle Airstream. This tidbit of info is buried in the Owner's Manual, in the "Maintenance" section. We've provided this information to the right.

Is it fixable on the road?

Finally, think about whether you want to tackle a particular job yourself, in the campground or roadside. More than once I've had to fix a leak on the connections to the water pump, and it's easy, so I always have Teflon tape in my tool bag.

But I'm not psyched to replace the power converter if it fails, or replace the wheel bearings, so I don't carry all the tools I'd need for those particular jobs. In these cases, I'd haul the Airstream to a service center and let better-equipped people do the work in half the time it would take me.