I was asked some time ago about stuff that I would recommend to carry in the van as a fulltimer. Here is my list. This is off the top of my head and excludes what I would consider obvious.
Duct tape, This can be a life saver for no end of reasons and I am always finding new uses for it.
WD40 and 3in1 oil, These speak for themselves but I am still surprised by the number of times I have to run to my van to get my tins to lend to people who don’t carry them.
Spare Water Pump, This is one item I have had break on me 3 times in 10 years of travelling. Although I have to say the Shureflo pump I now use is proving to be much more reliable than the submersible type. Having a water pump break on you when you are miles from anywhere, don’t speak the local language or have no where to get one delivered to can be stressful.
Spare plumbing parts. I now carry spares for most of my plumbing except major fittings. I have spare pipe, elbow and T fittings, jubilee clips and the adapters that go on the boiler. I also carry a spare rod for my toilet. Having had one break on me I don’t ever want to be without a toilet in the van again.
Electrical bits and bobs. These have built up over the years but still fit in a smallish box. I carry 3 size of wire, a full selection of crimp connectors, fuses and toggle switches.
Hozelock box, I have a box of every type of hozelock connector they do. On my last order I bought all the pro ones which although they are 5-10 times more expensive are made of metal in the most part and seem to fit together much better.
Sim collection, I have spare PAYG sims from all the major operators. I buy them for 99p with no credit on. If I find myself somewhere with no internet connection I can try the other networks without paying anything. If I find one that works I buy a £10 top up online.
Spare phone, 3G dongle, Mifi and and WiFi Dongle. The laptops built in Wifi played up and I was glad I had the WifiDongle, Mifi and 3G dongles are also handy to have spares of. Being stuck in the middle of nowhere with no internet access is no fun these days. We have come to rely on it so much. You don’t need to spend a fortune to get a full set of back ups and I feel it is worth having.
Spare Gas parts. Now this depends on your DIY skill level and what type of fittings you have. But I carry a small length of copper pipe, a bending tool and a cutting tool. I also carry inline connectors, blanking conectors and a few other bits and bobs. I also carry a spare Gas Regulator after having had one fail on me one winter when the shops were closed. I also carry various adapters that will allow me to connect any type of bottle to my van.
Tow Rope. I keep one of these as there has been no end of times when I have seen someone stuck and they didn’t have a rope. Worth carrying even if you never get stuck yourself.
A comprehensive tool kit. Even if you don’t know how to use half of them. Quite often if you have an emergency someone will be around who does know how but doesn’t have their toolkit with them. I am fortunate that I live in a self built motorhome so I know how everything works and can fix anything in the van.
Multi-meter. Please carry one of these as they can get you out of many a spot. Get a little bit of basic training, ask on the forums. Someone will give you a basic lesson on continuity checks and testing voltages. If something stops working a quick shout on the forums and someone will explain what to test and in what order. You may save yourself a lot of time and money. But the multi-meter is essential in my view.
If you think I have missed anything please let me know and I will add it.