Roadside Repair Kit?

[LuckyDog916]

Picking up a mail-order bride this weekend. She's an 84 Jamboree with 40k miles on a Ford 460/E350 chassis. She comes with some great pictures and a fairly detailed inspection report, but... plenty of potential issues with a 30-year old storage queen. I'm flying in to pick her up Saturday AM then plan to drive 500 miles home. Mostly flat but it's a long trip for a first date.

I'll buy some basic tools and supplies (fuel filter, hoses, & clamps, light bulbs, duct tape, gas can, etc.) to cover simple roadside repairs. Other than checking the tire date codes, are there other "Must Do" items to check before hitting the road?

[TyroneandGladys]

Gorilla tape for things that should not move WD40 for things that should move Good Sam's RSA and a credit card.

[LuckyDog916]

Thanks for the suggestions folks! I'll definitely sign up for a roadside insurance program. Don't think my Geico program will cover the RV but I'll check. Belts & hoses passed a visual, and no leaks after an hour at idle & 10 mile road test - but... long drive up Grapevine Hill will be a much tougher test. I'll plan to stop frequently for fluid and wear checks. Sure hope that water pump doesn't fail. Read about a lot of fuel pump/filter/line issues, but I could hopefully deal with those. No way I could replace a water pump by the side of the road. Yeah I'll bet the black tank will be nicely scrubbed by the time I get home - another good tip!
So... here's hoping I can report a boring drive home! I'm sure I'll be searching the archives for advice as this is my first RV. Thanks for your help.

[4x4Bob]

Some thing not mentioned yet. Once that engine and transmission warm up to hot the seals and gaskets may start to leak under pressure. You may be making frequent stops to refill the lost fluids.

Bob

[Matt_Colie]

Lucky,

Please take the notes about credit cards, cell phones and road service seriously. While it may have few miles, years can hurt a lot - too.

You might make 500 miles, but you should still plan on:
Tires, At least read the dates,
Belts, If you can't find at receipt that they are less than
Hoses - Fuel, Coolant and Brake
The fuel lines will have to be replaced with ethanol tolerant.
The coolant lines may be soft and weeping.
The rubber brake may have visible cracks
And the cooling system and brakes should be flushed as the contained fluid has aged out.

If any of this can wait until you get home, I wish you a boring trip.

Matt

[path1]

See if you can borrow a phone that has a different carrier than yours, you'll have more access just in case your carrier is weak or no signal in some areas, friends phone carrier might cover area yours doesn't.

Stop by auto store this week and get them to print out the fluid spec's on your model year/engine.

Add 1 laundry soap pod and about 1 gallon of water to black tank, will get good cleaning in 500 miles, just in case.



You do know with all the planning your doing that your "new" queen will run great?

[darsben]

LuckyDog916 wrote:
Picking up a mail-order bride this weekend. She's an 84 Jamboree with 40k miles on a Ford 460/E350 chassis. She comes with some great pictures and a fairly detailed inspection report, but... plenty of potential issues with a 30-year old storage queen. I'm flying in to pick her up Saturday AM then plan to drive 500 miles home. Mostly flat but it's a long trip for a first date.

I'll buy some basic tools and supplies (fuel filter, hoses, & clamps, light bulbs, duct tape, gas can, etc.) to cover simple roadside repairs. Other than checking the tire date codes, are there other "Must Do" items to check before hitting the road?

For the price I would think about a roadside service contract with one of the two big ones. Good Sam or Coach net. At under $100.00 per year Wise investment in case you get a flat, need a tow etc.

[richardwise]

Maybe have it checked mechanically- brakes, cooling system, etc., if not covered in inspection. Water pumps have a habit of going out at worst time.