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quoteSo often, it’s the little things that can make or break your motorhome or caravan touring. Things that can – indeed, often will – go wrong, most likely when you least expect it.
There’s plenty you can do to be prepared for such incidents, though – even if it means making a small, temporary repair. Or a little fix to make sure what starts as a little niggle doesn’t develop into something worse – such as those annoying rattles!
Here are some ideas for the type of essential kit you should pack to cope with the type of small emergencies that might just come your way when away in your leisure vehicle.
These products will complement what you already have on board in terms of spare bulbs and fuse kits, hi-vis vests, etc. Indeed, treat this article as a starter. There will be items you’ll want to include to suit your specific needs, too.
But first… check your insurance
Of course, your Caravan Guard motorhome insurance policy includes comprehensive cover for accidental damage and UK roadside assistance, breakdown recovery and more, including if you get stranded in mud on campsites. So, don’t feel the onus is on you to literally dig yourself out of a hole or do any major emergency repair work. Indeed, in lots of instances it’s actually safer to leave it to the professionals.
But if you breakdown or are involved in a minor scrape you might want to have items that keep your safer, or allow you make an emergency repair to keep your caravan or motorhome water tight and to prevent more damage until you can take it to a specialist repairer.
Top tips for coping with small emergencies in your motorhome or caravan
- Keep an eye on all your emergency products and spares to make sure they’re still usable and haven’t exceeded any use-by dates. For example, fire safety gear and gas hoses.
- How about rechargeable batteries for your small appliances rather than standard ones?
- Do think about things from a space and weight-saving point of view. Examples could be a large adjustable spanner instead of a full socket set (go for one that opens wide enough for undoing any gas cylinder connectors).
- Another quick check – do you already have sets of spare light bulbs and fuses?
- There’s plenty more to take on board – literally – when it comes to being prepared for any caravan or motorhome emergencies. Common sense dictates you should already have kits for first aid and breakdown emergencies, which may well already include some of the suggestions we make below.
- If you don’t already have them on board, you might also want to add a proprietary hand cleaner (for oil, grease and general traffic dirt) and/or work gloves.
- As mentioned earlier also consider the spares you’ll need when things stop working or break. Consider items such as a spare bulb kit and fuses, replacement gas hoses, spare water hose, awning pegs, and awning rubber ladder bands to name a few.
- And finally, while you might want to get a suitable bag or box to store everything in one place, do also take into account the combined weight of any of the items you deem essential and their overall effect on your caravan or motorhome payload.
Take some tape
Gaffer tape, duct tape, call it what you like* but a roll of heavy-duty tape is ideal for temporarily fixing all manner of things – from broken light covers or roof vents, to damaged doors or panels, small leaks, and plenty more – before a proper motorhome or caravan repair can be made.
Go for a better quality tape and you’re likely to find it leaves less residue when it comes to peeling it off.
Halfords Heavy Duty Duct Tape comes in black or silver and uses reinforced cloth. You get 10m on a single roll.
*Note. Typically, gaffer tape is made from cloth, while duct tape tends to be plastic. You might want to consider a roll of each.
Expect to pay £4.19
Cable ties
An ideal complement to any of the above. You just never know when a cable tie can make all the difference.
Grab yourself a collection of various sizes, to cover all eventualities.
Halfords supplies a choice of plastic cable ties in a range of sizes and colours, but you get a good mix totalling 600 in its “Assorted” pack.
Expect to pay £12.19
Batteries back-up
Set aside a small pack of batteries to suit the gadgets you take away with you, and you won’t go wrong. Don’t forget to have replacement batteries handy for any smoke alarms or carbon monoxide detectors – typically they’re the 9V variants.
The Venom Battery Organiser Storage Case, which also comes with a charge tester, offers safe storage for up to 80 batteries and more in its bespoke slots.
Expect to pay £14.95
Silicone spray
Better than a typical oil-based lubricant because it’s safe to use on plastics and rubber, as well as performing any small-scale lubrication duties to also alleviate any creaking, leaking, squeaking etc.
Thetford says its Seal Lubricant is for ensuring the smooth operation of the blade valves and other seals on its cassette toilets – you’ll soon find it’s great for plenty more!
Expect to pay £5
When glue is super
Use it sparingly and carefully, it could be your best friend when it comes to immediate fixes.
This Extreme UV liquid welder glue can be used on wood, metal, ceramic, glass, plastics and more for on-the-spot repairs. Once dry, it can be filed, sanded, polished or painted.
Expect to pay £7.50
Why a multi-tool beats a whole kit
A good quality multi-tool should cover any need to carry a set of screwdrivers, blades, and more. Get the right model to suit you and you’ll find it’s an absolute boon when it comes to smaller fixes that still need a professional tool.
Whitby is a brand that’s long been associated with premium multi-purpose knives. Its Whitby Multipurpose Folding Knife with eight tools comes in Black Pakkawood with its tools in stainless steel. It only weighs 125g and is some 4in long (unfolded) but tools include a sub-3in knife blade (legal for carrying in the UK), a saw, a combined flat screwdriver, and can opener, scissors, reamer (for making small holes larger) and more.
Expect to pay £69.95
Jump up for starter leads
Not just for you, but it might be that you’ll want to help others who are in need of an instant charge if a vehicle has gone flat.
Maypole’s MP3515 Emergency Jump Lead kit is suitable for cars or motorhomes with engines up to three litres, including those with stop-start technology. They feature 15mm2 copper-coated aluminium with full insulation and they’re acid, oil and heat resistant. Length is 3m and they come with a PVC carrybag.
Expect to pay £17.99
Light relief with a rechargeable lamp…
A hand-held torch that you can keep in a designated storage spot, ready for use, is another item you can call essential no matter what size, type or style of leisure vehicle you use.
Something like the Energizer Metal Rechargeable Light here is a good size – not too big, not too small – providing up to 300 lumens of brightness with a maximum beam length of 130m and can last up to four hours between charges. It has three modes – high, low and strobe – and it’s tough, thanks to its aluminium body. It also comes with a lanyard, so there’s less chance of losing it. And it’s an affordable price.
Expect to pay £17
…and a head torch
Better even than a hand-held torch – especially if you want to use both hands for any remedial work – is a head torch. Although why not keep one of each?
The Lifesystems Intensity 580 is small and light enough not to be a burden when you’re wearing it. It has a rechargeable Li-ion battery but can also be powered by three AAA batteries. It provides up to 580 lumens of brightness via three lighting modes.
Expect to pay £34.99
Go for the tow?
You just never know when or if you might need a tow rope or strap – even if it’s just for getting pulled out of a muddy patch. Or helping others. But check it’s tough enough for your car and caravan outfit or motorhome.
Maypole’s MP6114 Heavy Duty Recovery Towing Strap has a 4,000kg maximum rolling load limit. It’s highly visible and has forged steel hooks with safety catches. You also get a zipped storage bag, “on tow” sign, red safety flag and instructions for use.
Expect to pay £11.99
Tyre repair kit
Some kind of instant repair kit will inevitably prove itself when it comes to tyre trouble, particularly if you don’t have a spare wheel. You might want to make sure it’s suitable for heavier-duty tyres, especially.
The Slime Smart Tyre Repair Kit does what it says – offering temporary repairs that let you get going again as quickly as 15 minutes from stopping.
It will repair punctures up to 6mm in diameter. Included is a 300psi 12V inflator with adaptors.
Expect to pay £25.99
Send out a warning?
If you really are stuck at the side of the road and/or need to be towed to a safer destination, a handy helper could be a flashing orange light that can be easily attached to your vehicle, as well as a warning triangle, whilst you’re waiting to be recovered.
The MP4099 Amber Warning Beacon from Maypole operates wirelessly for up to six hours and has a magnetic mount. It has a 7.4V lithium-ion battery and comes with a 1m curly cord for connecting to a 12V supply for recharging.
Expect to pay £39.99
Over to you…
Got any advice on essential items that can cope with small caravan or motorhome emergencies to pass on to others? Feel free to add your comments below.
Instead of black or grey duct tape I carry transparent helicopter tape which can cover broken light covers, wing mirrors etc and still allow them to function as normal.
Extension bar, to aid slacking off wheel studs/nuts, as they are fitted to quite a high torque. Just make sure it is compatible with your units wheel stud/nuts handle.
Excellent advice, hopefully some at least will take notice and stock up on these items
A useful article. It got me thinking I could add a couple of items to my kit.