..would you take on a looong trip, especially overseas? Just wondering as we're off to sunny Spain in a few months. Maybe Dave....
("I'm off down to Algeciras and beyond in 4 weeks and that's 1700kms from here !!!!
Safe trip, good luck
Dave") has some ideas? What yer tekkin with yer? Anyone else? What are the essentials?
ps Safe trip to you too!
OK lets try AGAIN!! This morning I replied to this thread pressed 'submit reply' and got a white page of nothing so here goes again.
I live in Spain and do a lot of miles (kilometers) so have first hand experience.
The usual advice about bulbs, extinguisher, is good, in Spain you must have TWO red triangles, you must have a hi viz jacket for every person in the car at the time of a stop by the police or in the event of an accident/breakdown.
Some other ideas:
All documents pertaining to your car and the current driver must be with you at all times when out and about. All passengers must have ID IIRC over the age of 16.
Carry cash as any traffic infringment is fined at the side of the road, in the event you have no cash then it's a accompanied trip to the nearest ATM, of course you can also have a night in the cells if you wish.
At the moment the government is making a big issue about accidents and speeding which is the usual hype prior to raising the fines and justifying more speed cameras so watch the speedo, if using sat nav most can be programmed to warn of overspeeding.
I note the list of spares mentioned if I can add my tuppence worth?
I assume you are not off roading and just sticking to the public highways (sometimes hard to tell the difference).
Wheel bearings rarely fail suddenly but ok to take do not forget the box spanner and grease, you can pre-pack them in grease and wrap in plastic before you go.
Swivel bearings do not just fail so check you have them full of oil or use the 'one shot' grease.
C/V joints tend to click when cornering for hundreds of miles long before complete failure, and sudden failure is unknown (well to me and friends at the clooob) in a normal on road situation, so is it needed?
Forget the cam belt kit, if its due or likely to be whilst away then change it before you go, if the belt breaks then it's likely to take a couple of rockers and push rods with it so not the typical side of the road repair unless the big fella luvs ya.
Serpentine belts also rarely fail without showing a lot of wear beforehand so taking one should be fine, the tensioners again make a lot of noise before failure, but you have that covered.
Top/bottom hose ok also consider the heater hoses or.....just take a piece of copper tubing and some jubilee clips, if one fails link them together at the break/split or take the heater out of the circuit altogether as there is not a lot of call for a heater over in Spain. Get a blanket it can be bl**dy cold at night!
Brake pads, if the front or rear pads are more than 70% worn then change them at home, where the common seized caliper piston is easier to deal with.
Ball joints I think the four you refer to are identical except in thread, again sudden failure is unlikely but take one of each thread if it makes you feel a little more happy.
Glow plugs, they are not needed in the warmer climate over here unless you are going to the North for example Santander ect. And to have four fail is really unlikely.
A spare oil/fuel filter is a good idea, make sure when changing your oil and the spare oil you are carrying meet the specs for a hot climate, you will be suprised how many people service there car in the UK putting in the right oil for a UK climate only to have it fry up due to the lube failing in the heat, an air filter is just using up space so I would not bother as you are changing before you go.
Remember the bigger supmarkets here i.e. Eroski carry filters, oil, batteries, antifreeze, ect so no panic there.
Do NOT carry antifreeze, instead use the space to carry a clean container of drinking water, if you have a coolant related breakdown then you can add plain water to get you out of trouble, if on the other hand your breakdown is not coolant related and you cannot fix it yourself you have got drinking water for the walk to the nearest help or until the breakdown service arrives.
Incidently, the antifreeze (anticoagulante) is sold over here as 'ready mixed', you just choose the amount of frost protection you require, do not dilute.
Other ideas:
Lift pump is cheap enough to buy and small enough to carry.
Check the rad for airflow restrictions (bugs, leaves, mud ect it's no coincidence that most vehicle breakdowns over here are due to overheating midstream of climbing a loooong hill.
Give the props a good pump of grease whilst doing your filter/oil service
Spare keys and alarm fob.
Depending on your model beam deflectors, (later vehicles do not need them).
Usual duct/gaffer tape/ decent set of tools, check the jack works OK and loosen/retighten the wheel nuts to check none are seized (common problem with alloys).
Check your mobile phone will 'roam' OK
The Land rover dealers over here are very good, if you order a part before 3.00 pm it will arrive before lunch time the following day, remember most dealers/shops shut between 2.00pm and 5.00 pm for a siesta.
Most breakers yards (desguace's) are sited very near to motorways (I wonder why) and are easy to find but parts are expensive. Either way you will get larger components for your truck here as Land Rovers were built under licence for quite a few years in Spain.
If I can think of anything else I will add it later, if you PM me your route I will see if your getting near to my manor and will give you a phone number, I might be able to help and I do not mind travelling a few miles to help someone out, I also have friends that could help as well, covering the area from Murcia down through to Baza and also Almeria.
When it comes down to it you could as someone mentioned tow a donor car to be on the safe side but if your car is reasonably well looked after it will not be a problem.
Safe journey
regards
Dave
