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Old 04-26-2021, 02:22 PM   #1
montanaowner
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Full time in a rural area

Hey guys. I am a full timer going to live in an area where the nearest city is 70 miles.

I am asking a question about spare parts I might keep on hand. For sure circuit boards for everything. That is high on the list. Considering keeping a spare inverter since I am 11 years old and it is original equipment.

Any other ideas?
 
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Old 04-26-2021, 03:31 PM   #2
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If you are 11 years old you may want to ask your parents about this.
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Old 04-26-2021, 03:58 PM   #3
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I am a lot older. The camper is a 2010. Still would like to hear from folks about spare parts or strategies they use when in a situation like this.
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Old 04-26-2021, 05:17 PM   #4
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Old 04-26-2021, 10:42 PM   #5
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Mine is 16 years old and though I don't full time, I would not stock up on spare parts. Maybe some spare shark bite fittings. You can always go to town IF your rig breaks down. Definitely have a multimeter and know how to use it.
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Old 04-27-2021, 04:51 AM   #6
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+1 on the shark bites. A quick fix in the event of a leak. I keep a few elbows, couplings and caps on hand.
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Old 04-27-2021, 07:42 AM   #7
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You could run up several thousand dollars in spare parts only to have something unexpected go wrong. Some plumbing bits and some eternabond tape will stop most water leaks which is the biggest danger to your rig. Most any other problem is just an inconvenience.
70 miles is only an hour and a half or so drive if you need something major. Even then the dealer might have to order it anyway. Amazon Prime is just a day away and you don’t have to drive 70 miles and pay inflated dealer prices.
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Old 04-27-2021, 07:57 AM   #8
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Originally Posted by montanaowner View Post
Hey guys. I am a full timer going to live in an area where the nearest city is 70 miles.

I am asking a question about spare parts I might keep on hand. For sure circuit boards for everything. That is high on the list. Considering keeping a spare inverter since I am 11 years old and it is original equipment.

Any other ideas?
I assume from your wording that you are not actually a "full time RVer" but instead attempting to live in your stationary RV permanently?

After a few years your situation creates different maintenance and upkeep issues compared to an actual full time traveling RVer. If I were you I would make sure you had tools to service your water heater and a/c units for sure.
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Old 04-27-2021, 08:56 AM   #9
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Make sure you have a big enough socket to remove the anode rod from your water heater. Eternabond tape, self leveling lap sealant, and a good collection of shark bites would be my suggestion. In addition, a 2010 won't have LED bulbs in the lights. I would change to LED's and keep a few spares.
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Old 04-27-2021, 02:27 PM   #10
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I would sure have generator at least 2000 watts and a charger for my truck batteries. Some tools socket sets, wrenches a hammer and things of that sort.
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Old 04-27-2021, 04:17 PM   #11
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Mathew,

You can buy most of what you need and have it delivered by Amazon.
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Old 05-05-2021, 04:07 PM   #12
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Just about anything you need in RV parts is at Amazon & with quick shipping too. No matter where you are in the continental USA.

And don't forget independent dealers like Lynwood Harrell with his fun non RV products who will really work with you.
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Old 05-05-2021, 04:13 PM   #13
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Just about anything you need in RV parts is at Amazon & with quick shipping too. No matter where you are in the continental USA.

We had a customer in New Mexico. When we sent him something it took the UPS driver 4 hours to get to his place and 4 hours back. It was an all day trip. The driver was out of comminution for 5 of those hours but UPS always delivered his package at no additional cost.
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Old 05-05-2021, 09:53 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by montanaowner View Post
Hey guys. I am a full timer going to live in an area where the nearest city is 70 miles.

I am asking a question about spare parts I might keep on hand. For sure circuit boards for everything. That is high on the list. Considering keeping a spare inverter since I am 11 years old and it is original equipment.

Any other ideas?

You might want to consider placing the model and year of your rig in your signature line for when you have an issue, it will make answering much easier. Also, is it an inverter or are you talking about your CONVERTER?
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Old 05-10-2021, 03:27 PM   #15
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Some 1/2" shark bite fittings makes sense and some cheap items that frequently ware out along with a good variety of tools and supply of fasteners.
MY experience though is that any significant part that I acquire and keep for a spare pretty much guarantees that part will not fail.
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Old 05-10-2021, 05:37 PM   #16
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If you had everything you might need you would need another camper to store it in. Pick what you might need that you can replace yourself and get some of that. And have the tools to work on a camper.
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Old 05-18-2021, 04:53 AM   #17
montanaowner
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Originally Posted by rohrmann View Post
You might want to consider placing the model and year of your rig in your signature line for when you have an issue, it will make answering much easier. Also, is it an inverter or are you talking about your CONVERTER?

Would you be kind enough to explain the DIFFERENCE?
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Old 05-18-2021, 05:06 AM   #18
montanaowner
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If you had everything you might need you would need another camper to store it in. Pick what you might need that you can replace yourself and get some of that. And have the tools to work on a camper.
Lynwood
Obviously was looking for practical suggestions. Having a spare refrigerator, water heater, furnace, faucets, W&D, and ACs isn't practical. Where I was going with this question is what commonly fails? Thankfully the man I bought this from did an excellent job of keeping it up.

Tools area great suggestion. I've got plenty. Air compressor and some cordless stuff too. Got a couple of good generators. The shark bites suggestion was great. I didn't know there was a product like that. If there are any more practical tips like that I would genuinely appreciate hearing them.

Tossing out another question. Anyone have experience with Soft Starts for the ACs? Almost $300 bucks each for essentially what is a capacitor seems expensive. Any alternatives?

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Old 05-18-2021, 05:06 AM   #19
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Would you be kind enough to explain the DIFFERENCE?
The converter is a unit usually found near or behind the fuse/breaker panel that "converts" ac shore power to dc to maintain the battery.
The inverter "inverts" dc power from the battery to ac for a specific circuit generally found in a rig with a residential refrigerator. I don't think you will find one in a 2010 unit unless someone has added it for a specific circuit such as a TV or Cpap.
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Old 05-18-2021, 05:16 AM   #20
montanaowner
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The converter is a unit usually found near or behind the fuse/breaker panel that "converts" ac shore power to dc to maintain the battery.
The inverter "inverts" dc power from the battery to ac for a specific circuit generally found in a rig with a residential refrigerator. I don't think you will find one in a 2010 unit unless someone has added it for a specific circuit such as a TV or Cpap.


And that's exactly what I was talking about. Sorry, I didn't mean to misgender the Converter.
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