Good call on the fire extinguisher—never thought I'd need one until I saw smoke coming from under my dash once... talk about panic mode. On a related note, how often do you guys actually replace your fuel lines proactively? Mine look okay, but they're original and I'm starting to wonder if I'm pushing my luck here.
"Mine look okay, but they're original and I'm starting to wonder if I'm pushing my luck here."
Had the same thought last summer before our family road trip. Mine looked fine too, but I swapped them anyway—figured peace of mind beats roadside regrets. Probably worth doing if you're already questioning it...
I get the logic behind swapping them out early, but honestly, I've taken a different approach. A couple years back, I had original hoses on my '78 camper van that looked totally fine—no cracks or swelling. Decided to leave them be and just packed a spare set along with clamps and coolant. Never needed them, but knowing I had backups made the trip way less stressful.
"figured peace of mind beats roadside regrets."
True enough, but sometimes peace of mind can come from just being prepared too...
Yeah, I see your point. I've done something similar myself—had an old '85 Jeep Cherokee that I drove cross-country a few summers back. The hoses looked decent enough, no obvious cracks or bulges, but I still tossed a spare set in the back along with some basic tools and coolant. Never ended up needing them either, but just knowing they were there made the whole trip feel way more relaxed.
I think it really comes down to knowing your vehicle and your comfort level. If you've owned it a while and regularly check things out, you can usually spot trouble before it happens. But hoses can be sneaky—sometimes they look fine on the outside but are deteriorating from the inside out. I've seen hoses that looked perfect externally but were brittle and crumbly once removed. So even if you're not swapping them out early, it's probably worth squeezing and flexing them a bit during routine checks to catch any hidden issues.
Either way, having a backup plan is always smart. Nothing worse than being stuck on the side of the road wishing you'd packed that extra hose...
Totally agree with you on the hoses. Had a similar experience myself—took my old '78 VW bus on a 2,000-mile road trip last year. Thought I'd checked everything thoroughly, but halfway through, one of the fuel lines started leaking. Luckily, I had some spare hose and clamps stashed away, so it wasn't a big deal. But man, if I hadn't packed that stuff... would've been a long wait for roadside assistance in the middle of nowhere.
You're right about hoses being sneaky too. I've pulled off ones that looked brand new outside but were practically disintegrating inside. Regular checks help, but sometimes it's just luck of the draw. Still, knowing you've got backup parts and tools handy makes the whole trip way less stressful. Sounds like you're already doing everything right—just keep trusting your gut and enjoy the ride.
