After my first Vanagon pump died many years back, I now carry a spare
new pump in all my Vanagons, no matter how recent the installed pump is.
The first time I had a waterboxer waterpump fail on the road was also in
Kettlemen City with my then recently purchased 1983. I stopped for gas
and saw coolant flowing out onto the ground from around the shaft, no
noise that I could discern but it was 15 years ago when I was a green owner.

I also always carry belts and an alternator regulator/brush assembly.

Mark

trooz wrote:

> I do carry a set of belts.  I don't have a clue as to what spare hoses I
> should carry.
> How does one tell that the alternator is going?  The only time it's happened
> to me was about midnight on I5 outside of scenic Kettleman City.  That red
> light really grabs your attention when you've been on autopilot for several
> hours.
> When my water pump went, I thought for sure it had to be the auto tranny or
> something else seriously expensive.  The noise was terrible, and I never
> would have guessed it was coming from the water pump!  Now I hope I'd
> recognize it, but I'd be afraid to drive it any distance (like from
> Kettleman City to Visalia).
>
> Bob Trousdale
> '90 Westy
>
>
>