Here’s 13 Jayco camper spare parts that can help get you out of trouble while you’re camping.
Now, these aren’t things like duct tape, silicon spray, and cable ties….
…this list is about the things that commonly break on a wind-up camper
[because of the number of moving parts involved in setting and packing up]
Here we go:
1. Plastic bed saddles
These are the plastic things with the round knobbly bit that the Jayco bed hockey sticks attach to:
The round bits on these are prone to snapping off
[especially if you do up the Velcro before inserting or removing the hockey stick]
Sure you can make do with some duct tape until you get home…
…but for about $4 from your local Jayco store (or a few dollars more here on eBay) having at least one of these in your spare parts kit is pretty good insurance
2. Eye bolts for the lifting cable mechanism
The biggest fear for any Jayco camper trailer owner is to be out camping and one of the lifting arms won’t work:
Usually (and hopefully) it’s one of these eyebolts that has opened up.
For $1.73 at Bunnings, a couple of these Zenith M6 100mm Galvanised Eye Bolts (I/N: 4220690) should be in every Jayco camper spare parts kit.
Jayco intentionally use eye bolts that are open (and not welded) as part of the design of the system
These non-welded eye bolts are like fuses for your Jayco windup camper winch system…
…they can act as an engineered weak point in the system that you can repair on the campsite
[and hopefully stop the cable from snapping which is harder to replace]
3. D Shackles to attach eye bolts to the cable
If you need to replace an eyebolt, then to attach it to the loop at the end of the cable you have 3 options:
- Use a swaging tool to crimp a new swage onto the cable
- Open up the eye bolt (potentially weakening it), OR
- If you don’t have a swaging tool for the cable then a D-shackle is a good interim solution
Again, Bunnings to the rescue…
…we carry a couple of these Zenith 5mm D Shackles (I/N: 3966843)
4. Door turnbutton latches
Ironically one of these has snapped off in our Jayco Swan while I’ve been writing this article:
Now, there’s two different types to carry here
The best place to get the ones for the top isn’t from a Jayco spare parts dealer, but Bunnings:
(Delf Turnbutton 40mm – Satin Chrome I/N: 0013285)…
…but for the ones that hold the main part of the door together, the best place is here from RV Parts Express via their eBay store for about $5
5. Roof safety kill switch
One of the most frequently asked questions in the Jayco Camper Trailer Owners Australia group is:
Why aren’t my lights working when I have power everywhere else?
A roof safety kill switch that’s malfunctioning is the answer in the majority of cases:
It’s designed to cut the power when the roof of your Jayco camper is down… but the little metal lever often gets bent or stuck.
Some people just bypass them by joining the wires…
…or you could get a spare one here from Suncoast Caravan Service off eBay and carry a replacement
6. Hockey stick fixing brackets
These hockey stick fixing brackets and insert are something that seem to break or become worn
(and then the hockey stick easily gets dislodged if bumped)
These take up next to no space in your spare parts kit
(ours came with the insert too)
These sell out pretty quickly… but looks like they have a few in stock here at RV Parts Express’s eBay store.
7. Nylon curtain clips
One of the most popular Jayco camper trailer modifications is to replace the curtains with roller blinds:
One of the reasons for this is that these curtain clips break. A lot.
Carrying some of these in your spare parts kit helps keep the OCD at bay:
No one likes uneven curtains.
Especially when you can buy these Jayco curtain clips here for only $0.25c each.
Read our article: 35 Most Popular Jayco Camper Trailer Modifications
8. Set of wheel bearings
To be honest:
I don’t have a clue how to replace wheel bearings.
But the point is this:
It’s worth having a set in your spare parts kit because any mechanic can do it IF they have the right ones handy
[but you don’t want to be stuck in the middle of nowhere waiting for parts]
So which ones do you need?
The set of wheel bearings you need can depend on the year, model, and axle rating of your particular Jayco camper.
The way to make sure you get the right spare parts for your Jayco camper is to pull a hub off and get the bearing and seal part numbers
9. Door lock set
A spare door lock set seems a bit much… but it ended up on our shopping list since doing research for this article:
It sounds like these frequently break.
My plan is to buy a set like this one off eBay with keys that match my boot and tunnel boot locks so they’re all keyed alike
(and put the current one in my spare parts kit)
10. Screenmend fly screen repair kit
Mosquitoes inside your camper can really ruin a good night’s sleep…
…and Jayco campers are prone to having holes poked in the fly screens during the pack up process
(see no. 16 on this list of 23 Tips For New Jayco Camper Trailer Owners)
Having some of this stuff in your spare parts kit can help mend holes in your fly screen.
And although it might seem a little overkill, I’ve opted for 2 different types that you can get off eBay:
- These self-adhesive patches for temporary repairs while free camping
- Some heat-activated Screenmend patches (which stick better for when we can get to a hairdryer)
11. Main cable for winch system
I once had to replace a broken main cable in our Jayco Swan.
Surprisingly it wasn’t that hard, it didn’t take that long, and I didn’t need to raise the roof:
Replacing a broken main cable is easily something you could do while you’re camping with a few basic tools IF you have a replacement cable
I bought a 5mm swaging tool for about $100 and then made up my own cable for just over $12 in parts
If you can’t justify the expense of a swaging tool?
Then you can buy a premade cable for under $20 here on eBay
12. Plastic key for water filler
You can skip this if your camper came with 2 keys for the water filler.
Ours didn’t.
It was pretty annoying when I lost ours…
…so when I replaced it it I bought 2 so that we always have a spare.
(they’re about $5 each here off eBay)
13. Push Button Catches for Drawers and Cupboard Doors
This one’s a late addition that I’ve added to our list of spares to carry.
These push button catches for draws and cupboard doors always seem to break.
We don’t have them yet but I’ve just bought them here from Ebay
14. Gas cooktop nylon turnbuckle
To tell the truth I almost didn’t include this one in this list
[the only reason I did is because there was already one in my spare parts kit]
This is the latch that helps lock the gas cooktop lid in place in its upright position
It’s small. Cheap. And annoying if you accidentally break one.
Even though it’s something that could probably wait until you get home, why not have one on hand?
They’re only about $1.30 from ALL RV Parts and Accessories
Summary: Jayco camper spare parts to carry when camping
We carry nearly all of these spare parts for our Jayco Swan… and they take up next to no space
(we’ll add the wheel bearings and spare door lock set soon)
If you’ve got a Swan, Eagle, Flamingo, Hawk, Dove, Swift etc then you might also like this article: 35 Most Popular Jayco Camper Trailer Modifications