6+ month road trip! What parts/tools do I need?

[Kakah]

In Oct/Nov of 2008 me and a friend plan on doing a 6+ month trip circling South America (down Pacific side and up Atlantic). There is a huge amount of planning and the like to do and so much to think about. There are the obvious things to bring, the less obvious that I hope we'll figure out also, but what I'd like help with is parts for my '91 auto Delica.

Total mileage should be close to 35,000 and we're not kidding ourselves, the van is going to breakdown at some point along the way.
Manual jacks, spares, tire sealant and tubes I know to bring but can you guys maybe put a list together of less obvious parts/tools that I may need to put in the kit before we leave. There is a lot of resources about doing the trip itself but I as far as Deli info goes you guys can be a massive help! Any ideas?

I have just bought a 60x40 Surco basket and a cool down timer which never hurts to have. A fabricator friend of mine owes me some favors and I was actually considering getting a skid plate and even some drive line/fuel tank protection made up for the underside of my van. We are both like to get waaay off the beaten path and it seems like this may not be a bad idea. Any other mods that may make sense??

Thanks for any help!

[coaxial]

oil filters for when you get oil changed, fuel filter, diesel can, one of those battery booster/air compressor combo things, normally an air filter as it is dusty down there but the delica filter I think you can just tap the dust out of it and keep using it, spare headlight, that's about all I can think of.

Have fun and take lots of pictures :)

[jrman]

Pretty much any "consumable" part would be recommended + some extras.
I would love to do a trip like what you have planned - and would recommend bringing enough filters (air / oil / fuel) for the duration, 2x all belts (except timing belt assuming you've done this recently), have the tranny and front / rear differential serviced prior to departure, bring spare water pump, & pressure test coolant system, extra top & bottom rad hoses (VIP), fresh shocks (the roads in central america are particularly tough I have heard), headlight / tail light bulbs, and have the most trustworthy mechanic you know take a long run over as much as possible to see what else they can find. I'm sure it will pay in the long run.

My closest friend did Vancouver to Costa Rica & return back in 1995 in a Chev Suburban. Said he would only ever do the trip in a Japanese vehicle in the future - apparently the various fights with the USA make American vehicle parts quite hard to find in countries such as Nicaragua to be sure. He recommends a Toyota PU truck as being the easiest to find parts - preferably one with a 4 Cyl 22R engine - apparently they are everywhere, but did say MMC / Nissan / Toyota - are all there. Can't comment about the rest of your trip. Anyway - the roads in Nic were the worst on his trip and took out the rear diff on the suburban. He ended up taking a 150 Mile cab ride to get a used diff (each way) and had to carry the thing in the back seat hanging out one window....made a good story....but a headache he would have preferred to avoid....

Looking forward to hearing more about your trip.
Best of luck.