Where do you find a replacement for the extendable handle of Rick Steves Rolling Carry On?

I would check the local luggage repair shops. Let them figure out what 'size' it needs.

Were you planning to buy parts and do the repair yourself?

How long have you had the Carry On?

Yes, I plan to do the repair and buy a spare part if cost effective.

I bought the rolling carry on for a 2019 trip. I have used it for 3 trips that totaled 52 days.

Rick Steves Rolling Carry-On Broken Extendable Handle - NO Replacement Part

Repair Cost if a handle was available: $45. Our luggage repair store tried various sources and could not find even a generic or universal replacement for the broken extendable handle. The repair guy explained the type of handle would not work with other parts.

My usage: 3 trips for a total of 51 days.

Suggestion to Rick Steves Customer Service: Find vendors who have replacement parts for these breakable parts.

Suggestion to Travelers: Use with care.

It is disappointing when a purchase doesn’t live up to expectations. The challenge with luggage is we don’t always control how it is handled while traveling. I’m sorry that yours did not hold up.

This may or may not work. Unless things have changed in the past couple of years, Rick Steves' bags are manufactured by Ricardo of Beverly Hills. Measure the handle of your bag--width, length, etc, and contact them They may be able to suggest a replacement.

You can check the tag inside your bag to see if Ricardo still makes the bag.

In the past, I've had three RS wheeled bags. All had problems. On one, the handle broke less than two weeks after the first use. I was in Italy. Not a lot of fun but the company did refund my money as I had to buy a new bag.

One last question, when you said it "broke." Did the handle itself break or did it just come off the bag?

Hi Frank, you asked Did the handle itself break or did it just come off the bag?
The handle itself broke. The tag info did not indicate Ricardo. The repair guy reached out to the company that he recognized without results. He noted The Samantha Brown line had similar problems. Travel Pro makes parts for their luggage. I contacted Customer Service for prices. 3 to 5 days for a response. No response yet.

You bought 3 RS rolling bags. Do you still buy them? I’ve compared them to other brands. I like the RS styling and want to work around the problem. Can the rolling suitcase strap replace the extendable handle?
I have 4 different RS backpacks and use them for different travel needs.

You bought 3 RS rolling bags. Do you still buy them?

No. While others here swear by them, I prefer other brands. I currently use a Samsonite spinner. In the past I've used Eagle Creek, Lipault and Away. I wanted bags that would fit most European airline limits.

I find that luggage manufacturers usually make spare parts available. RS and Samantha Brown outsource their manufacturing to a third party.

I have had a few RS non-wheeled bags and they were fine.

Rolling suitcase straps are not very easy to use.

What did the tag inside the bag say? Look on both sides. If you can't find the tag, it may be underneath the lining.

Frank, what size suitcase meets international requirements? Or what size suitcase is the best size for mostl in your opinion?

Thanks for tag info. Yes, Ricardo of Beverly Hills manufactured the suitcase. The repair guy said he contacted the company but did not find a replacement. I have contacted them to verify and get more information.
Way of world: Many things we use are non durable-likely to break. Find what works best.

One travel advisor recommended packing duct tape for luggage emergencies.

One travel advisor recommended packing duct tape for luggage emergencies.

I never leave home without it. I told a friend a couple of years ago to take some. She thought I was crazy but she took some. On day two of her trip to Germany, she tore her down jacket. Guess what she used to fix it?

While there is no "standard" for international bags, most bags measuring 55 x 35 x 23 cm should be okay although some airlines only allow 20 cm instead of 23.

I hate to say it but I think you are going to have a very hard time finding a replacement handle.

That's one of the reasons I stick to bags made by major manufacturers. Recently, I broke a wheel on my bag. (It had nothing to do with cobblestones.) Somehow, one of the wheels got caught on a train luggage rack. I was in a rush and pulled hard. The bag came loose and I was on my way. It wheeled fine. Each wheel was a double wheel. When I got to my hotel that night, I noticed that one half of one wheel was missing. I emailed Samsonite and they sent me a new wheel housing. With just a screwdriver, and in less than ffive minutes, I was able to remove the old housing and put on the new one. Good as new. I learned Samsonite has a webpage just for ordering spare parts. By the way, they sent me a new wheel at no cost even though it had been over a year since I purchased the bag.

If you had some time in London I could send you to the man who performed magic on two of my more senior and respected suitcases.

One was an older but much loved Karrimor (who no longer are in business, the name only was sold on and the new products are completely different) which had lost the rubber compound around one wheel - replaced like new, not screwed on but hidden rivets from the inside, works perfectly and would never know it had been repaired.

The other was a fairly elderly larger red Antler which had two faults - one was that the handle refused to work and tried to separate, and the main zip had failed. Both issues fixed like new - the handle goes up and down and actually pulls the bag, and the zip actually opens and closes perfectly, like new.

3 days, £30 per bag.

Frank, you were right.. Ricardo of Beverly Hills, the manufacturer, did not have replacement parts.

Looking for carry-on luggage recommendations. I have not yet taken a RS tour but am watching all the Festival of Europe presentations. The type of luggage (i.e. make it carry-on) has been emphasized so I'm trying to decide what type of rolling carry-on would work for me. Because mention was made of everyone carrying their own luggage, including up hotel stairs, I have been looking at the RS offerings of Rolling Backpack, the Rolling Carry-On, and the Ravenna Rolling Case. I normally would not carry a backpack but appears to be a useful feature. I would appreciate input from those who take RS trips. I'm a 5'4" woman so am considering the mechanics of getting carry-on bags into an overhead. In all previous international travels I have always checked my luggage and just carried on my on-board items/laptop. Thanks!

Frank, what size suitcase meets international requirements? Or what
size suitcase is the best size for mostl in your opinion?

I'm not Frank, but I can throw this out there. There is no international requirement. Pick the airline you fly most often or go for the smallest 21 x 14 x9. Most airlines have a 8kg limit (but not all) and for my packing at least I hit the 8kg about the time i fill a 21 x 14 x9 bag so the extra room in a larger bag doesn't help me.

https://millionmilesecrets.com/guides/carry-on-luggage-size-chart/

Oh and dont trust that chart. Check the airlines yourself.

Posted by Gail in Alaska. Anchorage. Looking for carry-on luggage recommendations.

Hi Gail,
Test whatever suitcase you plan to carry. Some are too bulky or too heavy. Practice carrying it up stairs.
Check return policies. One friend tested and returned three suitcases.

About lifting a suitcase into an overhead, ask someone to help. I know women who are 5’2” or shorter and always need help lifting. People are usually willing to help.

Keep a small backpack of things you might need for the flight with you.

Rick Steves has a variety of sizes and styles.

Have fun. Tom

I purchased two RS carry-ons for our trip to Spain coming up in May. My husband decided to try out the non-rolling backpack when we recently went down to Arizona. He packed it and picked it up and one of the plastic parts immediately broke. It wasn't overly packed or heavy. We were so disappointed. I'm traveling this week and will use the rolling pack to test it out. Luckily we're in Seattle area and can return it at the RS store in Edmonds, but as I said, it was very disappointing and we are going to check out other brands such as Samonsite.

Looking for carry-on luggage recommendations.

I have a TravelPro bag that I've had 11 years that I love. It was part of a wedding gift, I know they're fairly pricey, but it's stood up to several trips. Expandable too, which is always useful for the trip home. I opted for the "International" carry on size, around 21 inches tall. I have no idea what the model number of the one I have is called, but it's similar to this one - https://travelpro.com/collections/carry-on-luggage/products/maxlite%C2%AE-5-international-expandable-carry-on-rollaboard%C2%AE?variant=39949538721890

A bonus is my bag has a zipper in the lining as well and a small hidden compartment. It was so well hidden I forgot about it and when I opened the bag for my most recent trip and decided to put my SmartTag in the lining, I found that on our honeymoon I had put almost $100 cash in there. A nice bonus, LOL!

For the recent trip I also got my husband a Rockland bag - https://www.amazon.com/Rockland-Luggage-Piece-Charcoal-Size/dp/B00C6OV63S/ref=asc_df_B00C6OV63S/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312064624466&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1625695051219807086&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1018706&hvtargid=pla-521987039724&th=1 it was fairly lightweight, also comes in a version with spinner wheels. I don't know how long it will last, but it was fine for now.