Travel Kit

Justwondering

Justwondering

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Now that I've experienced a blown heater hose connector at the firewall on the Silverado and learned that a quick fix is to splice the hoses together til you get home.....
what do you carry in your travel kit?

Tools? pliers, screwdriver, etc
Fasteners?
Tape?
Fluids?
Jumper cables?

What do you carry or maybe, what do you recommend I carry on my trips?
 
When I was younger I used to carry all types of fiddly bits, and tools. Now that I am older I carry my cell phone with the numbers of several trusted tow companies to take me home, or to the shop.
 
My Dad was a Steamfitter and worked all over at refineries in the tri-state area around Philadelphia. His trunk in the 83 5th Ave was filled with a small tool set with sizes matched to what was common on the car Jumper cables, flashlights (2) tire plug kit, tape and tyraps, new belts (Alt/ fan/ powersteering) Plug wires, Cap /rotor, and a set of new hoses. Small floor jack, pry bar, extra lean burn computer. Not too mention premixed coolant, a few quarts of oil and trans fluid... steering fluid washer fluide with de- icer- yes they make that. Hand cleaner, rags and yes... a change of clothes and shoes. The trunk was full with everything one would need to get to work. He never missed a day and 2 plus hours commute was common for him. His 69 Plymouth was a trunk full of stuff too- designed never to get stranded. He did not believe in AAA.

Skip ahead; my trunk on the Volare: Fire extinguishers (2), ballasts (4), ignition boxes (3), various tools to get at the distributor, carb, and brake tools. Flashlight, Cutters/ utility knife, rags, coolant, oil, trans fluid, brake fluid, WD40,tape/ tyraps, cleaner, and a Bible w/ Rosary Beads (Just in case thins get really bad).

When my kids were really small and we would go jeep'n to the store or park- I had food, juice, diapers, toys, extra clothes. Fire extinguisher and a small box of parts like cap, rotor wires, air cleaner, WD40 and about 80 pounds of tools. Going out of the house with a 2 and 3 yearold was like invading Omaha beach.
 
In any FMJ Chrysler product, I would carry a ballast resistor, voltage regulator, ICM (Ignition Control Module) - for non-Lean Burn cars, a cheap (5$ US) volt meter (needle type works fine), a few assorted hose clamps, a cheap ¼” and 3/8” socket set (10$ US is fine) with a few screwdrivers in a durable container (I use an cloth tool bag) to stick in the trunk.

You can normally get this in by the spare tire sometimes (even in my 5th Ave where the full size tire is not in the bottom of trunk).


On long trips I have a small floor jack that is in a rectangular plastic case that I stick in trunk as well as a big tool box I got from Harbor Freight a while back. Note: I don’t like Harbor Freight tools, but it was cheap, complete and this won’t be used for anything but for travel.
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Darth-Car said:
When I was younger I used to carry all types of fiddly bits, and tools. Now that I am older I carry my cell phone with the numbers of several trusted tow companies to take me home, or to the shop.
Click to expand...
LOL! My first thought was "a credit card and cell phone!" Oh boy, getting old or lazy, or both. Seriously though, a fire extinguisher if nothing else.
 
I do the MacGyver.
I usually have an adjustable wrench /some screwdrivers/ booster cables and bungee cord.
If I can't fix it with that, then it doesn't matter how many tools I have, the job is too big for the side of the road.
 
As we all know, no matter what you have in a travel kit, you'll need the exact tool or part that ISN'T in there.:eek: That'd be my luck anyways:(
 
I keep my tool list on the small side, but a pair of wire cutters, some electrical tape, and a hand full of wire nuts are indispensable. I've had more than a few wires just pull right out of their connector blocks and fusible links crumble to dust. On a very recent trip, my key cylinder cracked, which didn't allow me to turn the key far enough to engage the starter. With a 2" length of wire, I was able to start the car by shorting two terminals on the starter/ignition relay on the firewall. I also had to stop fairly recently as one of the domes on my 10-Spokes was about to fly off. I had to jack up the car, remove the wheel, and remove the dome until I got home to put in some new retaining screws. Without at least a rudimentary set of tools, I'm pretty sure I would have lost that dome forever.
 
So it looks like there are two camps.
Carry liquids or don't carry liquids
Carry backup special parts or don't
But generally everyone agrees on tools, rags, jumper cables.
I do need to be sure and carry darth cars phone number so I can call him for credit card info...note to self.
 
I always have:
ECU and ballast resistor......None of my cars are lean burn
Jumper cables, old dist.cap and rotor, old fan belts, anti frreeze, 1 qt oil, cheap multi meter, old fan belts, elec tape, wire ties, elec wire, baling wire and cheap assort. tools. A fire extinguisher in pass floorboard as if you need it you don't have time to pop the trunk. A pair of old work coveralls. Oh yeah my trusty AAA premier card that in 6 years of membership I've only used once for a jump due to me leaving my lights on.
 
I have faith in this guy.
If I'm in trouble, he has wheels and tools.
It's really funny, terrorists blow themselves up only to get this guy instead.
norse.jpg
 
Short probably boring story:
About 20 years ago I stupidly drove to Florida one year in my old '81 D150 with no air conditioning, cruise control or radio (it was radio delete and I never put one in) by myself.
The truck had nothing I'd expect to fail, most everything was new or recently done but I took a bunch of tools, an extra fully charged battery, starter, alternator, ignition module, floor jack, cap and rotor, 5 qts of oil, some trans fluid, coolant, etc, etc, etc. Just in case. Had half the bed of the truck filled up with my "travel kit", lol.
All the way down and all the way back (which I will NEVER, EVER do again....) and didn't need any of it, didn't even need to add oil.
Moral of the story is, if I hadn't taken all that stuff along, it's almost a guarantee there would have been a break down. My luck it would have happened somewhere in Deliverance Tennessee or something.:eek:

P.S. Never drive to Florida in early September in a vehicle without A/C. Trust me. Cruise control would have been kinda nice also, not to mention a radio to listen to.
Come to think of it, a vehicle that didn't need premium and get 12 mpg would have made it a bit nicer trip as well, at least on the wallet.:D
 
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