Add Lightness: What gear's in your boot for short and long hauls?

[Ruadhd2]

Planning for spring.

 

I have an inefficient hodge-podge of stuff in my 7 boot that probably adds weight and not lightness. Only cool thing is a lightweight aluminum Porsche jack and jack handle. Otherwise I seem to duplicating effort with tools that overlap purposes, etc.

 

Anyone got cool ideas for what to carry for

1. regular driving emergencies, 2. short day trips

3. or longer tours

 

maybe including light tool kits etc.?

 

No smart guys with: "A cell phone and AAA card" please.

Edited January 16, 2011 by Ruadhd2

[S1Steve]

Only the dumb guys travel without: " A cell phone and AAA card"

 

Plus- fix-a flat, ( no spare) , Mag light,

small tool kit, water, two sweatshirts, sometimes the top, sometimes a bag for the beach. If I need to load up more than that, I'll take the Envoy.

[Ruadhd2]

Ok. What in addition to a cell phone and a AAA card?

[slomove]

For road trips I am always driving with a full complement of the essential tools. "Essential" means it has proven to be necessary or very useful over the last few years. Actually I rarely take them out of the boot except when working on the car. I tossed the supplied cases for the sockets and other tools and just keep them in a "large mouth" canvas tool bag.

 

Also a shopping plastic bag with electrical and duct tape, assorted hose clamps, cable ties, assorted bolts and nuts, multimeter, pressure gage, fuses, connectors, velcro, fix-a-flat and the like. On week-long vacation trips I also pack some spares like timing or alternator belts, quart of oil and ECU computer hookup.

 

All that stuff is probably some 5-10 pounds but on the road I don't really care and on the track I got to take it out anyway. Practically I can take anything off the car expect maybe the engine and tranny at the side of the road. It has saved my butt a few times and even more often I used it to help out the poor souls who were driving without.

[Mondo]

I wouldn't know how to use a multimeter.. maybe one of those screwdriver looking things that light up if electricity is flowing. Luckily I have circuit breaker type fuses.

 

I do carry a basic tool kit (including electrical tape) & fix-a-flat. I need to add a couple larger size allens. Probably should add duct tape, cable ties (a metal one too) and some velcro.

 

It's funny, you look at the car... there's barely anything there, you can see everything and nuts have marks to show if they're coming loose, and you ask yourself "what could go wrong?" Then 50 miles from home, a fender bracket bolt vibrates loose/off, fuel hose in tank works it's way off, you hit a pothole and tear a suspension mount... hopefully not all on the same trip.

[slngsht]

multimeter, fire extinguisher, small toolbox with just a few sockets and driver, adjustable wrench, wiring stuff (wire, fuses, wirestripper, tape, alligator clips), container of water.

[Hank]

My Megabusa doesn't have any boot storage (only a flat carbon fiber boot top). I have a fire extinguisher, 1 quart of Mobil 1 Racing 4T 10W-40, flashlight, registration/insurance/inspection sticker in a double ziplock, spare fuses, and my Glock 30.

[pksurveyor]

Fire extingusher is a must have.

[Croc]

My fire extinguisher is mounted on the floor in front of the passenger seat. Quicker to access there instead of hiding it in the boot.

 

My boot contains:

- assorted screwdrivers

- allen keys - metric and imperial

- pliers - regular and electrical wirestripper variety

- multigrips

- adjustable spanner

- velcro

- fuses

- inflatable tire foam/puncture repair

- WD40

- cable ties

- electrical tape

- silicone tape (great for cooling leaks)

- duct tape

- quart of oil

- jack and wheel brace

- mag lite

- small socket set

- assorted electrical wire

- multimeter

- tire pressure gauge

- a set of "ocky straps" (not sure what you call them in the USA - bungee cords?)

 

All of this fits in a small tool bag I got at Home Depot and does not take up much room.

 

For a while I was also carrying a bottle of coolant for when I would have hoses pop off although that has stopped thank goodness.

 

This kit has solved most road going issues for me.

 

Some good ideas also from Angus&Tessa's website at:

http://www.mycaterham.com/36715/index.html

 

 

Edited January 17, 2011 by Croc

[KiwiBirkin]

I carry a small tool kit that fits in a man's toiletry bag along with some duct tape and cable ties, also one can of fix a flat. I also carry my half doors as they roll up tight and my Birkin hood hoops and first aid kit, I also carry my hood in a roll up bag on top of the boots tonue cover. The rest of the boot space which is still quite a lot gets used for beach bag and other stuff for the days outings.

[solder_guy]

half cover for rain .. used it once and it works well. Kept rain out of the seats and back boot.

[MightyMike]

Great thread and great ideas! I must update my tool bag.

[scannon]

For local blats I carry the factory jack and handle as well as a 1/2" drive ratchet, short extension and thinwall socket in the bag the jack came in. Generally nothing else unless I am expecting rain or cold, then the side curtains and the hood go in the boot as well along with a jacket and gloves. The fire extinguisher is bolted to the floor in front of the passenger seat. Registration and insurance papers are in my wallet.

 

For long trips or track days it goes in the trailer as I cannot carry my LOx supply in the Caterham. Then I take along a small tool box and anything else that looks like it might be useful including jackstands, floor jack, kneeling pad an such. Plenty of room for all this in the camper shell on the back of the truck.

[rnr]

I've never carried a fire extinguisher and frankly I dont understand why. If any of my cars was to ever catch fire I will be running as far away as possible and waiting for insurance to pay for replacement. To each his own!

[Kitcat]

Cell phone is of little use if you break down out of cell phone coverage (as I did on my 1st trip after buying the car).

 

I have fixed the following w/elec tape: broken throttle linkage, fuel line leak, busted side mirror mount. Not permanent fixes, but good enough to get me home.

 

I have used a stubby screw driver and stubby phillips screw driver to fix 1/2 the things that have come loose on trips. A flash light is essential, since odds are good that some issues will occur in pitch dark (as my out-of-cell -phone-coverage problem did). I use one that's like a miner's light (it straps to my forehead, leaving both hands free).

 

For long trips, I ditto Slomove's list. I also take a small, portable, jump charger. It has a 12v socket so I plug my GPS and radar detector into it.

 

Mike M.

[JohnCh]

I've never carried a fire extinguisher and frankly I dont understand why. If any of my cars was to ever catch fire I will be running as far away as possible and waiting for insurance to pay for replacement. To each his own!

 

I once had to use the fire extinguisher in the Westfield. The throttle cable had come in contact with the 12V+ stud on the alternator, turned red hot, and lit the oil impregnated air filter on fire. Thanks to the Halon fire extinguisher, the damage was limited to the air filter. Without an extinguisher, the fiberglass body would have burned like a very expensive candle.

 

-John