Essential tools?

[Uncle Grumpy]

I've done a little driving now with the Super Shell on the truck and aside from the wind noise it really does not affect the truck all that much.
That being said, I want to start paring my gear down a bit. My tool kit is pretty dang heavy and I'm wondering if I've just got too much stuff in it ?
What are the tools you just will not leave at home when you head off down a bad road for an extended trip???
And please do not list bottle opener.

 

[chnlisle]

I've gone pretty slim. The Ram is all metric and a diesel which narrows it down. So I have a small set of sockets and with wrench and bar. A small roll of bailing wire, can of WD40, 2 vice grips (one needle nose) assorted hose clamps that can be used for any number of things. A roll of Gorrilla Tape, axe, entrenching tool, camping saw, the stainless crescent, pliers, and screw driver from my boating days. A tow strap, recovery strap, and of course a BFSD. I know that seems like a lot but I can put it in one of those West Marine large orange boxes.

I have a seperate box for a couple of 12V lights I made out of a parts from Pep Boys with 20' of chord. They are great for hanging out at night and dont draw very much. I also got one of those cheap Harbor Freight Solar lights (y'never know). I also put the pegs for the stand alone awining, extra batteries and various other electrical things (fuses and stuff) in there.

And lastly another orange box with a very complete 1rst aid kit including snake bite stuff, 100% Deet, other bug spray, tweezers and an eye wash cup. All three boxes fit behind the passenger seat.

I just got a small chain saw for around the house the other day and I mentioned to my wife that perhaps we should take it with us when we go to the more remote areas.... She rolled her eyes and called me trailer trash.
I too would also be interested in what the rest of you guys are carrying.

I no longer bring the high lift. There doesent appear to be any place on the Dodge to use it and I never need to stretch any barbed wire fencing. I do bring along a couple 12X12 pieces of ply wood to put under the truck jack and whatever. How about a satellite phone?

 

[EdoHart]

I would add...

In addition to chnlisle's list, I carry combination wrenches, 2 different size channel lock pliers, several pieces of rope in various sizes from 1/4 inch 10' to 5/8" 50', a set of links levelers (mostly to level the truck in camp, but can also be used to put the jack on in loose dirt), wire stripper/cutter, electrical tape, 12" wire ties, a couple of pair of leather work gloves, a 2" receiver mount clevis hook, a 4 ton come-along, JB weld epoxy, a 12V air compressor, and a few spare parts like my old serpentine belt, bulbs, fuses, engine oil, trans fluid, brake fluid.

I would rather have a winch than the come-along, but I've only used it once and find it hard to justify the cost. I also have a 2" receiver in the front of my truck.

My entrenching tool has a pick on it.

If I'm not going 4x4 camping I may leave some of the recovery stuff behind. However, once on a road trip I pulled out some people who had pulled to the shoulder in very soft dirt and were stuck before they even knew it. They were glad I had the strap and clevis hook.

My recovery strap is non-streching, I've been thinking of adding the stretching kind after I saw a guy pull 2 stuck jeeps out of the mud (the second one got stuck assisting the first) by hooking up to the second and getting a good running start. Of course the other 2 jeeps were ready to go as soon as tension was placed on the line, so it wasn't only the unstuck jeep that did it, but still, he had bragging rights no one could counter.

Most of the stuff fits under the back seat, but some of the stuff that's good for camping (entrenching tool, levelers, saw, etc.) goes into the camper.

That's all I can think of now. I may look in the truck tonight to make sure I didn't miss anything.

 

[EdoHart]

I knew I forgot a few things.

I also carry jumper cables, a collection of tie down straps and bungee cords, and a Leatherman Multitool.

I have never had to repair this truck in the field because I keep it in good shape, performing repairs before they are required. In fact, with 115K miles on it, the timing chain is stretched to about 1/2 the allowable limit, but I will replace it, and everything I need to remove to get to it (water pump, belt, tensioner, hoses) before a 2 week trip planned for this fall.

2 weekends ago, I was with someone who left a door open on his truck so the lights were on and they drained the battery. He had a large (approximately 10"x12"x14") battery/compressor/spot light unit that he hooked up for 30-45 minutes and was able to start his truck without a jump start. Sorry, I don't remember the brand, but I think he got it from Harbor Freight Co. I would have paid greater attention to the brand/model of the unit, but I have a duel battery configuration which will start my truck even if the main battery is completely dead, so it wasn't important to me.

 

[davinski]

Hi guys. Just got back from Hell's Canyon. Boy, some tough roads there. Learned a few lessons about the truck and FWC. A few repairs to be made this week. Those rocks were not kind.....

But, I too have a dual battery setup. But, I carry a Xantrex power pack to run things out of the camper and as an emergency jump. I have the model 600 which has a built-in inverter. Good for lights in camp, computer to download photos, ham radio gear. Charges from the car when I drive, Solar for extended stays, and in my research had the highest capacity for size. No built in compressor, but I already have one of those... I think it is rated for 32 or 36 amps....can't remember.

Best of all, Amazon had them for 110 bucks not long ago....even Costco had it for 119....so good, my bro got one for his Northstar, too. when I hook it up the camper, it runs the light and fan with no problem. I will probably use it mostly for the fridge/freezer for in the summer, that sucker runs a lot.....

hope this helps......now to download those photos...

dave in seattle

 

[Brian]

Tools...

Having made my living as a mechanic, I carry a very complete tool kit in all my vehicles....I build one for each rig and leave it there. I don't want to need something and not have it. After reading the other posts here...I may start leaving my hi-lift jack at home. I carry it as a come-a-long only and may just stick an actual come-a-long in as it is lighter and smaller. I bought a really good quality air compressor from Graingers and carry it. I also have a dual battery setup so don't worry about flat batteries. I wired in a heavy duty connector (winch style) to my aux. battery using welding lead cable, mounted it on the front bumper and built my own jumpers from the same welding lead material. That way I can grab the cables from behind the seat, jump out and plug them in without opening the hood.....nice....I can and have used them to start my own truck. I may be the only guy I know that has a hundred bucks invested in jumper cables! I do need to upgrade my recovery equipment I can see and will before the next remote trip.
I think the best advice in all the posts is to keep the rig up so you don't really need the tools. I do that with my bikes as well....Replace anything even iffy before the trip.
Thanks,
Brian

 

[EdoHart]

I may be the only guy I know that has a hundred bucks invested in jumper cables!

Maybe, but the reason I got a front receiver hitch was in anticipation of buying a Warn 9000i, receiver mount winch, and running cables to the front and rear of my truck. Most times when I have gotten stuck, being able to winch back words is the best way to get unstuck. Jumper cables that would tie into the same location as the winch cables makes a lot of sense. Your setup sounds like what tow trucks uses.

 

[Brian]

Jumper cables...

Ed,
We had a similar thing on our shop truck when I wrenched with the NPS in Denali Natl. Park in Alaska. They were actually female welding lead sockets mounted through the front fender and the jumper cables had male ends on them. That is where I got the idea.

I have not installed a winch on my rig since I spend a lot of time in Mexico and I would be working with it fulltime while down there! Just having 4WD is enough to have guys come and bang on the camper door in the middle of the night when you are camped on a remote beach to pull them out of a sand trap. I really don't prefer that kind of a wake-up call. I'm too old for midnight extraction services! Besides the dog goes crazy when that happens. I have never needed one with the camper. I hear you though with the front and rear receivers. I had that on a 1991 Ford E250 4WD conversion I had....very handy if a guy needs to do any winching.

Brian

 

[Pete D]

A front hitch receiver is also very useful for "backing" trailers into tight spots, plus it can keep your rear wheels on the dry part of a slick boat ramp when launching. Also, besides a winch, you can carry other stuf up front...

 

[EdoHart]

Front Receiver mount

It's funny you should mention carrying stuff up front, Pete. I've thought about carrying bikes up front, but rejected that idea because of visibility. Then yesterday, I saw a truck that had a front receiver with a flat rack that protruded about 14 inches out front and was about the width of the truck - the kind often seen on the rear. I had one of those "why didn't I think of that" moments.

It leaves a lot to be desired when considering approach angles, but could make many trips more convenient.

 

[Kilroy]

I'm building a custom box for one of these racks now, want large enough but not high enough to block airflow. It may provide some kind of aerodynamic advantage, but it will provide some storage. Does stick out farther than 14 inches though, closer to 26 inches. Rack frame itself is about 20 inches. Right about not being a hot set up for off road.

It's funny you should mention carrying stuff up front, Pete. I've thought about carrying bikes up front, but rejected that idea because of visibility. Then yesterday, I saw a truck that had a front receiver with a flat rack that protruded about 14 inches out front and was about the width of the truck - the kind often seen on the rear. I had one of those "why didn't I think of that" moments.

It leaves a lot to be desired when considering approach angles, but could make many trips more convenient.