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Road Trip Gear List, Part 2: Tools to Pack
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May 22, 2024
Simon loves hitting the highway, does over 5,000 miles a year of long-haul road trips with the family, and has picked up lots of tips and tricks along the way. He is doing a 6-part series on road trip essential gear, continuing with what tools to pack in case of a vehicle failure such as engine trouble or a flat tire while out on the road. Part 1: Vehicle Wreck Preparedness - https://youtu.be/OlNS6Fybup8 Road Trip Gear List - Tools to Pack: Bottle Jack - https://amzn.to/3vu31vH Jumper Box - https://amzn.to/3e2wLd5 Foldable 4-Way Lug Wrench - Tow Strap - https://amzn.to/2QGzXlR Knipex Pliers - https://amzn.to/3nxXfGr Socket Set - https://amzn.to/3vzQF5n 25' Jumper Cables - https://amzn.to/3eI5xI0 In this video: 0:00 - Intro 0:25 - Tool Duffel Bag
View Video Transcript
0:00
What's up everybody, it's Simon from Lake Hub. We are hitting the road. We're still
0:06
talking about gearing up for a road trip. I've got tons of experience and tons of
0:12
tips to help you out. We've already talked about how to prepare for a wreck
0:15
how to prepare for a medical traumatic emergency. Now this is part two of our
0:21
six-part series. We're taking care of our cars. Let's jump in the back. So next you need
0:27
to prepare for vehicular failure. If you have a mechanical failure, flat tire
0:31
something like that on the road, you want to have all your tools in one spot
0:35
instead of, you know, having to unpack and just be in a scrambled mess. So I like
0:40
to keep everything in a duffel bag. It's got straps, it's got pockets, it's got
0:46
everything separated out so it works out really well. I always make sure to have
0:51
my owner's manual as well as a repair manual. A repair manual is not the
0:57
owner's manual and vice versa. This will help you out more than an owner's manual. I also like to have an aftermarket jack. That's my
1:08
personal preference. I don't like spare tire jacks that come with cars and
1:13
trucks. They're made to be small and fit in weird spaces. They're not made to be
1:17
great jacks. It also helps, especially if you have a truck, if you've got a truck
1:22
that's lifted, four-wheel drive or something like that, or a big heavy-duty SUV, is to have some shims. So if I'm traveling with my camper I happen to
1:32
have them with me because I use them for leveling the camper. But all you really need are, you know, a couple blocks like 2x4s or something like that. I'll
1:41
usually throw some 2x4s in here just because it's handy to be able to use
1:45
them for shims for jacking up the vehicle or using it in
1:51
the chocks to make sure that you don't roll away while you're
1:55
jacking up the vehicle or both. So having four small 2x4 chunks is
2:01
really handy because sometimes, depending on the angle that you break down on, if
2:06
you have a flat tire and you're like in a weird angle and you're kind of off the road, your jack might be maxed out and still not lift it high enough for you to
2:14
change tire. So that puts you in a real pinch. A jumper box. This is a
2:23
small jumper box. They have real big ones but I can jumpstart my vehicle off this
2:29
as long as it's charged. So make sure it's charged before you hit the road. You can also charge, I mean there's an inverter on it, you know, so you can
2:36
charge anything off of it. You can charge your phone, you can charge your laptop or
2:39
whatever. So this can come in handy if you're in a situation where you're
2:43
stranded and your phone's dying, you're losing your communications, you want to
2:49
make sure that you've got power. So a jumper box can really help you out in a
2:53
pinch. Make sure that you're in control of your own destiny. Speaking of flat tires, also make sure that you actually have all the tools
3:02
that you need to be able to get the spare tire out. Ran into that situation
3:08
twice recently. One where I got a vehicle used, I never checked to make
3:14
sure I had it. Lo and behold I didn't even have the tools to be able to get
3:19
the spare tire down. So I had to order some in. Glad I checked before I
3:23
actually needed them. Another situation is that on another vehicle is that
3:30
something had come up off the road and like bent the tube. So on a truck in a
3:35
big SUV, spare tires can be right down underneath me. There's a big long tube
3:39
that you like you know feed this rod through and then crank it down and
3:43
there's like a winch that cranks it down. The tube was bent. I still haven't
3:48
figured out how to get the spare tire off. I need to, I don't know, I have no
3:51
idea. I have no idea. So check all that and make sure that you can actually get
3:55
to your spare tire. Not to mention make sure it's the right size, make sure it's
3:59
aired up and all that kind of stuff before you hit the road. A full-size spare is gonna save you a world of headache when you're out on the open
4:05
road. To that end I really like a folding four-way. So this thing puts together in
4:16
a hurry, it stays stowed away really well, and this will get your tire off way
4:22
faster than your stock kit right here. So this to me this is a no-brainer. This
4:29
always has to go with me. It's also good to have sockets. So it could be a small
4:36
set like this, it doesn't have to be your big set, but sockets really handy. And
4:43
along with that some nypex pliers. Nypex with a K. These, these are so handy. These
4:54
can be made to be any size, metric, standard, whatever. And they're basically
4:59
like really fancy channel locks. I don't leave without these. These are so... This is
5:04
like, this is the most versatile tool in my entire bag here. Some nypex
5:09
pliers. Other things we have in here just in case. We've got jumper cables of
5:15
course. Make sure you have jumper cables. Six foot or longer. Six foot is is really
5:22
you know anything shorter than that, and you have to be touching nose to nose
5:26
pretty much to be able to use them. So make sure you have six foot. That way you can go side to side or even longer. You know the longer you have the better
5:34
it's gonna be for you. Old towels. You hate to be crawling under, you know, Lord
5:40
knows what. Crawling on top of Lord knows what when you're out in the middle of the desert or whatever. Throw an old towel in here. Now you've got something to lay
5:49
on while you're working on stuff. Alright, we've got some more goodies in here. Paper maps. Okay old man, yeah, paper
6:01
maps. Again, take control of your own destiny. You need to be able to tell
6:07
where you're going even when you don't have cell service. Yes, in 2021 there are
6:13
places in the United States of America they don't have cell service. Get out on
6:17
the road, you'll find out. If you break down, get a flat tire, you're totally
6:21
stuck and you can't help yourself, next thing to check is your insurance. Check
6:26
the back of your insurance card. You might have roadside assistance. Give them a call because a lot of times these days agents or what have you will add that
6:36
automatically. It's a minimal charge and that'll really help you out. Another
6:43
thing I like to do is change some of my regular stuff before it breaks. Change
6:48
your belts and hoses before they break. Change your spark plugs before they totally foul up because you can take that the old stuff, throw it in here for
6:57
just in case. I've had I've had the situation where a $2 spark plug put me
7:02
dead in the water in the middle of East Texas. I mean miles from anywhere, but
7:07
thankfully I had a backup. Same thing with a belt. You know a $7 belt, $10 belt
7:13
can put you dead in the water in the middle of the desert. Don't let that
7:17
happen to you. Put some spare parts in here. You don't need to buy ahead. Just
7:22
when you change them out or if you have a mechanic do all that work, just say
7:25
hey throw all the old stuff into a box or gallon Ziploc bag. Throw it
7:32
under the seat. You have it in case you need it
#Towing & Roadside Assistance
#Transportation
#Vehicle Repair & Maintenance