Tools and Traveling?

[Forgalspop]

When I travel long distances in the pickup, along with a fairly complete set of basic tools, I carry an 1/2 drive cordless impact and impact sockets to fit the truck and trailer lug nuts. I also carry a floor jack and 1/2 drive torque wrench. The tools and jacks for changing a tire that come with most vehicles are not the greatest.

I also carry a good set of jumper cables, flashlight, etc.

I believe in the boy scout motto of being prepared!

 

[Tinytim]

Do you all carry Tools when you Travel? Or do you just wing it with a Credit Card?

I do out of habit when we were young, poor and it was a most definite necessity in the old **** we had to travel in when we were young’ins!

I still load up enough tools to do starters, water pumps, thermostats, alternators, driveline. Even though the Vehicle is in perfect shape and low mileage. And always have tire repair kits and air compressor in the rigs we offroad in, Jeep, UTVs and Tundra.

Now being older an elect impact, sockets, aluminum floor jack and a big thick soft piece of foam for knees to do tire work. Couple years ago I had to do a carrier bearing and a u-joint in a Orielys parking lot. I could have afforded to take it to the Toyota Dealer, but old school ways and history said naaaa just get it done!

So curious if ya’ll carry tools or credit cards?

I got curious as I just loaded out my Tundra for a 3 week tour through Colorado, Wyoming and Montana.

Yep, I don’t leave the house without my tool bag, in which I have a cordless dewalt impact and all necessary sockets, gear wrenches along with a roll of duct tape and electrical tape. I also carry a small tarp.

 

[Tinytim]

Anybody carry a cutting torch just in case?

Going to california ( to play in the sand dunes) or flagstafff, az cococino national forest to explore and to play on the volcanic cinders) we take enough tools, including a small Miller 110 welder, (im gonna try a new hand held 110 stick welder), floor jacks.
We have used a milk crate, duct tape and cordless dewalt drill to make a redneck machine shop in order to shorten a 930 axle and cutting locking ring groove using a cut off wheel.
My brothers Chris and Chuck can do anything with nothing, anything that will get us back on the sand.

 

[Chard]

AAA and an extendable break over to get air impacted lug nuts off. Age and income have changed what gets fixed on the side of the road vs repair shop.

 

[SlugSlinger]

The tool bag is up to 51.4 lbs.

Combination Wrench Set, 30-Piece (1/4-1 in., 8-22 mm) ​

3/8 Inch Drive 6-Point Socket and Ratchet Set, 47-Piece (5/16-3/4 in., 8-19 mm)​

1/2 in. Drive Metric Impact Deep Socket Set, 13 Piece​

In a second bag, I have a M18 impact gun, air compressor, jump starter.

 

[John6185]

Years ago, when I was a poor kid, I parked to go shopping and when I returned to the car I couldn’t start it, the battery was dead. Those were the days that the car hoods had no hood release inside the car and another car was nose-to-nose in front of me.
I pulled out my jumper cables, connected them to my battery and opened the hood on the car parked in front of my car, connected the cables properly and started my car, shut the hoods and one was the wiser as I drove away.
These days people connect the cables incorrectly and blow the electronics so it’s probably a good thing to have inside hood releases.

 

[Bigdawg90]

Now in days, my wife and I rent for any long haul trips.

I used to carry tools, but we were on a Christmas trip to Spokane when our transmission blew out on our return trip in Klamath Falls Oregon. It was a 2 y/o Tahoe with only 30k miles.

It was a nightmare. The closest trans shop that wasn’t 4 weeks out was 100 mi away. Between the tows, the hotels, the flights back and forth, and everything we spent a fortune.

Prior to this I figured I could handle most everything. But I can’t replace a modern transmission without my shop. And a 1000 mi tow is almost $2k. Absolute nightmare.

We just rented a 3/4 ton power stroke from enterprise for our Florida trip. On our way the tranny was heating up. Stopped in Mississippi and swapped it out for a Dodge Cummins. Cost us nothing extra and the enterprise people helped us reload our luggage and connect our boat.

$756 for 9 days and 3800 miles + app $500 in gas.

My duramax costs me $.35/mi in maintenance and gas It would have cost me more to take my diesel.

Most people don’t know how much their truck costs to run per mile because they haven’t owned it for 20 years as a daily work vehicle. 4000 miles is 4% of an injector job for me. About 2% of a fuel pump, 1% of a new radiator, 7% of new tires, 4% of new suspension, 1% of new control arms, 8-10% of brakes depending on your tow load, and a host of other things. It’s not just an oil change. Add all that up with an amsoil oil change before I leave and when I come back. Renting is amazing. You pick it up and drop it off.

 

[Mr.Glock]

Now in days, my wife and I rent for any long haul trips.

I used to carry tools, but we were on a Christmas trip to Spokane when our transmission blew out on our return trip in Klamath Falls Oregon. It was a 2 y/o Tahoe with only 30k miles.

It was a nightmare. The closest trans shop that wasn’t 4 weeks out was 100 mi away. Between the tows, the hotels, the flights back and forth, and everything we spent a fortune.

Prior to this I figured I could handle most everything. But I can’t replace a modern transmission without my shop. And a 1000 mi tow is almost $2k. Absolute nightmare.

We just rented a 3/4 ton power stroke from enterprise for our Florida trip. On our way the tranny was heating up. Stopped in Mississippi and swapped it out for a Dodge Cummins. Cost us nothing extra and the enterprise people helped us reload our luggage and connect our boat.

$756 for 9 days and 3800 miles + app $500 in gas.

My duramax costs me $.35/mi in maintenance and gas It would have cost me more to take my diesel.

Most people don’t know how much their truck costs to run per mile because they haven’t owned it for 20 years as a daily work vehicle. 4000 miles is 4% of an injector job for me. About 2% of a fuel pump, 1% of a new radiator, 7% of new tires, 4% of new suspension, 1% of new control arms, 8-10% of brakes depending on your tow load, and a host of other things. It’s not just an oil change. Add all that up with an amsoil oil change before I leave and when I come back. Renting is amazing. You pick it up and drop it off.

This don’t make sense to me. You paid in rental fees more than the fuel for your own truck.

I can understand this if you own a worn out piece of junk and need to go long ways from home. But why would I rent and then pay on top of that the same fuel costs I would use in my perfectly safe truck?

 

[CHenry]

This don’t make sense to me. You paid in rental fees more than the fuel for your own truck.

I can understand this if you own a worn out piece of junk and need to go long ways from home. But why would I rent and then pay on top of that the same fuel costs I would use in my perfectly safe truck?

Saves wear and tear on your truck, is the only upside I can think of and you likely would rent one that gets far better fuel milage so...

 

[Mr.Glock]

Saves wear and tear on your truck, is the only upside I can think of and you likely would rent one that gets far better fuel milage so...

Only way I can make it work in my head is if a guy has an untrustworthy truck/car. Or as you’re eluding to, a guy has a big truck that is trustworthy and the fuel economy would kill him, then he might be better renting a gas saver.