Road trip tool bag

[JHZR2]

What are your thoughts on a sufficient yet minimalist road trip tool bag to bring on longer trips just in case.

Space is a premium, smaller is better.

I think at minimum:
- multimeter
- multi-bit ratcheting screwdriver
- pliers (regular, needle nose, channel????)
- non ratcheting wrench set
- Regular socket set (3/8?)
- deep socket set (?)?
- universal joint and extension
- electric tape
- knife
-???

Would love to do all sockets in 1/4 for space and weight. Is a long handle 1/4” SO ratchet strong enough to handle the torque? Is a 3/8” drive set a must, especially if a set of wrenches is brought? Particularly if they’re 6 point wrenches? I did get bit once bringing ratcheting wrenches which were too thick.

How about socket sets? On a metal or plastic backer, loose, or in a case? Case seems biggest but best for organization. Again, smallest size for the most tools is key.

Any other thoughts? The intention isnt to rebuild a transmission 1000 miles from home. It’s to do what is practical on your back in a parking lot, which isn’t a ton.

So what would you bring for a 1000+ mile road trip?

 

[incognito_2u]

Gallon of water.
Duct tape.
Small length of steel wire.

 

[BMW Dom]

Seems like a lot of tools to bring, but I get it.

What about a bright rechargeable flash light, and an OBD2 scanner?

Maybe they are technically not tools, just a thought

 

[gman2304]

A small 12 volt air compressor, jumper cables, AAA card.

 

[Nukeman7]

Don't forget the tire plugging kit and and an inflator pump. Maybe an adjustable Crescent style wrench or Vise-Grips too. I'd also consider bringing a few large Tie-Wraps.

 

[oggb]

Don't forget the can of fix flat that is itself flat and/or hardened in the nozzle by the time you go to use it.

 

[Leo99]

God pleased me that I'm at a point in my life where I don't need to worry about such things. I have an AAA card and a flashlight and blanket in the car. Along with the jack and spare tire that the car came with.

 

[Snagglefoot]

I take enough tools to change an alternator and a battery, and to bust the torque on my lug nuts. The rest is up to an AAA card.

 

[Ihatetochangeoil]

I have a couple large rubbermaid containers I take when we go on vacation; I usually have everything listed above and a good floor jack, jack stands, jump battery, wheel chocks, 3/8 and 1/2" M18 battery impacts, socket sets, radiator pressure testor, a quart or two of all fluids, gallon of antifreeze & gallon of distilled water....
I have been known to change oil in a corner of a Walmart parking lot and jack the car up to put snow tires on in a truck rest stop, mostly I've helped strangers. Yes, I carry concealed; and I have a AAA card but I'm not waiting 3 hours.

 

[JHZR2]

God pleased me that I'm at a point in my life where I don't need to worry about such things. I have an AAA card and a flashlight and blanket in the car. Along with the jack and spare tire that the car came with.

AAA is virtually worthless IME unless you’re waiting long times for a tow. I’ve had to use AAA twice in recent memory, once was close to home and they were 1.5hours off of their estimate, the other was just about 100 miles away from home and turned into an all night ordeal.

I’ll also say that I’ve never encountered (knocking on wood) an issue that required just a few tools, besides when I had a battery short out in the blink of an eye in Gary, IN once.

I had a failed voltage regulator on a car once, but since it was a diesel I could drive home without electronics. But that was just a screwdriver and wrench job. I did have a failed fuel pump once too, but no amount of tools would have fixed that because it’s a drop the tank type of job.

I think maybe it’s more like the tools to swap out a belt, battery, or fuel filter. And to diagnose electrical issues. Maybe much else isn’t worth it…. So to that end, maybe indeed an 8-15mm 1/4” drive set is all that’s needed. Plus a decent lug wrench.

 

[supton]

Water sounds like a good suggestion, maybe not this time of year. Not sure where the OP is going, but survival sounds good. Same vein of thought, I try to keep one or two moving blankets in my car (cheapo HF ones). Toss on the ground in case I need to do work, or toss over the backseat if I have something greasy to move—although I bet in a pinch they might work as a blanket too.

I’m kind of a fan of the cheapo tool sets that come in a blow molded case. Commonly used sizes. Maybe buy a better ratchet, usually they come with junk ones (but wild guess here, you’re not the type, you’d buy a better set of tools in the first place). Just good enough for basic roadside repairs, anything that can’t be done with those tools is a job probably best not done on the side of a road. I mean, until you start packing a welder, a couple of batteries for your electric impact wrench, and a 6 foot breaker bar… at some point, it becomes too much (unless if you‘re one of those hardcore off road guys, but then you’re never out in the woods alone, right?).

Maybe get one of the better crimp tools and some butt splices. Ring terminals. Vice grips of course. Various kinds of tape (electrical and duct), spare wire, zip ties. Spare fluids. Tire inflator?

To be honest, I have to wonder, if something goes, you have to get to a place to buy the replacement part. Buy the tools then, maybe? How many places are going to have a car parts store yet not a Home Depot / Lowes / HF / whatever.

 

[RooflessVW]

All you really need is a $100 Duralast "tool set." And a flashlight.

 

[2dogs]

Took a 5000 mile trip (NY-Utah). From memory I took:

-battery jump pack
-battery powered Harbor Freight 1/2" ratchet and 19mm impact socket
-Roll of duct tape
-1 qt oil
-microfiber cloth and windex
-paper maps
-battery powered Ryobi tire air compressor

Next trip I will add a cheap OBD scanner so thank you to people on the board who mentioned that.

 

[Lubener]

Beef jerky..

 

[Malo83]

Carry a small military tool bag with various basic tools and a roll of duct tape.

 

[spackard]

I was thinking something similar a couple of months ago, here. I bought the Sonic. Nice thing is it doesn’t rattle at all sitting in the trunk. Can’t say as much for the rest of the car. Also, you should pack some wire. You can improvise a lot on the side of the road, but you can’t improvise insulated copper.

 

[IveBeenRued]

Did a 5200 mile road trip in my Toyota last year. I brought:
1. Milwaukee stubby M12 impact with the appropriate sized socket for my lug nuts.
2. Cheapo torque wrench for lug nuts.
3. HF tire inflator
4. Lithium ION jump pack.
5. Two Knipex pliers wrenches.
6. AAA card.

Only ended up using the tire inflator and that was to help out a kid on his way to college that was stranded in the middle of the Badlands with a flat tire. Got his tire inflated and then made sure he got over to civilization.

 

[wrcsixeight]

Jb Weld
Superglue
Needle nose vice grips and regular vice grips
Zipties
NItrile gloves in ziplock bags with air removed.

Generally,.i use a blow molded tool case like which come.with milwaukee.tools that my neighbor.was throwimg out, and hollow out the interiors.

They can fit a lot more than the short list listed above.

 

[fisher83]

Jumper cables, tow strap, basic hand tools, tire repair kit. If I need anything beyond basic stuff I have roadside assistance through my insurance company as well as through the manufacturer for my wife's car.

 

[GON]

This is a great discussion/thread. I look forward to taking notes from this thread.

Years ago, one could get their vehicle serviced when it broke down out of town, any day of the week. Today, that often is not the case.

One plus, the big box auto stores often have long hours, and a decent amount of needed tools on their shelves. This does not replace a tool kit kept in the vehicle for road trips, but the big box auto parts stores can provide some supplemental resources when on a road trip and one finds themselves with a unfortunate situation.