spares and stuff for a road trip? what would you take?

[Type17]

Great list.


You forgot (or I missed) a pack of Cable Ties (aka Zip Ties) - brilliant for holding loose stuff in place* - my brother tied his alternator back into place with a few of them, when the bracket broke, and made it home and then continued driving for a week or two with them until he got a replacement bracket.


* Remember to use wire near the exhaust, though - their one weakness is excessive heat...

[Squiggle Dog]

I've driven a 1965 International Travelall, a 1977 AMC Hornet wagon, a 1968 Mercedes 200D, and a 1980 Mercedes 300SD each from Washington to Utah and back (about 1,000 miles each way) and didn't have any breakdowns other than the 1977 AMC Hornet wagon had the water pump go out and lose coolant, but it had been making a grinding noise for weeks before. I believed it was a bad water pump, too, but my friends kept persuading me that it was just the fan rubbing on the shroud and replacing it would be a waste of money. I should have just replaced it so I didn't have to find a shop that was willing to open up on Christmas eve to replace the water pump on my car.

Well, I did have to find a creative way to shut off the heat in the 200D when I was driving through Idaho while it was 90 degrees Fahrenheit by clamping the heater hoses shut. Then there was the time when I was driving the 1965 International Travelall from California to Utah and when I went to hit the high beams, the wires going to the high beam switch that had just been installed by the previous owner fell off, causing me to lose my headlights--and since I was doing 70 MPH coming up on a curve on an empty highway on a pitch black night, I flew off of the road, went down an embankment, got bounced all over, and then once I had stopped moving and climbed out of the Travelall, fell into a ditch... And on that same trip I managed to blow apart the rear differential, so I had to drive the rest of the way on the front axle (4 wheel drive).

But with that being said, I usually carry tools, fluids, JB Weld, Gorilla tape, a tow strap, jumper cables... pretty much the things that have been aforementioned.

[Papalangi]

Hmmm

I still only carry jumper cables for when other people need a jump, my 100 mile radius AAA towing membership and a cell phone.  And I don't always have the cables.

I've used the tow option 3 times in the last 15-20 years.  The '74 F250 lost all of the nylon teeth on the timing chain gears, towed 3 miles.  The '76 450SEL overheated in downtown Seattle due to loose fan clutch and low idle, towed 20 miles.  The 2006 HHR took a rock in the radiator, towed 4 miles.

None of these could be fixed with anything I could carry in the trunk. so I don't worry about it too much.

Michael

[Mforcer]

I only carry drinking water in case of an emergency, my mobile and road-side assistance membership. When going away, the car is already too full of luggage to be able to carry anything "non-essential".