Onboard Tools

[Hawaii_SIII]

I would like to get a little input on what i should put in my onboard tool bag. I will be moving soon and don't know how long i will be without my rolling tool chest. I think a small selection of tools will be a good idea not only for the time i won't have access to the full selection, but also a good thing to carry for roadside repairs :(. I'm looking to keep it under $200 and able to fit into a 10" tool bag. What sockets, wrenches, etc would make sense? I have a '74 SIII diesel if that helps out.

[navydevildoc]

Well, here are some of the things I carry with me:

A screwdriver with changable bits that have phillips, flat, allen, and torx in various sizes (some of the aftermarket stuff I have has these strange bits)
Small crescent wrench
Channel Locks
Needlenose Pliers
Electrical Tape
Duct Tape
JB Weld
Zip Ties in different sizes
Shop Towels / Rags
Nitrile Gloves
Electrical test lamp
Spare fuses
FlashlightIf all else fails, I have my AAA card in my wallet good for 250 miles of towing!

There really isn't too much on the truck that can't be fixed with these tools. Chances are, if you need something more than these, it's not a roadside repair anyway.

[Drain Rovers2]

Socket set(all sizes)
Ratchet
VISE GRIPS!!!!

.... added to the previous list from navydevildoc

[JimCT]

Big hammers and chisels....and a decent size crowbar

[JSBriggs]

Doc has a pretty good list.
I would add :

Hub nut wrench.
9/16 wrench and universal socket for drive line removal.
1 tube of gasket maker
1 tube of RTV

-Jeff

[Linus Tremaine]

A bottle jack. I needed one of those and didnt have one.

[TeriAnn]

I carry a complete tool set in my truck, including a torque wrench. I should be able rebuild or replace any part of the vehicle that I don't need an engine hoist for, on the trail or in a campsite. I also carry a high lift jack, Series screw jack, a Disco I bottle jack, a 2-1/2 X 2-1/2 foot square sheet of plywood to put under the jacks if needed, a parts cleaning kit and a box of spare fasteners, connectors and assorted goops. Oh and a 5 X7 plastic tarp to lay on and a portable 12V work lamp. I used to carry a single large jack stand on the roof rack but stopped carrying it after converting to 24 spline axles.

I don't carry a lot of spare parts, just some small critical stuff. I have British Pacific's 800 number memorized and know that if it is in stock & UPS delivers to where I'm at parts can come quickly. And yes UPS can usually deliver to a camp ground site just off a paved road.

[Tim Smith]

I carry a complete tool set similar to this (http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00934260000P?mv=rr) when I head out for a long trip. It really is overkill but I've been known to take on some pretty big jobs on the side of the road.

If you are looking for the basics then just make sure you've got 7/16, 1/2, 9/16 as those tend to be the most common sizes. Of course it's always handy to pack along a hammer for those times that you just want one. Make it a sledge. :D

[rwollschlager]

All of these tools are great and definatly will come in handy... but if all else fails, nothing helps like a local rover owner in the area with extra parts and tools you may not be carrying. I recommend joining the birmabright brotherhood, a list of land rover enthusiasts nationwide you can call upon for assistance when things aren't going your way.

P.S.
how soon is soon to be Old Lyme CT? there is quite a number of rovers in and around that area. I myself am probably 20 minutes away from that town.

[scott]

tow bar and cell phone

[thixon]

Business card from your favorite local towing service.

[TeriAnn]

Business card from your favorite local towing service.

I guess that really depends upon where you drive. I haven't seen a whole lot of commercial tow rigs that are set up for trails.

My AAA towing would work just fine for my Triumph TR3 if it is not a quick fix, but I expect my Land Rover to be able to come home under her own power.

[badvibes]

I would like to get a little input on what i should put in my onboard tool bag.

Have a decent Rover manual in your truck. The green bible is best but even a Haynes is good.

Jeff

[Mercedesrover]

I recommend joining the birmabright brotherhood, a list of land rover enthusiasts nationwide you can call upon for assistance when things aren't going your way.

I'm a bit behind in signing up new members. I've got about 8 of you guys I need to add to the list. Promise I'll get to it this week.

jim

[Mercedesrover]

I haven't seen a whole lot of commercial tow rigs that are set up for trails.

I could show you one!

Here's what I typically carry on a trip: Tools (http://seriestrek.com/tools.html)

[junkyddog11]

Nice tool kit Jim.......jayzus!

most of the rescue calls I get are to drag mangled "domestic equipment" from the local death bogs.

There has been the occaisional Rover in despair that has been stranded for multiple days that I've had to haul, but the Rover crowd generally seems to get along without much help.....once off the computer that is.

[thixon]

I guess that really depends upon where you drive. I haven't seen a whole lot of commercial tow rigs that are set up for trails.

My AAA towing would work just fine for my Triumph TR3 if it is not a quick fix, but I expect my Land Rover to be able to come home under her own power.

I was sorta being sarcastic TA

[TeriAnn]

I was sorta being sarcastic TA
Sorry. :(

That's always been a problem with email & such is that there is not a universal smiley to indicate sarcasm and it it not easy to tell what is or is not.

Truth be known my Land Rover made use of my AAA card last year. This was back during the time when I was having charging system problems and I could not figure out why the charging system worked at first then seemed to stop working. I thought I had it licked and was out shopping when I noticed that the voltage gauge was reading about 10V. My truck is power intensive with EFI, 2 electric fuel pumps and a hefty electric fan from a Mercedes V8. I knew from past experience that the fuel pumps became erratic below 10V and I wasn't going to make it home. I was only about 20 minutes from home. I could have called a friend to pick me up, drive me home where I could have changed clothes, loaded the charger and the generator then returned to the LR. Instead I just called AAA and got flatbeded home where I put the tuck on the charger & scratched my head about the problem. Normally I take great pride in getting my truck home under her own power but this time it didn't seem worth the effort.

So yes, I agree a towing assistance card has its uses and a Land Rover is not on the trail all the time. And I'm not about to get grease stains on a cute outfit just because my truck decided to throw a temper tantrum. But when she gets wounded out on the trail, I want to be able to provide emergency first aid and I will not leave her behind.

BTW It took me a good 4 months and the creation of a new web page ( http://www.expeditionlandrover.info/Delco_Alternators.html ) to find the solution to the charging problem. There were 2 problems. One is that I didn't have a good connection for the excite current. Over time a connector connection between the idiot light and a switched 12V source had corroded to the point where it could not carry enough current for the alternator to make a strong magnetic field. The idiot light came on when it should. A volt meter showed the proper voltage. I just didn't know the connection resistance was high enough to limit current flow below that needed to create a strong magnetic field.

The second issue was that on my first alternator swap (in Grand Junction) the store didn't have the exact alternator number and gave me one that they said was an older equivalent alternator. What I didn't know was that my 78 AMP 12-SI alternator was just swapped to a 40 something amp 10-SI alternator. The 10-SI could not keep up with the electric fan, especially since its magnetic field was weak.

It wasn't until I learned what the wires going into the alternator did inside the alternator that I knew to chase down the excite circuit current limit problem. The oxidation causing my problem was not at the surface where the 2 connectors joined. I cleaned all the connections early on. It was at the crimp where the wire strands connected to the crimped back of the connector. It is easy to focus on the connector to connector connection and miss the connector to wire connections.

[Mercedesrover]

There has been the occaisional Rover in despair that has been stranded for multiple days that I've had to haul, but the Rover crowd generally seems to get along without much help.....once off the computer that is.

Well, I just got towed from 75 miles north/nortwest of Millinocket down to Brewer. If others here aren't familiar, if it's not the middle of nowhere, it's the edge of nowhere. This was one repair I couldn't handle on the trail.

John and Sons Towing out of Millinocket came to get me. Nice guy.

[navydevildoc]

I'm a bit behind in signing up new members. I've got about 8 of you guys I need to add to the list. Promise I'll get to it this week.

jim

Was wondering what happened with that.... :D

[Tsmith]

This sounds like a hands-on group, but there is no need for tools you can't use. Any list should take the way you use the car and your mechanical aptitude into account, as should the spares on board.

Even if you don't have the skills to to install a Land Rover-only part, a local mechanic often can, but only if you have the part.

My other car has wire wheels and the tires have innertubes. If I have a flat tire in the tire dealership's parking lot, they often can't fix it unless you give them a tube; they mostly don't carry tubes.

The other obvious caution is the car's location. We've all seen a pir of legs protruding from under a car parked a few inches off the Interstate. If you can't get to a safe place, call a tow truck.

Tom Smith

[bmohan55]

I'm still learning my way around my truck BUT I carry complete set of sockets, wrenches, fluids and a several spare parts. Figure if I can't
fix it someone else can so at least I'll have the tools to do it.

[junkyddog11]

Only thing I might add to Mercedes rovers "gold standard tool kit" would be to carry a catch basin and some oil diapers or kitty litter and the ability to contain and clean up messes (which I am sure Jim does carry). Don't have photos of it all but this can all be packed into a tupperware, or similar (catch basin) that will fit into the recess of the spare tyre.....at least on my heap.

In further thought, to truely contain my mess I would need a container large enough to fit the whole truck in!

[xsbowes]

going to conn.?!?!!? So now the Series rover population in Oahu will dwindle to 3 maybe?