What do you keep in you car?

[Tickle]

Daily Car - Gym bag, bird poo wipes, locking wheel nut socket and a pen
Weekend Car - Sunglasses, locking wheel nut socket, tyre foam

[Major Fallout]

jamesj197 said:

jamieduff1981 said:

Speaking as a TVR driver - which really ought to qualify my views on the possibility of a car breaking down - I just call the AA.

I take it you have minimal experience of actually working on cars? A car won't just run out of electricity, for example, without a genuine problem such as a failed alternator unless you park it leaving the lights on - which is a bit like parking it without applying the hand brake.

If a car genuinely breaks down out and about, it's because something has broken 99.99999 times out of 100, as opposed to because something easily accessible without dismantling the car has unscrewed itself and just needs tweaked up with a screwdriver.


I've broken down a few times with various cars over the years. In absolutely every case I've known exactly what it was before the AA van turned up. In absolutely every case the car has needed to be recovered, partially dismantled and new part(s) bought and fitted.

In my considered opinion, carrying anything with the pretense of fixing the car is carrying dead weight at the expense of boot space. The exception being if the car has a spare wheel and crappy tool kit, which can stay (even though OE jacks are often marginally fit for purpose and wheel braces often spread rather than release wheel nuts).

I understand where your coming from but when i say breakdown i also mean simple things like getting a flat tyre. I completely agree that there is no point carrying a full tool kit but what if you break down and have to wait around for an hour or so for the AA or RAC to get to you. Or what if you get stuck in bad traffic or bad weather.

Tool wise:
In the BMW a multi tool.
In the TVR a small socket set and screw driver, maybe some duck tape.
In my old racer, this lot.




I once removed the gearbox and the starter in a hotel carpark in Ireland on a rally. Changed a tyre (not the wheel) in a pub carpark, and very nearly gave the front suspension a full overall in a hotel carpark in the Isle of Man. (I did come first the next day )

[lukefreeman]

To people with sleeping bags..........Are you serial doggers?


Me nothing, I don't even have keys on my car keys, just a single keyfob

[Ali_T]

poing said:

A charge cable for the phone, plastic bags for shopping when I remember.
In the winter I have the ice scraper and a dustpan & brush because it's the best thing for clearing snow.

Nothing else, hate having clutter in the car.

Exactly the same. Though there's usually a Tesco receipt in a door pocket as well.

[AlexHat]

charger cable for my phone, a load of old kitchen paper for wiping door mirrors, a condensation pad/duster for much the same just inside, spare change for car parks.

Not much else other than the vehicle handbook/service book in the glovebox

[poing]

Tickle said:

Daily Car - Gym bag, bird poo wipes, locking wheel nut socket and a pen
Weekend Car - Sunglasses, locking wheel nut socket, tyre foam

I didn't even know such a thing existed, in fact I googled it just to check and indeed it does: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Autoglym-AG328-Bird-Droppi...
You live and learn

[GeordieInExile]

Absolutely nowt. I'm only using it to go to and from work and the shops, so I don't need anything.

[militantmandy]

Currently packed to the gunnels with cardboard for the dump. Usually:

Front

Sunglasses
USB Cable to charge thing
Road atlas

Back

Water/skoosh
Oil
Boiler suit
Some tools usually
Triangle/vest/first aid blah blah

It's a massive car so it doesn't really matter too much if there's a few bits and bobs in the boot. I can get two mountain bikes plus all associated gear in without having to remove anything.

[lickatysplit]

I hate carrying around unessessary stuff in the car so not much.
glove box is just a sat nav and the user manual
centre console, sunglasses and a jack lead
rear passenger pocket - a couple of cds
Boot - nothing. not even a spare tyre. oh wait, tyre gunge stuff.

[Nickbrapp]

Boot -

A drill
Sds drill
Test kit
Tool box x2
Box of stock
Box of batts
Role of cable x2
Fire extiginsher
A ladder clamp
A rubber mallet
PPE

Back

A coat
A jumper
Gym kit
A fork
Holesaw
Roll of stickers
Protein shake
Paper work

Front doors

Cds
A screwdriver
A pair of snips
A pen
A perment market

Glovebox
Phone charger
Glasses
Fuel card and handbooks

Pens
A loft hatch key
Some handbooks
Spare change
Sat nav
Works phone

Mcdonalds free drinks card thing.
Lunch box

A ladder on the roof


Not a great deal

Edited by Nickbrapp on Wednesday 1st April 17:54

[donnydave]

In my cobra kit:

Edited by donnydave on Wednesday 1st April 18:13

Edited by donnydave on Wednesday 1st April 18:49

[Japveesix]

For a few months now a big chainsaw and a large perfectly formed hoop of pine which is cool but pointless.

Useful things that tend to stay in there include:

Umbrella
Mini ratchet strap
Bungies
Bottle of water
Survival type knife
A waterproof rug
Torch
Road atlas
Bag with some paper plates, bits of plastic cutlery and a few other vaguely handy things like pens and kitchen roll.
Reusable shopping bags
Far too many CDs
Gloves and a spare hat
Tub of 50 bird fat balls (might put this somewhere else soon)
Big 5kg sack of birdseed (as above...)
Spare thin trainers
Jump leads

Not sure what else. It's only a tiny car but still seems to be able to hold a lot of random crap without me really noticing. I fully clean and empty it every now and then but stuff tends to build up again...

[jamesj197]

So has anyone had to use their 'emergency' gear?

[shake n bake]

I've still got that hookers body in the boot, just can't find a good digging space.

[jamieduff1981]

donnydave said:

In my cobra kit:

Edited by donnydave on Wednesday 1st April 18:13

Edited by donnydave on Wednesday 1st April 18:49

You are Jeremy Clarkson and I claim my £5.

[austinsmirk]

Cable ties and a ball gag.

Well you never know just how luscious and fighty your next hitchhiker will be.

[SWH]

jamesj197 said:

So has anyone had to use their 'emergency' gear?

When commuting to London (from Eastbourne, 5 days a week) I used to have quite a significant kit, especially in the winter.

As for using any of it... had to break into the box of Tracker bars and 2L of drinking water when it took 12hrs to get home in the snow once. Nearly fell over on the ice walking round to the back of the car to get them out while stuck in a queue in Croydon... the joys of London and sheet ice/compacted snow(!)

[Who me ?]

Boot- my mobility skooter, plus a couple of Hi Viz jackets. ( Swimbo always laughed at this till one day we had a puncture on off side front on the M6.With the wind, she was only too happy to get a jacket on). Dog lead, poo bags and portable water dog bowl and water bottle. Then there's the old footwell protectors- (handy in snow/ice if you get stuck). Cheapo torque wrench and long reach socket ( i've found alloys don't like guess torque ). In the front - demister & de icer spray .( take it in to house in summer and Swimbo puts it in "safe place" ). Phone charger, spare Lamps and some spare fuses. Cheapo DVM and a bottle of Fanta( for those low sugar moments, Fanta Not the DVM ). Tyre pump /olde fashioned metal tyre pressure gauge ,spare Ciggie lighter( keeps Swimbo happy) and her door pocket usual female "essentials", including empty ciggie packets.And don't forget the tyre goo - pump, gauge and goo very useful if you live in an area where tyre letting down, adding a nail in front of tyre is commonplace. very little compared to my younger days. ( i.e in my Maxi ownership days) . Then I carried almost a full tool kit under the rear seat .

[XJSJohn]

jamesj197 said:

So has anyone had to use their 'emergency' gear?

first aid kit and gubbins a few times ... mind you, you do get a lot of traffic accidents in Thailand, although i do seem to have to replace the hangover pills Nurafen more often than anything else !!

[XJSJohn]

shake n bake said:

I've still got that hookers body in the boot, just can't find a good digging space.

Chuck her in the canal, easiest way to remove the evidence, people will notice the smell soon .....