What do you keep in you car?

What do you keep in you car?

Author
Discussion

jamesj197

Original Poster:

83 posts

111 months

Monday 30th March 2015
quotequote all
So what do you keep in your car? Jump leads etc

jamesj197

Original Poster:

83 posts

111 months

Monday 30th March 2015
quotequote all
i have:

water
food
sleeping bag
jump leads
tyre inflator
torch
phone charger
spare wheel with jack

i also have an ice scraper and deicer in the winter

are there any other essentials i should add?

jamesj197

Original Poster:

83 posts

111 months

Tuesday 31st March 2015
quotequote all
It's surprising that people don't have the basics like jump leads. I would be interested to know why?

jamesj197

Original Poster:

83 posts

111 months

Tuesday 31st March 2015
quotequote all
So what do people think the essentials are?

jamesj197

Original Poster:

83 posts

111 months

Tuesday 31st March 2015
quotequote all
poing said:
Nothing is essential on the average commute, unless it's across a vast desert or the Australian outback. In which case a bottle of water and some sunglasses might be handy.
So what if your car breaks down? Or do you think that's not possible?

jamesj197

Original Poster:

83 posts

111 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
quotequote all
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.

jamesj197

Original Poster:

83 posts

111 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
quotequote all
So has anyone had to use their 'emergency' gear?