My wife and I just completed a 4,400 mile road trip from Tulsa to San Diego, up the California Coast to Monterrey and back East through Reno, U.S. 50 and I-70. I have attached a list of the equipment I took on this trip, which was completely stowed in the compartments in my '02 coupe.

The questions are: What emergency equipment did I forget to take and what should I leave at home on the next road trip? All comments are welcome, I can take it.

Okie

Corvette Road Trip Emergency Equipment
(Cell Phone, Visa, Dollars and AAA Card in Pants Pockets)

GLOVE COMPARTMENT & CONSOLE (items always in car)
Pike pass Garage door opener
Shop towels (2) Owners manual
Battery side post wrench Ins. & reg. papers
Pen & Notebook Flashlight
Multi tool Tire Gauge
Assorted fuses Bath towel
________________________________________ ______________

REAR SIDE COMPARTMENTS -------- (items always in car) Left & Right
(L)First aid kit (R)12 volt air compressor
(L)Hand towel (R)Tire plugging kit
(L)Emergency blanket (R)Shop towels (2)
(L)Rain coat (R)Work gloves
________________________________________ ______________

REAR CENTER COMPARTMENT ------- (items for overnight trips only)
Lug wrench & 19mm socket Bug sponge & chamois
Scissor jack & jacking puck Wheel ramp (3”X10”X22”)
5’ X 7’ Tarp Wheel chocks
________________________________________ ______________

ROAD TRIP TOOL KIT ---------------------- (for overnight & extended road trips in rear center compartment)
1 – 10 oz. ball peen hammer 1 – Dozen 14” zip ties
1 – 25’ Roll S.S. safety wire, 1 – Pair Channel Lock pliers
1 – Set assorted screwdrivers 1 – Set Torx wrenches T 10 – T 40
1 – Set assorted pliers (3) 1 – Set wrenches 10 – 17mm
1 – 1/4” socket set 4mm -13mm 1 – 8” Adjustable wrench
1 – 3/8” socket set 10mm -18mm 1 – Pair diagonal cutters
1 – Wire stripper 1 – Large pair vise-grips
1 – Large flashlight 1 – Inspection mirror
1 – Gasket scraper 1 – Roll duct tape
1 – Volt/Ohm meter & leads 1 – Roll electrical tape

 

If you can fit extra cans/bottle of distilled water, that would be a plus both for human consumption and coolant.

Oh...and you might want to consider this:

 

[QUOTE=theradioflyer;1581265543]If you can fit extra cans/bottle of distilled water, that would be a plus both for human consumption and coolant.

I did have a gallon of drinking water and I've been considering a fire extinguisher as well; however neither would fit in one of the compartments unless something else was removed.

My CC permit isn't valid in California.

Okie

 

You took all that doomsday prepper garbage and not even a liter of oil?

 

There is a really nice fire ext. mount that uses the front 2 passenger seat nuts as a way of mounting it, I found one of them on eBay really cheap and it looks great in the car. It gives you a spot to mount it that's not taking up room anywhere else. Never hurts to have one handy, and like I said looks like it was supposed to be there.
You pretty much covered everything else.

 

Thanks for the fire extinguisher info. I may install one using that mount only on the drivers side as I keep my seat almost all the way back.

A spare quart of oil is a worthy suggestion and I would appreciate some ideas about what NOT to take.

Okie

 

I think the gasket scraper may be a bit overboard. Honestly, I think a good leatherman multi-tool could significantly reduce the weight of the road-trip tool kit. Keep in mind, you probably won't have a shop manual available or spare parts. If you're really concerned about serious repairs on the road, you might want to consider getting AAA roadside assistance.

 

My list didn't copy very clearly but I listed under the title "Corvette Road Trip Emergency Equipment", a cell phone, visa card, cash, AAA card. Also, listed in the console was a multi tool (leatherman) and tire gauge. Thanks for the suggestions.

Okie

 

Very good list of things you made up. Will keep watching this thread for more suggestions.

 

I have some orange nylon pylons that collapse to about 1". They also have a light in them for night time use.

 

That one small line.......AAA Plus membership, a cell phone and a credit card.

 

Now we're getting some good stuff. The gasket scraper will go and anything else someone might suggest as legitimate overkill. The reminder that I don't have a service manual or Corvette specific parts is something I will repeat to myself when starting my "downsize".

Where can I get the collapsible, lighted pylons?

Okie

 

jumper cables?

 

I have a Road Torq Turbodyne emergency light in my DD...reflective leg tripod stand, hand-crank to charge the battery, flip-up LED spotlight with a flashing beacon on the underside (of the light head). Compact...no bigger than the average travel mug size...Probably going to get one for the C5, along with some of the items mentioned by the OP...
Okie - great list, btw...thanks for posting!!

 

Your list is quite extensive and well thought out. In my opinion it is overkill for most travel in the USA but if it makes you feel better then more power to you.

As far as carrying oil. Why?! If your car is losing oil so fast that you cannot stop at a store and buy some, then you need to shut the car down and get it towed. I can see the extra water if maybe travelling long distances in the desert but again, for the most part, it is just extra weight. With that line of thinking; why not carry an extra gallon of gas? (Not being insulting; trying to make a point. I ride a motorcycle and don't take loads of repair supplies either. My opinion is if I think my ride / vehicle is that unreliable, I won't take it on a long trip.)

Cell phone, AAA card, tire plug kit, tire inflator, duct tape, waterless hand cleaner (gojo or similar), a towel or two, flashlight, and a multi-use tool like a leatherman is the most I carry. I do my maintenance at home and deal with the unexpected IF it happens.

If something minor goes wrong, it generally can wait until you drive somewhere or get home. If something major goes wrong; it most likely is something you cannot fix on your own anyway. When you look at your supplies ask yourself these two questions; "When was the last time I used any of it?" "Have I EVER used any of it for something that needed immediate repair?"

I will finish by telling to to pack what makes you feel comfortable. Nothing worse than going on a trip and worrying the whole time. There is no fun in that. Just my $0.02

 

 

You forgot the bailing wire. With the onset of the serpentine belt a pair of panty hose is no longer useful, but you should still have the duct tape (which you did) and a roll of bailing wire in the car at all times. You can do some pretty amazing things with a roll of bailing wire and things you'd find on the roadside.

 

Thanks for the comments. As you can probably tell, most of my big stuff (ramp, jack, compressor, lug wrench and plugging kit revolves around a flat tire. Most of my long distance travel has been on a motorcycle where a nail can leave you stranded. I once had a flat tire in the Southern Mojave desert at 5 am and it was already 88 degrees. My 12v compressor and plugging kit had me on the road in less than 30 minutes. Now that I have more room it's hard to know when enough is enough.

I've had several folks here suggest jumper cables but I usually keep a fresh battery in my vehicles and the times the battery died after a short stop, jumper cables didn't help. I agree that in my youth (40 years ago) a quart of oil was always on board, not so much these days. Engines are better and the ones I own haven't been hammered as bad as in my earlier cars.

I substituted stainless steel safety wire for bailing wire and it is on the list (25' roll S.S. safety wire).

I plan to post photos of the "emergency equipment" in a future post, after downsizing.

Okie

 

Hey Okie,
Thanks for the post!

I'm planning a road trip through the Mojave Desert and up through Carson City NV and then on to Salem OR. and back. Guessing about 2000 miles or so. This is the first time on non runflats and that worries me a bit, so making my emergency flat tire repair kit. Better safe than sorry, so doing the what if list . . . just in case. The suggestions have been useful on things I may have forgotten about.

I did breakdown once driving the C4 vert. The car was just a couple of years old. It was in the Mojave Desert of all places. After driving about eight hours, my voltage started to drop. I was in the middle of nowhere and trying to make it to the town of Mojave or at least a gas station. The car finally just died and I drifted over to the side of the road. Try turning the steering wheel with no power assist. The cell phone of course didn't work because there was no service out there. I sat on the side of the road in 110 degree heat for hours. An old gentleman pulled up and asked if I need help. I was happy to see that old beater he was driving, he gave me some water and was on his way. I asked him to call AAA when he got into town. After an hour and a half I see the tow truck arriving. The driver pulled up, said he got a call about the vette, but said he couldn't give me a tow at the moment because he had another call before mine to help another car a couple of miles down the road. But, he would be back in an hour or two. Before he headed back to the other car, he mickey moused the cable that had broken off the alternator and jump started the engine. It was a temporary fix, but got me on the road again. Who would have expected to have an alternator cable break off of the alternator? Two miles down the road cell phone service came on.

 

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