I’m embarking on a grand tour of Europe in my clapped out Renault. Hopefully,
we won’t brake down, but I packing the essentials to get me out of the brown
stuff.
If there is anything obvious ( or not obvious) that I’ve missed out. You know
the sort of thing that you’ve improvised with ’till you’ve got to a garage and
has really saved your bacon.
The list:
Breakdown Assistance cover.
Can of petrol/water/oil/break fluid.
Tow rope
Warning triangle
Torch
Spare Bulbs
Full tool set with essential tools (socket set etc.)
Fan belt
Jump leads
Hose sealing tape
Fire Extinguisher
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Stuart & Sherree
(18/8 1/9 France,Italy,Switzerland,Austria,Germany,Holland)
–
+Stuart Lea–Tel:+44 (0)61 200 4809-Fax:+44 (0)61 200 4019-UMIST University-+
|JANET : s…@uk.ac.mcc.nessie B22, Main Bldg., PO Box 88|
|INTERNET: s…@nessie.mcc.ac.uk Manchester, UK M60 1QD |
+—————————————————————————+
In a previous article, s…@nessie.mcc.ac.uk (Stuart Lea) says:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -
>I’m embarking on a grand tour of Europe in my clapped out Renault. Hopefully,
>we won’t brake down, but I packing the essentials to get me out of the brown
>stuff.
>If there is anything obvious ( or not obvious) that I’ve missed out. You know
>the sort of thing that you’ve improvised with ’till you’ve got to a garage and
>has really saved your bacon.
>The list:
> Breakdown Assistance cover.
> Can of petrol/water/oil/break fluid.
> Tow rope
> Warning triangle
> Torch
> Spare Bulbs
> Full tool set with essential tools (socket set etc.)
> Fan belt
> Jump leads
> Hose sealing tape
> Fire Extinguisher
I have found a high strength "ducktape" to be useful.
One of my friends in the middle of no where, hit a large buck.
The fender was nearly ripped off the car. He was able to tape
it on sufficiently, he was able to drive home. Course, you’ll
need 200mph tape ( as they use in Indy, or the like ), if you
wish to drive fast =)
Make sure it can adhere to the painted and/or metal surfaces.
Also, when ever I’m driving in back country, I like to
have a few things to help me out if I get stuck. e.g. boards or teh
like.
—
So there I was, snuggled in the leather seat of my brand new Ferrari.
I had the oiled wooden gear shift in one hand, and the leather wrapped
Momo in the other. I had the stereo cranking _Born to be Wild_…
Only two problems, I was upside down, and under six feet of water…
In article <2uuope$…@zippo.uwasa.fi>,
Keith Ryan <Wo…@freeport.uwasa.fi> wrote:
>In a previous article, s…@nessie.mcc.ac.uk (Stuart Lea) says:
>>The list:
>> Breakdown Assistance cover.
>> Can of petrol/water/oil/break fluid.
How about power steering fluid/tranny fluid/ w/w-fulid?
And make that water, drinkable water.
>> Tow rope
>> Warning triangle
>> Torch
>> Spare Bulbs
>> Full tool set with essential tools (socket set etc.)
Be sure you’ve got a good big set of vise grips in there.
>> Fan belt
>> Jump leads
>> Hose sealing tape
>> Fire Extinguisher
> "ducktape" to be useful.
> if I get stuck. e.g. boards or teh
How about pieces of carpet with those boards?
I would use the trunk lining if needed.
What about a spear tire?
How about a lug nut wrench?
How about a jack?
How about a car length of number 10 or 12 gauge stranded wire?
How about some stiff steel (coat hanger) wire?
How about 1 meter of vaccume line?
How about 1/3 meter of various sized gas line?
How about a bag of ever useful tie-wraps?
How about at least 1 of the longest ignition wires?
How about one spark plug?
How about a sheet of course and smooth sand paper?
How about steel wool?
How about various sized hose clamps?
How about a pocket sized volt meter?
How about a generic service manual?
How about a _custom_ first aid kit?
How about a rag?
How about sample packets of hand degreaser?
How about a small tube of permetex number 2, non hardening
How about a small tube of Anti-sieze?
How about misc. screws, bolts, washers, nuts? (for the one
that flew off the road 2 miles back)
How about a spool of string?
How about a tire gauge?
I carry all of the above items _at all times_ except for a
silly "need help" banner, tourch, gas, and warning triangle.
You didn’t mention what tools are in your kit. I carry….
3 phillips and 3 striaght slotted screwdrivers,
2 pliers, 1 long nose pliers, 15 inch channel locks,
15 and 5 inch adjustible wrenchs, 10 inch visegrips, side cutters,
hammer, selected wrenches, spark plug, spark plug socket,
(note no socket ratchet handle needed, thats what the large
varity of pliers are for)
This entire list minus the fluids, jack, fire extinguisher fits
nicely into a small plastic container which doubles as a bucket.
Happy motoring is safe motoring
John, Cuyahoga Valley Vans, member, Northern Ohio Van Council
Stuart Lea (s…@nessie.mcc.ac.uk) wrote:
: I’m embarking on a grand tour of Europe in my clapped out Renault. Hopefully,
: we won’t brake down, but I packing the essentials to get me out of the brown
: stuff.
: Any help would be appreciated.
: Thanks,
: Stuart & Sherree
: (18/8 1/9 France,Italy,Switzerland,Austria,Germany,Holland)
Dont forget chocolate chip cookies!!
:
: —
: +Stuart Lea–Tel:+44 (0)61 200 4809-Fax:+44 (0)61 200 4019-UMIST University-+
: |JANET : s…@uk.ac.mcc.nessie B22, Main Bldg., PO Box 88|
: |INTERNET: s…@nessie.mcc.ac.uk Manchester, UK M60 1QD |
: +—————————————————————————+
—
"When in doubt, throw a
Frisbee" G.V.
gjvo…@netcom.com San Diego
In article 5…@zippo.uwasa.fi, Wo…@freeport.uwasa.fi (Keith Ryan) writes:
|>
|>In a previous article, s…@nessie.mcc.ac.uk (Stuart Lea) says:
|>
|>>I’m embarking on a grand tour of Europe in my clapped out Renault. Hopefully,
|>>we won’t brake down, but I packing the essentials to get me out of the brown
|>>stuff.
|>>
|>>If there is anything obvious ( or not obvious) that I’ve missed out. You know
|>>the sort of thing that you’ve improvised with ’till you’ve got to a garage and
|>>has really saved your bacon.
|>>
|>>The list:
|>>
|>> Breakdown Assistance cover.
|>> Can of petrol/water/oil/break fluid.
|>> Tow rope
|>> Warning triangle
|>> Torch
|>> Spare Bulbs
|>> Full tool set with essential tools (socket set etc.)
|>> Fan belt
|>> Jump leads
|>> Hose sealing tape
|>> Fire Extinguisher
|>
|> I have found a high strength "ducktape" to be useful.
Good suggestion, but it is DUCT tape, asi in furnace ducts.
Also, consider:
hose clamps,
insulated electrical wire
electrical tape
flash light
jack knife
"spare-in-a-can" tire sealer/inflator
coveralls
WD-40 or similar spray lube
—
Robert Haar InterNet : rh…@gmr.com
Computer Science Dept., G.M. R & D Center
DISCLAIMER: Unless indicated otherwise, everything in this note is
personal opinion, not an official statement of General Motors Corp.
>You know, the sort of thing that you’ve improvised with ’till you’ve got
>to a garage and has really saved your bacon.
Some ideas that don’t seem to have been mentioned:
Bottle of water and some snack food in case it’s a long night.
Something to lay on, like a sheet of plastic, should you have
to get under the car in bad conditions. Or even good ones,
for that matter.
Gloves and warm clothes (when/where appropriate) that you don’t
mind getting dirty.
Rope strong enough to pull your car if need be. Note that rags,
an old jacket, etc. can be used to protect the rope if something
sharp like the back edge of a bumper is the only logical place
to attach it. Stand clear except when it has visible slack — a
parting towrope or cable is not funny. People going into the
boonies usually have a power winch or hand-operated "come-along,"
but that’s overkill for a highway trip.
Flares, where legal. I carry a supply with which to samaritanize
people who are working on their disabled cars in such a way that
Michelin amputation of their legs appears imminent.
Bottle of gas-line dryer. Turns the tank of bum gasoline that you
bought in Lick Sore, Montana at the only place that was open
back into something resembling fuel.
For your situation: A reasonable amount of the local currencies,
or at least something that you know will be accepted everywhere,
separate from your regular travelin’ cash and preferably hidden
in the car itself. This helps you avoid the temptation to spend
it and also gives you some resources if your wallet or suitcase
is forcibly inserted into the trickle-down economy by the nice
people one sometimes meets on the road. :)
Enjoy your trip,
–Joe