Trail tools picture thread...

[Brewtus]

All but the chainsaw, tire chains, drills, FSM, and spare parts are kept in the truck at all times.

From the Top Left

- Axe
. *I would recommend a single bit axe, so you can drive it out with a hammer if you get it stuck.
- Hatchet
- 48" Cast Hi-Lift
- Ice Scraper, Squeegie, Snow Brush
. *This is very useful for the squeegie so you can get mud off the windshield without using all of you washer fluid.
- Spade
- 18v Milwaukee Impact Driver
- 18v Milwaukee Drill
- 18v Milwaukee Spare Battery
- 50+ piece Impact Driver Bit Set
- 50+ piece Milwaukee Drill Bit Set
. *These actually ended up being extremely helpful.
. *Was able to repair a severe failure on the suspension on the Ford on our most recent trip. When I get that trip report done, I'll put a link to it.
- 149 piece Crescent Tool Kit
. *I like this kit so much, I bought two and keep one in my car as well. Very recommend.

- 20' #2 jumper cables
- (2) 3/8" Snatch Blocks
. *These are usually used for logging and have grease-able fittings.
- (6) 3/4" Shackles
- (1) 1/2" Shackle
. *This is only used when pulling little cars out of the snow when their recovery point is too small for my 3/4" shackles.
- 4 ton Hydraulic Bottle Jack
- Hitch Mount 3/4" Shackle w/ 5/8" Class IV locking SS pin
- 4-way Lug Wrench
- (4) 10 mm Diamond Pattern Tire Chains
. *Highly recommend these diamond pattern (European Hoop Style) chains as opposed to the ladder type chains. They stay a lot tighter on the tire than the ladder type do; and therefore don't destroy your fender-wells. They do come in different sizes (thickness). So make sure you get the thicker ones. Also recommend doubling up on the rubber-tensioners. Also, if you get the tensioners with hooks on them, make sure that you put them on with the hooks pointing out... learned that one the hard way.

- (3) 6' 6400 lb lifting straps (Harbor Freight)
- (3) 30' 27,000 lb Poly Recovery Straps (Harbor Freight)
- Husky 12v Inflator
. *This will go away when I get on-board air
- Hitch Tray Mounted Smittybilt XRC8 8000lb winch w/ Tweco Welding Plugs
- (Not Pictured) 30' 3/8" Winch Extension Cable
- (Not Pictured) Deer Skin Dedicated Winching Gloves
- Fire Extinguisher
- Road Flare Kit
- Paper Towels
- General Tool Box
. - ATF Funnel
. - Regular Funnel
. - Ball Peen Hammer
. - Multimeter
. - 16ga and 12ga Electrical Wire
. - Solder
. - 10" DeWalt Crescent Wrench
. - Channel Locks
. - High Temp RTV Sealant
. - 2-part 30-min Epoxy
. - Flexible Neck Butane Lighter
. - Duct tape
. - Electrical Tape
. - Utility Knife
. - 10" Pipe Wrench
. - 5/8" Alan Key for 1/2" socket (Lowering Spare Tire)
. - Socket for Axle Nuts
. - Wire Stripper
. - WD-40
. - Strapwrench
. - Spare Headlight, Tail-light, Clearance Light bulbs.
. - Spare Fuses
. - Maglight 2AA Penlight
. - Spare U-Joints
. - C-Clamp
- Safety Glasses
. *These are actually very nice to have when you're working under the truck and there is mud, dust, and dirt falling in your face.
- Factory Service Manual

- 100' 5/8" Braided Poly Rope
- (Not Pictured) 50' 1/4" Poly Chord
- PoulanPro 140 Chainsaw
. *Would really like a 20" Stihl. But I found this almost brand-new at a garage sale for $30.
- Serpentine Belt
- (2) Spark Plug Wires
- Spark Plug
- Radiator Hose
- 4D LED Maglite
- Multipack of Zip-Ties
- Full First-Aid kit
- Hand Warmers
. *It's probably a 1 in a 1000 chance, but I blew a radiator hose when it was -10 F and had to wait about an hour for a tow home. Would very much have liked to have these. Will never not have these in the truck again.

(Additional Not Pictured)
- 2 quarts Oil
. *I've heard a lot of critique for carrying replacement fluids on the trail. The main argument is that carrying enough oil to replace all of your oil in the event of a damaged oil pan takes up a lot of room and carrying less than that won't do you any good. However, when I first bought my truck, it ran perfectly fine for several months before I changed the oil for the first time. When I drained the oil, there was little more than 1/2 a quart in it. So it is possible for it to run without severe damage with much less than 5 quarts.
- 1 quart gear oil
- 1 quart ATF
- 1 quart Bar/Chain Oil
- 1 Gallon 2-Cycle Gas Mix
- (6) Ratchet Tie-Down Strap

 

[oscar the grouch]

2015-06-17 07.23.48 by Oscar Indy, on Flickr

2015-06-17 07.26.36 by Oscar Indy, on Flickr

 

[BritKLR]

ATC "ShopRoll" Jeep trail repair kit in action repairing a loose brake caliper in Canada.

 

[BritKLR]

Jake at New Mexico Backroads has done an awesome job with his trail tool program! If your looking for advice on a real-world trail tool set-up give him a shout!


https://www.facebook.com/NewMexicoB...68035683003/10152998083618004/?type=1&theater

 

[CCFD170]

I will post up my equipment for everyone here to critique. I know I still need adjustments to my kit, but wanted to get everyone's feedback. I will list the equipment below roughly from top left down and then to the right.

View attachment 285909

Equipment List:
Smaller Come Along (Rebuilt, 20' Amsteel Blue 3/16 Line)
Air Compressor and Air Line/Deflator
Receiver Shackle Bracket and Shackle
1/2" Crosby Shackles x4
Sch 80 PVC Strap Connecting Pin
Pulley (20k Capacity)
Larger Come Along (Rebuilt, 65' Amsteel Blue 3/16 Line, Crosby 7/16 Alloy Shackle)
Come Along removable Aluminum Extension Handles
Stock Toyota Jack Tools
1/2” Ratchet with 21MM Socket for Lug Nuts
2” Thick Wood Jack Base
FJ80 Toyota Landcruiser Jack
12V Electric Drill (Extension Wires, Clips to Car Battery)
Drill to Jack Hook Adapter
Recovery Strap 20'
Tow Strap 30'
Tow Strap 20'
Two Ratchet Straps
ARB Tire Repair Kit
Socket Set (SAE 1/4” to 7/8”, Metric M8-M19, M21, and M24)
Wrench Set ( SAE 1/4” to 3/4”, Metric M8-M19)
Jumper Cables 20'(Have 20')
Assorted Tools (Knife, Blades, Screwdrivers, Wrench, Pliers, Etcetera)
Folding Shovel
Small Axe
Aluminum Cheater Bar

Okay I gotta ask........ 12 volt corded drill?? That's pretty cool.

 

[Modeler]

Okay I gotta ask........ 12 volt corded drill?? That's pretty cool.

I made mine by adding a cord w/ fuse to an old Makita 12V drill. Soldered the cord to the terminals inside the battery well and it clamps to the battery same as his.

 

[aardvarcus]

Yes, just as Modeler mentioned I got an old 12v corded drill with dead batteries from my father in law. I initially gutted a battery (be careful if you do this) and hooked up the cord to the terminals in the empty battery pack, but I later ended up cutting off the whole battery mount (to reduce size) and directly wiring the new cord to the drill switch. Having the 12v drill and adapters for the mechanical jack and lug nuts makes things like tire changes easier.

I need to adjust my setup though, I used 12 gauge copper wiring, but I think there is too much voltage drop across the 20' cord so I plan on upsizing the wire so the drill can get as much power as possible. It works, but under full load (jacking up the truck) I think I am leaving some torque on the table. I would also like to attach a quick electrical disconnect to the front of the truck and replace the battery clamps with a matching disconnect so that I can use it without opening the hood, which would be more convenient.

 

[CaliMobber]

I just use a 120v drill and plug it into my 1000w sine wave inverter. since I dont have a garage I use most my mild power tools off my cars inverter

 

[CCFD170]

Ah ha! It's all making sense now. Before knowing you cut off the battery mount I was thinking it was an old corded drill somehow converted to 12 volt. Very cool tool. I don't know if I'd ever need one but I do love me some gadgets and tools!

 

[DanR7985]

Ok quick question on the drill. Is there a reason why you couldn't use an inverter or maybe a plug in the bed of the vehicle like so many come with anymore with a standard electric drill? Is it because it normally runs off of a standard house outlet which is 110V instead of the 12V in vehicles that it won't work properly?

In addition to that is there any reason why you couldn't put a standard 3 prong plug on a 12V drill so you could use a standard extension cord to an inverter or with alligator clips on the end of the extension cord for more length? Sorry for all the questions. I have more ideas than knowledge haha.

 

[Brewtus]

Ok quick question on the drill. Is there a reason why you couldn't use an inverter or maybe a plug in the bed of the vehicle like so many come with anymore with a standard electric drill? Is it because it normally runs off of a standard house outlet which is 110V instead of the 12V in vehicles that it won't work properly?

Your vehicle uses a 12v DC system anyways. Whenever you transform power between DC and AC, there are power losses. So to do the same task, you may use 20 pirate-ninjas of energy using an inverter as opposed to 10 pirate-ninjas just using DC. Then you also have 10 pirate-ninjas of heat that you have to deal with.

Also, some electric motors can be sensitive to the wave form of the AC power; so if you don't have a perfect sine-wave, you can be heating up your drill motor more than the insulation in the windings is designed to take. Also, it can be very expensive to get a true sine-wave inverter.

It's not that you couldn't run a 110 setup, it just makes the system more complicated, expensive, and less efficient.

 

[Modeler]

Ok quick question on the drill. Is there a reason why you couldn't use an inverter or maybe a plug in the bed of the vehicle like so many come with anymore with a standard electric drill? Is it because it normally runs off of a standard house outlet which is 110V instead of the 12V in vehicles that it won't work properly?

In addition to that is there any reason why you couldn't put a standard 3 prong plug on a 12V drill so you could use a standard extension cord to an inverter or with alligator clips on the end of the extension cord for more length? Sorry for all the questions. I have more ideas than knowledge haha.

In my case, it was what I had on hand. I don't own a corded 110VAC drill. I would not utilize a standard NEMA three prong plug as the danger would be that someone could think it was a 110VAC drill and plug it into an AC outlet. The cables I attached are 20' long and if a distance greater than that was needed I would either reposition the power source vehicle or remove the battery and place it closer to the work being done. KISS principle.

 

[aardvarcus]

Yes, you can run a 120V AC drill off of an inverter just as CaliMobber mentioned he did a few posts up. However, notice that reference is to a fairly powerful (1000W) pure sine wave inverter. A “typical” 7 amp corded drill would pull 840W, so I am not sure how well a drill would run off of a smaller inverter, especially with the large inrush current typically associated with AC motors. Also I am not sure how well it would run if your inverter wasn't a pure sine wave, as Brewtus has already mentioned. If you already had the inverter for other reasons it would certainly be worth a try, but I wouldn't recommend going out and purchasing one just to run an AC drill. The biggest driver behind starting with a 12V battery drill is that when the batteries are toast, you can pick up a functioning drill for little to no money.

My initial version where I modified the battery to provide the power used standard 3 prong extension cords and their plugs, but I don't recommend it and have obviously since changed my setup. I only did it that way because I already had the cords modified from another project. I used two cords when I did it, one cord for the + and one cord for the -, so three wires all sharing the load on each cord. I only used 16 gauge cords though, so there was still a decent power loss through the drill. Three 16 gauge wires is about 13 gauge equivalent, so not quite as good as the single 12 gauge wires I am running now. If you wanted to do a single cord, you would need to use a 12 gauge extension cord minimum, and even then you would notice the power loss. The biggest downside was the sheer bulk of the cords. Also, I don't like the idea that someone could have plugged the cord into an AC plug and possibly damaged something, as Modeler mentioned.

If you are looking for the cheapest/easiest way to make a functioning 12v drill (obviously this is dangerous so do this at your own risk and only if you completely understand what you are doing), get a set of cheap jumper cables, cut off one end, attach the wires to the drill switch contacts where the drill battery used to attach, insulate the attachment point, and secure the cable to the drill body for strain relief.

My 12 gauge wires are also about 20' long, and will just reach around the back of my truck. You really don't want them longer than you need them for everyday use. These drills were designed to have very short runs of wire between their battery and the motor, mine was about 6 inches before I modified it. As Modeler mentioned, in an emergency situation you can pull your battery and take the drill anywhere.

My ideal version is to make a setup using Anderson power pole connectors. Put a power pole on the front of my truck and on each of my DC accessories. Then make a DC extension cord with plugs on both ends, aka repurpose jumper cables or the like. Lastly make a set of clip on clamps that adapt to the plug so that you can use all these accessories with someone elses battery if needed.

 

[DanR7985]

Thanks for all the replies. That is more or less what I figured although I never thought about the strong possibility of someone plugging a three prong 12V drill into a 110V socket. That is a very good point. I also thought about using jumper cables and soldering them onto a drill. One thing I will say about me is that I love to learn, and I'm not afraid to try stuff. I am sure someday I will do this project, but I am thinking of using a 12V impact driver drill if I can find one cheap.

 

[Ducky's Dad]

It's a lot simpler to just carry a couple of batteries and a charger that plugs into the cigarette lighter. Then you can use the batteries on any tool you have with you. Dewalt makes one-hole and two-hole chargers that handle all their NiCads and LithiumIon batteries from 7.2-18 volts. I suspect you can get a similar setup from the other big tool manufacturers.