Common Tools to Carry for Overlanding?

You're getting closer to the idea of what I was after. Every manufacturer uses just a few different sizes of fasteners. Of those, only a few would be truly something you'd consider putting a wrench on in the field. Of the field-repairable options, what are those common sizes. I'm not going to replace brake lines on the trail, for example; without olives so that'd probably be a non-issue. Do I need to worry about taking the seats out? No, but there might be a ton of bits in the suspension that take a 12 or 14mm.

Speciality tools would be in reference to a common job that Toyota requires a special job for. Like a pickle fork or ball joint spreader if the lower ball joints are a common fail point.

 

Everything breaks eventually. And everything that can break can be catastrophic under the correct circumstances. Best to be prepared.

 

Basic tool kits are a no brainer. But honestly just going over the truck before you leave is key to me. Do everything you can to avoid breaking parts in the field. Bring tools... but if you're bringing everything and the kitchen sink and a bucket of spare parts, maybe you need to do more prep work at home.

 

This guy gets it.

One more thing to think about using the "boy scout" preparedness mentality.

Where do you draw the line?
At some point you might as well just tow a second Tacoma behind you.

Replace high mileage parts that can stuff you if they decide your next trip is going to be their last. Don't do this the night before unless you know damn well you did it right and can test it first.

Just dial in all of your trail needed upgrades/repair/replacements well before you head out.

Bottom line, pack the tools that YOU need for YOUR truck or situation. Don't just jump onto the "Me Too" bus and copy what Joey Taco in the apartment next door to you did with his tools.

Walk through your truck and find out what is NEEDED and what is reasonable to add.
Tweak your kit as YOU find necessary.

 

Interestingly, that theory is the very heart of this thread, though most everyone seems to have ignored it because they want to share everything... except actual tools... that they carry.

That's on me, of course, for not making it more clear from the start, I guess. I thought I did, but...

The intent of this thread was to reduce the 'basic tool kit' to only that which fit the vehicle, and then further, to only the things which might be reasonably repaired in the field (at some point abandonment will be the only practical action).

Let's get to the 'basic tool kit' theory mentioned above, and I'll explain: Your basic socket set comes with metric and SAE tools. Is there an instance where a 7/8ths 1/4" drive is used on this truck at all? And if so, is it something you'd use for any typical trail repair? The answer to both is a resounding "no". I don't need it. Likewise with pretty much all of the SAE sizes (except perhaps a 1/2" which can double as a 13mm, and only then if 13mm is a common, if ever, used size on this truck). Which brings me to a 13mm. Is THIS a common size used on the truck? It didn't exist on my Miata; that was all 10, 12, 14, 17mm (then some specialized sizes beyond that). My air cooled VWs LOVED 13mm & 1/2"; you could practically build the car using a 13mm wrench.

I was a Boy Scout, and then served in the military. The Be Prepared motto rings strong, however it is also 'being smart' and understanding what you can do in a situation and what you can't.

So, what I've been trying to do this whole time is to pick the brains of folks who've done more work on the vehicle to let me know what the primary sized tools are so that I can limit the truck kit to just those tools. There may be an instance where an articulating head 14mm combination wrench is required for a common repair. That will also work for most any other 14mm application on the truck. That'd be a good tool to have where a non-articulating head combination wrench might only work in a single place on the truck, and then not for something you'd ever do as a field repair.

I should have titled this thread: The Ultimate Minimalist Taco Tool Roll Recipe. Or something similar. I think the title or the initial few lines of the first post had people make a snap idea of what I was after without reading the rest and then answered based on a partial understanding. Again, this is my fault.

 

I don't know if you saw my previous post regarding getting touch with YOUR truck and figure out what YOU need to work on your truck with? I don't remember getting a response.

So, let me try again.

Take a day (or two) and start by writing down repairs that YOU feel are things you can accomplish in the field.

Validate those assumptuons by putting tools on each bolt on each repair item.

For example:
Alternator
Battery
Spark plugs
Brakes
Steering
Suspension
Drivetrain
Interior
Exterior
Etc....

Go back and find my original post on this subject as I feel that I spelled it out better.

Bottom line, you will find the most common socket/wrench sizes and what kind of extentions, wobblers, etc that YOU should probably have on board.

There really is no point in expecting a very large group from TW to give you a very specific list to work with. This is your truck, and your skills that will limit what you feel is field serviceable.

I built my tool kit based completely on MY needs, skill level, and what I deem field repairable. There is no need for me to ask around, as I can just put hands on bolts and find out for myself.

 

Meh, I posted what I carried cross country in post 4. :shrug:

You could add a few more tools to that for axle/driveline related stuff if you want... but the reality is that you're not going to need much especially if you go with others.

 

While I saw and appreciated that response, it doesn't really point to things aside from what general sizes are required. It doesn't really give you the sense of tool required (in whatever size) to perform a particular job. For example, if I need to pull a driveshaft for some reason, what size and does a wrench work better than a socket? If socket, is an extension a necessity? If neither and a wrench is better, would an articulating head work best? That's why experience is key in this response. Without that, I could just go to the AutoZone and grab a Haynes manual and look at the beginning of each chapter. That doesn't tell me what things might be common break items on the trail. While I *could* start pulling things off the truck and replacing them, I'd rather get insight from those who've done it and maybe have a learned response.

And I was hoping this would serve as a good reference thread for anyone wanting to build up a minimalist toolkit for trail use.

 

Hey buddy - here's a the wrench roll I keep in my truck.

TEKTON Flex Ratcheting Box End Wrench Set, 6-Piece (8-19 mm) - Holder | WRN76164

https://www.amazon.com/TEKTON-WRN76164-Flex-Head-Ratcheting-Wrench/dp/B01F512CB8?keywords=tekton+ratcheting+combination+wrench+set&qid=1643229193&s=hi&sprefix=tekton+rat%2Ctools%2C150&sr=1-10

I also keep a multi tool with me, along with tire flat repair kit, air compressor, small fire extinguisher and a come-along in the bed. I also keep some fire starting tools, a foldable saw, a small water jug, waterproof poncho, tube of suntan lotion, a couple of MRE's, a few unopened water bottles and a water filter in the bed box with my snatch strap.

I also keep an old 7'x10' Marine surplus wool blanket in the cab of my truck. I mostly use it to keep dog hair off my seats, but it'll also work for warmth if I'm stuck in the cold. Or work to keep the sun off me if I set it up like a tarp.

Lastly, InReach satellite communicators aren't nearly as expensive as they used to be. If you have a smart phone, you can pick up small satellite communicator to work with it for about $300-$400 bucks. Take a look -

https://hikingguy.com/hiking-gear/in-depth-garmin-inreach-mini-review/

 

Tools required for overlanding seem to mainly consist of plenty of Snow Peak gear, a Discadia, one of those overpriced shovel/rake/hoe things, Maxtrax that look new, an electric chainsaw, and cameras, a self stick and a drone.

 

I mean you no disrespect, but you are just being lazy and/or unwilling to do your own work here.

As you have already seen by the varied responses given to your query, you will get very different responses without a lot of specifics, as each man packs what he feels is necessary for his needs, not yours.

Even if I were to list exactly what sockets, wrenches, extensions, wobblers, etc that I feel is a minimum for YOU to perform work on YOUR truck in the field, you would probably find something wrong with the list, as if I forgot something. Or, you may question why I would suggest a tool that YOU have no idea what it is, or how to use it.

With that, I have absolutely no idea of what YOU feel is field repairable, or what YOUR skills are using hand tools.

There are folks still alive today that can fix A LOT of their stuff in the field with very minimal tools with the aid of rocks and sticks found around them. Others couldn't change a flat tire with an entire Snap-On toolbox at their disposal.

So, back to YOU going outside and put some tools on YOUR truck. Walk through it methodically based on your personal skill and comfort level, and start making a list of the common sizes you run across. If YOU find that a socket is better than a wrench in a given space, make note of that. If you find that YOU can't get a good purchase on a given item without the added use of an XYZ tool, then you have YOUR answer right there in front of you.

And to clarify my view here, your original query followed by your response to my response(s) leads me to believe you just want the "easy button" and really have no idea what you are doing regarding preparing for field repairs. You never even asked what are common break items. That too would be very subjective.

This "easy button" mentality is very evident in the "broverland" theme. Anyone that prepares their own rig based on their own needs can see right through the "monkey see - monkey do" posers. Hint, they look on TWFaceSnapInstaTube for pictures of what they need to look the part. Then go purchase the SAME exact stuff with zero understanding or even need for most of it. They get it all installed, washed/waxed, posed in a parking lot and pictures uploaded to social media for validation.

Dude, go outside and figure out YOUR needs, on YOUR truck, based on YOUR skill set and YOUR personal knowledge of what constitutes a field repair.

 

most people get cheap knockoff xbull boards for $60.
I have already dug myself out stuck in snow with a shovel from Lowe’s. It’s easier to hold than an e-tool. Fab companies sell brackets to stow them in the bed with quick fists. But maybe you don’t like shovels

it’s a truck. It can fit this without giving up all space. Not a car. Which has no space and cannot. There is a 5-6’ empty bed back there.

traction boards would’ve helped me more than my floor mats the first time I got stuck. But I was new to the truck and my dumbass didn’t know how to properly engage 4LO or air down which I’m sure could have also helped

It’s a peaceful feeling being able to resolve a situation in minutes with the right tools that somebody else will be stuck in for hours without them. When I was stuck, nobody passing by had recovery gear. I had to figure out how to get unstuck myself.
Some people even pull over to help others out with their gear but that’s a personal decision.
It probably opens the risk of being hit by a car if you pull over and climb out to do that on the side of a highway.

 

Maybe I should have added one of these: I kinda thought the meme would convey it but my whole post was sarcastic, had I typed out a serious reply it would have looked like Insayn's but others had already answered the question. I make jokes about my truck being part Swiss Army knife but even I don't carry half the tools I've seen some folks on various forums list.

 

*sigh*

Dude, I'm not going to start pulling my truck apart to see which tools work best; that's not lazy, that's being smart, particularly when plenty of folks have done these jobs before.

It doesn't have anything to do with what *I* can/will do. I've rebuilt cars; that's not the issue. There are going to be common fail points on these trucks on trails. The ball joints tend to be something I see commonly, and I have the sizes and tools to do that on the trail. What I was hoping for was feedback on other common fail points that can be trail repaired. Once again, that's not being lazy it's pulling information from folks who've done work; that's the entire point of forums like this, is it not? Sharing information? If it just boils down to 'find out for yourself' then what's the point?

So no, it isn't being lazy, and in fact the end result here is that I'll re-post a final compilation for a concise report (which can be searchable in the future).

 

I never said to take anything apart, I said put tools on your truck and see what sizes you need and mark them.

I also gave you a pretty extensive list of areas to check. It's entirely up to you what you feel would be worth having the tools for.

Common failures are subjective to region, use and/or abuse by each individual.

Prepare like a boy scout and be ready for anything that might possibly happen, or pack ultra light and be vigilant at your pre trip vehicle inspections to find and correct anything that shows any potential of soon failure.

Now, go back and read your own title of this thread. You don't imply anything about wanting a list of common fail points on your truck, just common tools for overlanding. Overlanding in and of itself is even more subjective.

There is no reason to go into a tantrum after everything I and many others have suggested both in specific tools, fail points, and a very inclusive way to go about figuring out what tools and sizes of tools that are the most common amongst the Taco.

Start making your list from what you find in your thread so far, and then fill in the blanks with what you find on your own.

Like most DIYrs on TW or anywhere else, I went about figuring out what I need to carry with me over time and experience, and putting tools on my truck when I wasn't busy. I shared with you my suggestions, and you poo pooed on them.

Get over your self already and start compiling "the list" to share with the world so you can pat yourself on the back for contributing.

 

Well folks I was wrong. To dismiss the Costco DeWalt sets for having SAE.

because I now have multiple SAE bolts on my truck (had something upgraded)

 

To know what tools are appropriate, you need to understand how they work in context of other components, and the ability manipulate them when you have your hand on them. That's where the assembly/disassembly is critical. I could carry a spark plug sized combination wrench all day, every day, but it would be 100% worthless doing a spark plug change. Get it?

I don't have to wander around my truck, I can buy a Haynes manual and get every required size for every repair in the manual; that doesn't help with anything except common sizes. As for what my original post said...



There's absolutely zero tantrum action over here. A bit of frustration, for sure. I've extensively and exhaustively repeated in ever more precise terms, what I was after. If you don't want to contribute (or don't have any means/experience to) then there's no reason for you to dwell on this, right? Have you done any field repairs? If so, what? What tools did you use for them and would you have recommended more specific tools than a general tool that you may have had which would have made the job easier?

Your suggestions to date have been 'carry a cheap toolkit' (which I moved away from, as stated in the very first post) and 'put wrenches on the truck to see what size you need' which doesn't really help with what I'm after nor does it aid in ensuring a very specific and streamlined toolkit.

 

Good luck with your venture here. I gave you plenty of good advice, suggested tools and the like. I spelled out that every vehicle, person and situation is going to be subjective to that situation.

You will not be able to make a one size fits all list that will be satisfy a very large audience spread all over the globe, with ever changing needs. Not going to happen.

You can definitely write up a list of tools that fit your needs and share them with everyone. Some may follow it to a "T".
Some may start with your list and either add or subtract from it.
Yet many won't even bother as they already know and have exactly what they need.
And finally some have good insurance or prepared friends/family and juat won't care.

Again, good luck with your venture here.

 

Be sure to list here exactly what these new SAE tools you are going to need. OP needs specifics, Bob!