Whether you call it a boot or a trunk, it’s more than a place to stow luggage, it’s a place to keep stuff for life’s little emergencies. From snow chains to ratchet straps to tools, trunk preparedness varies wildly depending on what you’re driving, when you’re driving it, and where you’re driving it.
Obviously, my use case will be different from your use case, because we likely don’t have similar driving patterns. I typically pack fairly light, as aside from the odd Sunday drive, I don’t typically venture too far outside of my massive greater metropolitan area. So without further ado, here’s what I keep in my trunk:
- Tire plug kit. On my 325i, which never came with a spare tire, being able to quickly and economically repair punctures on the go is desirable.
- 12-volt tire inflator, because a plug kit is only so useful without a way to re-inflate a punctured tire.
- Torque wrench. Sure, you can eyeball things with a lug wrench, but wouldn’t you rather be sure? A cheap click-type torque wrench is good enough for roadside lug tightening, and doesn’t take up much space.
- Spare indicator bulbs, because BMW owners already have a bad rep regarding turn signals, and I’m doing my part to fight stereotypes.
- Tool kit. Hey, it came with the car.
- Reusable bag, in case I’m caught without one.
- Picnic blanket, because sometimes you just need to savor the view.
Keen readers might note that some things seem missing. I don’t have jump leads (“jumper cables” to my American friends), but that’s mostly because all my cars have manual transmissions, and a bump-start doesn’t take up any space in the trunk and doesn’t require another car to make happen. As for a fire extinguisher, the trunk probably isn’t the best place for one of those just based on access. An Element 50 is small enough to keep in most map pockets. There’s also no winter-specific stuff in my trunks, mostly because my cars don’t go out in wintery conditions.
So, what do you keep in your trunk? Whether you rely on AAA rather than tools, or you’re ready for a roadside main bearing job at any given time, we’d love to hear from you.
(Photo credits: Thomas Hundal)
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The tire inflater kit that came with the car and the WeatherTech floor mats in the off season.
I try not to have too much junk in my trunk so I have:
Jump pack
Tire inflator
Patch kit
Umbrella
Sunshade
Floormats that came with the car
Reusable shopping bags
Nothing, Not one thing. In any of my cars.
Under the rear seat in my truck on the other hand:
2 10,000 lb tow straps
20,000lb shackle
6 ratcheting tie down straps
draw bar with a 2 inch ball and pin
jumper cables
cargo flag for long loads
first aid kit
hand wipes
ear plugs
bungee chords
cheap knit work gloves
and however many cheerios my sons have dropped between the cracks.
Small bag o’ tools: locking pliers, screwdrivers, open/box-end wrenches, etc. Also gloves, nitrile or lightweight mechanic-type.
A couple Clif bars.
A gallon of water. No particular reason for it – had it in there for an event last summer and just left it. The car is never parked outside long enough for it to freeze.
Gloves are a such an oft-overlooked must-have…I too have both nitrile for actual repair work and mechanic’s style for general grabbing grimy things/poking around.
Small but wonderful to be able to climb back in after something unexpectedly goes wrong and NOT then later have to clean everything. I also have some no rinse hand cleaner that I recently came across.
I too had a gallon of distilled water in my Mustang’s trunk after having a now-solved minor-but-irritating coolant leak. What was left then evaporated over the course of a year.
Is it Gojo?
My dad had the original version in the shop ages ago. They’ve also branched out into the orange-scented-soap-with-pumice niche; it works pretty well.
It’s Goo Gone actually. Randomly came across it in the store one day and thought I like their citrus label/sticker solution so give it a try. Gojo has been harder for me to find of late.
Have used it once, and like it so far. As long as you have a paper towel or something to get any residue off, it seems to work. I like it for when I either forget to put on gloves or grab something I didn’t realize was gunky.
The battery.
Honest question (yeah, I know, what kinda autopian am I?): is that the original location or did you relocate?
Stock location, at least in NA/NB Miatas, is in the trunk. Vented AGM battery.
Cool. And sure helps explain the telepathic handling.
Ha, mine too, I forgot about that!
Junk.
Sir Mix-a-lot approves
One of those cheap tool sets from harbor freight, a few clean rags and latex gloves, jumper cables and a fire extinguisher. Pretty typical stuff. I have roadside and towing through my insurance and would use it if I had any serious problem.
The bodi–er, uh, the bag of shopping bags for grocery trips.
Meanwhile, the VW 411 has nearly everything you’d need to fix it, including a couple jackstands, a floor jack, some basic spare parts, extra fluids and a tool kit. It’s a 411. It goes on road trips. It also breaks sometimes. The spare spark plugs, spark plug socket, extensions and ratchet wrench get the most use, though. Oh, and the pliers that open the fuel filler hole.
If it makes you feel better, my 2010 (!) Focus is hard on plugs and coils, so I now keep a spare of each with her.
Smart.
Is that an MZR thing?
My Focus’ trunk is my mobile detailing operation and workshop.
I live in an apartment complex, so no garage of my own. So a box for all my cleaning supplies, as well a collection of tools and equipment for any impromptu fixes and routine stuff (e.g. oil container).
The “serious” stuff lives in the coat closet in my apartment (in a big red mechanic’s toolbox, don’t worry), but I have enough onboard for minor work.
So no, there’s very little room for actual luggage back there now…
In addition to the donut and jack that came with the car…
Depends on the vehicle, but across the board, all our cars carry fire extinguishers.
On a less serious level than you, I did that a few years back – I figure those one-shot, spray can looking ones are better than nothing should the need arise.
The running joke is it’s because I drive Italians, but in reality, it’s just a good safety practice.
A monkey.
TRUNK MONKEY!!!
Top of list:
Toilet paper. the thin white line between civilization and not.
In my jeep I always keep. 5 blankets, rain gear, winter coat, hats gloves, scarves, tow straps, multimeter, tool roll, air compressor, hard and soft clevises, gorillat tape, tiedown straps. rope, jumper cables, code reader, chiltons manual, zip ties, first aid kit with medications, towels, small recovery boards, flashlights, grms radios, hatchet. spare workboots. high viz vest. In warmer weather water and food. small cook kit, maps, whipes, napkins, lighter, spare remote batteries, dog water dish, fire extingusiher within reach of drive, and many other things.
“You’re out of toilet paper. I’m going out to my car to wipe my ass.”
I always keep a container of baby wipes in my glove box. They work for bathroom emergencies and are also handy if you get your hands dirty somewhere and want to clean up a bit.
yes there in the jeep also.
“high viz vest”
This needs to be a sticky, I bought a few an threw them in all our cars after a roadside breakdown in the pitch black.
In my truck I keep an snow brush/ice scraper, ratchet straps, bed net, adjustable cargo bed bar, tow strap, flashlight.
In the wagon, snow brush/ice scraper, tire socks, flashlights, and road flares.
In my toyobaru: almost nothing
In my Disco: full set of tools, including the wrenches to undo the fan clutch, every automotive fluid known to man, 6 ton floor jack (rover is lifted, this is the only jack I own that will get a wheel off the ground), jumper cables, an ax, literally all of the spare parts I have that haven’t be installed yet, and a code reader.
Basic roadside kit, a coat (or two–one warm wool coat and one raincoat), and ice scraper/snow brush. The scraper and warm coat might leave in the summer or might not, depending on whether I want to make room for other stuff.
When I start running RPGs again, a whole lot of books, minis, and terrain live back there a lot of the time.
Spare tire (donut), jack, 12v tire inflator, screwdriver(multi-tool), quart of oil, gallon of water, Flashlight is in the glovebox.
Bump start is a tough proposition when you’re parked going uphill.
The truck has jumper cables, lug wrench, reflectors. I need an emergency jack after ruining mine with a damned ambiguous parking brake on a friend’s Nissan. Multi screwdriver, flashlight, high viz, ear plugs. Usually some manner of thermal layer because my guests don’t appreciate being cold as much as I do. Two sets of ratchet straps, 15 ft and 25ft. I am the truck friend.
The Z4 has the standard BMW roadside kit (10mm, wrench, Philips Head, couple of fuses and a tow hook). There’s usually a towel in there (thermal layer in truck also serves this role). Apart from that we ride commando.
Bike also has a minified BMW roadside kit.
Jumper cables and a little first aid kit are all I can fit under the spare tire cover. If I’m doing certain activities I’ll pack extra accordingly
Jumper pack, that stays charged on the cigarette lighter plug that is also conveniently located there. Ice scraper, ratchet straps in case I need to put something on the roof, blanket and tarp in case my wife buys plants so we don’t get the trunk dirty, and the spare tire kit that came with the car (2012 acura tsx wagon).
Holy expletive expletive. I always see that cigarette lighter in the my trunk (GTI) and never thought to plug in the jump pack in there to keep it charged. Thanks for posting Bendanzig!
Job resignation notice with the date field left blank & a pack of nicotine gum. This helps keep my anxiety at peak levels.
I really hope this gets COTD.
Every time I’ve been fired, I have to move the severance around with a paper check, and it’s unnerving as hell. The last instrument is still floating around the truck somewhere, long since deposited and cleared, for fear of check ghosts or something
A towel.
Because you should always know where your towel is.
I kept one atrunk as a jokey reference for ages, until one day my daughter dropped her hat that her grandmother knitted into a river.
In February.
I’ve keep my towel in respectable working order ever since.
I’ve honestly used it a few times for wet dog/person in need, too. It truly is a massively useful thing to have as it has great practical value.
Or completing the drying after a visit to the touch-free wash.
I have to use ’em as I don’t have hose access, and over the years, I’ve developed a standard routine, complete with all the stuff that goes with it – towel, cardboard squares to put under tires when applying tire shine, etc.
towel for ford perfect and rope for sam gamgee.
You appear to be a hoopy frood.
In my daily driver Mazda6, not a lot. Jumper cables, a sunshade, and one headrest that is currently removed so it doesn’t interfere with my daughter’s car seat.
In my toy car (Pontiac Sunbird), a lot of car show stuff. The plaque of the car’s literature (invoice from GM and 2 1990 advertisements), a tote of car cleaning stuff, my chair I sit in at shows, and a small cooler.
Let’s see: Jumper cables, reflector triangles, flashlight, blanket, boots, gloves, hat, grocery bags, toolkit, umbrella. Just the basic Canadian kit.
I have a better jack for changing tires, if necessary, and a stick. The trunk lid on my car is SUPER heavy (hardtop convertible), and the hinges, depending on the temperature, aren’t strong enough to hold it open.
For awhile, I was using an old cigar box as a prop for the engine hatch on my 911.
I finally took the time (and it’s a complete slog due to the insanely tight tolerances) to install new struts.