Do you have too much crap in and on your rig?

southpier

Expedition Leader
it's related to "gear creep". never had a Subaru, but a Passat wagon for 7 years taught me some valuable lessons. i think especially with a lightweight & 4 cylinder vehicle it's important not to throw stuff in the back because you might use it again at some point. i'd make a weekly effort to go into the back and bring everything out that wasn't getting used.

i never leaft stuff in the car when it went in for service, and the car drove noticably different stripped out. even the current Tacoma can fill up if i'm not careful. most of my winter clothes are very uncerimoniously stashed behind the seat now. i do have a tool kit, aftermarket bottle jack, tow strap & assorted other bits but stopped short of carrying jumper cables since i have AAA & Toyota Roadside Assist.

but last night i checked a job and found the electrician stuck in the driveway with a dead battery (irony?). i only live a mile away so i went and got cables & jump pack. jump pack had him on his way, but now i struggle which, or both, to keep in the truck.

btw: this sucker is great http://www.amazon.com/Clore-Automot..._2?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1358542441&sr=1-2

i hadn't plugged it in since last summer and it still did the job!

so whatever size rig you drive, it's the same battle.
 

craig333

Expedition Leader
I hate loading and unloading gear. Theft isn't an issue for me. The cummins really doesn't care about the weight, mileage is the same either way so I leave it loaded up. Makes the decision to do a spur of the moment trip that much easier.
 

Jay H

servicedriven.org
Yes there is way too much crap on my 2004 Toyota Rav4L. ARB old man emu springs help out a ton with all the weight and roof load. Over all the car dosnt complain much and just got terrible mileage compared to empty.
 

damienperu

Observer
i reckon this would come close to describing the average relationship between extra accessory weight and overland vehicle owner age. :)

gear requirments.jpg
 

6x6pinz

Adventurer
^^^ about sums it up. Still in the Utopia era by gear but not by age, should have shed the recovery gear by now but still consider it a must.
 

1911

Expedition Leader
i reckon this would come close to describing the average relationship between extra accessory weight and overland vehicle owner age. :)

View attachment 141524

LOL, more truth there than not. I'm definitely on the back side of that curve, in both age and weight. It still amuses the hell out of me to see clean rigs in town festooned with every jerry can, jack, shovel, etc. that the owner has.
 

jeffjeeptj

Adventurer
Ah yes, the "bell" curve of life. Amazing how many different topics fit a curve like that.

I like the description of the stuff.
 

mjmcdowell

Explorer
Too much "Crap"......

To each there own, it is what makes life interesting, read, listen to others who have done what you want to do. Equip accordingly for your adventures. My truck is always got my "junk" loaded in it. Clothes, food, water, gas and go, however it is not my daily driver. If I were to give any advice it would be "use your head, think and most of all go!!!" you are young you don't need a lot of clutter or a lot of other "junk" to have fun and explore. mjmcdowell
 

NMC_EXP

Explorer
"...you are young you don't need a lot of clutter or a lot of other "junk" to have fun and explore. mjmcdowell"

"Our life is frittered away by detail... simplify, simplify." ~ Henry David Thoreau

Regards

Jim (gear freak and pack rat)
 

sytfu510

Urban UAV
I unload and load my truck everytime. Gear and storage changes as I learn what works and what doesn't. People seem amazed when I tell them I unload everything, I live in Oakland, leaving things out is an open invitation. Sometimes on long drives ( 1hr+ ) I'll bring my hi-lift should I need to change a tire since I do not have a jack that can reach. However I do have AAA, so I figure I'm covered for the most part. I do keep a certain amount of gear in my truck, a pull strap, first aid kid, fire extinguisher, flares, and a very basic tool set. When I do go out wheeling/camping I bring my complete tool set, winch ext, snatch straps,etc. So basically I keep enough in the truck at all times to get by should a situation arise. But leave all the major/specialized stuff at home until it's needed.

I should note that I've never used my snatch strap or my winch extension, but I always bring them on trips. Sometimes it's hard deciding on what not to bring as the time you leave it behind always ends up being the time you need it.
 

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