What tools do you carry in your Tesla?

[Don85D]

why make life difficult for yourself? It is far easier to repair a tire on the car then to jack up the car and remove it. You're making life difficult for no gain.

My plugging tools may be old fashioned. It takes a bit for force to ream out a hole in steel belts and it takes a delicate twist to leave the plug and extract the tool. I prefer to do this standing up as there isn't much clearance to access a flat rear tire. I'm not saying your method won't work but for me it's harder and dirtier.

I'll also admit to carrying a spare tire for long trips (East Coast last summer) so the jack with tools stay in the car. I got the jack kit from an old Caddy going to the wrecker and it fits perfectly in the front of the frunk. I only had to fabricate a piece to fit the car's lift points and I tested it out before our trip. It's not much work to remove a wheel, really.

Our BMW had run flat tires and no spare so I have a similar kit for that car. My theory is that as long as you don't drive on a run flat to damage the side wall, it can be plugged to be just as safe as new. A plugged run flat is still a run flat. I picked up three nails in a rear tire on the way to the airport and a can of sealant allowed me to complete the pick up. At home I plugged the tire. Two tires sets later I had tread separation on the BMW and the tire blew apart. The jack and spare finally paid off after 9 years.

We each need to be prepared to the level that gives us comfort and that includes testing the repair process in the driveway. I recommend to people that they plug a tire obtained from the wrecker a few times and for me that process works best while standing.

 

[green1]

Standing may be preferable, but you'll be crouched down longer removing the wheel and reinstalling it than it will take to plug the tire. I've plugged 5 tires on 3 different cars, and in all cases the plug was done with the wheel on the car, and in all cases the plug lasted the life of the tire.
As for force required, whatever punctured your tire already did the hard part, you're just widening the hole a tiny bit, and the "delicate twist" is advised against on all the patch kits I've ever seen.

 

[Don85D]

Standing may be preferable, but you'll be crouched down longer removing the wheel and reinstalling it than it will take to plug the tire. I've plugged 5 tires on 3 different cars, and in all cases the plug was done with the wheel on the car, and in all cases the plug lasted the life of the tire.
As for force required, whatever punctured your tire already did the hard part, you're just widening the hole a tiny bit, and the "delicate twist" is advised against on all the patch kits I've ever seen.

OK, do it your way and I agree that for a pick up truck at a job site plugging while the wheel is on the truck is possible. Our cars have low sport suspension and when the rear tire goes flat there is very little room to work on it. My advice still stands to those who are not familiar with the plugging process to get a scrap yard wheel and plug the tire a few times. Without that experience the plug kit will remain unused even in an emergency.

We think alike in the fact that plugged tires still can provide full tread life service and on a long road trip it can save the day. While touring Newfoundland it was obvious that a Run Flat tire of the size required for our BMW would require a long wait. I carried a spare tire for that trip along with plug kit and sealant cans. Nothing bad happened.

I have taught my wife to use the pressurized sealant can to get mobile and find a service station to top up the pressure then try to make it home where I'll deal with it in my shop. Plugging is for road trips which is when I prefer to carry a spare and plug kit. I can plug the flat at the hotel and make it my spare for the remainder of the trip.

That's my plan and to be honest most flats have occurred close to home. Not at convenient times but close to home.

BTW, the twist that I mentioned is when the open needle tool gets stuck on a steel belt strand.

For those who want to carry tools and be self sufficient, I offer my experience however there are many ways to deal with a flat tire. Cell phone and flat bed service comes to mind and if that was my only remaining option I'd use it.

 

[green1]

If there is not enough clearance to patch the hole, move the vehicle 6" and the wheel will rotate so the hole is somewhere that there is enough clearance.

Only one of the times I've patched a hole was it in a vehicle with high clearance, the rest were on low cars.

 

[Takumi]

I suggest carrying an apron as well so as not to get that dirty when you do need to patch that tire. I don't think you'd want the extra time needed to clean the inside of your Tesla after all is said and done.

Oh yeah, wet wipes.

 

[habanero69]

I carry -
- Lithium ion jump start kit (instead of jumper cables), doubles up as a flashlight.
- Tire patch kit and pliers
- The tesla tire inflator kit
- A blanket
- A gun
- The J1722 adaptor

.. and thats it. Basic necessities.

Finally..... a gun. Like Amex old saying, don't leave home without it.

 

[malcolm]

My brother.

 

[Don85D]

If there is not enough clearance to patch the hole, move the vehicle 6" and the wheel will rotate so the hole is somewhere that there is enough clearance.

Only one of the times I've patched a hole was it in a vehicle with high clearance, the rest were on low cars.

I'm sure that your experiences are valid but the punctures that I have plugged were not that simple. Just finding the hole can be a challenge. In one case it was a shard of glass that slowly worked its way into the tire. Another case it was the broken tip of a utility knife that was discarded in the garbage and ended up on the road. These are the little tips that you break off to keep the knife sharp. Another case was a staple and another was a screw with the head worn off. Finding and extracting the culprit, then enlarging the hole for the plugging process was so much easier standing over the tire. I can't imagine laying on my back between the floor sill and a rear tire which is flat to the rim to do this work. I may have had all of the bad luck over the past decades and you had all of the good luck. Congrats.

Perhaps we should leave it to those planning on plugging a flat tire at the road side to determine their chances of good luck.

We have beaten this side topic enough. I'm done.

 

[RYCO]

Finally..... a gun. Like Amex old saying, don't leave home without it.

Where are some spots to hide things like guns and such on these cars?

 

[kort677]

Where are some spots to hide things like guns and such on these cars?

I keep mine on the yacht floor console, wrapped in a black hand towel for camouflage, it never moves or slides. there are other options like the glove box or if you have the hard plastic mats, the lip on the rear under the front seat could be an option.

 

[habanero69]

I keep mine on the yacht floor console, wrapped in a black hand towel for camouflage, it never moves or slides. there are other options like the glove box or if you have the hard plastic mats, the lip on the rear under the front seat could be an option.

Just make sure whatever you do you are legal. Many states have varying laws IF you do NOT have a conceal license. I do, so 99% it's on my hip. I don't like to leave one ever in a car, but if I have to, I use one of these gun vaults: Amazon.com: Gunvault MV500-STD Microvault Pistol Gun Safe: Home Improvement. Great if you had to valet AND/OR couldn't take your second amendment peace keeper with you for some reason... It wont keep a determined thief from getting the whole safe as the security wire can be cut with serious tools, but otherwise, the valet or average sticky finger can't take it... or get into the vault. You can get in it in under 3 seconds. I have mine in rear under driver's seat...

M

 

[kevinf311]

Just make sure whatever you do you are legal. Many states have varying laws IF you do NOT have a conceal license. I do, so 99% it's on my hip. I don't like to leave one ever in a car, but if I have to, I use one of these gun vaults: Amazon.com: Gunvault MV500-STD Microvault Pistol Gun Safe: Home Improvement. Great if you had to valet AND/OR couldn't take your second amendment peace keeper with you for some reason... It wont keep a determined thief from getting the whole safe as the security wire can be cut with serious tools, but otherwise, the valet or average sticky finger can't take it... or get into the vault. You can get in it in under 3 seconds. I have mine in rear under driver's seat...

M

This is off-topic, but having personally endured a mishap involving extremely hot buffalo chicken wings and a trip to the Men's room, your username sounds DREADFUL

 

[John Stuckey]

I suggest you find your towing eye (not always easy!) and put it somewhere that you can locate it if your car needs to be towed. Even the "certified" towing companies sometimes don't know to use the eye instead of "hooking" and tearing up the bottom of your car.
My towing eye was underneath the carpet in the frunk.
Signed,
Sad Experience with "certified" tow company

 

[SeminoleFSU]

If you carry a tie patch kit, but no spare tire, stop carrying a jack, it's not needed. There is no reason to jack up the car or remove a wheel to use a tire patch kit.

As for what I carry in the way of tools: tire patch kit, compressor, leatherman multi tool, flashlight, voltmeter, folding shovel.

I'm close to this... tire plug kit, compressor, all my charging adapters (but not my UMC unless on a roadtrip), fix a flat, lifehammer, leatherman, flashlight, a couple towels (blanket and/or clean-up), two bottles of water, pepper spray, and a sig p238 with two extra mags

 

[green1]

I want to carry food and water, but winter adds extra challenges there, so I try to just bring a water bottle with me on individual trips where possible.
I focused only on tools per the thread title, but if asking about other emergency supplies, I also carry a toque and gloves, 2 blankets, a roll of paper towel, a container of "scrubs" (basically industrial strength baby wipes) a ball-cap, my Tesla umbrella, hand sanitizer, kleenex and toilet paper, work gloves, 2 reflective traffic safety vests, and a heavily customized first aid kit.

For my own safety, legality, and because I'm Canadian, no weapons are kept in my car.

On a road trip I add the UMC and a wide array of adapters, but normally that lives in my garage.