I’m sure you’ve seen it plenty of times, that vehicle on the
side of the road with what looks like everything they own piled next to it. So,
it’s time to take a look in your trunk and see just what you have in there and
what needs to be cleaned out.
Remember that any “extra” weight adds to the fuel efficiency
of your vehicle. Okay, so it may not amount to a lot, but any way we can cut
back helps, and besides, hasn’t Fido been looking for his 50 lb. bag of dog
food? I’m sure that Good Will would love it if you finally dropped off that bag
of clothes you’ve been carrying around.
We’re all busy and it’s easy to forget about things you put
in your truck, having every intention of bringing it into the house one day,
but winter weather will soon be upon us and the ground won’t be a good place to
have to put things when you need to change a flat. I would like to suggest some
things that can be good to keep in your trunk.
If you have issues with your vehicle burning or leaking oil,
then keeping a quart with you is probably a good idea. Look in your owner’s
manual for the proper type of oil. Antifreeze may be another item. Remember,
you don’t want to just add water to your vehicle if it overheats, it will
freeze faster in the winter months, a 50/50 mix of coolant is the best. I
always have a blanket or towel in my vehicle. It’s great to keep you warm if
you had to sit and wait for help, to place on the ground so that you can kneel
on it, or to keep the back seat or trunk from getting dirty when you need to
put a dirty flat tire inside.
I always have a flashlight. I’ve been using an LED light lately;
glass bulbs in regular lights tend to break easier when they bang around. I don’t
keep water in the trunk because it freezes in winter and tastes disgusting in
the summer after the heat causes the plastic to give off toxic chemicals. I usually just bring water with me on every
trip, even if it’s just to the store. After having a kidney stone, it’s best to
stay hydrated than to go through that again…believe me.
My newest addition to trunk items, duck tape. Yep, you can
use that for just about anything and it just may get you home. I had a women
tell me that when she broke down, another woman stopped to help her. In a dress,
she climbed under the vehicle and taped the broken muffler pipe up so that she
could get home….awesome!
A battery jump box, one of my favorites, it allows you to
jump yourself without the need of another vehicle. You can get them for around
$60 and charge them through an accessory outlet in your vehicle while you
drive. An old pair of sneakers, who knows when you may need to walk for help
and ladies, it’s no fun to try and change a tire in pumps.
I also strongly suggest that you read in your owner’s manual
how to change a tire and where the tools are well before you actually need to
do it. It makes life so much easier.
A small shovel is not a bad idea. You can get one that folds
up and doesn’t take up too much space. Along with that, a bag of kitty litter
can always help you get some traction on ice and snow. A first aid kit, if your
vehicle didn’t come with one. It would be good to have reflectors to put on the
road to make you more visible, a small piece of wood that you could place under
your jack in case you have to change a tire on a soft surface and a charger for
your phone. Of course gloves, hat and boots are always good to have too, if you’re
not already wearing them.
So, before you say that you’re too busy to clean out your
trunk, stop and think what it would be like if you got a flat and had to take
everything out to get to the tire. If you drive an SUV remember, your tools may
still be under the back cover so take a look at what’s in the back and get rid
of the clutter. You’ll thank me one day I promise.
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