It used to be easy working on a truck or a car. Now not so much.

I have found several small spots to cook on the engine. This is great for baked garlic if you go over 150 miles. Great for veggies over 200 miles. Just double wrap seasoned, oiled veggies and stuff the package as close to the exhaust manifold as possible. Yummy treat at the end of a drive.

I used to do all kinds of repairs and adjustments on past vehicles. Repacked the wheels bearings, replaced the head gasket,  installed a removable gas filter, adjusted the spark plug gaps, blew out the air filter, etc ad infinitum. Now, with everything electronically controlled and bolted down, it is hard. I can’t even find the distributor cap.

The new tires are a good example. I used to install tubes in all of the tires. Then repaired them as they got punctured. Nowadays the tires are so strong that you need a special tool to repair them. You poke some stuff in the hole. I haven’t had to try it, yet. Have heard that it is physically challenging to do, but works. There are tools that I will need to buy.

Tire Fixer

There are all kinds of tools I would like to take with me, but storage is a big concern. That and not knowing what I will really need. A come along strap, for instance. I will not have a winch. And I have to get out of a stuck spot. (Hmm. I will have the flimsiest looking jack that comes with a Tacoma.  Jacks have been good way to get out of  stuck places. That might be another tool I need to upgrade.) A ratchet strap would be the thing to have.

Speaking of stuck places … the desert doesn’t have a lot of trees to ratchet yourself out of sand … so there are wonderful things I found called MaxTrax that would do the trick. But lordy, lordy they cost almost $300. They are on the “Luxury” list. I can imagine that when they are needed they are worth twice that amount.

What about a drill? What about a hammer? What about my beloved machete? Nails or just screws? Bolts? Sand paper? A speed square? A saw? Oh the questions I have.