Spare Fluids on board

[Maverick9110E]

So I think I'm going to put together a small/medium sized tote with spare Fluids to keep in the truck. Figured I'd list them out, let me know if I'm missing or off on anything:

3 quarts of oil (truck takes 5)
5 quarts trans fluid (truck takes 13)
1 container of antifreeze
1-2 cans of brake fluid
1 bottle of power steering fluid

Also going to put an extra air filter, serpentine belt and some other spare parts, fuses, etc in it. Not trying to do a full swap but enough to cover me if I bust something up to get me to a shop.

 

[Boostpowered]

are you already leaking all over the place? Enough so to warrant carrying extra fluids. I get if your driving a old worn out vehicle on its last leg, or if your really gonna be out for months in the middle of nothing.

I'd worry first about how your planning on patching any holes in oil/transmission/t case before worrying about filling it back up. Anything from the right sized stick to jb weld or even flex seal would be good to have on hand.

 

[Shakes355]

Leave out the P/S fluid as you can use atf in almost anything besides European and electro-hydraulic systems (haven't looked at the rig you're using). Some gear oil is handy if you peel a diff cover back (or worse). Bottle of Bars coolant stop leak is worth having if your radiator cracks (could be the difference between making back to town with any drinking water left).

Other than that, I'd recommend 2 gallons of mixed coolant (or 1 of concentrate) and a spare oil filter.

 

[Maverick9110E]

Rig is a 2010 F150. Not leaking anything now. More worried about ripping off a tube somewhere, a seal failing or something similar. 144k miles on the truck. Not a Senior citizen but its not a baby either.

 

[Alanymarce]

That's getting close to 10 Kg - you could take 8 bottles of wine instead.

Seriously, the only items we would normally take are replacement light bulbs, fuses, a fan belt, tie-wraps, duck tape, and WD40.

We used to take engine and transmission oil, brake fluid, and coolant, but for the last 90,000 Km or so on "big trips" we have not done so. We carry potable water, which can be used temporarily if you end up with a radiator leak, and fuel, if we're going to need more than a tank (inlcuding reserve). Otherwise only the above.

 

[ChadHahn]

I have an 80 series land cruiser that burn a bit of oil so I always have a quart on standby. I need to get a serpentine belt to carry with me but I'm not too worried yet because it was just changed last year. Other than that I just keep an eye on things.

 

[Shakes355]

So the f150 makes it easy. No A/T dipstick in the traditional sense. You have to pump it from the bottom. In which case, scrap the ATF (good luck adding any on the trail) and take some P/S fluid as you mentioned. Always keep oil on hand if you have the 5.4. Too many issues with oiling and consumption to risk getting low.

Coolant is still advisable as overheating ford v8's of that vintage is a good way to cook headgaskets and blow the coolant flange gaskets built into the intake manifold.

 

[ChasingOurTrunks]

We Bring a similar list of spare fluids — even in a newer rig when we don’t expect to need them. For starters, “not expecting” is different than “it won’t happen”, and secondly (and way more commonly), you never know who you might come across who needs a hand, and being able to give away a quart of gear oil or a gallon of coolant to another Overlander.

But like @Boostpowered said, all the fluids in the world are of limited use if you spring a leak on a trail due to trail damage, because you first have to fix the leak. For that, we make sure to have a little bit of grease remover and a couple of pieces of Drywall Sandpaper (the stuff that is like a mesh) and some epoxy. For a holed/cracked diff or similar, the sandpaper allows you to clean the area around the hole and rough it up to get a good bond for an epoxy repair. The grease remover is then applied to make sure there are no chemical contaminants, because a dirty repair is a repair that will soon fail if using JB-Weld (or similar; I actually prefer Devcon Titanium Putty but it’s got a 24 hour cure time so if you are on a schedule its not the best — but it cures to similar strength profile as aluminum, so it’s pretty stout). The sandpaper now pulls a secondary duty — the mesh allows it to work as a sort of re-bar to the JB Weld or epoxy. So, cut a piece of sandpaper big enough to cover the hole, smear the epoxy on there, and let it set up before re-filling with fluids and carrying on your adventure feeling like a superhero for fixing your rig!

 

[Maverick9110E]

Awesome response gang. And yes I'm also considering others as I've come across plenty of overheated and busted vehicles on the roads.

No V8, twin turbo Ecoboost so oil for sure.

Appreciate the tip on the sealent. I'll check into that devcon.

 

[MOAK]

I have an 80 series land cruiser that burn a bit of oil so I always have a quart on standby. I need to get a serpentine belt to carry with me but I'm not too worried yet because it was just changed last year. Other than that I just keep an eye on things.

Me too, with 320,000 miles on it. Doesnt use a drop of oil, but I carry a quart anyway, not sure why, I’ve never had to top off since the head was pulled and the valve stem seals replaced. A pint of brake fluid, and a pint of atf/power steering fluid. You must have an engine swap as the 1FZ-FE 4.5 uses a pair of old fashioned fan/alternator/water pump belts and a single belt for the AC.

 

[MidOH]

The engine oil can be used in the axles or xfer case in a pinch. I've even used it as brake fluid.

A bottle of brake fluid is handy and not too heavy.

Coolant is a pita. Avoid it if you carry drinking water or have a river nearby.

Spare starter, alternator, and belt. Fuses, relay, bulb. Plug kit. Ether. If you haven't filled your tires with 4 gallons of Slime, now's the time.

If you have a camper battery, make sure it's small enough to be put under the hood in a pinch.

 

[ChasingOurTrunks]

The engine oil can be used in the axles or xfer case in a pinch. I've even used it as brake fluid.

A bottle of brake fluid is handy and not too heavy.

Coolant is a pita. Avoid it if you carry drinking water or have a river nearby.

Spare starter, alternator, and belt. Fuses, relay, bulb. Plug kit. Ether. If you haven't filled your tires with 4 gallons of Slime, now's the time.

If you have a camper battery, make sure it's small enough to be put under the hood in a pinch.

Good advice MidOH - a lot of people would add a spare water pump to the list of common spare parts. Like the alternator, if that part goes it’s an easy fix IF you have the part, but without the part there’s little to nothing you can do.

Love the idea of a swappable camper or “house” battery. It seems obvious, but in hindsight I actually did not do that as I’ve got a deep cycle in the bed that would not fit under the hood. When I replace my auxiliary battery I will keep that tip in mind.

 

[El-Dracho]

I always have a similar list of fluids on board:
- 1 Liter of engine oil
- 1 Liter of gearbox-/ transferbox-, diff-oil
- 1 Liter of steering fluid
- 250ml of brakefluid/ also for the clutch
- 1 Liter of coolant
- 1 Liter of distilled water
- 1 collapsible tube of swivel grease
- assembly grease

... and for friends and me a couple of spare beers!

Cheers, Bjoern

 

[Kent R]

So I think I'm going to put together a small/medium sized tote with spare Fluids to keep in the truck. Figured I'd list them out, let me know if I'm missing or off on anything:

3 quarts of oil (truck takes 5)
5 quarts trans fluid (truck takes 13)
1 container of antifreeze
1-2 cans of brake fluid
1 bottle of power steering fluid

Also going to put an extra air filter, serpentine belt and some other spare parts, fuses, etc in it. Not trying to do a full swap but enough to cover me if I bust something up to get me to a shop.

After many years off road I have adjusted the amounts of what I bring, mostly due to past needs and different vehicles.

This list is just what I bring everyones fluid needs are different.
2 quarts of oil, generally not for leaks but to keep the engine running till I can get off the mountain if it starts to consume oil. I also in a pinch have used it for power steering & in a rare occasion diff fluid but this is not recommended huge difference in viscosity.
2 Q of Trans fluid and I could have used more one time but this seems to be a good number for me now.
I gallon of concentrate coolant.
2 small cans of brake fluid.

#1 thing used on the trail for me is brake fluid. And get a break line repair kit.
#2 is Trans fluid, mostly due to the errant stick that jumps up and takes out a cooling line. (ture story)

Other fluids;
1 - Window washing spray, used to clean the window but also it helps lubricate the tire bead when removing and replacing from the rim.
1 - Brake clean, you need this on just about any trail repair.
1 - Dry Lube, mostly for recovery gear you don't want dirt build up on. (HighLift)
1 - penetrating spray

Thats what I cary and it works for me, remember you will probably have other needs so consult a reputable mechanic to get the specific needs of your rig.

 

[Maverick9110E]

Great list! I forgot about the brake line repair kit. Also, i keep an extra bottle of Windex and just make sure my washer fluid stays topped off. The beach trips and salt water/air was the root cause of that one. Do you just keep them in a tote?

 

[Broke]

The above lists are great!

I would add a cardboard box broken down flat and a couple of trash bags to use as an improvised catch pan. Keep the fluids off the ground and allow them to be reused if need be or possible.

 

[Maverick9110E]

The above lists are great!

I would add a cardboard box broken down flat and a couple of trash bags to use as an improvised catch pan. Keep the fluids off the ground and allow them to be reused if need be or possible.

I always keep a few trashbags anyway, comes in handy when tailgaiting/camping in general.

 

[FishinCrzy]

You forgot the snake bite fluid. I suggest a good bourbon. But anything 80 proof or better will suffice I suppose.

 

[Dilldog]

5 gallon bucket with a lid and a shovel. If you loose any fluid it is your responsibility to pack out any contaminated dirt. Also on the subject of catching fluids, a few gallon sized zip loc bags are nice for differential fluid. Prefill them and if you ever have to pop the cover on a diff. just set the zip loc bag in the cover and slam it in the diff. The second the ring gear moves it tears the bag, oil flows out, rest of the bag gets chewed up and away you go.

 

[Downs]

I used to carry a lot of spare fluids. OVer time I carried less and less till now I basically carry none. I have a quart of oil and a half quart of ATF now, in MSR fuel bottles. Everything else is gone. My XJ does leak a little oil, about a quart every 2500-3000 miles. If I didn't leak that bit I probably wouldn't even carry that much oil. I don't even bother with coolant. For an emergency I can just refil with my onboard drinking water. Not ideal since its not distilled but for the short time it would be in there it wouldn't matter much at all.