(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.)
What to store in the trailer truck box?
Because of the current mindset of theft with little to no penalty in many states, I do not have a truck box attached to my personal truck any longer. Since I do not take my trailer out, except for outdoor activities where I am typically within eyesight of it, I feel comfortable having a toolbox permanently attached to the trailer frame. The following is a list of what I carry in my toolbox and why. This is an extremely personal list suited to what I do and where I go. This is my first trailer, but I have had truck boxes before. I have created this list through decades of outdoor activities, both professionally and extracurricular, as well as through trial and error. For me, my trailer truck box always has:
4 lug star tire iron – Before putting the tire iron in your vehicle/toolbox, make sure it fits the lug nuts on your vehicle. Another thing to check for, is if you can remove the lug nuts from your vehicle with the tire iron. If/when a tire shop does something with your tires, they typically over-torque the lug nuts. At times, I have not been able to break my lug nuts loose, because they were over-torqued. I don’t want to be in the woods with a flat, out of cell service, unable to fix the issue. Fix the issues so that there are no issues.
Bottle, scissor, or hydraulic floor jack – You can pick up a relatively small, but powerful hydraulic floor jack for a reasonable price at some of the big box stores. Harbor Freight usually has good deals on floor jacks. I have had floor jacks that do not weigh much but can lift a decent amount. Before you purchase a floor jack, ensure its capacity can lift your vehicle/trailer. When push comes to shove, I would rather do a few up and down pumps, than be sitting on the ground trying to get a bottle or scissor jack to cooperate. Again, personal preference from years of use and experience. I have never needed a high lift jack, so I do not have much experience with them.
Tire plug and repair kit – Every vehicle I own has one. I buy tire plug kits whenever I see them at yard sales or when I see them for a reasonable price. The rubber plugs do not seem to go bad, and they are a great insurance policy. They also make great birthday and Christmas gifts. As part of the tire repair kit, I used to throw in a bottle of KY Jelly to lube the tire plug before plunging it into the hole you’re repairing. After I figured out how to more properly install a tire plug, I took it out of my repair kit. If someone is not overly strong and has difficulty installing the plug properly, KY Jelly can help the process.
Another good addition to the plug kit is a tire Schrader valve removal tool with spare Schrader valves. (Schrader valve tools are a great tool to have in your kit. If you ever had to get away from someone that you knew was a threat or would follow you with their vehicle, simply remove the Schrader valve from their tire(s). Most people do not carry spares or have the tool to install a replacement. If they did, after replacement, the tire(s) would still need to be inflated.)
I also always have a battery-powered compressor and a can of “Fix-A-Flat”. (I prefer compressors that clip directly to the battery vs. a cigarette lighter plug. The first reason is that a lot of newer vehicles do not come with cigarette lighters. Second, I do not trust cigarette lighters to always work.) Fixing tires on the side of the road, or in the wilderness can be a tedious endeavor. Make sure you stay hydrated.
Water – A one gallon jug of water can be used to drink or fill your radiator if needed.
Spare oil/fluids-Murphy’s Law is a real thing. It’s best to not tempt it. Carry a few extra fluids vital to your vehicle operating correctly. I used to carry an entire oil change in my truck box when I would be gone in the woods for weeks on end, rarely going into town. I do not find this necessary any longer given my trips are usually a week or less.
Lighter/Matches – I keep these in a Ziploc bag. Matches seem to have a short shelf life. I am not certain if it is from a chemical composition breakdown, or exposure to heat. They seem to disintegrate after a while and crumble when struck.
Road flares – These are not only good for traffic accidents. I have used them to start fires when matches didn’t work. I have lit fifty-year-old flares that were stored behind the seat of a truck with no issue. I have heard newer road flares do not store as well or as long. Time will tell.
Ratchet straps and a Cargo net – I love cargo nets. They are worth their weight in gold, when they do not fail. After a while, the plastic hooks used to hold the cargo net down start breaking. I was bringing a used Costco chicken coop home one day and one of the plastic hooks broke while I was going 55mph. It was apparently the critical hook holding everything down properly, because when I looked in my rearview mirror, I saw the coop vanish upwards out of the bed of my truck. I panicked for several seconds until I saw it come crashing down all over the freeway behind me. Luckily, there was no one directly behind me. Ever since that day, if I use a cargo net, I first ratchet strap whatever I am hauling and then put the cargo net over.
Chains/tow ropes – Both of these have multiple uses. Purchase a tow rope with the heavy-duty loops sewn in on either end. I have had instances where the metal hooks on certain tow ropes cannot be used which resulted in having to cut the end off and tying a knot to the vehicle being towed. Know if your equipment will work before you need to use it.
Paracord – The uses are limitless.
Spade shovel – I am not a huge fan of the small, collapsable shovels you may find at a yard sale or an army surplus store. If I find myself needing to dig, I do not want to be uncomfortable or on my hands and knees. The small, folder shovels have a place, but I do not typically carry them unless my son is with me because they are the perfect size for him.
Handsaw – A handsaw takes up very little room and is less likely to be stolen if the truck box was broken into. I would rather lose a Walmart hand saw than any one of my axes. A handsaw can be used not only for cutting wood for the fire or to clear a trail, but as a bone saw for most large game. It’s not a bad idea to have a couple spare blades.
Box cutter – I buy box cutters every single time I see one for a decent price at a yard sale. Throw a box cutter and a small case of replacement razorblades in your toolbox and you will be very happy. Unless there is consistent exposure, the razorblades will not rust. I have skinned big game with a box cutter (fitted with a carpet cutting hook blade), gutted fish, and done any other thing a knife can do, all without the fear of it being stolen or ruined.
An old kitchen pot – to collect wild edibles, boil water in, make noise, etc. if I get stranded, injured, etc.
A small bag or can or tools – I always keep a decent set of hand tools in the truck. The trailer toolbox has at least one six- or eight-inch crescent wrench, a couple different sized screw drivers, a steel handled hammer (steel so it doesn’t loosen or break easily), a small crow/pry bar.
Screw/Nails – They come in handy when you least expect it.
Gloves – A decent pair of leather gloves serves a lot of purposes. Not only do they protect you from splinters and blisters, but I have also used them while cooking over the fire, when sharpening an axe or knife, and even as an extra layer when it’s cold. Leather does not provide a lot of warmth, but it helps.
Fishing Gear – Since I earned my driver’s license, every vehicle I have owned has had a fishing pole and gear in it. The best collapsible pole/kit I have ever had is made by Daiwa. The pole comes with a decent reel and can fit in the included carrying box. Inside the box, you can store whatever kind of tackle you want, within reason. I have several different sized hooks, weights, swivels, lures and a lighter with a packaged wax fire starter. I took this set on an international trip once and though I was excitedly successful at fishing, the biggest thrill was watching the natives’ eyes light up when they saw me assembling the rod and reel. They were even more excited looking through all my tackle.
Traps – You may recall from my September 2023 article, Homesteading: A Trappers Perspective, that I grew up trapping and worked as a federal trapper. I try to always have some type of trap or trapping material with me. In my truck box, I carry a few Victor rat traps and an old jar of peanut butter (it is labeled “Critter Bait” so no one eats it). Before I use any rat trap, I drill a small hole in one corner, tie a length of paracord or wire to it so in the instance of successfully catching a problem rat, or a squirrel for the pot, other animals will have more difficulty taking off with my catch, but most importantly, I will be less likely to lose my trap. I have trapped numerous full-grown tree squirrels and ground squirrels in rat traps. It is possible, despite the speculation on the Internet.
Tarp – Tarps have unlimited uses. Spend the extra money and get decent ones. I lost an entire winter’s worth of firewood once to tarps that failed shortly after deploying them.
Seasonal Items
There are items that change seasonally and depending on what kind of expedition I am doing, i.e. woodcutting, camping, hunting, etc. These items may/will include:
Chainsaw-Along with the chainsaw, a military ammunition can with spare chains, spare bottle(s) of fuel additive, spare air cleaner, spark plug, spark plug removal tool.
Axe – I usually carry a small forest axe, or a woodsman hatchet, to de-limb firewood or for setting traps.
Gambrel – During hunting season, I will store a game gambrel with rope. After field dressing, it is so much easier to quarter/butcher an animal when it is elevated. (I am designing a way to have a removable/collapsible/folding arm on the lumber rack to hang the gambrel from.)
Change of clothes – The reason I put a change of clothes in the seasonal list, is because I do not trust truck boxes to be fully watertight. I have had truck boxes that leaked and ruined the contents that were inside. If the weather is gloomy, I will throw my spare clothes in the truck.
Additional Camping Gear – When camping with the family, all our camping gear is already packed and sorted in different totes. When I grab those totes and load them, we are ready to camp. I do not need to add much to the trailer, other than additional water jugs and maybe some firewood.
Future Trailer Plans
In the future, I plan on adding a solar panel and inverter so I will have AC power to use my electric chainsaw sharpener while cutting firewood. I have not decided on what size, make or wattage of panel I will go with. Currently, I do not necessarily want the panel affixed to the lumber rack at all times, so I may go with a small Harbor Freight solar panel that has automotive battery jumper clips on one side and lays wherever you place it. It is fully portable which makes it convenient for my needs. I have used these before to keep batteries charged when the vehicle is not consistently used. Surprisingly, they work very well and don’t cost a fortune. If I go this route, I will buy an inverter and a deep-cycle marine battery. Under perfect, everyday circumstances, I will have the battery charged before any trip or adventure, but again, Murphy’s Law is as constant as death and taxes. The solar panel and inverter will be stored in the truck box during wood-cutting ventures.
In addition to rewiring the trailer, I will be affixing to the lumber rack with stainless steel hose clamps a black, six-inch by ten-foot PVC pipe which will be used as a pressurized hot water tank. When properly capped at both ends, it holds roughly 14 gallons of water. After the build and initial test(s) in the spring and summer, I can provide an update on how it works, how long the water lasts and how we refill the pipe while camping.
Conclusion
This trailer build has been an exciting change for my family and for me. It allows us to do more and will only increase what we can do when in the field. I hope you can take something from this article and improve your own truck, trailer, or bug-out vehicle.
Since we will be collecting a lot of firewood with this trailer, I would like to leave you with a great quote by Henry David Thoreau: “Every man looks at his wood pile with a kind of affection.”