If you are like me, your truck can get pretty overwhelmed with plenty of unneeded, extra stuff you end up carrying around. There are, however, a few extra items or tools that you may want to tote along with you for some extra peace of mind.
Besides your typical wrench and screwdriver, here are a few other tools that I believe can really be helpful when you are out on the road.
This wireless tire pressure monitoring system. This little system allows you to easily keep track of the tire pressure of all four of your trucks tires on the go while sitting in the comfort of your drivers seat. It is able to read up to 116 PSI (8.0 Bar) which is great if you have a heavier duty truck that runs with higher air pressure in the tires than many passenger cars. The four sensors can also be mounted on the tires of a trailer you are towing if you wish to monitor the trailer’s tire pressure instead.
This portable on board air compressor. This sweet little pump can be carried in your truck and has heavy duty battery clamps to connect directly to any 12 volt battery. It also has a max pressure of 150 PSI. Not only can it be used to inflate the tires on your truck, in can also be used to pressurize your air suspension or to inflate the tires on your trailer or any other toys you’ve brought along whether it be bicycles, ATV’s, dirt bikes, etc.
This heavy duty tire repair kit. This kit allows you to repair a puncture on just about any tubeless tire so you don’t get stuck on the side of the road or left to wither away off the beaten path in the middle of nowhere. It is a little more money than a lot of other sets but it contains higher quality tools, better materials, and is just so complete. Great for those who tow trailers or use anything else with tubeless tires.
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
A wireless tire pressure monitoring system like this one is super handy as it lets you keep tabs on the pressure in your tires at all times while on the go. It will give you a readout of the actual PSI for each of the four individual tires on your truck (Dually trucks are a challenge) up to 116 PSI. Knowing specific information for each tire individually is so helpful.
If something feels funny, you can look at your TPMS monitor and know immediately if there is a legitimate problem with tire pressure or just paranoia. More likely, is the detection of the partially low tire you wouldn’t normally notice right away so you can correct it before it prematurely wears your tire in an abnormal way. Keeping your tires sufficiently inflated will also help them run cooler so they don’t get premature wear from excess heat.
Most newer trucks have a built in TPMS that keep tabs on your trucks tire pressure, although some of them will only indicate that a tire is low without telling you which tire it is or the actual PSI of the tire. It is also plugged into your cigarette lighter outlet so its right there where you can check it instantly with just a glance of your eyes instead of toggling through a bunch of menus on your driver information center (fancy term for dashboard).
Additionally, you could use this system on your trailer so that you can easily monitor trailer tire pressure on the go for a less stressful towing experience.
Portable On Board Air Compressor
If you do end up with low tire that is still holding air, a portable on board air compressor allows you inflate the tire sufficiently until you can make it to a tire shop and have the leak repaired. It is so nice to not have to look for a service station that provides or sells air. Better yet, if you are in the middle of nowhere, it can keep you going without having to swap out for the spare if it is just a slow leak.
In my opinion, portable on board air compressors are a no brainer because they are relatively small so they can easily be toted along everywhere and they usually just plug into a DC outlet or clamp directly to the battery terminals. They will also work just as easily for airing up the tires of any other vehicle or trailer, whether it be your own or the unfortunate soul you encounter stranded on the side of the road.
Heavy Duty Tire Repair Kit
Although you don’t want to have to use it, this heavy duty tire repair kit will be a life saver when you end up needing it. It’s the absolute worst being stranded with a flat tire and a spare that has rotted out and won’t hold air. Worse yet is having two tires get punctured at the same time where a single good spare does you no good anyway. Yes, I have been there before and the rescue bill wasn’t nice to my bank account.
If you haul around toys like ATV’s, golf carts, dirt bikes, and side-by-sides or tools like lawn mowers and small tractors this kit will come in extremely handy as well.
As long as your truck and equipment have tubeless tires you’ll be able to quickly repair a puncture with this kit to keep you going. Of course, having the on board portable air compressor in conjunction with this kit will just make life a lot less stressful.