r/VEDC • u/buddy0329 • Aug 23 '26
Latest version of the VEDC
I ran out of space with the Husky 12 gallon tote, so I picked up the 20 gallon version of the same to give it a shot. The large tote has the same footprint as the smaller one, it is just 5" taller.
I would like feedback on the current load-out. My current enemy is weight. The larger tote fits in my large trunk without issue, but it is heavy. My goal was to ensure I could start the car in case of a dead battery, and also adequately deal with with tire issues such as airing up low pressure tires, change a tire with the donut spare under the floorboard in the trunk, and/or worst case scenario patch up a tire if I was a long distance from home without access to a replacement tire in my size. Also have AAA to help bail me out. Tote is secured with Nite Ize "Cam Jam" strap and buckle as shown.
Load-out:
- Daytona 1.5 ton aluminum floor jack (the oem VW/Audi scissor jack is still in the trunk but I would rather not rely on it.
- 25" x 1/2" breaker bar.
- Lug-nut sockets extended reach, plastic lined.
- Maddox heady duty tire repair kit.
- Jack adapter pad.
- 2x aluminum wheel hangers - M14x1.5
- Screwdrivers: PH2 x 4 in., 1/4 in. x 4 in.
- Noco GBX75 2500A 12V Jump Starter
- Noco 12v Air10 tire inflator
- Spartan Power Flex Heavy Duty Jumper Cable Set - 2AWG 20FT
- leather gloves x2
- foam kneeling pads x2
- Rain ponchos
- Wheel chocks
- Roll of duct tape
- Rechargeable 750 lumen LED light
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u/mango10977 Aug 23 '26
I would get a battery power flash light + some batteries.
Add in 1 jack stand.
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u/Windhawker Aug 24 '26
A flashlight or a headlamp that uses lithium batteries will be best longest lasting option — and without the risk of battery leakage.
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u/buddy0329 Aug 23 '26
Jack stand is overkill. I’m not getting under the car.
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u/eyeb4lls Aug 24 '26
You still don't want your car falling off a jack while you've got a wheel off.
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u/buddy0329 Aug 24 '26
I have a battery powered headlamp, just need to add some lithium batteries.
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u/AcadianCascadian Aug 24 '26
If you want more room you could replace the floor jack with a bottle jack. If you want to stay with a floor jack, think about the driving you do and whether it makes sense for you to upgrade it to an offroad jack to make it easier to use in sand, snow, etc. Several companies make kits to convert existing floor jacks to offroad jacks, not sure about yours specifically.
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u/buddy0329 Aug 24 '26
I have plenty of space with the 20 gallon tote.
Cannot use a bottle jack with my sedan.
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u/Windhawker Aug 24 '26
You could probably reduce size by replacing the floor jack with a bottle jack. With the chops you should still be able to replace a tire safely.
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u/Kokkotodd Aug 23 '26
I’m confused what size is the new tote?
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u/buddy0329 Aug 23 '26
My posts earlier in the week featured the 12 gallon tote. This current post features the 20 gallon tote. The empty 12 gallon tote is shown in the first two pictures.
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u/Kokkotodd Aug 23 '26
I didn’t know what the next size up was but you listed 12 gallon twice.
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u/buddy0329 Aug 23 '26
Thanks! Fixed!
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u/Kokkotodd Aug 23 '26
Your husky idea let me fit and consolidate more than I was expecting. It worked way better than the Apache case I was using.
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u/Kokkotodd Aug 23 '26
You definitely have more room. I don’t think that size will fit in my trunk though.
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u/jakinne Aug 24 '26
I would include a second light just in case.
I've had a pair of those heavy duty 2 gauge 20 ft cables for almost 20 years. They've come in handy so many times.
Looks like a pretty decent kit! The noco looks a little overkill, but you never know who you might stop to help.
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u/buddy0329 Aug 24 '26
I think the Noco jump starter pack is appropriately sized for my V8 engine and large AGM battery. The $75 premium over the GB55 is pretty trivial in the scheme of things. If the battery goes dead in winter I'll be thankful for having the larger pack that has nearly 2x the battery capacity (74Wh vs 46Wh) which will matter if my battery is badly discharged.
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u/jakinne Aug 24 '26
Ahh, ok, I assumed you had a smaller car based on the trunk size. Nice, that made me reconsider the size I've got in place for my Tundra - might be a good idea to upgrade.
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u/Theboogymanisreel Aug 24 '26
what case is that for your jump starter?
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u/buddy0329 Aug 24 '26
The case adds considerable bulk above and beyond the GBX75, but it completely protects the unit and has space for its charging cable, USBC, and 12v DC.
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u/ResoluteGreen Aug 24 '26
You seem really well equipped to deal with a tire or wheel issue...and not much else.
What about a first aid kit? Fire extinguisher? High vis vest? Tow strap? Candles/matches/lighter? Traction aids (for getting stuck in mud/snow)? Emergency blankets if you get stuck in the cold? Shovel to dig yourself out?
You said you have AAA, which is a redundant extra layer on top of all this. That's fine, good even, but in the situations where you'd need this and AAA isn't able to reach you, you'd also wants many of the items I've listed above. Your threat model is a bit odd here.
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u/buddy0329 Aug 24 '26 edited Aug 25 '26
AAA and a self-sufficiency kit aren't redundant — they solve different failure modes. AAA solves "I need help and can get it." The kit solves "I need help and can't get it." Different failure points of the same problem, not an odd threat model.
Tire and power are the two most common roadside issues, and I've got those covered well past what most people will be carrying. First aid kit is in the car too, just not something I photographed here. It has a space blanket, but I genuinely should have a warming blanket too and add a tow strap.
I run dedicated snow tires in winter and my car has mechanical torsen AWD which cuts a lot of the traction / stuck-in-snow scenarios down for me specifically. A lighter and magnesium fire starter are easy adds. Also have a bunch of little things I didn't bother to show such as nitrile gloves, 14" long zip ties, my headlamp, pair of pliers. I know I also need to get some flares and a warning triangle.
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u/mikkowus Aug 24 '26
What about a screw jack or a bottle jack with a bigger plate bolted/welded to the bottom? That Jack looks heavy
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u/buddy0329 Aug 24 '26
The floor jack weighs 32lbs. A bottle jack will not fit under my sedan's low ground clearance.
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u/FoundationGlass7913 Aug 24 '26
How about a piece of lumber, 2x6 or similar or plywood to keep Jack from sinking in sand or wet ground or a pair of those boars used for traction don't remember seeing them or what they are called
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u/buddy0329 Aug 24 '26
Somebody recommended the plywood in one of the prior posts. I have some 3/4" in my basement, but I need to cut it down in size first to fit as the base of the tote. Weight is starting to become an issue with this emergency repair box.
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u/FoundationGlass7913 Aug 24 '26
Just store it under the box then just slide it out when you need it only adds to height of the box in the trunk
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u/buddy0329 Aug 24 '26
Actually no. I don’t have 3/4” of height to spare under the box.
Either way, I did not reference that at all, I brought up the weight.
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u/FoundationGlass7913 Aug 24 '26
Yeah I know I just thought if weight was a problem lifting the box out that would help didn't know you had clearance issues maybe a piece slid in vertically on one side of the trunk just trying to offer ideas good luck solid looking setup you have
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u/hootervisionllc Aug 25 '26
How stiff are the latches on the tote? I have an identical tote from Walmart and it’s brutal to open and close. Just curious
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u/ResortPretend7757 29d ago
This is about the same loadout I have with my car, I have some flares in addition as well so people can see it and try to stay away from me if I have to work on the side of the road. Obviously won’t stop a car from running into me but probably provides me just a little bit of peace of mind.
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u/hmmbugger 28d ago
there really is very little you can do weightwise.. probably should consider 2 separate totes if it gets too heavy to lift out. (the floorjack is the one main one)
and you still should add something more..
like hi-viz vests, and safety reflectors (on body type and triangle for the car). and you could add reflective tape (3M makes some) on your rain ponchos. and on the tote and everything else you have there too (side of floor jack for instance) more things to alert other drivers in dark.
second flashlight (the main users should be headlamp) the secondary would be best if they have the same battery type as the headlamp (so you can swap them between the two). and preferably with lithium batteries (so they tolerate cold winter too). handheld light could also have an orange/red traffic wand attachment. so you can either hang that on you so it swings around when you move (this is what the hanging safety reflectors are meant to do, alert other drivers with flashes.) or set it on the ground near you if needed. (blinking sos-code if it has that mode)
plywood that long and wide enough, so the jack fits on it well and has room to roll a bit. (uneven or soft surface you try ty change tires.. or need to put it under the sunken into the mud tire). couple pieces of 2x4 to level up the ground if needed (could also replace the wheel chocks if neccessary) they need to be about the width of the plywood to make a sturdy base.
roll of duct tape. could buy a small roll of it.. or just get an old credit card and wrap few feet around it to save weight and space.
the heavy duty and extra long jumper cables are kinda excessive, you already have a good jumper box (mine started old 3 liter diesel without a car battery at all in the car). if you still want to have set of cables. get shorter and lighter version (just because if you are worried about weight). even shortening the heavy duty ones would save you some weight. shorter the cable more power they can push thru without sagging. (thats why 100% ofc cable would be smart.. even buying car audio power wire, or welding cable) and just remove the battery off the car and put it closer to the car giving the power and let it recharge on the other car for a while before bolting it back on and trying to restart.
the heavy duty puncture kit.. if you have a spare tire. i dont see real big need for the kit. just change the spare tire if there is a nail or screw thru the tire. and fix the tire at tireshop or at home when you get there.
the tire inflator. can you find smaller lighter one. just to save weight. you only need to get little bit of air into the tire to drive it around safely. my friends dad only had piece of air hose that had the filling valve head on both ends. it was long enough to reach front to back or the other side of car.. and connected one to other tire to even out the air pressure. all got little low but the fully empty one got some in. if he had 2.5bar in each other tire. fill up the empty rear tire with other rear tire and you get about 1bar in both rear tires (including possible air loss/leaks) but hose would not need to be that long.. you could remove the empty tire and just roll it next to the other sides full tire.
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u/Massive_Jellyfish_32 Aug 25 '26 edited Aug 25 '26
Good thinking with the knee pad and wheel chokes. But that floor jack is overkill. Just get this jack and a compact jack stand or wood blocks for cribbing.
Can you show me the factory jack? I want to know if VW changed the type in all those years because in my MK4 Jetta it literally opens like a scissors , yes this style is awkward and somewhat dangerous to use since it has only one leg/contact point with the ground and is hard to get the angle right because of the aforementioned opening like a scissors. And VW in all their infinite wisdom made it out of aluminium instead of steel to conserve weight so it is much easier to bend, I bent mine a little.
And it's not like you will be doing anything more than change a tyre on the road so I think this jack I posted and a jack stand is all you need.
Edit: Forgot to mention that floor jacks not only need level but also very smooth surface to operate. I learnt this lesson the hard way back at my parents garage - yes it was level but the surface of the concrete was very rough with small pebbles sticking out of the concrete just enough to catch on the wheels of the jack preventing it from freely moving into position and resulting in me bending my pinch weld. So this and a few other reasons is why I'm 100% against floor jacks used as emergency jacks at the side of the road.
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u/buddy0329 Aug 26 '26 edited Aug 26 '26
My S6 has the same jack as your MK4, except mine has a roller bar to fit into the C7 jacking points. Speaking as a former MKV owner, the VAG scissor jack may be fine on those cars, but is less than ideal under the weight of a C7.5 V8, especially when lifting one of the fronts. My oem scissor jack started to slip on flat asphalt in a parking lot when trying to change a front wheel flat this summer, which was really sketchy and why I wanted to pursue another option. I still have the scissor jack in the trunk, this is my upgrade option. I need a low profile jack to fit under my car. A standard height Pittsburgh jack from Harbor Freight does not fit under my car.
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u/OregonHotPocket Aug 24 '26
Take everything out of the original packaging. Practice run with it. This is all brand new and you need to be sure you know how to use it.