Actually, those first three items are *essential*... in case the 
problem can't be solved with what's in the toolbox!

         I also carry the following, 'cause any nuts and bolts on my '85 
that I haven't already changed are good and rusty:

         - A small spray can of liquid wrench.
         - A self-lighting propane torch and a  propane bottle (also 
doubles as a fuel supply for a lantern, when I'm camping).
         - The all-important Bentley manual.
         - A heater-hose bypass kit (short length of heater hose and two 
clamps... I changed all the hoses *except* the ones to the heater cores... 
if I spring a leak in a core or heater hose, I can perform a 'roadside 
bypass' in the engine compartment).
         - A gallon of coolant. The vanagon has an engine that is easily 
destroyed by overheating, and at least four times the plumbing of other 
vehicles... So this gives me a gallon of replacement coolant, and a handy 
water jug to make up the difference. Haven't needed this yet, but a gallon 
of prevention is *easily* worth a couple-of-grand in engine rebuilding!

At 08:54 PM 1/29/2004 -0800, Jim Arnott wrote:
>Amex Card, Cell Phone, AAA card.
>
>Seriously, 8, 10, 13, 14, 17, 19 mm combination wrenches and sockets, 
>spark plug socket and extension, 6 and 17 mm allen wrenches, 6 mm triple 
>square bit, cheap digital multimeter, 5" Vise-Grips�, assortment of metric 
>fasteners, fuses, 3 m of 14 ga electrical wire. Crimp on connectors and 
>crimping tool, 8 oz ball peen hammer with handle shortened to fit in the 
>30 cal GI ammo box. Shop towels and a tube of Go-Jo.
>
>Jim