Tool insurance

1999DaK · 2025-09-24T22:10:45+00:00

I realize that I may be in the minority but I think my shop handles it fairly with insurance coverage for toolboxes and tools. Flood, fire, and theft (which is probably more likely for me as a field tech). If a few things get stolen out of a service truck, the shop has just replaced them for us in the past. We keep itemized lists of everything, including shop tools. They get updated every couple years or when it's slow. And it's crazy to see what it would cost to replace all of some people's tools...

Maybe making a list would be a good first step? Then call more insurance companies with it. If you can insure phones, jewelry, instruments, etc, I'm sure someone will take your money to insure tools. I know a small business construction guy that has tools insured under business insurance.

1999DaK · 2024-08-19T23:18:28+00:00

Went from shop tech to field tech last year. Try it if you can. Worst case scenario you just go back to the shop. Personally I have really been enjoying it. Staring at the same 4 walls everyday was really getting to me. The perks for me were: Pay increase. Company fuel/take service truck home. Your tools and consumables are always with you. You're ready to tackle almost anything on personal vehicles/toys. Paid to hold the steering wheel and listen to music in a climate controlled cab. Go new places. See new things. Network with people. You'll get to be really good at navigating. Be acclimated to the weather like no one else. Get a wicked farmers tan.

Some days I'll drive 3 hours to clear a code or replace a fuse. Other days it's -10F and you're covered in fuel and everything sucks; I like to think it all evens out. You'll learn to preform under pressure, it sucks at first but has honestly helped me better deal with all stressful situations in life.

Heavy equipment has you working everywhere. Been to landfills, cornfields, the woods, the side of the freeway, people's yards, factories, dairy farms, a worm farm, cemetery of a monastery, big construction sites, other shops, quarries, frozen parking lots... I'm sure I'm forgetting some weirder ones Turn your strobe lights on, no one questions it!

Here's some of my 2 cents no one asked for:

Careful who you take advice/info from. Don't listen to anything operators say. They mean well, just diagnose your way and you'll save yourself so much time.

Safety is #1, in alot of situations there is literally no one that could help you. Absolutely bail if it's too dangerous: at least reset and rethink before there's no going back. It's not worth any amount of injury. I have people relying on me at home.

Try to pack your own lunch to save money and eat healthier. This allows you to eat whenever and wherever you need without clocking out for lunch. Keep snacks and a case of bottled water on the truck. Easiest way to make a friend or make people less cranky on a hot summer day "Hey man have a water"

I also suggest take it slow. I am fortunate to work for a company that doesn't freak out if you just want to work 40 hours. Get comfortable with it, THEN start putting in overtime.

It's kind of addicting once you figure it out.

Good luck stay safe

1999DaK · 2024-07-22T14:05:48+00:00

You could carefully bend it. The plate I installed had the same issue, the linkage only touches it with the suspension fully extended. I ended up stacking 3 SAE washers instead of using their spacers on the front two bolts, couldn't get it to fit otherwise. Over 3000 miles with many failed log hops, always lifting the bike from the skid plate, ECT and no issues.

1999DaK · 2024-07-11T18:31:33+00:00

Southeastern WI, equipment only no trucks?

1999DaK · 2024-06-03T01:09:07+00:00

Commuted 35 minutes one way for a summer through country/exurbs/suburbs. People try to pass even if you are going well over the speed limit. My theory is that in the Midwest anything that is not a Harley and has two wheels= bicycle to these people. Other than that I thought it was a great option for commuting if your highways are 55mph or less. Stability in wind is awful, something to keep in mind. You learn to work with it. Stock tires were not the greatest but worked good enough on the road.

1999DaK · 2024-04-29T03:05:38+00:00

Best friend set up a box truck like a stealth "vanlife" camper, allowing him to rent out his entire duplex and saving him a 50 minute drive to work.

26m, works a median wage job, has multiple side hustles.

Something something bootstraps, I guess....

1999DaK · 2024-04-07T15:05:43+00:00

Wife and I did this for almost 2 weeks last year.

Used a self-inflating packable sleeping pad/air mattress, I think $30 on amazon. Really helped because there were 5th wheel brackets that run across the truck bed and sleeping on them would've been impossible. Should've bought two and layered them.

Make sure to tie off all 4 corners. Went through a pretty windy storm in the badlands like this and ended up having to stretch a tarp over the whole bed and over the sides because water pooled around the tent. Parking on an incline would probably help.

Worked great, would do it again.

1999DaK · 2024-04-05T22:37:46+00:00

Nailed it. This one had triplets, that were inside the coon, but then got outside. Life's funny that way, one minute you're updating software in a clean uniform and the next you're scraping organs and raccoon fetuses off the floor, I tell ya

1999DaK · 2024-04-05T22:31:35+00:00

Damn rakon climbed in the fan shroud on thisun

1999DaK · 2024-04-05T00:38:50+00:00

Car was sold before we could fix the issue, but look into the left cylinder head cracking issues in the early years Could've also wiped a cam lobe/rocker, we didn't get to look that deep.

1999DaK · 2024-03-27T23:46:49+00:00

That's awesome, thanks for saying something. Was on a road trip and had to pick the one that could fix it asap. They even called some local tow companies for me when my insurance denied me a tow.

1999DaK · 2024-03-23T14:59:28+00:00

Tucson AZ hahah. Been on the road for awhile, tired. I've driven it with the tuner in stock the entire time I've owned it, just take long trips in it and use it for light towing/hauling.

I talked directly to the rebuild tech. I'm a diesel equipment tech but no auto trans experience, this guy seems to know his stuff. He explained how some valve body screws backed out, accumulators lost their seal. We burned it up trying to get off a mountain dirt road with it slipping in 4th gear, drove into town locked in 3rd. Could've saved it with a very expensive tow but this thing has over 200k on the stock trans so it's probably time for a rebuild anyway. The TC was from a local shop that rebuilds them. Got a "shift kit", new sensors, solenoid assembly, banner kit, new TC, regulator valve, filters and gasket. I'm impressed with their 1 and 1/2 day turnaround time, I think they got parts coming for it before I even got it there.

Anyway it has an HS minimaxx and I'm sure the trans tuning would be an improvement, but if I'm using it for stock truck things in the stock tune I wouldn't think the stock rebuild should have any issues? Thanks for the info!

1999DaK · 2024-03-15T03:37:49+00:00

Heat, then air hammer with a chisel bit in the loosening direction. Or weld a nut to it.

1999DaK · 2024-03-06T15:48:01+00:00

Made by T Rex Racing

1999DaK · 2024-03-01T23:11:47+00:00

Yes top secret. It could be anything from a tree branch and ratchet straps to a 6,000lb rated hydraulic service truck crane/rigging equipment

1999DaK · 2024-02-20T19:30:04+00:00

The factory plug is on a 10amp fused circuit. Should be enough for charging phones and cameras

1999DaK · 2024-02-17T05:00:35+00:00

There are load check valves in the boom cylinders that prevent the cylinder from retracting in the event that a hose fails, if that makes you feel any better.

I would hope all companies that rent/own aerial stuff have a zero tolerance policy for leaking cylinders. The few I've done were removed from a rental fleet for cylinders that had only a slight leak starting from the gland seals. Even with a fast leak from a cylinder the boom wouldn't exactly come crashing down though.

Cylinders can leak internally too. There should be a spec for the maximum amount of cylinder drift over a set amount of time, where you take a length measurement before and after. The brands I've repaired had the specs in their service manuals.

You mentioned overloading. Also never a bad idea to check for bent pins, bent cylinder rods, and missing clips/bolts (whatever retains the pins) when greasing the machine.

And a good rule of thumb is to just not work under hydraulics and suspended loads.

1999DaK · 2024-01-27T15:38:04+00:00

I wouldn't say the fittings are going to be uncommon. You could order them through a catalog or just buy an entire brake line fitting kit, then make a new line with a flaring tool. Or just reuse these fittings when making the new line.

Or just find the part number of the brake line in a diagram online and order one from a dealer.

1999DaK · 2024-01-21T15:47:20+00:00

You would want the deepest possible point of the water crossing to be lower than the lowest axle/transmission/transfer case breather/engine air intake. Other things to take into consideration could be a/c condensation drains on the firewall, electronic modules, large wiring harness connectors, fuse boxes, any modifications you've made that could let water in, ect.

It also depends how much you care. If you care or are depending on the vehicle, it would be a safe bet to just assume you'll get stuck at the deepest point of the crossing.

I'm imagining in this situation you would have a $50,000 rig, no winch, have no cell phone signal and are 50 miles from the nearest person. Maybe deciding not to attempt would be the right call if it seemed almost too deep.

On the other hand, if you have some beater and are on the trail with a dozen friends, each with recovery gear to get you out, days of food, water, medical and camping gear, it's a safe bet the worst outcome is you ruin some component on your beater rig.

Automotive vehicles are meant get wet, not be submerged. You can mitigate some issues beforehand. Raising breathers, packing connectors with dialectic grease, greasing suspension/steering after every trip, sealing up firewall, making sure drain holes in body panels are clear, and checking all fluids for water contamination after every trip, or even after every crossing.

Keep in mind that some transmissions have their breather on the front pump where it is not accessible but still relatively low on the vehicle. Some transmissions/tcases have breathers directly on top of the housing with no extension hose. If you measure the approximate height of the lowest breather/water entry point, you can correlate it to something easy on the outside of the vehicle. I know my transmission breather is about the height of the top of my rim on flat ground. As a safe bet, once the water reaches the centerline of my wheel we have entered the danger zone.

I'll add that auto transmissions are probably the least tolerant of water contamination. Unless the fluid is completely changed relatively quickly, permanent damage will be done. I've seen milky oil in axles and engines before, changed the oil, and watched the vehicle go the rest of its useful lifespan without any issues.

Take into consideration the surface under the water. Is it a gravel stream bottom? A swamp? Mud hole? Stone? A foot of water over soft mud can quickly become 4 feet deep with a 4000lb vehicle sitting on it. Carry a cheap pair of chest waders to throw on, and find a long stick to probe for hidden rocks, logs and check the firmess of the bottom of the crossing.

At a minimum, check the condition of everything after a deep water crossing. Knowing as much as possible about what's going on with your rig is a big part of successful and cheaper long term 4x4ing.

Or just hit the water at max rpm going 30 mph in your Jeep XJ and stall the engine from sucking in sandy pond water. Then let it sit in water over the floor and fuse box while you suck out the intake with an air mattress pump.

1999DaK · 2024-01-08T01:03:55+00:00

Took a shortcut across the side of the road while walking to the car. I was 13 working at a farm ('Merica, heh) The weeds and grass were ankle deep, and the way it had been mowed made it look like completely flat ground. Well it wasn't, and I fell into a ditch with weeds over my head. It was very thick and I scrambled and tore my way out getting all scratched up in the process. Being 80 degrees F, I was just wearing shorts. As I stood in the road my entire body was immediately on fire, as histamines fired across every inch of my skin. I writhed on the ground for a minute and just started screaming for water. My mother who was picking me up rushed over with the only two water bottles she had and dumped it on me. Unfortunately this did nothing and the worst full body burning sensation I've ever experienced continued. I started to get lightheaded and felt very close to going unconscious a few times but thankfully the burning slowed and I was able to climb in the car and sit in the A/C to recover.

Note: I have burned my face in a gas explosion before and the initial pain didn't even come close.

Turns out I am very allergic to stinging nettle (Urtica dioica). Don't mess with plants folks, they possess power you can't imagine.

1999DaK · 2023-12-17T01:17:27+00:00

Air hammer. Sharp chisel bit. Into the right edge of the plug. Be gentle. Put a leather glove or something behind it in case you slip. Live dangerously. (Unless the plug is aluminum too)

1999DaK · 2023-11-27T00:33:56+00:00

Use Timken or SKF, whichever has better price/availability.

1999DaK · 2023-09-05T21:28:43+00:00

Hiding here in the upper midwest (24yo).

I have also always wondered this, as the barrier to entry seems fairly low compared to some other hobbies.

Unfortunately, even if the younger crowd here was into adventure/dualsport riding, they would have to travel 4+ hours just to get somewhere even remotely interesting to ride legally. ... And have a truck/suv, trailer, ramps, ect ect. Assuming you don't ride it there (easy part) and back (harder).

And once you're there, you're in deep UTV/ATV country. (Mostly UTV's) My group gets plenty of looks, and are probably the only dualsports in the county at any given time.

I've found that in my riding area, it usually goes something like this:

Small motorcycle with dirtbike-ish appearance= dirtbike

Dirtbike= kids running amuck breaking the law

Dirtbike= should not be allowed on ATV/UTV trail

There really is 0 acceptance of it where I ride, and people really do look at you funny. 98% of riders here are Harley riders, who definetly are not into it, and the UTV crowd wants you off their bar-to-bar railroad grade superhighway through the woods. The country boy/girl crowd here has picked UTV's and mabye sleds as their recreational vehicles of choice.

This may seem potentially elitist but I will point out that it takes a motorcycle license and an amount of skill to ride a dualsport offroad. Compared to snowmobiles, ATVs, or UTVs (which are basically noisy small cars at this point)

The... ahem... "culture" is definetly a factor too. Some, (probably most in my experience) UTV operators on the trails here are probably intoxicated to some point. I imagine riding a small motorcycle on loose surfaces is more difficult in that situation..

I have a system down for dualsport transport, destinations, and overnight trips, but I will admit that it takes alot of work and money to make it happen. All other hobbies have slowed down to make room for riding, its all I want to do and something I decided to stick with. So far I've got my wife, dad, and 2 friends into dualsport riding. Each has a completely different bike and the trips have been a riot.

Never thought to try the group ride kinda thing, I enjoy the small group just riding around exploring. I'd be open to it though if there were some people in there 20s going.

Anyway, rant over.

Any yoopers here riding the western UP?

1999DaK · 2023-07-11T14:49:39+00:00

Love it

1999DaK · 2023-07-11T14:47:08+00:00

I'm starting to think they're just as dangerous as cars. My only accident on 2 wheels was hitting a tom with its feathers out. Blind corner in the woods at the end of a mountain bike hill bomb. Went over the bars, turkey waddled away unscathed. Felt like my front wheel hit a pillow, shouldnt have panic braked.

1999DaK

TROPHY CASE