I just traded in my '05 CR-V for a new '19 Fit EX and I'm going through the pile of crap I had in the old car. I stored a lot of tools in the CR-V and with less room in the Fit I'm trying to put together a minimal but effective toolkit for the Fit. My goal is to keep it small enough to store underneath the cargo area (in the tray above the spare). I'm trying to figure out the most useful sizes for wrenches, screwdrivers, sockets, etc. so I can do essential work on the go. I can look over the engine compartment and look around the car for the most common bolt sizes and screw head types, but does anyone have any recommendations? And more importantly, has anyone built a replacement box for the spare tire compartment to make the space more usable? It seems to be very limited in space and the foam tray seems to take up a lot of space that could be put to better use. I assume I'm not the only one that likes to carry tools with them at all times and someone has worked out a way to carry tools under the cargo area?

 

I've gone done a revised storage option that allows me to store a lot of hand tools. I use softer type bags and try to get smaller/lighter tools. If possible I try to get the "most useful" tools possible, such as a double ended ratcheting wrenches. I chose not to carry screwdrivers, rather getting 150mm screwdriver bits. That saves a lot of space not having those handles. I bought a torque wrench that goes from 10 to 150 lbs/ft, plus a smaller one that goes lower into the in/lbs so I've got a wide range covered by just 2 of these. It took me a few years but I'm pretty happy with what I have. I believe that I have about 60lbs of tools in the spare tire/trunk area. You can click on my tinkering link to find my latest storage mod.

 

You're over thinking this. I use to tool backpack. Basically a backpack designed to carry tools. I can throw it in the back, behind the seat, take it with me, or whatever. I have a socket set on the rail, wrenches, screw drivers, channel lock, just about everything I'd need for routine car repair.

 

I had some tools stored in the styrene foam tray that sits atop the spare tire,.a Craftsman 1/ 2 inch drive, 19 mm 12-point socket, a Craftsman 1/2 inch drive 4 or 6 inch long extension bar, a Craftsman 1/2 inch breaker bar, an SK 3/4 inch drive breaker bar, and they all got rusty on the bottom where they contacted the styrene foam. I noticed that condensation formed on them, and this is what lead to the rust. Overnight they would get cold, than as the air above them warmed up, moisture from the warm air condensed on the cold tools. Interesingly, the Honda-supplied tools, the scissor jack and the handle and the original 19 mm socket for the wheel nuts, did not get rusty, just my high quality and moderately high quality tools. I thought of getting some anti-corrosion wrapping paper to wrap the tools in, but I'm too lazy to look for a source so I now just keep my tools in a bag in the main part of the cargo compartment.I put a thin layer of multipurpose lithium grease all over all the now slightly rusty tools in the hopes that it will deter further rust. Those tools were all purchased by me about 45 years ago and did not have any rust on them previously, even though for about 7 years they were kept in an unheated barn. They are all tool steel with some kind of anticorrosion plating which didn't do its job. Anyway they will be alright. The rust is mostly a cosmetic problem, but of course it comes off on my hands and clothing.The 3/8 drive and 1/4 inch drive socket sets and miscellaneous tools that I kept in a small fishing tackle box, did not get any rust on them, only the tools that were in the styrene foam tray. Wrapping them in cloth before seating them in the tray did not seem to help.

Unless I can figure out how to make custom cases for them I am not going to keep my beam-type torque wrenches in the car. They are sort of like precision instruments. As the car moves they could get banged around, the pointer could get bent, the torque scale scratched, or corroded. If I need to do a minor repair while on the road, including remove-replace a wheel, I'll estimate the torque.