RV Tools & Maintenance Supplies

Those of you who are experienced do-it-yourself mechanics will quickly identify the kinds of tools you will want to take along to handle emergency repairs on your RV and motorized toys. But for those who may not share that expertise, I thought I'd make a few suggestions.  Of course, you will need some basic mechanical skills for any tools to be useful, although you might luck out and find a fellow camper who has the skills and could make use of your tools until you can get trained.  If you have no mechanical skills or interest in obtaining them, you might pare down the following suggestions and only bring along what  you can make use of.  If you need training, check out your local adult education and community college classes.  You can usually find some basic mechanical courses there at reasonable prices.  You may even find having those skills productive and rewarding in other aspects of your life besides camping.

I keep a small tool box with frequently used hand tools behind one of the lounge chairs in my motorhome.   Major tools live in a larger tool box in an outside compartment.  My inside tool box includes frequently used things like pliers and screwdrivers.  The outside tool box has the heavy duty stuff, like socket sets and wrenches for bigger tasks.

For the major tool kit I would start with a good basic socket set, including 1/4", 3/8", and 1/2" drives. Make sure you get the right set for your vehicle: SAE for those with standard nuts and bolts and metric for metric fittings, almost always found on foreign vehicles and many newer American motorhome chassis and tow vehicles. If your budget and space will allow, you might want to have a full set of both SAE and metric sockets. You can also get "Metrinch" brand sockets and wrenches that fit both.  Some metric sizes have corresponding SAE sizes.  For example, 14 mm  and 9/16" are  equivalent. However, others may be close, but not close enough.  1/2" SAE is smack in the middle between 12mm and 12mm metric sizes.    A 12mm is too small for a 1/2" fastener and 13mm, while close, will be loose enough to risk slipping and rounding off the fastener.  Metrinch tools  are engineered to cover most popular SAE and Metric sizes with a minimum number of wrenches or sockets.  You will want a good quality set of tools that you can depend on, but you probably don't need to buy a high grade professional brand like Snapon, although that would be nice. I would LOVE to have a complete set of Snapon tools for my motorhome and my motorcycle trailer. But I'm afraid they are beyond my budget. Expect to pay at least $30-40 for each socket set. Anything priced less than that (I've often seen sets containing all 3 sizes for under $40) is likely to fail the first time or two you use it, leaving you as helpless as if you had no tools, but probably with skinned knuckles and screwed up fasteners.  Typical failures include stripped out sockets and internal failures of ratchet mechanisms as well as rounded off fasteners.  I like to carry deep well as well as standard depth sockets. It adds to the space and weight of my tool kit but gives me options for dealing with extra long bolts I sometimes encounter.  You may or may not find them necessary for your applications. Fancy things like universal-joint sockets are optional and, unless you know of critical places you need absolutely them on your RV, are probably not worth the space, weight, or expense. Craftsman brand hand tools, sold by Sears and K-Mart, are good quality at a reasonable price and come with a lifetime guaranty. Another pretty good brand for the "shade tree mechanic" is Husky .   Harbor Freight offers their own house brand (Pittsburg) tools at really good prices (especially if you wait for a coupon sale) and they also have a lifetime guaranty. Their tools are foreign-made and, based on my personal experience, aren't as quiert reliable and durable or as precision made as Craftsman, but they are certainly adequate and they are quick to honor their guarantee if you do break one.  I have found that nice, shiny chrome looking wrenches are usually more precise than the those cast with rough surfaces.  The textured surface may give you a little more grip, but they are also harder to keep clean.  I have had occasion to use Harbor Freight's lifetime guarantee a couple  of times and they honored it without any hassled.  I once twisted a couple of T-handle allen wrenches so the flutes were cork-screwed and they gave me an entire new set without any argument. I was certainly impressed by the strength of the plastic handles as well as by them honoring the warranty! BTW, I have had to use Crafstman's lifetime warranty a couple of times too -- and again without any hassle whatsoever.  I once bought some Craftsman screwdrivers at a garage sale.  One of the Philips tips was broken so I went to Sears to buy a replacement.  The salesman insisted on replacing it under warranty, even I explained I was not the original purchaser.

Second, a good set of combination wrenches. Again, either make sure you have the right set (SAE or metric) or a set that includes both. Also go for fairly good quality wrenches. I've seen some cheap sets that look like they were poured in sand molds. Look for tools with clean, square cut edges that contact the fasteners neatly and have smooth, comfortable grips. If they don't fit right, there is danger of them slipping and ruining the nut or bolt -- and your fingers! I like the polished chrome finishes because they clean easily, feel good, and they're nice to look at. While we're on the subject, always keep your tools clean. Dirty tools can be slippery and contaminants can affect their ability to grip fasteners. Cheap tools have a tendency to fail under stress. I've experienced enough bruised and bloodied knuckles to develop a strong appreciation for good quality, clean tools.  It may pay to invest in a few extra quality wrenches of commonly used sizes, like 10 mm and 12 mm for dirt bikes.  Because of frequent use they tend to get lost easily and you sometimes need more than one to use on the bolt and nut simultaneously.  By the way, if you come across some Craftsman "crossfit" wrenches they are really nice to have.  They look a little different than ordinary wrenches because the ends are turned 90° from the handles.  Ordinary wrenches have the ends flat with the handles.   Crossfit wrenches let you push against the flat side of the handle instead of against the edge.  This makes them for comfortable to use and lets you exert more force when needed.

If you do choose to include both SAE and metric wrenches and sockets in your RV tool box, that may provide you with most of the tools you will need for your OHV, so having both is not necessarily overkill if you have the room for them. And you never know what opportunities you may have to help others if you have the right tools on board.  On my first dirt bike trip I quickly discovered the fairly complete set of SAE tools I had in my motorhome were pretty much useless on the metric fasteners on the bikes.  Only  made that mistake once!

Next on my list is screwdrivers. I like the Craftsman professional set. These have comfort grip handles and tempered tips.  Craftsman is also a good choice, although somewhat pricey, for sockets and wrenches too. One distinct advantage to all Craftsman hand tools is their lifetime warranty. I've only had to use it once or twice, and Sears was happy to handle the replacement. One of the biggest advantages to Craftsman's lifetime warranty is that the tools are high enough quality that you probably won't need it -- and having dependable tools that won't fail when you're at some remote campsite is invaluable. Regardless of the brand, choose a set that gives you several sizes of both flat and Phillips head screwdrivers. You will find different sized tips required for different sized fasteners and will often need extra long or extra short handles to access screws in some places. Those with tungsten tipped or tempered blades are usually sturdier and grip better than untreated models. A set of screwdriver tips to fit a 1/4" drive handle or power drill/driver can be helpful. These sets often include other useful tips, like the square drive (clutch head) used on many fasteners on interior trim in RVs. You can also get torx bits, even those designed to work on "security screws" that ordinary torx bits don't fit (the screw has a pin in the middle of the opening and you have to have a bit that has a matching hole).  I keep a set of "through the handle" screw drivers in my dirt bike trailer.   The steel shaft goes all the way through the plastic handle and is topped by a hex form that allows you to use a wrench to turn the screwdriver when your own grip isn't enough.  You can also tap on the top of the metal end to help "set" the bit into the fastener, which  can be useful on dirty or rusty screws.

Another basic tool that is good to have on hand is pliers. I carry both 6" and 8" regular pliers and at least one pair of 8 - 10" slip joint, Channel-lock style pliers. A pair of diagonals is also handy if you need to cut wires or shorten radiator hoses (which often have wire reinforcements). I also like to have a pair of linesman pliers. They have square nose and are equipped with a wire cutter. An especially useful form of pliers are Vise-grips. Like most pliers, these come in various sizes. For my motorhome I carry medium-sized Vise-grips (about 6"). I carry a small set in my fanny pack or fender bag on my dirt bike because I can use it for many fixes on the trail, including as a temporary replacement for a broken shift lever. A variation I've found useful is something called "Meyers pliers". They look like a pair of Vise-grips with a C-clamp welded to one handle, making a good portable vise for holding parts. My tool box in my motorcycle trailer also includes a pair of safety wire pliers.  These are designed to lock on to safety wires like those on hand grips and twist them tight.  A good wire stripper and wire crimp tool can be helpful when you have to make electrical repairs. While we're on the subject of electrical repairs, you'll at least need a test light for basic trouble shooting. An inexpensive multi-meter will give you even more options, if you know -- or learn -- how to use it.

I have two or three hammers in my tool kit. One is a carpenter's hammer for driving and pulling nails and I usually have two or three ball peen hammers of different sizes for driving chisels and punches or hammering metal. I also have a small (2 1/2 lb) one-handed sledge hammer I mostly use for driving tent pegs, but it also comes in handy when changing tires on my dirt bikes.  If your worried about weight and/or space, you can leave out some of the hammers.  Only bring along what  you will use.  If you only have room for one, I suggest using a roofer's hammer that has a regular hammer head on one side and a hatchet blade on the other.

By now you already have a pretty full tool box and it probably weighs more than you would like it to, but you should be covered for most emergency repairs you could handle in the sticks. Sometimes you can get a fairly complete kit all in one plastic molded toolbox for a quite reasonable price that will be adequate for most emergency needs. These are usually quite compact, making them easy to store in the limited space in most RVs. Just be careful of the quality. Flimsy tools may be worse than not having any tools because they may cause further damage to your RV/OHV -- or injury to you! Believe me, it is cheaper -- and a lot less bloody and painful -- to buy good tools than pay the doctor bills when cheap tools fail and you get injured.

I have personally had pretty good success with relatively inexpensive hand tools from Harbor Freight Tools. And they do have a lifetime guarantee if you should break one. I have had to take advantage of their guarantee a couple of times and have never encountered any resistance. Most of the time their products have proved to be quite durable and effective -- and at a considerable savings over brand names. I find it a good way to expand my options without breaking the bank. Since they only get occasional use, I have found them to be quite adequate for my DIY needs.  As I mentioned before, I prefer the polished versions.  They seem to be more precisely manufactured than those with a grainy or dull finish and I like the way they feel in my hand.

Some other things you should have include a jack of sufficient capacity to lift your RV to change a tire, and a lug wrench to fit the lug nuts and provide enough torque to loosen the them. Best to try it out at home sometime. Lug nuts on RVs, especially large motorhomes, are likely to have been tightened using large air-impact wrenches. I've even seen road side assistance technicians with 10' extensions on their lug wrenches still not be able to break loose the lug nuts on a motorhome. We finally had to limp the rig into his shop where he had a 3/4" air impact wrench.  BTW, if you do have a behemoth motorhome, you may want to invest in an RV roadside assistance program instead of a heavy duty jack. 

I've found it helpful to carry my own windshield cleaning tool in my motorhome. The ones in ordinary gas stations aren't long enough to reach the huge windshield on the RV. The ones in truck stops usually are but there isn't always a truck stop when I need gas -- or need to clean my windshield. Ones with telescoping handles are particularly handy since they take up less room when not in use and easily fit under or behind the driver's seat.

Not really tools, but often necessary to effect repairs, you should carry some useful materials such as electrical wire, electrical tape, tie wire, cable ties and duct tape. I've added an assortment of solderless terminals and pair of terminal pliers.  A variety of lubricants will also be useful.  WD-40 is one of the most popular but having some silcone based lubricants and even dry teflon lubricants may also some in handy.  Dry teflon, for example, is good for lubricating curtain tracks and zippers to ensure smooth operation.  Ordinary wet lubricants may drip onto the fabric or collect dust.

Add to that spare fuses and light bulbs for you vehicle. There are several different styles of fuses used on vehicles and RVs so check to see which style -- and amperages -- you need. There are tons of lights on most RVs, including marker lights, taillights, stop lights, turn signals, dash lights and interior lights, and almost all of them are different from each other, so make sure you have an adequate supply of spares of each type. Check the numbers on the bulbs, not just what they look like. Many times the bulbs in the interior fixtures have the same size base as turn/stop lights, but the interior lights are single contact, single filament bulbs while turn/stop lights usually have double contacts and double filaments.

Miscellaneous stuff. I've found many uses for nylon cable ties too. They are inexpensive, light weight, take up little room, and can be used to secure lots of things that come loose. A can of WD-40 will come in handy to eliminate squeaky hinges, reduce wear on moving parts and help loosen rusted bolts. By the way, the "WD" in WD-40 stands for "water displacing". It also works well as a hand cleaner or even to pre-treat grease stains on clothing and for cleaning lots of greasy stains just about anywhere.

Take a look around your RV and see what, if any, special tools might be required. Many RVs use square-head drive instead of slotted or Phillips screws on interior panels and trim. Having one on hand to tighten loose fasteners may, keep your RV from literally falling apart! Other popular styles of fasteners are allen (hex) head bolts and screws, and Torx heads, which use a kind of star-shaped tip. You can often find inexpensive tool kits with a single drive handle and multiple tips that include various shaped bits -- or you an buy additional individual bits at your local automotive supply or hardware store.  Some OHVs required special tools too.  Our Honda dirt bikes have to have  special spark plug wrench.  It is literally impossible to change the spark plug with out it.

Power tools are usually not necessary for emergency repairs, but I carry an inexpensive, Harbor Freight house brand 18-volt drill-driver in my motorcycle trailer, along with an assortment of screwdriver bits, nut drivers, and drill bits. Since I have an air compressor in the trailer I also bring along a small air impact wrench. I recently splurged and bought a cordless 1/2" impact wrench from Harbor Freight too.  I know it will make in camp OHV repairs easier and faster.

Supplies. I already mentioned a few items (electrical wire, safety wire, electrical tape, bulbs, fuses, nylon cable ties, and WD40) but there are some other items I've found useful. I try to keep an extra set of fan belts on board. Extra engine oil and coolant are essential to have. And duct tape. You'll find dozens of uses for duct tape, from temporary repairs to torn awnings to emergency radiator hose fixes and broken windows. I usually keep some general purpose automotive wax/cleaner products in one of my outside cabinets, if there is room. That allows me to touch up the exterior when I have some "down time". It is also useful for removing road tar before it permanently stains the surface. I once found small cans of battery cleaner and protector that I added to my RV supplies. The normal sized cans (about the size of spray paint) take up too much room and will very likely become clogged or loose their propellant before I'd ever use them up. I've seen fellow RVers carry belt dressing to quiet squealing fan belts but hair spray works just about as well and it can also be used when installing hand grips on OHVs where it works initially as a lubricant to slide the grips on, then, as it dries, it helps glue them in places so they don't slip. And while hair spray may relieve the symptoms of squealing belts, the tension of squealing belts should always be checked and tightened or replaced if necessary.

Happy repairs!