Tools for Full-Time RV Living – Tools We Can’t RV Without
When you own an RV, you need reliable tools for the road. If you're traveling full-time, you'll need tools because if you break down, you might not have anyone to help you. You could be out of cell phone service and far from any repair shops. So, I'm going to show you the tools we use when we're on the road.
The husky toolbox
In the beginning, I kept everything in plastic bins, but I recently upgraded to a toolbox. It has a lot of the stuff that I need readily accessible.
Some brands make similar toolboxes, but this one is great because I can open these doors in my garage and get to pretty much anything. The toolbox has basic stuff like a knife, tape measure, and Allen wrenches.
There’s also a cable crimper for the solar panel installation we did on the RV roof.
The cable crimper was extremely helpful. You must have this if you’re trying to connect solar panels. If you don't have it, your connection won’t work. Even pliers don't work; we've tried that.
We have screwdrivers and wrenches, as well as basic pliers and a crescent wrench. We had a couple of backup spark plugs for the generator.
A socket set
You are going to need a socket set. It doesn’t need to be fancy; any basic set will do. I finally sprung for a good one from DeWALT. It’s great because it has a couple of wrenches and all the major size sockets. Essentially, it has most of what you'll need.
A drill
I’ve used the DeWALT 20-volt drill more than any other tool. It was featured heavily in my video about screening your RV. This thing is good for everything, and it has a Robertson bit.
DeWALT is a good brand. They also make an impact driver, which is for driving screws. But I use the drill to drive the screws. I only have to be gentle with the trigger. The drill came with four boxes. Three of them have drill bits; one has the drill. Pretty much everything I’ve ever needed is in those boxes.
In the last few weeks, I’ve used this several times, once to reattach the shower, to screw in some molding, and to hang our screen door all the way. This thing is invaluable.
Robertson screws
When you’re on the road, you need a box of Robertson screws so that you can fix your RV when things don’t go right. They're self-tapping screws, so you can screw them right into the side of the RV if necessary.
When you're traveling in an RV, strange things happen that necessitate the use of specialized tools. But that’s a rare occurrence. Most of the tools you’ll need are in this box, together with the square head, Phillips’s, and flathead drill bits.
The basic level
We also have a basic level. It's two feet long, and it can help you if you're trying to check for evenness before you put your jacks down. Other times, it also serves as a straight edge. We also have a straight edge, which is a yardstick.
Plumbing and electrical tools
We keep all the plumbing and electrical tools in a separate box. These are essential for any RV. Your plumbing and electricity will give you issues at some point. Your RV is plumbed with PEX, so I’ve got PEX elbows and PEX clamps, but I haven't used them yet.
You need to make sure that you have a digital multimeter in your electrical toolbox. You’ll especially need it for solar installation and other electrical issues.
I use the digital multimeter from Klein tools (pictured above). There are other brands out there, but it's worth getting one that's a bit better. You can use it to check amps on cables as well. I use this extensively when troubleshooting the installation of the solar panels because it's simple to use.
Wiring
In this toolbox, we have black and white wiring for helping wire lights and extensions. I also have wing nuts because when you have to attach wires, this is the easiest way to do it. I have wire strippers and an extra kit of things that I used for hooking up the solar power because you never know when something might need replacing.
Other tools you may need
We have WD-40 and some other RV lube, as well as a tape. You'll need tape because if something breaks, you'll be able to patch it up while driving.
There is a backup connector cord because I’ve driven off more than once with this thing connected and broke it. I had to replace it myself. We've got ATF, which is the transmission fluid that goes for the hydraulic jacks. You're going to need that. Sometimes you’ll need a grease gun for greasing various parts of the RV, such as the fifth wheel connector.
We also have various sealants and glues in case something leaks. We've got an oil filter for the generator as well. We also have a backup water filter. Again, these aren't tools, but they are essential for the maintenance of your RV.
This was by no means an exhaustive list of all the things that we've used or that you may need, but it’s a good start. You don't need to buy the tools at once; buy them as needed. Eventually, you’ll have a toolbox collection of your own.
As always, we wish you well on your RVing journey, and we can't wait to share more of our adventures with you!
