Tips & Tricks

Tools for RVers

Mar 02, 2021

When you prepare for a trip, you should always bring an essentials tool kit. Check out the Master Planning List for a quick guide to essentials. If your family is like mine, you’ve gathered many tools over the years of being a homeowner. The tools you’ve accumulated are all important, but you can’t possibly bring all of them with you on the road (unless, of course, you plan to tow a tool shed with you).

If you plan to keep your Home Base (your home's physical location), you can leave your tools there and only bring the essentials. For us, those usually serve more than one purpose and can be used to fix multiple spur-of-the-moment things that may come up.

Problem-Solving Ability

One of the essential tools to bring with you is your problem-solving ability. Technically, this isn’t a tool, but it’s critical because you never know what you may be getting into during an adventure. If you aren’t a handy person, it may be worth talking to a friend or family member for advice on what to do if you lose power or what you should do if you lose a vent cover. Remember, you are not only taking care of a car; you are also taking care of a home. Always be prepared.

Tool Kit

The second essential item to bring is your actual tool kit. You can purchase one at your local home improvement store for under fifty dollars. The tool kit should have the basics, including a hammer, screwdrivers, pliers, wrenches, box cutter, and tape measure. This will serve as a good foundation for what you may need on the road. Although, I would suggest adding a few more items to your kit.

Hardware

Some other essential items include miscellaneous hardware: drawer fasteners and other fasteners, zip ties, duct tape, wire ties, hose clamps of various sizes, assorted bungees, WD-40 and work gloves. I’ve found that we needed each of these at one time or another. In an emergency, you can continue your vacation until you can get to a service center to make repairs if needed.

The items listed above are for a Class C RV and may need to be adjusted for the rig your family plans to travel in. For example, if you drive a diesel pusher, you may need additional tools for your travels. Finally, I would encourage travelers to take some time to view helpful tutorials on the how-to page or YouTube channel to see other hints and tricks that will make travel more comfortable.